Culture shocks

He's braved North Korea and Iraq, and now Michael Palin is heading to Venezuela for an epic - if sometimes nerve-wracking - TV adventure

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“It is a beautiful country in every way. It has the longest Caribbean shoreline of any country, and the colours of the sea are wonderful. Inland you've got these very ancient rocky cliffs called tepuis, which are very dramatic,” says Michael.

“We ended up at the Angel Falls, which is the tallest and longest waterfall in the world, and one of the most exciting moments of the entire journey was being helicoptered to the base, where the water hits the stone and bounces off into the jungle. It was a really amazing bit of flying by the pilot.”

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently warns against travel to Venezuela, and the website states that it has “one of the highest murder rates in the world”. Michael feels lucky to be able to have experienced the country.

“It's very sad because visitors would have a great time there, but tourism is difficult,” says Michael. “The Caribbean coast is absolutely magnificent.”