The Lost World River journey and the Angel Falls, in Venezuela, grant you an amazing place like the one where dinosaurs live in Jurassic Park. The extent jungle and panoramic view can take everyone’s breath away. Take the Lost World River Journey and meet the imposing Angel Falls.
That place can be found especifically in the Gran Sabana region. On the south-east side of the South American country.
Activity/Place Highlights
A Fictional Waterfall
The Angel Falls (Salto Angel) is the largest waterfall on Earth, located in the Canaima National Park. This is the place that inspired Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel ‘The Lost World’. Besides, the Angel Falls are known as ‘Paradise Falls’ in the famous Pixar movie ‘UP’. Certainly an inspiring, movie-like natural wonder.
Open for you to explore
Boat trips and hikes are open for those who want to have an enjoyable time. If you’re seeking extreme adventures, dive into the air sucking waterfalls, in a path behind the torrent cut by Tomás Bernal.
The Pemonan Indians
The boats going upriver to the falls are driven by local Pemonan Indians, experts on the waters that come from the Carao. Many interesting stories and legends will be unfolded on the way to the falls. The Pemonan Indians believe that bad spirits called maráwiton live at the top of the Angel Falls, with their god Tramán-chita. Hence the name “Hell Mountain”, given to the tepuís.
Canaima is not just the Angel Falls!
A nicer and more intimate experience can be lived by spending days to get to the waterfalls. Tourist guides will help you along the way to ensure you receive an educational trip, taking you to interesting and attracting places until you finally arrive at the waterfalls. You will go from the Canaima Lagoon, with its beautiful red waters, to Kavanayén, a small village of the Pemonan Indians surrounded by a large green land.
How to get there
Flying to Ciudad Bolivar is the first step to get close to Angel Falls. Then, the adventure begins as soon as you take the second flight to Canaima, where a small village of Pemonan Indians live.
As you get closer, you can start having a great view of the tepuís being clothed by dense clouds, taller than anything you’ve ever seen (three times taller than the Eiffel Tower).
From the plane you will have spectacular views of the Sapo Falls, part of the seven waterfalls of Canaima Lake.
Inside information
If you’re afraid of exploring the unknown grounds on your own, don’t worry. You can always contact tourist agencies that organize trips from Caracas to Canaima. They also arrange different activities to enjoy on this heaven-on-earth place.
Airlines from Canaima and Ciudad Bolivar, such as Rutaca and LTA, provide flights over the Angel Falls. Besides, National Airline Supervivensa offers a full tour with their Campamento Canaima lodge. Many others reside in Canaima and Ciudad Bolivar with different prices for you to pick.
History
The name to this high waterfall comes from Jimmie Angel. This US aviator was the first to fly over the top table mountain in 1933. Then, he returned in October 1939. But on an attempt to land his monoplane ‘Rio Caroni’ on top of the falls, the wheels sank into the soft ground. Then, he and those aboard his plane had to trek down from the top for 11 days.
It was later decided to name the waterfalls after him, honoring his adventure. Eventually, Angel’s plane was taken apart and brought down from the falls. Now, you can see it re-assembled, standing outside the airport terminal at Ciudad Bolívar.
Nevertheless, the mystery remains on who found the waterfalls first. Explorers of the XX century were also interested in how rich Venezuelan ground was. They had expeditions around the country to find gold and discover new species, starting with the city of El Dorado.
Historians state that the first one to visit the waterfall was Fernando de Berrio. However, other sources say it was Félix Cardona back in 1927. The list also includes Venezuelan explorer Ernesto Sánchez La Cruz, who hid his beautiful discovery and didn’t make any publications about it.
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