Venezuela. ANGEL FALLS (the world’s highest waterfall, 16x Niagara!). Catatumbo Lightning. Lake Maracaibo. Jungle, tepuis, stilt villages, waterfalls and one of the wildest natural phenomena anywhere on earth. Ooooph. Now THIS is a trip.

I rarely head to the Americas, but I have personally never been to Catatumbo lightning lake, so it's time to go back, this time with a luxury twist.

Each year, I choose one or two proper bucket-list adventures that I personally want to do. Not generic tours created in an office. Not another week sitting around a resort. Trips that make me open Google Maps, stare at some remote corner of the world and think, “How the hell do I get there?” In 2027 that will be the wild bonobo trekking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (JOIN ME!) and this Venezuela Trip, with a luxury twist.

I visited Angel Falls years ago, and it has stayed with me ever since. Almost one vertical kilometre of water falling from the top of Auyán-tepui, deep inside Venezuela’s Canaima National Park. No road access. No easy day trip from some tourist city. You have to fly into the jungle, travel upriver and hike to reach it. This time, though, I want to do Venezuela properly.

We’re combining Angel Falls with the Catatumbo Lightning over Lake Maracaibo, the area with the highest concentration of lightning on earth. Then we fly into Canaima National Park, visit the Sapo and Hacha waterfalls and travel deep into the jungle to see Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall. All via Caracas, where we stay a 5* hotel to recover each time. And because I’m 42 now and getting soft, we’re doing it with some comfort too!

Lovely hotel in Caracas. One night sleeping in a hammock over Lake Maracaibo (I know, I know! I promise it's the only way!) followed by three nights at one of the most beautiful Lodges in all of Canaima national park. This is wild Venezuela, but done properly.

Venezuela is one of the most naturally spectacular countries on earth. Honestly. It has Caribbean beaches, the Andes, the enormous Orinoco River, the wetlands of Los Llanos, the strange tabletop mountains of the Gran Sabana and some of the most dramatic waterfalls anywhere on our planet. But tourism here is still tiny.

Most travellers have heard the stories about Venezuela’s politics, economy and security situation, and simply never consider visiting. That means places which would attract thousands of tourists every day in another country remain genuinely remote.

This isn’t a trip where we’ll be fighting through crowds or queuing for viewpoints. It’s an adventure through a country that very few international tourists currently experience. And the two headline experiences are ridiculous.

First, we travel to Lake Maracaibo and sleep in a traditional stilt settlement while the Catatumbo Lightning flashes across the sky above us all night!

Then we fly into the three-million-hectare Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with jungle, rivers, waterfalls and ancient tepuis. Hidden inside it is Angel Falls, around 1,000 metres high, and officially the tallest waterfall on earth.

Two world-record natural wonders. One trip. COME ON!

Today the trip officially begins. We meet at our hotel in Caracas (the Melia or similar), get introduced to the group and run through the adventure ahead. We’re staying 5*, there’ll be plenty of time for rougher accommodation tomorrow!

Depending on everyone’s arrival times, we’ll explore a little of Caracas, eat together and have a few drinks. Then an early night. Tomorrow we head west in search of lightning.

Tuesday, August 31, 2027

Early morning flight toward Mérida before driving to Puerto Concha, our jumping-off point for Lake Maracaibo.

From there, we board our boat and travel through the wetlands toward Ologá Lagoon. This is a completely different Venezuela. Full of waterways, mangroves, birds, wildlife and communities built directly above the lake. Tonight we settle into a traditional stilt cabin. And yes, we sleep in hammocks (I don't love it either, but we'll bring some booze!)

Luxury trip? Mostly! But there are no five-star hotels sitting in the middle of the Catatumbo wetlands, and I’m not going all the way to Venezuela and then watching the lightning from a concrete town three hours away. After dark, we wait for the Catatumbo Lightning.

