Caracas

[MisterAli]

After reading the inspiring threads from fellow board members Haitek and the ThePrince, I thought I will take the plunge and enjoy what this unique city in Latin America has to offer.

The information provided on the forum here was (to be completely honest) only partially useful. I found that I needed to do a lot of research prior to getting on the plane. A couple of helpful members responded but the Venezuela forum is pretty much dead.

Flights.

Skyscanner seems to be the best way to compare flights. Other sites like Momondo also offer competitive prices. But I eventually bought my tickets through Despegar, the Latin American version of Skyscanner and similar sites. Even though I am charged in USD after conversion and fees it was worth it. I booked my flight two months in advance but I have later come to learn that that has it's upsides and downsides.

Tips on flights for UK / Europe travellees, BA and affiliates through the One World program are really good. Avoid doing your connection at Paris as it is a large airport and quite busy especially if you have a short transfer window. I always advise giving yourself an increased transfer window to avoid the stress, rush and the risk of your luggage not making to the destination.

Avoid having touch down times at night. They are considered unsafe as the airport is in Maiquetia about 45 minutes away from Caracas. I exited the airport just before sunset and it got dark on the journey. Personally I didn't find it dangerous or intimidating but I would not think it is worth the risk if you can catch an earlier landing time.

Visa.

All UK citizens holding a British passport have no problems here. Bring your documents proving your flight return, hotel you will be staying in and bring a payslip or evidence of employment as I have heard they are very strict sometimes and do not want hippy backpackers in their country. I did not get questions about employment, just return flight and hotel.

Transfers & Money.

This is linked very closely to money. Getting cash in the country is more or less impossible. There is an official licensed Taxi Rank just as you exit the airport, this is the only exit there is that I saw. How you will pay them will be a problem. I have been told by locals here that fares from the airport to the city are currently 500 k BsF which means it is the equivalent of roughly $2.5-$3. I am just hypothesising here but if you were to pay in dollars they will ask more, the region of $5-$20 depending on the driver and how easy he can get it exchanged.

I organized transfers and a bank card through TaxiToCaracas website as recommended by several others on the internet. He responds usually a day later in email conversation but credit to the guy he was able to confirm my payment and organise it all within 3 days. Very good even if I think the cost is much much higher than compared to what people ask for on the ground. One way $35 and return is $70.

He also offers sim card option which is $20 but only with 1 GB. I did not take him up on this offer. You can purchase it cheaper in the malls.

The main reason I went with this company is because they offer money changing service. Because cash is impossible now (they say all the money goes to Cucuta and Maicao- government blames mafia but could really be individuals trying to make a fortune and get out of the country) they offer a debit card with a copy of the cedula (local ID card) and an authorisation letter. The copy is as small as the debit card. So far I have not had any issues paying (apart from the first incident and some after) most people accept the payment but I will strongly advise that you check before receiving any service that they are ok and maybe will take payment before serving you in case there is a problem. If payment doesn't go through you will have no other way to pay as dollars is not "legally" acceptable as a form of payment here.

Money.

The exchange rate can be seen at dolartoday website. It is quite straightforward and while you are in Venezuela you cannot access the site. Twitter is your best friend. Their account shares the same information. Bear in mind the website is considered a propaganda site and possibly an agent of the US trying to destabilise the nation. A lot of their news articles are anti-government and I have now come to question the authenticity of some their articles.

When I initially booked the value of the BsF was dropping massively compared to the dollar. This means that every week your dollars could pay for more goods and services at a much cheaper rate. Over the last two months the currency has stopped it's free fall and plateaued at 230 k BsF per dollar. This is good for the Venezuelan people and their economy and bad for the tourist.

Before if the hotel sets its price at $20 per night by the end of the week it is equivalent to $2-$5 per night. Now it is fixed price. Also this means demand for dollars as a more stable currency holding value has decreased.

TaxiToCaracas will exchange your dollars at 60% of the dolartoday value which is not great at all. You can get it about 200 k BsF from the local people. There is no cash so all money is held in bank accounts. The guy doesn't give you access to online banking so you can't make payment by transfer (transferencia) and he will charge you $3 per transferencia. So really just a good way to help you hit the ground running and pay for things including your dinner for the night. I would recommend setting up PayPal account in advance so when you need to pay for the service and load money into the card it will be easy.

