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The Orinoco

The Orinoco River, second largest in South America form part of the border between Colombia and Venezuela. The Colombian Orinoco region is characterized by vast grassland savannahs (llanos) and gallery forests along its winding tributaries.The scenery is varied with wide open spaces suitable for the observation of wildlife. Several rapids on the Orinoco provide spectacular views.
Birds are abundant. Large mammals like deer, capybara and occasionally tapir can be seen. Pink river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana, the Orinoco basin subspecies) are common and giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) are present in some rivers and some oxbow lakes. Caimans (Caiman crocodilhus, for the most part) are frequently found sunning on the beaches.

Puerto Carreño, an hour's flight-distance from Bogota is the entrance to Colombia's Orinoco region. We will travel by boat along the Orinoco and its tributaries or drive by 4x4 straight-line to the upper reaches of these rivers and then continue by boat.
Starting each day at the crack of dawn we explore the river keeping an eye out for wildlife. Around noon we stop at a shady spot to bathe, fish and have lunch. In the afternoon, once the heat abates, we explore the surrounding forests and savannahs. At night we camp on the white sand beaches exposed in the dry season. After a couple of days one develops a delicious rhythm that is in tune with the natural surroundings and the activity at hand, the passage of the days marked only by the different sights and experiences.