Caracas Venezuela in late 2003

Quick Tips:

I'm not sure what your reason would be for coming to Caracas. I went to visit friends that I met there in 1992. The country has changed a lot, mostly for the worse. Although nothing happened to me, my friends who live there said it is now much more dangerous and they repeatedly warned me about walking alone at night. The exchange rate is fixed currently at 1600 per US dollar, which makes it expensive when compared to most other countries in South America. If they let their currency float again, things would be much cheaper. The black market rate is about 2400 per dollar, but it's not easy to find someone to change money for you when you're a tourist and don't know where to ask. I found a travel agent who changed money for me at that rate. For the average traveler, I don't recommend Caracas. It doesn't have the collection of Spanish Colonial buildings and other items of interest that you might find in Quito or Bogota, for example. It's also relatively expensive at the current exchange rate and dangerous. I found the people to be very attractive.

Best Way To Get Around:

Take the metro whenever possible. Taxis do not have meters and drivers tried to take advantage of me as a tourist every time. I usually walked to my destination if the metro didn't go there.

In November 2003, the price was only 22000 Bolivares per night. Try room 96 with the fabulous view. The rooms are decent considering the price. Ceiling fans only, no A/C. Private baths and TV. At this price, you get some couples that come only for a few hours, but overall, the place is OK. It's located between Ave. Casanova and Maxys in the Bello Monte neighborhood.

I saw this place reviewed on a few other websites and decided to stay there my first night. I didn't stay a second night because of street noise that wouldn't get better by changing to a different room. I was in room 66, which included TV and air-conditioning. The air conditioner here and the ones in most other budget hotels in Caracas are 20 to 30 years old (not an exaggeration) and make a huge amount of noise. You can't sleep with it turned on and when it's hot, you can't sleep with it turned off either. Comfortable bed. Parking, color TV, and restaurant. Free local phone calls from your room.

This was my favorite hotel in Caracas. The room was 32,000 Bolivares per night. The rooms were very lovely, especially considering the price. The room included color TV with cable, air-conditioning, beautiful private bathrooms, and hot water. Get a room in the back to avoid street noise, although you will still hear horns honking from several blocks away. Local phone calls cost 100 Bolivares per minute.

This place is a mixed bag. The neighborhood and the price are OK, but they charged me a fortune for local phone calls, so I changed hotels to express my displeasure. Do not use the phone in your room to make outgoing calls for any reason. They have a public phone just up the steps from the lobby, which I wasn't aware of . . . use either that phone or a public phone outside. Local calls were billed at nearly US$1 per minute.

Other than the phone ordeal, the room was fairly attractive, but nothing special considering the price in this third world country. In November 2003, it was 45,000 Bolivares per night (US$28). There was no hot water in my room, despite the giant hot water tank that was in the hallway (the hot water heater was working, but never reached my room). The "cold" water from the faucet was nearly warm because of the climate, so I dealt with that.

If you want to be in the Altamira neighborhood, this hotel is probably the best budget choice. It's on a quiet small street. They are located next door to a school, which started using its public address system at 7am, then again around 11am . . . keep this in mind if you like to sleep late. At least you won't have any traffic noise at this place. It’s one block from the Altamira subway station, near the Teatro Altamira.

This is a good choice for vegetarians or anyone just trying to get a healthy meal in this city. It costs less than US$3 for the all-you-can-eat buffet. You must pay the cashier at the outside window and give your receipt to the server inside. The food is decent, but not a gourmet's delight. It's good value for the price. About 100m from the Gran Cafe, one block from Ave Francisco Solano in the Sabana Grande area.

When I last visited Venezuela, the old cable car system wasn't working any more. They had a European company come in and build something completely new, and it's wonderful. The ticket cost was 15,000 Bolivares and will soon be 20,000. A 15-minute ride (give or take five minutes) takes you to the top of Mount Avila, where quiet awaits. What a great escape from the bustle of Caracas. Take a sweater or jacket since it's very cool at the top. You should have a beautiful view of the entire valley. This was my favorite activity in the capital of Venezuela and I highly recommend it to all.