I have yet to find someone who can sort me out with a bank card and transfer function. This would be the best solution as you can pay the girls by transferring money to them and and you can exchange the dollars by having someone transfer it to your loaned bank account. I will provide the update on this later.

If you find a contact they will usually buy either US Dollars or Euros. I suggest bringing the bulk for your spending budget in this way, I chose USD.

Health.

Considering the crisis here it is important to maintain a good health while you are here. Getting to a good hospital and treatment can be difficult. Depending on what you plan to do during your stay, if you want to stay in the hotels and fuck then you can avoid most of these vaccinations / medications.

Hep A / B. Everyone who pays for sex should have this vaccination as standard. Start from now if you are reading this!

Typhoid. It would be necessary if you are more adventurous as the water isn't great here.

Malaria / Dengue. More relevant if you are going to do more traveling outside the city maybe even up the mountains, even for excursions.

Yellow Fever. It is a requirement for all entrants to the country but this wasn't verified for me.

Travel insurance is difficult as the British Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel.

Key advice is to keep details your Embassy or consulate here in Venezuela, you never know if you may need them.

Other things.

I was advised to pick up a cheap smartphone that is unlocked and you are happy to lose in the event you get robbed. I say smartphone as sometimes you can use the translation app and WhatsApp.

Also an old wallet would be useful. Put some loose dollars / euros so the person sticking you up feels satisfied.

The plugs are US style so an adapter or two is handy.

I stocked all my toiletries including tissues but the country is not that fucked. It's expensive for the locals but really you can just about get by. Some supermarkets are fully stocked, others have empty shelves.

Apart from booze everything in the duty free is expensive. Plan ahead!

More updates soon.

[Member #4675]

Yes,

Please share your experience with us here! The place is so volatile that information quickly becomes stale, so we all benefit from updated info. I am myself planning a trip there and would love a detailed trip report from you to help make my decision!

I returned from my trip to Caracas. Very straight forward no hassles. Enjoyed my time there. I want to say thanks to MaraCucho for being helpful over PM. Not sure if people are interested in an in depth trip report as this part of the forum seems really quiet.

[Christian G]

Not sure if people are interested in an in depth trip report as this part of the forum seems really quiet.

I agree with the other guys, I'm all ears about your experience. Please, write a detailed report.

[Artisttyp]

Would love to see a detailed report on today's Caracas scene. Always so intrigued to pull the trigger.

No Kidding.

Who wouldn't want to read about Caracas?

Yes Please.

[PDawg23]

I returned from my trip to Caracas. Very straight forward no hassles. Enjoyed my time there. I want to say thanks to MaraCucho for being helpful over PM. Not sure if people are interested in an in depth trip report as this part of the forum seems really quiet.

Would love to see a detailed report on today's Caracas scene. Always so intrigued to pull the trigger.

[LVMonger]

I returned from my trip to Caracas. Very straight forward no hassles. Enjoyed my time there. I want to say thanks to MaraCucho for being helpful over PM. Not sure if people are interested in an in depth trip report as this part of the forum seems really quiet.

Having never visited Venezuela and after hearing all the scary stuff, it would be great to hear your experiences. I'm very tempted to visit there (including Caracas) but, as you pointed out.

There's not much recent info here. Thanks much.

[MisterAli]

I returned from my trip to Caracas. Very straight forward no hassles. Enjoyed my time there. I want to say thanks to MaraCucho for being helpful over PM. Not sure if people are interested in an in depth trip report as this part of the forum seems really quiet.

[DonCarlos1234]

The chances of you finding an English speaking escort are rather slim and those that can would typically be high end escorts charging international rates. In truth you can get by with pigeon Spanish and a translation app. It worked well enough for me.

So after 45 days I get an email, SFC consulate tells me that the Caracas office denied me. "they do not give an explanation". Guess they don't want us Americans right now. Everyone I've spoken to thinks I'm better off. Now going to Colombia. SFC says "you can reapply later". (Meaning after Maduro is gone?) Interesting they sent back the $30 money order. Weird. I wonder if they even have an office that's open in Caracas. It's a beautiful country. I'll get there in the future. See you all on the Colombia boards.

