Angel Falls and Canaima National Park

For the video of our trip - please CLICK HERE

I really hope I can do this place justice. 

Last weekend my family made the journey to Angel Falls and Canaima National Park.  This excursion was on our Latin American Bucket List - along with Curacao, Galapagos and Machu Pichu.

This trip has now made my top ten of the greatest things I have ever done in my life.  Experiencing it with my husband and children made it even more spectacular. 

From the time I flew into Canaima I was in pure and total awe.  I kept looking at my husband and we would send the mental message of "Wow, how awesome is this?  How lucky are we?  I love you for our life together."

We made plans for the trip several weeks ago.  We knew that it was still the rainy season and travel up the Carrao River would be good - it is impassable in the dry season.  Some of our friends had gone and recommended the Waku Lodge and the trip in general.  We travelled with our good friends Sean and Rhonda Kelly, and their kids Amanda, Ryan and Megan. 


Day 1


The day finally arrived.  The kids were off of school on Monday so this gave us a chance to go over a three day weekend.  Chris was flying back from Houston the morning we left.  I had to get the girls to the airport by 6:00am.  We woke up at 0400, got dressed, and waited for our Pacheo driver to take us to the airport.  We got to the airport as the sun was rising and were relieved when Daddy called us that he had made it on time and would meet us at the domestic terminal.  The airport in Caracas is one of the distinct reminders that we are in a third world country.  Lots of crowds, shoving, shouting, and waiting.  We made it through check-in and then through security.  Our plane left for Puerto Ordaz - a one hour jet ride away and landed without incident.  Our next plane was full so we had to wait a couple of hours for it to bring the other passangers to Canaima, drop them off, then turn around to get our party of 9 people. 


We happily boarded our plane and headed for Canaima around noon.  We flew over a large lake and then started seein the large plateaus and mountains out of the window.  The landscape looked like something out of Lord of the Rings.  The flight was only 35 minutes and we landed in a lush green valley surrounded by giant plateaus.  The "airport" was a grass covered hut with no walls, windows, or doors.  A large jeep with Waku Lodge printed on the side picked us up and drove 5 minutes to the nearby lodge. 

We were not sure what exactly to expect at Waku Lodge.  I was mentally prepared for huts and bugs - but instead, was greeted by manicured lawns, beautiful natural architecture, and lovely private rooms. 

Standing on the property, I noticed a dull roar in the background - it sounded almost like traffic in a big city, but there are no cars.  What is that noise?  I walked toward the sound and found the lake the Lodge sits on a beautiful small lake - the Canaima Lagoon.  Directly across from our beach are two "small" waterfalls.  The roar was the rush of water sweeping over the falls and into the lagoon.  It was breathtaking. 

We were immediately ushered to the dining area - a very large thatched and a gorgeous dining room.  After a beautiful lunch were thinly sliced grilled eggplant slices were wrapped around goat cheese and nut mounds (among other delicious offerings) we went to our rooms to get ready for the first tour.  Our rooms were spacious and consisted of single beds.  There was a private bath with hot water and a small sink.  The decor was beautiful and beyond our expectations. 

We met on the beach and our guide Jose had us load into long, narrrow canoes called Curiara for a tour around the Canaima lagoon directly in front of the hotel.  This surprised me as I did not realize that we were going to another tour besides the one to Angel Falls.

The boat took us to see the Hacha and Golondrina and Ucaima falls.  The water was low enough for us to walk behind the waterfalls for one of the most spectacular experiences I have ever had. 

After leaving Ucaima we hiked into the jungle and went to explore the Sappo and Sapittio falls.  The hike was beautiufl and took less than one hour.  We were able to walk underneath the Sappo falls as well and then hiked down to the base of the Sapitto where a lagoon awaited.  The kids had a wonderful time swimming and playing in the water with their Dad and friends.

After hiking back to the canoes, we headed back to the lodge.  We were happy, exhausted adn filfthy.  After showers and a glass of wine (for the adults)- we headed out to dinner.  After dinner we sat outside and looked at the sky unpolluted by surrounding lights and were entertained by shooting stars.  The kids ran all over the resort like they owned it, playing tag, hide and seek, and stargazing.

We were promised a knock on our door at 0400 to get up for the Angel Falls trip the next day - so we headed off to bed.

