Nelson's place is the name international travelers have given to a cozy 50 meter apartment I have in a small family building in the heart of mid-town Caracas, Venezuela, the commercial-business-tourist area of Sabana Grande.

The apartment consists of a bedroom (one double-bed), bathroom with shower, living/dining room (sofabed with drawer bed), and kitchen. The furniture is vintage Italian and rustic Venezuelan. It has hot/cold running water, iron and ironing board, microwave oven, toaster, washing machine, coffee maker, gas stove and oven, refrigerator, LAN cable free internet connection, movable fan & ceiling fan (No A/C yet, coming soon), TV, radio/cd player, telephone, pots & pans, plates & cutlery, Ozone water purifier, linens, and more. In all, my place offers the size of a hotel suite, but with the feel of a private apartment where you can read a book, play Cheeky Bingo, or do whatever you wish to make yourself at home. My place is non-smoking, so it won't smell. But don't worry if you smoke, there are many pleasant places to do so in the area. Nelson's Place is ideal for long stays.

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NELSON'S ROOM

I also have Nelson's Room, ideal for the short stays and up to two people. It's a room in my office (next to Nelson's Place) that offers the same location. It includes a double bed and a single fold-out bed, air conditioning, free internet connection (LAN), mini desk, closet space, and private bath (next to room). You may use the office computer (with internet), microwave and refrigerator.

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AIRPORT PICK-UP and DROP-OFF

I have a trustworthy driver that will pick you up at the airport (40 km away), avoiding you the typical airport hassles, taxi overpricing and safety risks. I am on top of the arrival, making sure that all runs smoothly. The pick-up is included in the reservation fee. Drop-off is optional.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

In Venezuela there are two exchange rates: the official and the parallel. The regular exchange rate is BsF 4.30 to the USD (but you actually get 3.9 because of the commisions). This is the one you get when using your credit or debit card anywhere (shops, restaurants, etc.) and at ATMs, banks and currency exchange places. However, I exchange currency for my guests at the tourist rate, which is higher, making everything in Venezuela cheaper for you. Therefore, when arriving at the airport, do not exchange currency at the ATM or Currency Exchange because you will get the BsF 4.30 exchange rate, and pay no attention to the black market network (luggage carriers, taxi drivers,etc). I will trade all the currency you need in the comfort of your "home" here.

Things around Nelson's Place/Room

CENTRO COMERCIAL EL RECREO (www.elrecreo.com.ve) - Across the street from my place is a very convenient shopping mall with over 200 stores, movie theaters, food court, restaurants, and hundreds of happy Venezuelans buzzing about. It has a central plaza great for people-watching and getting a feel of Venezuela. It's also safe and fit for all budgets.

SABANA GRANDE BOULEVARD - one block up from my place is a long and pleasant promenade full of stores and sidewalk cafes. It's a must-see tourist area because it reflects Venezuelan culture very well. After being one of the most chic places in the world in the 60s and 70s, it had fallen into street vendor chaos and crime issues over the past decade, but starting 2008, the local government finally cleaned it up, booted the vendors, installed bright lamp posts and put police officers all along the way. Now, it's a nice place for a casual stroll, architecture and people watching, and/or shopping.

OTHER GREAT THINGS TO HAVE AROUND

Within a block/street from my place you find a grocery store, taxi line, restaurant/lunch places, news/magazine stand, subway station, tourist spots, cyber-cafes, salsa night clubs, rock/reggae pubs, post office, movie theaters, bus stops, pharmacy/drug store, and practically everything else that you need.

TOURS AND TRAVEL TIPS

Besides getting a comfortable place, you also get my help. I know the city and it's people, and I will be more than happy to make sure you have an easygoing stay. In other words, you'll have a well-connected friend in Caracas that cares about you. I have the best priced stays and tours to the Amazon (Angel Falls) and Los Roques, and I have the nicest-for-the-price places for Margarita and Mérida. I cut out the travel agencies, putting you in the hands of the posadas and tour guides directly, saving you money and problems.

PEACE VILLAGES PACKAGE

Those of you that are going to Peace Villages can purchase the PV Package which includes airport pickup, one night stay in Nelson's Room or a nearby hotel (for which I am a booking agent) if booked, and trip to the Terminal de Oriente the next day, accompanied by my driver who will help you buy the bus ticket if you wish.

WHAT GUESTS SAY

RATES

I charge per room/night, NOT per person.

Nelson's PLACE: $60 (payable in USD/Euro) for up to three guests (4th guest $20 extra).

Nelson's ROOM: $40 (payable in USD/Euro), for up to two guests (3rd guest $20 extra).

Extended stay (2 weeks or more) discounts available. Ask me!

Caracas is the most expensive capital city in South America, so for Caracas, my prices are budget. However, what you get for the price (family building, my knowledge, my drivers at hand, etc) makes it arguably the best buy in the city. In my own travels, I have received great treatment from people everywhere, so my place is my chance to give some of that back.

By the way, my place IS NOT for those that expect 5-star treatment, it's for those that enjoy friendly local treatment. For "thou must bow before me" type service, you have the 5-star Gran Melia Caracas (click link to see it) right across the street from my place.

