Getting from Peru to Venezula without going through Columbia

As the title says really, my friend and i are off on our RTW trip in Dec and we will eventually be heading to South America (after OZ and NZ) we are booked to fly into Santiago and out of Caracas, we are going to make our way across to Argentina then up across Bolivia and into Peru to Cuzco. We will then do abit more travelling around in Peru and maybe go up into Ecuador.

Now after reading about all the dangers of columbia we have decided we would rather avoid this especially as getting to venezula will invovle going round the northern borders soooo looking in Lonely Planet it looks like we should be able to make our way across from Iquitos to Manaus by boat and then up to the Venezula Border at Santa Elena.

Is this actually possible? Does anyone have any idea how long it would take? Or other suggestions of how we might get there??

Thanks!

after reading about all the dangers of columbia...........

Both Venezuela and Peru are much much more dangerous than Colombia (note spelling).

I suspect your reading material-whatever that is-was from people who've never visited the country.

Iquitos to Manaus is probably around a week or slightly less, as it is downriver.
Don't know about budget, but there are planes, fast boats and slowboats to choose from. The slowboats are cheap, the others relatively expensive. I wouldn't choose the fastboats though, plane style seating for many hours and you don't experience the same as slow boat. Maybe combination of boat and flight.
Check the Rico and TRIP websites for flights between Tabatinga and Manaus (via Tefe is possible as well).

But the route is possible, also onwards from Manaus by bus to the border.

But travelling overland/water from Iquitos to the border going cheap will definately take a week or so.

After having lived in Colombia for a year, I can tell you that the dangers you hear about exist there, but to no great degree. Colombia gets a really bad rap. The only reporting it gets is negative reporting, and as it is a convenient place for propagandists' "Great Evil" no one corrects this. I have lived in Vancouver, which is a nice city. But if all the news I got about it was murders and muggings, I would think it was horrible.

My countryman, Sam, is right. Venezuela is more dangerous. I wouldn't cut yourself out of Colombia, it really is an interesting place. I head back there this afternoon, from Panama City.

D

Do not avoid Colombia.I have never ever heard one bad word about it from travellers.
One english woman i travelled with has even been back 4 times she loves it so much.

The problem with countries like this is you only ever hear the bad things about them.Anywhere can have dangerous areas.
I would say to anyone visit Colombia and see what everyone raves about.

the only dangerous thing about Colombia is falling in love with that country. i'm sure.

Forget about Venezuela and fly out of Colombia. Amazing country, amazing people...just great times. I felt safer in Cartagena at night then I do here in Toronto. Would go back in a flash.
Trust me!