This is Venezuela's most famous landmark. It's locked away in one of its
most inaccessible locations. Angel Falls, the world's tallest
uninterrupted waterfall. Getting here isn't easy or cheap. But for those who can come,
it's an unforgettable experience. Join me now on a visit to one
of the world's great natural wonders. The vast jungle of the Canaima
national park, in the east of Venezuela. Impressive from the air,
even more so once on the ground. After flying in from the capital Caracas,
I join a group led by an indigenous guide to see the first of many
spectacular sights. The Canaima lagoon, and its
waterfalls, El Sapo and El Sapito. This view – it just
takes your breath away. It's a series of cascading
falls leading to a fantastic huge lagoon. And beyond the falls,
the rising shoulders of the majestic tepuys –
the flat-top mountains that dominate the Canaima landscape. And these aren't even the
waterfalls I've come to see. These are just the entre. Few people visit Venezuela,
and even fewer get to Canaima. Visitors have to book a package with
an organized tour group, like I did. And most cater for high-end travellers. The five-day trip begins with a
boat ride to these smaller waterfalls. And for a walk beneath their
tremendous cascades. Huge volumes of rainwater flow here
from the tabletop mountains. The water stained by sediment. Our guides tell us where it's safe
to walk, even while getting saturated. You could leave Canaima happy
after this excursion alone. But an even more incredible
experience awaits the next day – Salto Ángel, Angel Falls. 4.30 in the morning. Time to set off for our
big adventure to Salto Ángel. Starting in darkness,
we set off in long boats. Tracing the wild river for more 70 kilometers. As it twists deep into the folds
of this mountain formation. Sometimes the water is too low
to pass, and we have to get out and walk. The boatmen watch for rocks
and go with the flow. After half a day on the river,
we turn abend to catch our first glimpse of Angel Falls. But the dark cliff-face is still hiding
its treasure from full view. To see it up close, we have to
leave the boats, and go on foot. It's a four kilometer uphill hike. But you don't have to be
a mountain climber to manage it. And then suddenly, it appears
through the shrubs: Salto Ángel, Angel Falls. Its main sheer drop measures
more than 800 meters. And the connected cascades make it
almost one kilometer from top to bottom. That makes it the tallest uninterrupted
waterfall in the world. For Venezuelans, this is
an emotional moment, viewing a national treasure. It's name comes not from its heavenly
qualities, but from its first western visitor, the US aviator Jimmie Angel,
who spotted it from his plane in the 1930s while searching
riverbeds to mine for gold. But the indigenous Pemón
people have long used a different name:
Kerepakupai Vena, as local guide Ernesto Flores told me. Ernesto tells me he hopes the falls
will one day be known internationally as Kerepakupai Vena. But the brand of Angel Falls
will be hard to replace. We climb higher and get
even nearer to the cliff face, right beneath the vapourizing water flow. Up this close, I'm getting wet from the spray
that's misting off these majestic falls. And the view in the other direction
is also impressive. The indigenous Pemón people believe the water from the falls
has healing and protective powers. At the base of the falls, a swimming hole
offers us a chance to soak in the water – whether magic, or just majestic. The falls loom overhead the basecamp
where we'll spend the night. One of my fellow travellers
is Mariam Habach who was crowned
Miss Venezuela in 2015. At night a pack of Uno cards
brings the group together. And my new friends teach me how some
Latino Americans drink their shots. We spend the night sleeping in hammocks, with
the roar of the nearby falls carrying us away. The next day after our return, I take some time to walk around
the village of Canaima. The settlement is home
to several thousand residents, many of them from indigenous groups. These children are taking part in Venezuela's
musical education program. Every child in every school here
gets the chance to learn how to play a musical instrument. At night the children display
their traditional songs and dances. For these children, tourism is one of the
main career opportunities in the village. The expensive lodges here
employ a community of locals. My five-day visit here cost over 1,200 USD for domestic flights, accommodation,
food and a visit to the falls. It was the cheapest
I could find at the time. While in the village, I came across
some cheaper options. But even this basic guesthouse charges
around 700 USD for a five-day tour. The price partly reflects the remoteness. The are no roads to Canaima. Everything is flown in by plane,
even gasoline. This has to be one of the most
beautiful places on earth At least one of the most beautiful
that I've ever seen. But this experience
does come at a price. And unfortunately it's one that
most Venezuelans can't afford. Which is really a shame, because
Angel Falls, Salto Ángel, Canaima – these areas are some of the most
treasured national icons in Venezuela. But they are places
that most Venezuelans will only ever be able to see in photos, in videos. Most of the Venezuelans in my tour group
live and work outside of the country, and were returning on holidays, like Rafael Jamana, a dentist
now living in the United States. Well, back in those days
when I used to live in Venezuela it wasn't easy for people
to come here. First of all because the access
wasn't the way that it is right now. And also because we couldn't
afford to come here. I think it's part of our
identity as Venezuelans. The fact that Angel Falls
is the tallest falls in the world, and also because it's something
that we grew up seeing it as somethin that belongs to us. After five days in Canaima,
it's time to leave. The plane banks to offer
a sweeping view of the lagoon, and the mountains guarding
the Kerepakupai Vena, Angel Falls. It disappears from sight,
but not from memory. This incredible journey to one of the world's
greatest and least visited landmarks leaves a lasting impression. And it inspired me to seek out even more
of the natural wonders here in Venezuela.