Full payment of stay is expected before or on arrival date. Payment forms accepted at check-in: cash (USD/Euro), USD travelers checks, paypal (with 5% surcharge), bank transfers (with $10 surcharge), direct deposits, and personal USD checks. Transfer, direct deposits, and personal checks will be accepted only if clearance is posible before check-out. The reservation fee, payable upon confirmation of availability, is one night of stay plus airport pick-up fee and it is non-refundable (I have only two places, so booking a place and then canceling is taking away 50% of my occupancy for that time. Too damaging.) I insist you use my airport pick-up unless you have a cellphone from which you can call me on airport arrival, during the trip up to the city and when you are getting close to my place (my driver normally does this).

Ask me for availability FIRST (by email)

and then RESERVE using the PayPal buttons below

ONE-TIME RESERVATION FEE

(rest paid at check-in)

For Nelson's Place

Includes one night and AIRPORT PICK-UP ($100)

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For Nelson's Room

Includes one night and AIRPORT PICK-UP ($80)

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For Peace Villages

For those going to Peace Villages. Includes airport pick-up, one night stay, trip to Terminal de Oriente, assistance for bus ticket purchase ($110)

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For Airport Pick-Up Service/Currency Exchange (without stay)

For those that only want my airport pick-up service. The service is at any time (even late-night) and it includes a safe, private and professional service with a corteous driver that speaks basic English. It also includes a 2 hour wait in case of delays and an additional currency exchange service (if needed) in the comfort of your private car ($50)

There is a $10 surcharge for every waiting hour for airport pickups. I usually check flights to see if there are delays before dispatching my drivers to the airport, but the webpages do not always predict arrivals perfectly.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CARACAS

ABOUT USING PAYPAL ONCE HERE: Paypal does not always work well from outside of your country of origin. Paypal security will recognize that the connection is coming from another country and they will block many transactions. So don't count on Paypal to pay for services using the higher exchange rates while you're here.

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BUSTLING CITY: Being Nelson's Place in midtown in a city of 5 million, you get a good ammount of city noises such as trucks, people talking, motorcyles, car alarms and car horns. Daytime is very noisy because Venezuelans love to honk their horns. At night it quiets down except when the midnight trash truck comes to pick up the trash. If you are not used to these noises or you like to sleep late, I recommend bringing your earplugs along.

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CLEANLINESS: You will find much of the city (not all of course) to be littered by first-world standards. In many areas (such as a side street near my place), the government placed the area trash containers, where people and stores pile their trash bags in the street during the day and overload the trash containers, but trash collection is late at night, so bums tear the trashbags looking for scraps, and make a mess that's there throughout the day.

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SAFETY: Most of Venezuela is perfectly safe for the street-smart and those that don't stand out. Venezuelans come in all skin-tones thanks to immigration from Europe, the Middle East, etc. so blending in is not hard. If you look mediterranean white (Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese), you're already a white Venezuelan. If you look nordic white (German, Dutch, Danish), after tanning a bit, you will look like a typical upper-class Venezuelan. Thousands of lawyers, executives, business owners, office workers, employees, and everyone else, of all skin tones, that work in the thousands of businesses and offices along the Sabana Grande boulevard, walk the streets everyday and with no problems. The biggest safety problem for tourists is PICK-POCKETS in the subway/metro system. They are very fast, opening even zipped pockets. They come in with you when the crowd boards the train, bumping against you and taking whatever is in your pocket without you noticing it. I was a victim of this in Mexico City once. Just watch out for them, and you'll be fine.

VENEZUELAN "FRIENDS" ON SAFETY: Some people have well-wishing and educated Venezuelan friends that make recommendations on where to go and not to go. However, you must know that these typically upper-middle class Venezuelans tend to exagerate. They travel to New York and use the subway all over, but in their own city they are afraid to go to the nice Colonial Downtown. If you ask these Venezuelans about where to go or stay in the city, they will recommend only the upscale neighborhoods and shopping malls. They disdain as ugly or dangerous precisely the places a tourist wants to see, giving you a false impression of Venezuela, similar to the upper class Parisians that tell you to avoid the "dangerous" Champs Elysees. I tell you all this not to put your well-wishing local friends down, but just to let you know their mentality, so you can understand how limiting their “helpfulness” can be to you as a traveler. My guests, from lovely blonde English girls to Swedish artists, love visiting the Colonial Downtown and the Belle Arts area (Bellas Artes), and they tell me it is extremely interesting. Ask your Venezuelan friends what they think about going to these places and you’ll see what I mean. Unless you wish to walk around in shorts, sandals, flowered shirt, straw hat and sporting a $2000 Nikon, you should be safe in such a transited area as Sabana Grande, and in all of the tourist areas of Caracas. So don’t buy into the local exaggerated paranoia. You’re a traveler, like I am. You'll be OK.

THE CARACAS QUICK N' SIMPLE GUIDE SHEET

Click on the link and it will take you to my online folder from where you can get it.

I answer my emails. Email is the only sure way to reach me and to ask me for availability. Since I am very busy throughout the day, I cannot answer calls, that's why my phone is not listed. Please send me an email.

nelven@gmail.com (preferred) - nelsoneas@hotmail.com