ANDES - CATATUMBO DELTA BIRD WATCHING AND BUTTERFLIES
Natural history, cultural and wildlife tour
(Mérida - Lago de Maracaibo) 2 or 3 days
Did you know that the unique lightning fenomen that occurs over the Catatumbo river
- happens to be the biggest regenerator of the ozon layer worldwide ?
DAY 1 :
- Leaving Merida early in the morning we will take the Jaji road and visit the highest waterfalls of the area, cloudforest and a tipicla andean village.
- Lagunillas and the famous "chimo" (chewing tobacco) production. Made with a rare carbonate.
- Xerophite, cactus landscape in micro climate valley and the ancient cane sugar factories
- Coffee plantation and processing.
- After lunch arrival to the hot Maracaibo-basin. People, nature and scenery change totally.
- We embark a fisher boat. Mangroves, swamps, gallery and flooded forests and open lake water offering us a chance to observe wildlife such as howler monkeys, tucuxi freshwater dolphins, iguanas and thousands of birds. Lake Maracaibo is the biggest fresh water body of South America.
- We sleep out on the lake on a "palafito" in hammocks. All night one will be able to see the strange and unique phenomena of the Catatumbo lightning.
- Evening boat excursion to look for night active animals and birds with our torches. (caimans, potoos, tree boas)
DAY 2 :
- In the morning we'll visit the villages of Congo Mirador and Ologa built entirely on the water. Plaza Bolivar, church, supermarket, school etc. all on the lake accessible only by boat. Very impressive and strange. Another world.
- Butterfly hunting (with camera), special frog search and wildlife watching…. 2 new very beautiful species of butterflies have just recently been discovered by one of our guides. (Alan Highton)
- Lunch and continuation back by boat to the port and from there back to Merida.
INCLUDED:
- All land- and water transports
- All meals and refreshments
- 1 night in hammock on house on stilts .
- Bilingual, naturalist guide and driver.
