Guyana is often overlooked by travellers, yet it is home to some of the most stunning natural beauty in the region. The English-speaking nation at the northern end of the South American continent is still 80 per cent covered in jungle.
It is an incredibly diverse country with a rich cultural heritage and an abundance of wildlife, making it a great destination for nature lovers and adventurous types. Guyana also has some of the best eco-tourism in the region, with a range of opportunities to explore the pristine rainforest and wetlands.
Additionally, Guyana’s vibrant capital city of Georgetown is a great base to explore the country, with its colonial-era architecture and a lively nightlife.
While infrastructure on the ground is still developing, plenty of operators can tailor-make itineraries. Here are a few of the key places and experiences to check out.
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Witness the mighty Kaieteur Falls
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Undoubtedly Guyana’s highlight attraction, the world’s largest single drop waterfall is a dramatic sight – mainly because it’s still so untouched.
Located in one of South America’s first national parks, it’s surrounded by dense jungle and is best reached by a 55-minute light aircraft flight from Georgetown. There’s no hotel accommodation onsite, so the majority of visitors do the journey in a day.
The arrival by air is dramatic: cutting across a plateau, the Potaro River plunges into a chasm in a thin silvery streak.
Once on the ground, a trail leads through rocks and vegetation to reach the edge of the flow, where swallows spiral in the mist. Other creatures to look out for include flamboyant cock of the rocks, Guyana’s national bird, and golden frogs living in bromeliads.
Experience Georgetown
Georgetown, the entry point to Guyana, has more of a Caribbean than Latin vibe. Food is the best way to tap into the way of life, with tours of the local market conducted by local chef Delven Adams. Once ingredients have been selected, enjoy spicy, fried dishes cooked fresh at his Backyard Cafe.
Rum is also a specialty here. Produced in vintage copper stills, El Dorado has won multiple international prizes. Sample it at their Demerara Distillery just outside town, where tastings are held in a Barrel Bar (theeldoradorum.com).
But even in the city, nature is never far away. At the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, it’s possible to find more than 100 species of birds, while manatees can be hand fed in the Guyana National Park.
Sleep in the jungle at Rewa Eco-Lodge
Deep in the jungle, Guyana’s indigenous communities are working hard to protect the environment. Access to the internet – available in public squares – has opened their eyes to the threats of climate change.
Rewa (rewaecolodge.com) is one of the leading eco-lodges, offering guests a chance to experience wildlife at the confluence of the Rewa and Rupununi Rivers.
A motorboat ride is a thrilling introduction to families of giant otters, but it’s a rare fish – the arapaima – that’s been bringing sports fishermen here for years.
Able to live outside the water for an impressive 24 hours, the once locally endangered fish now receives better protection thanks to work by Rewa.
Find it in a nearby pool decorated with giant lily pads, and continue inland for a journey along jungle trails to find the ominously named Goliath birdeater – an enormous spider lurking in burrows. Arachnophobes might opt for a more relaxing hike up the nearby Awarmie Mountain for views of the valley.
Rooms at the lodge are thatched huts with open-air showers and bathrooms; wake-up calls are given by roaring troops of howler monkeys at dawn.
See a show by the Surama Cultural Group
Learning about indigenous cultures is one of the most rewarding activities in Guyana, made easy by the fact most people speak English.
Based at the Surama Eco Lodge (suramaecolodge.com), the Surama Cultural Group hosts dances and demonstrations in a village originally constructed as a film set, designed to teach people about their Makushi culture.
Learn how to cook cassava and sample maggot kebabs around a fire, while listening to stories and legends.
Would you like to visit Guyana? Which of these experiences would you most like to have? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also read: Seeing the South American Iguazu Falls in a whole new light
– With PA
