Venezuela | Is the country safe enough to travel again?

Venezuela, a country that has been suffering from severe inflation, poverty and high crime for decades. For a long time it was not safe to travel in Venezuela. In addition, the Dutch government still strongly advises against traveling in Venezuela: travel advice code red and orange. Yet the country seems to be slowly picking up after many years of misery. The mighty US dollar is gaining more and more ground in the country, which brings stability and the first courageous travelers have already found their way to the country. Some have even settled there. So is Peter, a Belgian owner of Hostel Iguana Garden in Valencia, Venezuela.

Tip:: Do you want to know more about Peter's hostel in Venezuela? Then click here for the Instagram page.

Because there is hardly any information about Venezuela on the internet, we have put together a number of stories and articles together with Peter about the current situation in the country. What is it like to travel in Venezuela right now? What about security? Is the country safe to travel? What is it like to start and live in a hostel in Venezuela? In this article, Peter takes you through his experience. Think of it as an introduction to the articles to come.

Venezuela is going through a tough period

Hello world travelers,

My name is Peter from Belgium and my wife Tisbeth is Venezuelan. We moved from Belgium to Venezuela in December 2021 and our plan was and is to receive foreign tourists in Venezuela. We converted my parents-in-law's house into a small 'posada' with 3 rooms, a nice common area and a beautiful roof terrace. We are located in Valencia which is a nice place to stop on your way to or from it Morrocoy National Marine Park with its beautiful beaches.

I'm writing to you because I'm pretty sure some of you are interested in coming to Venezuela, but have probably heard terrible stories from Venezuelans who have left their country. They will tell you not to go to Venezuela because it is unsafe or even dangerous. It's horrible, it's hell. That's what you usually hear about safety.

I won't deny that people have had a hard time in Venezuela and many are still struggling, but things are slowly getting better. In the last 11 years I have vacationed in Venezuela almost every year and every year was worse than the year before. 2018 was the last time and then it was very bad: empty supermarkets; unsafe, very difficult to get money or pay for anything.

Suddenly we see improvement in Venezuela

But in 2021 we came back for a holiday in May and saw that things were changing. The US dollar has been introduced, which means that the economy is growing. You suddenly see people investing in their business, new stores are being built and many new restaurants are opening.

There are no longer so many problems to pay because you can use the dollar and the bolivar, which has been fairly stable compared to before. But also international (prepaid) credit cards now work in many places in Venezuela and with some apps like Book can you also pay.

So it's easier than ever to get around and buy stuff. I'm not saying it's an easy country to travel in, but it's much better than it was. But why does traveling always have to be easy? What's wrong with a challenge? That way you have fun stories afterwards. Venezuela is a country waiting to be discovered. If you dare.

It feels safer than before

The country also feels much safer than before. You don't hear the horror stories of robberies and kidnappings like you did four years ago. At that time, people did not go out into the streets at night. Although violent things still happen, there is now a nightlife again; people go to restaurants until late at night. The cities and villages are alive again.

More and more Venezuelans are going out in their own country. The many waterfalls in the country are again crowded. An ever-growing number goes hiking and cycling and in some mountains around Valencia, it is sometimes even too busy with walkers and cyclists. Please note: these are places where people did not dare to go until three years ago, for fear of being robbed. It is significant because the contrast is so great with a few years ago.

Is Venezuela cheap?

No, it is not the cheapest country in Latin America. Probably even one of the more expensive ones. You will have to look around to find cheap accommodation and food. It will be hard to find anything cheaper than $20 per night, which is also still expensive for backpackers. We know this because we have been backpackers ourselves for many years. But by European standards it is still very affordable.

Why go to Venezuela?

If you want to travel in Venezuela this brings with it some challenges. Safety is still something to consider, but it's well worth it! There are fantastic beaches to discover such as Morocco, charno en Mochima. The Andes Mountains at Merida has Glaciers and the highest cable car in the world. There are beautiful sand dunes in it Chorus and you can take the lightning off Catatumbe on the lake Maracaibo to see. Also don't forget the highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, the Amazon, the delta of the Oronoco River and the table mountains in Gran Sabana. In short, enough to discover and take on the challenges for this!

Also read: 20 Must Sees in South America | Feed for your Bucket List ✔️

The few foreign tourists we already received in our house were positively surprised about the safety in Venezuela. They were also very enthusiastic about the friendliness and hospitality of the Venezuelans. Most stayed longer than planned or plan to return. They loved it and apart from the many (often corrupt) police checks, hardly had any bad experiences.

You won't meet many other tourists, more likely none. But that means it's easier to meet the local people. They will invite you for a beer or a meal, give you a lift, help and protect you. They also want you to feel safe in their country.

If you are interested in coming to Venezuela, you can always contact us for more information. Because as I said before, it is not the easiest country to travel around, but with some tips and advice from us or other travelers it can be much easier. We have a nice place to stay in Valencia and have built up a good knowledge and network of posadas and tour operators in Venezuela. If you want, we can plan a trip for you.

Come to Venezuela, you won't regret it.

Closing comments

Do you want to know more about Peter's hostel in Venezuela or are you looking for more tips and information regarding safety in Venezuela, what to do in Venezuela, etc? Please keep our website and Facebook page closely monitor. You will be able to read more Venezuela blogs from Peter in the near future Wereldreizigers.nl to expect. Also don't forget to Peter's hostel to follow on Instagram, where interesting updates are also regularly posted.

In the next Venezuela article we will take a closer look at organizing a trip. Where to book tours, for example, and how to find the best accommodation. That is easier said than done in Venezuela.

Until the next blog!