Safety in Venezuela

Conchale Vale!! says on Feb 16, 2009, 20:26:

Not a chance in Venezuela. First dangerous because of driving habits. Second I am assuming you would be on a bike with USA plates..robbed at every traffic stop I am also assuming a bigger bike and more expensive than the local ones? Tons of Harleys in pto la cruz but always travel in groups so you don't get help up at gun point and have the bike taken. Not a good Idea..travel by car I do it all the time but would not consider it on a bike unless in a group.

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CountryHoppers says on Feb 17, 2009, 04:03:

We wil be riding two 2008 KLR 650s. Good point with the bike value. So with a group it would be safe?

Erek

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Morrongo says on Feb 17, 2009, 15:05:

There is a good possiblity of entering with your bikes and leaving without them....a good possibilty not a cert.....I have traveled a lot in Venezuela and some areas are ok and some are just plain sporting...the police are a unpleasant lot generally and i could imagine you would be paying more in bribes than the value of your bikes..depending of course where you intend to travel...

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C5vzla says on Feb 20, 2009, 18:22:

I have 15 yrs living in vzla, working tourism for the last 10 yrs. and can assure you that the safety issue in vzla is a over-exagerated. Most of the violence you hear about is drugs and gangs related and occur in the slums around the big cities. Yes shit happens sometimes as anywhere else. my previous bike (bmw f650gs) has been stolen last last year, but I am living in caracas and was using it on a daily basis.
I haven't heard of one traveller-rider who has been robbed so far, and lots of them are passing through on their South American tour, entering from colombia and exiting into brazil or vice versa. check more reliable and informed forums, like http://www.horizonsunlimited.com or http://www.advrider.com and don't believe everything. If you have your papers in order when you enter the country you will not have to pay a single bribe to the national guards or police (although I agree they are unpleasant) etc etc.. finally the venezuelan drivers tend to respect more the riders than their colombian counterparts, they will open-up for you to pass, give you more distance following you etc. etc.

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Ken says on Feb 26, 2009, 19:11:

I agree with most people above. I lived here for the past 5 months. No one goes anywhere without a car with the doors locked. The bigger the better , with all doors locked, cuz they all drive gas guzzlers.No walking. The only bikes I have seen here in Maracaibo is in pasa del Lago, a thin strip along the lake taking up 5% of the cities area. Everwhere else is a "Zona Roja".

Venezuela makes Colombia look like New Zeeland, as far as safety goes.

Also, with all due respect to C5zyla above, from someone who has lived in and visited 44 different countries, the tourist service industry in Venezuela sucks.

Would you trust the advice of a realtor telling you to buy in his neighborhood, because the houses were good value? Better to ask independant sources who have travelled and lived there.

You got 5 people with independent unbiased opinion who live and work in Venezuela who are telling you it's not safe, and one who's job it is to tell people it's safe saying it is. Who are you going to believe? Use your own judgement.

Also bring lots of money for the cops, but hide it in differeny parts of your body. They will ask for 200 Bs, but you can talk them down to 20 Bs if your Spanish is good.

This is only my opinion.

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C5vzla says on Feb 28, 2009, 14:05:

well Ken I am canadian and lived 15 years here. and I have also lived in various other countries in Europe, Africa, middle-east and Asia. Just yesterday I have met about 40 bikers going North from Brazil, to Margarita, they were Brazilians. If you are interested into riding I could put you in contact with the MotoClub Zulia.... but like I said the best source of information for the OP is to check the riders forums, travellers who actually came with their bikes into Venezuela, they will tell the real story, and BTW I have travelled quite a lot across the country in car, bike, bus and never had to pay a bribe. obviously I have my papers in order and don't try to smuggle anything. When and in what conditions did you have to pay a bribe Ken, I am curious. And also I have no particular interest in this guy coming into Venezuela, i am into trekking trips, not motorcycles.

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C5vzla says on Feb 28, 2009, 14:10:

"the tourist service industry in Venezuela sucks."

You are right on that one, that is probably why we (my company) have had success...

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C5vzla says on Feb 28, 2009, 15:03:

oups I just notice that the end of my previous post was cut. I was thus saying that I specified that I was working in tourism not trying to sell anything but that I see and meet hundreds of happy tourists a year. with friends in the industry we see thousands... and it is very few the incidence of problems... it is like anywhere else, you need to exercise a bit of caution. and from the airport take an official taxi.

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Ken says on Mar 3, 2009, 19:40:

Venezuela, Where's that? I know nothing abot Venezuela. Is that in Africa?

I know nothing.... I hear nothing.. I see nothing..

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