Day 2


As promised - the knock came, and we dragged ourselves out of bed.  At 4:45 we met in the main area for coffee and crackers and then loaded into jeeps.  The jeeps took us around the lagoon and through the village where the people who work at the camp live.

Just past the village was Ucaima Port just above the Canaima Lagoon Falls - there our canoes awaited.  The canoes are about 30 feet long and made from a hollowed out log of at least 60 inches in diameter.  Around the log is a second layer that makes the helm, stern and outside of the boat.  The front and back were where the guides sat and drove the boat and negotiated the shallow area and rapids.

About 45 minutes into the journey, we pulled off onto the beach and unloaded at La Sabana de Mayupa.    The Mayupa rapids are too dangerous to try to fjord by boat.  A tractor pulled us about 3 miles to the other side of the rapids.  We loaded back into the canoes and continued our journey.  When we reached Orchid Island we stopped for breakfast.  There is a camp there where people can sleep in hammocks closer to the falls than we were.

After leaving the island, we again headed upriver.  The vegetation and landscape began to change dramatically.  Areas of the river became very shallow and we got to experience how skilled our river boat drivers really are.  We saw other canoes where the passengers had to disembark and push the boats past rapids or shallow areas, but our guides never did.  It could also be because many of our passengers were small children who did not weigh very much.  The mesas and mountains also became more and more beautiful.  Finally, we began to see the Angel Falls.  Our collective mouths dropped open at the sight.  It was stunning.

We pulled up to a small island and began the hike up to the base of the falls.  The land below the jutting cliffs is rainforest and climbs steeply to the base of the falls.  The ground is littered with giant roots of trees that snake along the ground - sometimes several feet thick.  Large boulders are scattered amongst the paths as well.  The hike took us well over the hour prescribed - especially since we had a hardy 5 year old making the trip.

There is a small pool at the base of the falls.   After hiking through the rainforest, almost everyone strips off their clothes and dives in.  Be warned, the water is COLD!  My kids tolerated it the best they could but did not swim very long.  Madeline found a nice warm boulder, curled up on it, and refused to move. It was now 100pm and time to head back.  We had to hike down the same path and at that point Madeline had had just about enough.  She was struggling to climb down the boulders, still wet and cold from the swim and just lost it.  Jose - our fabulous guide - scooped her up without asking and piggybacked her down the mountain.

Jose is one of the local tribe of indigenous people to the area.  He is a professional guide and was able to take his 10 year old son with us on the journey.  He is able to speak English, Japanese, and Italian - not to discount Spanish and his native dialect.  He and his son hiked the entire way barefoot.  Even though he has seen these sights thousands of times, I got the feeling he truly enjoyed seeing the falls and loved his job.  If you ever go - ask for him, and tip well.

When we got back to base camp at the river, lunch was waiting.  A crew had barbecued chicken and there was rice and salad.  It was delicious and we were starving.  We got back in the boats and headed home the way we came.  The sun was setting instead of rising and we got a view of the mountains that was completely different than the morning.  The sun set during the last 30 minutes of our boatride and the moonlight guided us home.

We showered and went to have a glass of wine before dinner.  We chatted with other people at the lodge and met some interesting people.  Dinner again was wonderful.  Suddenly, the owner of the lodge announced that they had entertainment for us.  The local school choir was to perform.  A small group of children gathered in the front of the dining room and prepared to sing.

I looked up to be polite.  These were obviously native indian children whose parents likely worked at the lodge or the other lodges near ours.  They must have lived in the village we had passed on the way in.  They were scrubbed clean and had on nice school uniforms.  They called themselves the Coro Infantil de Kanaima.  They likely ranged in age from 6 - 16.  The taped music started and they began to sing.

I was blown away.  Tears filled my eyes.  They belted out the most beautiful live music I have heard in years.  We were all stunned.  After the performance, they walked around selling music discs of their music for 20 Bolivares (about $4) and we bought one.  I have used one of the songs as part of the soundtrack of the video I am making of the trip.  You will know which one it is when you hear it.

The next morning we got up and had coffee on the grounds.  There were parrots and monkeys in cages around the lodge and we took the kids to see them and buy souviners and T-shirts.  After breakfast, we went back to the airport and had a safe trip home.

The link to the video is to follow.