25 year old female travelling alone in Venezuela

thanks for your info-- where did your friend study Spanish? What are the places to avoid in Caracas and which places are safe? I guess my biggest concern is who she can trust. She has some contacts now and is in process of finding a place to stay. I know most any place you can go will have its good and bad areas--just more concern in a 3rd world country. Any suggestions would help. thanks

The safest areas in Caracas are Altamira, Campo Alegre, La Castellana, Chacao, El Hatillo (though El Hatillo is on the outskirts of the city). There are several other areas that are fine as long as one uses common sense. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I live in the sometimes crazy and chaotic downtown area and have not had any problems (I carry little cash, no valuables and try to avoid being out too late).

I will say that the cost of living in Caracas is quite high and prices have recently increased even more with the currency conversion. There are also food shortages...it is impossible to find milk, sugar, flour, oatmeal, black beans and sometimes meat, chicken, eggs, toilet paper, pasta and other food items at the grocery store. These items can sometimes be found in the markets or with street vendors, but often at higher prices.
My friend studied at the CEVES Spanish school here in Caracas. While her overall experience in Caracas was good, she was unhappy with the school. She didn't feel that she received the class hours that she was promised and also found the extra activities and excursions to be lacking.

Again, if you need anymore information about life in Caracas, feel free to PM me. Good luck to your daughter....Venezuela is a BEAUTIFUL country.

I have done a lot of research recently on taking Spanish courses/classes in Venezuela. While I know Caracas can be a dangerous city, I also know that if you use common sense and are aware of your surroundings you should be ok. However, my choice would be Merida. It's a university town, there are several reputable Spanish courses available from various institutes, or from the University of the Andes. She will probably, at age 25, find more people of her own age and lifestyle in Merida, and probably could find a travelling companion to make trips to other parts of the country. Merida has a much better reputation for safety than Caracas. I have a 24 year old daughter and if she were going to go to learn Spanish, I would most definitely suggest that she go to Merida. She can always visit Caracas. My two cents' worth!

thanks-- what can you tell me about El Marques??

can you tell me anything about El Marques?

I don't know much about El Marques as I have only passed through the area. It seems to be a nice area...a mix of tall apartment buildings and single family homes (some of which are in gated neighborhoods). Its location allows for easy access to other areas of the city and the metro runs along the southern edge of the neighborhood. The area seems pretty residencial though there are a few restaurants and a shopping mall with a grocery store and a good variety of other stores. I hope that helps...let me know if I can offer any other information.

I too studied Spanish in Caracas but only for 1 month. I would recommend that your daughter do some type of home-stay while there so that (1) she can be truly immersed in Spanish language and Venezuelan culture, (2) she will have people there who can help her navigate Caracas, and (3) she will have a "family" that will hopefully know where she intends to be when she's not at home and know when to expect her home. They can also let her know if somewhere is too dangerous or when an area is safe even though it may have a bad reputation. I had a great time in Venezuela and found Caracas to be rich with life and I never ran out of things to see and do. It is also a great location to do weekend trips from. That said Caracas is a BIG city and like any large city there is crime and plenty of danger so as long as your daughter is cognizant of her surroundings she should have a great time.

As for Spanish schools. I took a class from CEVES in Caracas. It was a great course in that I truly felt that I learned Spanish. Simultaneously, it was expensive and I did not receive the hours that I paid for (a 4 hour class was often shortened to 3 and when we students said that we wanted all 4 hours we were given excuses even though when we paid it clearly stated we were to get 4 hours a day). CEVES also offered cultural excursions, which were great, but 3/4 of them were rescheduled and we were not told about the rescheduling until immediately before the excursion or in one case after waiting for our guide for over an hour. At the end of the day I did learn more Spanish, but the experience with CEVES left me feeling ripped off.

(P.S. Out of curiosity where are you from? Your profile says Venezuela, but I assume if that were true your daughter would not need to go to Caracas to learn Spanish...)

I don't know El Marques, sorry! Maybe someone else can help you on that.