The Orinoco Delta Lodge is operated by Tucupita Expeditions, one of about a half-dozen companies offering excursions into the delta.
Built in the style of the Warao Indian homes, but much grander with its three-storey high peaked roof, the lodge is an oasis in the jungle, decorated with potted banana plants, palm fronds and a red-tile floor, with a bar at one end, a kitchen at the other and rustic wooden furniture in between.
Guests can relax, enjoy a Cuba Libre and mingle with visitors from around the globe.
Political turmoil in Venezeula has reduced the number of tourists coming into the country, but during our stay we shared the lodge with a trio of young Austrians, 10 Russians and an adventurous 75-year-old Brit named Joyce.
The staff comes from around the world - our guides were Christophe, a Frenchman, and Tino, a German. Maria, the bartender was from Argentina. Many of the staff are also locals who live in the delta and canoed to the lodge for work in the morning.
The lodge has 37 thatched-roof cabins built on the water or nestled into the jungle.
Ours was on the river, a few metres from a pen shared by Toby the puma and three caiman (crocodiles).
The cabin was open on all sides to allow cooling breezes in, but screened to keep bugs and other creatures out. The vaulted ceiling gave it an airy feeling.
It boasted hardwood floors and an ensuite bathroom with bamboo walls, a flush toilet and a cold-water shower, perfect for refreshing yourself after a day sweating in the jungle.
We had three single beds in our cabin, made from logs with comfortable mattresses and nothing more than thin, tropical-print sheets to cover up with at night. Power (meaning lights) was available in the cabin from 6pm to 11pm and from 6am to 8am. Don't bother bringing a hair dryer -- the lodge's generator doesn't provide enough juice to run one, as I found out. A winding wooden boardwalk, lit with glowing oil torches at night and lined with pineapples, hibiscus and red ginger flowers, connected the cabins to the main lodge.
The cost of our three-day tour was US$250 per person, which included airfare, transportation and all meals. Alcoholic drinks and tipping is extra. Expect to pay 20,000 Bolivares for a bottle of wine (Chilean), 2,000 Bs. for a beer and 3,000 Bs. for a cuba libre (rum and Coke). We also paid another 8,000 departure tax at the Maturin airport for our flight back to Margarita Island.