Hato El Cedral
Working cattle ranch with rudimentary facilities, offering access to a wilderness of abundant animal and bird life.
The Hato El Cedral ranch is set on a working cattle ranch in the Llanos – a vast, sparsely populated region of savannah, wetlands and forest. Rooms are simple but provide the essentials: a ceiling fan, mosquito net and hot showers. There is also a buffet-style restaurant and a small swimming pool. Some buildings are slightly shabby around the edges but if your focus is on the wildlife and scenery this should not detract from your stay.
A day's schedule is typically composed of a couple of 3-hour excursions by boat, jeep or open-sided truck – one in the morning after breakfast and one in the late afternoon. The guides speak limited English, but the sight of the plethora of birds and animals is jaw-dropping.
Visitors to Venezuela should be aware that government intervention is prevalent even across the private sector. The hato is a case in point and since being taken over by the government and managed from Caracas, the level of service and maintenance has been reported as rudimentary. Come here to see the birds and animals, but not for luxurious accommodation with top quality personal attention.
What our clients say
97% of our clients rated their experience with us as Excellent or Good.
Great lodge and wildlife location. We moved from an ok room at the back to a lovely one at the front. Could get very busy at mealtimes with large groups descending on cramped buffet - but thats not what you're there for.
MS, Oxford
Tailor made holiday
Our specialists have been expertly crafting award-winning tailor-made holidays to Latin America for 40 years. We would be delighted to create a truly personalised trip which perfectly matches your wishes and requirements.
Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Consultant
After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.
Papagaio
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Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Consultant
Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our Sales team.
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Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Consultant
Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.
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Ben Line - Travel Consultant
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Manager of the Tailor-made Department.
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Hannah Donaldson - Travel Consultant
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team.
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Lina Fuller - Travel Consultant
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
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Jim Ashworth - Travel Consultant
Jim first caught the Latin American travel bug in 2001 when he decided at the last minute to join a friend travelling around Central America – he hasn't looked back since.
