A little more
Venezuela.
A lot less roaming.

Travelling to Venezuela: what to know before you go

Venezuela has some of South America's most dramatic landscapes: the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, table-top mountains rising from savannah, Andean peaks, Caribbean coral islands and the vast Orinoco delta. The country has been through a prolonged economic and political crisis, and tourism infrastructure is limited, so check your government's current travel advice before planning a trip.

Where to go

• Angel Falls and Canaima. Kerepakupai Merú, known in English as Angel Falls, drops roughly 979 metres from the Auyán-tepui in Canaima National Park.
• Mount Roraima. A flat-topped tepui on the borders with Brazil and Guyana, with a summit plateau of black rock, crystals and endemic plants.
• Gran Sabana. High savannah in the south-east dotted with tepuis and waterfalls such as Salto Kamá and Quebrada de Jaspe, where water flows over red jasper rock.
• Los Roques. An archipelago national park of coral islands and white-sand cays in the Caribbean, known for snorkelling, diving and kitesurfing, reached by small plane from the mainland.

Best time to visit

The dry season, from roughly December to April, is the best time for most of the country, including the beaches, Los Roques and the Andes. Angel Falls is at its most powerful in the rainy season, from about June to November, when river levels are high enough for boat trips to the base; in the dry season the flow can be much reduced.

Staying online in Venezuela

Mobile coverage is available in Caracas and other cities, but speeds can be slow, and power cuts and network problems are not unusual. Coverage drops sharply outside towns: in Canaima, the Gran Sabana, Roraima, the Orinoco Delta and Los Roques, signal is limited or absent, and lodges may rely on satellite internet. Wi-Fi in hotels exists but can be unreliable. Download offline maps and translation packs before you go. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land, and treat it as one of several options.