[ThePrince1127]

I am awaiting my tourist Visa, probably leave for VNZ in March. It's tempting to dream but traveling there can't happen without a T. Visa. There are many people on this forum with tremendous experience and when the time comes I will reach out to them. One idea I had was finding an English speaking escort and pay her for a few days. LOL at the going rates it could be a bargain and a lot of fun. $50 usd a day? Just an idea. Who knows of escort services that might assist with that? Or individual escorts?

The chances of you finding an English speaking escort are rather slim and those that can would typically be high end escorts charging international rates. In truth you can get by with pigeon Spanish and a translation app. It worked well enough for me.

[DonCarlos1234]

Hi everyone,

I want to go to Venezuela too but I like to go with travel buddy if there are any? Where can I find them or travel group? I'm from northern California.

I am awaiting my tourist Visa, probably leave for VNZ in March. It's tempting to dream but traveling there can't happen without a T. Visa. There are many people on this forum with tremendous experience and when the time comes I will reach out to them. One idea I had was finding an English speaking escort and pay her for a few days. LOL at the going rates it could be a bargain and a lot of fun. $50 usd a day? Just an idea. Who knows of escort services that might assist with that? Or individual escorts?

[BobSmith1]

Hi everyone,

I want to go to Venezuela too but I like to go with travel buddy if there are any? Where can I find them or travel group? I'm from northern California.

Greetings fellow deviants!

For those with recent or current on-the-ground experience in Caracas, can you please share insight on how easy it is to pick up girls from malls, waitresses, walking around, etc? If so, please provide a description of how that scenario might play out, assuming you explain that you're a foreigner and you're looking for a nice night out. Would that be received as a normal asking out for a date or should the foreigner assume it is a for-money transaction? How does the woman's age factor into the equation?

Thanks in advance!

[Rodeo9112]

Greetings fellow deviants!

For those with recent or current on-the-ground experience in Caracas, can you please share insight on how easy it is to pick up girls from malls, waitresses, walking around, etc? If so, please provide a description of how that scenario might play out, assuming you explain that you're a foreigner and you're looking for a nice night out. Would that be received as a normal asking out for a date or should the foreigner assume it is a for-money transaction? How does the woman's age factor into the equation?

Thanks in advance!

[LeDarth]

End of this trip for me.

Except the begining that has been kind of complicated due to the lack of change and the corruption, everything was mostly fine.

This forum through the big amount of informations found in the reports but also through direct forum members assistance has provided unvaluable help.

I will not extend on the report, several clubs were closed during my stay and may or not reopen during January.

Prices are low (depending on where you go and what you look for), I did not have to face insecurity but I was cautious most of the time. No issue to eat, even outside, not seen any politic related event or violence.

Clubs are relaxing and there are beautiful ladies available to ensure that you will spend a good time.

[Trevor2522]

Good know that immigration likes to see confirmation of employer. A backpacker on a gap year would send them into a pink fit! Unbelievable how rude they were to a bona fide tourist entitled to 90 days, visa-free. Show them the regulations (for Europeans), in Spanish, such as from their embassy in Spain. What do seasoned Venezuela travellers think about simply putting $20 into the passport, with a wink and a smile? If flying in to Valencia international airport, immigration is more pleasant than Caracas -- but you then have the 2-hour ride to the capital to contend with.

Your ATM card was unfortunately not set up for online banking and transfers -- and online payment machines (puntos) were not used by taxis, or the clubs you visited (except Antonella). So a good mixture of small US bills would have saved you a lot of grief. Anyone can carry in up to $10,000 without declaring it. Good luck to the taxi redeeming his British pound ($1.34) ... one for his son's coin collection, methinks.

http://selfiescorts.com/escort/escor...hicas-jovenes/

[Gbawekanu]

I was in Caracas between December 19th and December 22nd.