Lake Maracaibo experiences more lightning than anywhere else on earth, with storms occurring on as many as 300 nights in some years. Huge flashes can illuminate the clouds and horizon for hours. Nature never offers a 100% guarantee, of course. But when it performs, this is one of the greatest natural light shows on the planet. Tonight we switch off, look up and hope Venezuela puts on a show.

We wake up on Lake Maracaibo and head out by boat to explore more of the region. We’ll visit Congo Mirador, one of the area’s famous stilt settlements, see how people live on the water and look for birds and other wildlife around the lake.

This isn’t a polished tourist attraction. These are real communities in a remote and environmentally fragile part of Venezuela. We visit respectfully, photograph responsibly and learn about a way of life that very few outsiders ever see. After our morning on the lake, we return via Puerto Concha and Mérida before flying back to Caracas. Hot shower. Proper bed. Air conditioning (cocktails anyone?). Never taking any of those things for granted again!

Thursday, September 2, 2027

Today we leave Caracas and fly into Canaima National Park. Flying into Canaima is an experience by itself. Jungle stretches below us, broken by rivers, waterfalls and enormous tepuis rising vertically from the landscape.It genuinely looks prehistoric.

After landing, we transfer to our luxury Lodge, our home for the next three nights. Lovely rooms, proper beds, hot showers and air conditioning. We’ve earned it. But we’re not here to sit around the lodge.

This afternoon, we visit Canaima Lagoon and the Sapo and Hacha waterfalls. Depending on the water level and local conditions, we may even walk behind the falls. Prepare to get soaked! Tonight we return to comfort for dinner and an early night. The alarm is going off at a pretty disgusting hour tomorrow.

Friday, September 3, 2027

This is the big one. We leave at approximately 5am and begin our full-day expedition to Angel Falls. Reaching it is part of the adventure. We travel upriver by motorised curiara, passing jungle, rapids and towering tepuis before continuing on foot through the rainforest. Eventually, the trees open and there it is.

ANGEL FALLS.

The highest waterfall on earth, dropping almost one kilometre from the summit of Auyán-tepui into the jungle below.

Photos don’t properly explain the scale of it. The waterfall is so high that much of the water becomes mist before reaching the bottom. And because accessing this region takes real effort, we won’t be sharing the experience with thousands of tourists or queuing for an Instagram platform.

We’ll hike to the viewpoint, take it all in and, if conditions allow, have time around the falls before beginning the long journey back. Most Angel Falls itineraries make you sleep in another hammock near the falls.

Not this one! We return to our Lodge, take a hot shower and sleep in a real bed. A huge, exhausting and genuinely unforgettable day.

Saturday, September 4, 2027

Angel Falls sits deep inside a tropical wilderness. Flights, river levels, cloud and rain can all affect the programme.

So I’ve deliberately built an additional day into Canaima. If yesterday’s Angel Falls excursion operates perfectly, brilliant. Today becomes a relaxed adventure day with optional activities around Canaima.. Perhaps kayaking, time around the lagoon, a local community visit, another waterfall excursion or simply enjoying the lodge.

But if the weather causes problems, we have another opportunity to make Angel Falls happen.

I don’t want to drag everyone all the way to Venezuela, leave ourselves one tiny weather window and then say, “Bad luck, guys!” The buffer costs more, but for a trip built around the world’s highest waterfall, it’s the sensible way to do it.

Sunday, September 5, 2027

One final morning in Canaima before taking our scheduled flight back to Caracas.

If the flight timing behaves itself, we’ll have time for a half-day Caracas tour or a final meal together before returning to our 5* hotel for the night.

If the flight timing behaves itself, we’ll have time for a half-day Caracas tour and a final meal together before returning to our 5* hotel for the night.

Monday, September 6, 2027

Breakfast together before the trip officially finishes. We did it! Catatumbo Lightning, Lake Maracaibo, stilt villages, jungle rivers, tepuis and Angel Falls. Venezuela DONE!

Now, I'm off to the 3 Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) JOIN ME! I missed French Guiana on my 'every country in the world' trip. So i get to visit a new place again!