Posada Casa Grande de Angostura

Let's read your future

by vivacolombia

I've came across two stores in ciudad bolivar that read your future in a wide range of strange things like tobacco smokes, snales, cards etc...
Personally, I didn't do it ...However, I had fun reading the signs, going in to check out the medecine they propose or the hundreds of statues they sell.

Canaima National Park and Salto Angel

by realde14

The Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, are best reached from Ciudad Bolivar. There are several tarvel agencies taht organize expeditiions. The most fun is to approach the falls throug a combination of river boating and walking/trecking, spread out over several days.

Ciudad Bolivar- jump off point

by Athensfilippos

"The town (don't worry about it!)"

It's a pretty town, but it somehow never gave me a friendly feeling. It does have the onricco and there's plenty of humidity... i don't know why. It mostly is a jumping off point to canaima and delta, but during every August they celebrate the Orinocco street fair/festival which is fun and all. Street fair, street food (i did have plenty and it was better than in obviously much more expensive restaurants), a live jazz concert and plenty of local beer.
There's nothing to be scared of, on the contrary do take some time and walk around, it's pretty!

"Posada Don Carlos--a NO NO"

This was the only time we picked a place to stay according to lonely planet's pick. I should have imagined that it would be packed with yelling, smelling backpackers and the stuff there would deal with as accordingly. 100% i felt that the stuff knew for a fact that we were dumb, cheap tourists who should just pay the room and get the f*** outa-here.
Maybe, i shouldn't be that ironic with the stuff, not knowing what their eyes might have seen so far, but just for the fun of it I have to deliver their quotes and doings there.

a) the cute asian/latino girl at any/all questions we might had she felt obliged to roll her eyes like 4 times in a row, speak english in her own pace/accent and felt we're at least stupid for not getting 100% of what she just said (which was always non sense).
b) We booked their Canaima excursion (WHICH YOU SHOULD NEVER DO!!). They charged us the ridiculous amount of 1700bolivares (250euros).
First they told us our plane would leave at 11am, then she woke us up at 6am and told us that the plane would be leaving in 30 minutes!! Thank the lord we already had our suitcases up and ready.
We go to Canaima village (the best place i've been in my life) and the shady part starts. First we wait at the airport more than an hour for our guide to arrive. The airport is 5mins walking from the "posada." His first sentence was: "we're sorry, we don't have enough rooms, please the same-sex friends have to stay together in 4beds rooms" !!!!!! I went with my friend, but the last thing i wanted was to share a room--especially at this price! So, we did our fight and we did get our own room. The room was one of the ***tiest rooms i've ever stayed in my life (even worst that then one with a fan in Don Carlos). No towels of course and the room was just a tin, but at least it did have a shower (a smelly one of course). I wouldn't mind for any of the above if the price was right. The provided food was a also a huge joke.
What really pissed me off though was that by walking into the village there were numerous superbly beautiful posadas and with a sea view and a balcony! Their 2persons price was around 150-200 bolivares (remember the trip cost 1700 p/p!!).
Besides the amazing surroundings, the guide was a nice guy and could speak fair english.
Also, to be fair, their campsite in Angels Falls is well placed and nice.

What i'm trying to say is do take this amazing trip at any cost, but make sure u don't book through them, u can get a much more pleasant experience with the same amount of money (we heard kayak is better).

c) When we took the excursion we booked the aircon room for when we return. The asian/latino girl totally didn't book it and we had to stay in the fan room since there was no other availability in the historic center. Trust me, u'll feel claustophobic in there and it's a shame to stay in a poor hotel in venezuela since this is a cheap country.

d) The bit older Venezuelian stuff guy was a figure i'll never forget. Our first encounter was when we woke up at 6am and they offered my free coffee. The pot though, was empty and i left it open so they'd notice. The exact moment i left it of my hands he jumped on me and scolded me "please close it, so that others can drink" gee mate!
Later on he told me my favorite venezuelian quote when i asked him to book me a taxi for 5am (what i've done everywhere in Venezuela, even in the middle of nowhere). He didn't book, didn't tell me that he didn't book and when i asked him later on if he booked the taxi after all, he took his pretty face and whispered in my ear "this is not europe, my friend" How funny :D

Unique Qualities: The aircon room is nice, classy and cheap (150blv--20euros), plus the location is central. The rest of the hotel and the stuff is embarrassing.

Ciudad Bolívar

by MalenaN

Ciudad Bolívar is situated on the south bank of River Orinoco. The city was founded in 1764 at the narrowest point of the river, and was by then called Angostura. In 1846 the city was renamed to Ciudad Bolívar in honour of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator. He had come here to set up a base during the war. It was here the troops got prepared for the last battles of the war.

Many tourists pass Ciudad Bolívar on their way to Canaima/Angel Falls or Santa Elena /Roraima without stopping to see the city. It is absolutely worth to stop here for a day or two and explore the Historical Centre, which spreads out on the hill above River Orinoco. The colonial houses are painted in many different colours and it looks very charming. There are many different museums to explore, but as I visited on a Monday most of them were closed. Also take a stroll along the river.

A city with lots of history

by cheesecake17

The third-longest river in South America, the Orinoco covers about 2150km (1333mi), from its source near the Brazilian border in the south of the country to its wide, flooded delta on the northeast coast.

At the Lower Orinoco lies the site of Ciudad Bolívar (formerly Angostura), a hot city that boasts a glorious history and still retains much of its colonial charm.

It was here that Simón Bolívar set up his base for the final stage of the War of Independence, and the town became the provisional capital of the country prior to liberation from the Spanish.

Most visitors to Ciudad Bolívar will be en route to Canaima, town located on the Río Carrao just below the stretch of river with a chain of seven magnificent waterfalls.

Nearby, is Salto Angel (Angel Falls), the world's highest waterfall, with an uninterrupted drop of 807m/2647ft (16 times the height of Niagara Falls).

Continuing southeast brings you to the fascinating landscape of the Gran Sabana, with its tepuis (flat-topped mountains) and simas ('sink-holes' of jungle up to 350m/1148ft wide, surrounded by sheer cliffs).