Arrival:

Having read all the previous warning about the hustling and badgering at Caracas airport, I thought I was prepared for any eventualities. I had finished the Learn Spanish with John Noble Course a few days before my trip and it made me feel confident that I could speak Spanish as good as the native speakers. My first rude awakening was inside the flight to Caracas when I tried to speak to the flight attendants in Spanish, but every time they did not understand what I was saying; I tried not toilet this dampen my spirit, so I assumed because they are a Portuguese airline, the first language of the attendants might be Portuguese and not Spanish.

On arrival to the immigration desk, I had put $20 in my pocket to settle the officials but I was determined to push it as far as I could. I would rather tip a girl with the money than give it to some corrupt officers.

I was bombarded by lots of questions in Spanish that I started sweating profusely and did not even know what they were asking. I was told to wait until they brought an official who could speak English. She asked me the most set of ridiculous questions imaginable like confirmation letter from employer that I work for them, my passport does not look real. I countered by showing them showed them a page printout that confirms that UK nationals do not need Visa for entry, confirmation of my hotel booking and my return ticket to Bogota UT to no avail.

I was almost about ready to give them the $20 when I started thinking about my pre-booked taxi leaving when they looked at me in the most disgusted way possible and told me to go.

I met my taxi driver outside and away to my hotel we did go. I was handed the bank card and sim card that I had prepaid for.

The time was around 6:00 pm at this point and thought I should quickly call some agencies to get a girl or two to relieve the pressure I have been through.

All the agencies I spoke through kept saying I should pay them through "transferencia" or "effectivo", I quickly contacted my link through who I got the card but he said the card was not registered for online banking.

I spoke to the receptionist and the hotel manager to see if they could help me change some dollars to effectivo, but they said there was nothing. I promised the dooran a $20 tip ifhe could help me get it but he said nobody has cash in Venezuela and all the cash has been taken to Culcutta.

I was extremely tired at this point combined with a 12 hour flight from Europe that I did know what to do and fell asleep.

The following day, I contacted a few agencies about accepting dollars, none would not bulge from $20 for two hours, one agency even said $40 for one hour. I had one girl over for $20 for 2 hours. The service was great.

In the evening I took a taxi to San Igancio to eat there, on getting there, the taxi driver demanded for his money of 50,000 Bsf, I brought out the debit card to pay him but he started saying, "no punto". Luckily I had a one pound coin in my wallet and gave it to the driver. I told him the pound "es mas que dolares" and he looked happy when he collected. After eating I was effectively stranded at this point in a dangerous country where I couldn't even speak the language because I had left all my dollars at the hotel, I walked to the authorized taxi stand and tried to explain my circumstances in my broken Spanish to the lady inside the office. She said nobody has a punto to take card payments but later she called over a driver and said I should negotiate with him.

The driver seemed like a nice person and I wanted him to take me to a few clubs and asked if I could pay him with my tarjeta, he said he would try his best and see if the places we are going to could give him cashback in Bolivares.

I told him I wanted to try Trio, Ibiza, El Canagua and Antonella. Trio was closed when we got there, Ibiza said they would not let me in without seeing my passport, we ended up at Antonella, they initially refused to take my card, but after showing them the copy of the owner's cedular, they accepted it. There were about 20 girls working on a Sunday and I was happy when they said said I could pay for the girls with my card. I took two girls to my hotel for 2 hours for 4,000,0000, the service from the girls pale in comparison to the escort where everything was on offer.

The next day, there was no light and internet in Caracas for about 8 hours during the daytime, so could not even contact the agencies as I depended on Whatsapp for the translation. When the internet came back on, I quickly contacted the previous night's driver to let him we would be going out again in the evening. I told him we should go to the place Maracucho suggested, Studio Piccola, in Las Mercedes, but the driver said it was a far from where we are so we went to Antonella again and the ladies recognize me again and I took two stunning ladies back to my hotel room again, I was still doing the business when the receptionist called my room to inform me that my prebooked taxi was already downstairs to take me to the airport for my 07:00 flight to Bogota.

Verdict.

Venezuela has some of the most stunning ladies on the planet and even some of the most beautiful ladies I met in Colombia are Venezuelans, but the country is not suitable for mongering at this point in time.