"Orinoco Delta" Territorio Federal Delta Amacuro by SallyM

We spent three days at an Eco Lodge in the Orinoco Delta. My travels generally involve pottering round museums and cafes in towns and cities, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I found that the Orinoco Delta Lodge was surprisingly homely, with a bar and dining area and individual cabins with private facilities. The cabins have open sides with mosquito nets and roofs made from moriche palm leaves. Ours turned out to be more on the Orinoco than by it, as it was on wooden stilts above the water.

Parrot, Orinoco Delta

The point of visiting the Delta is of course to see the wildlife, and on our expeditions by boat and canoe we saw a wide range of birds, including hummingbirds, ibis, toucans and parrots, a turtle, red howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, a giant river otter and a pink river dolphin.

In the morning, parrots commute across the river from the jungle on one side, where they roost, to the more open land on the other side, and in the evening they return. At sunset, you can watch them flying across the river, two by two.

Rumba finishing off my lunch

Our lodge was also home to a range of animals including dogs and cats and a blue and gold macaw called Rumba. Rumba was quite tame, and thought nothing of swooping down to grab the remains of your lunch or share your coffee.

• Pros:Unspoilt, great wildlife
• Cons:Mosquitoes and other biting insects
• In a nutshell:Do visit - but don't forget the insect repellent!