Guyana holiday, tailor made
| country: | Guyana |
| departures: | We offer a complete tailor made service allowing you to decide on your departure dates and itinerary to suit your individual requirements Best time to go: Travel is good between Sep & Apr. Guyana has 2 dry seasons: from Oct - Nov & from Feb - Apr |
| price: | From £3150 (14 days) including flights from the UK and internal flights, UK departure tax & other ticket taxes, transfers, accomodation, all meals and tours, national park fees & local guides. Single supplement to join a small group is £165 |
the amazing things you'll be doing
For real adventure you need look no further.
A visit to this country is a like a journey back through time, with many locations not even linked by telephone! As big as Britain but with a population of less than 750,000 people, this is a land of high mountains, world-class waterfalls, virgin rainforest, vast savannahs and Amerindian Communities. Locally known as the land of many rivers and the only English speaking country on mainland South America. It is also excellent for rare wildlife spotting including: Giant River Otters, Black Caimen, Giant Anteaters, Tapirs, Cock of the Rock and the elusive Jaguar.
There are many highlights – from the capital of Georgetown you can take a day trip by small plane to the Orinduik and Kaieteur Waterfalls - the tallest single drop waterfall in the world (lunch included). Stay in lodges managed by the local Amerindian Communities and experience true community tourism.
From Karanambu visits can be made to nearby ponds for bird-watching and to view the Victoria Amazonica, the world’s largest water lily. Plus an evening visit to Crane Pond to see hundreds of ibis, anhinga, heron and egret roosting. Not to mention seeing Giant River Otters and Giant Anteeters in the wild.
Travel through the rainforest into the heart of Guyana with an evening caiman spotting trip. Hike to Turtle mountain for spectacular views of the forest. Visit Kurupukari Falls and Amerindian petroglyphs, and Amerindian village of Fairview.
As Guyana has very limited accommodation throughout, itineraries are very much governed by where you can stay. This tour offers some superb wildlife and scenery whilst staying in our recommended properties. In Guyana you can be sure that the local people are truly benefiting from your trip.
For details on itineraries to Suriname and French Guiana, please contact us. We can give you ideas for travelling to each separately or combining all three. You can also easily combine any of these countries with Trinidad and Tobago for a truly Caribbean experience.
Please note we are a UK based company and are only able to help with flight arrangements from the UK. If you are not from the UK and happy to organise your own flights then we can make the ground arrangements for you.
A visit to this country is a like a journey back through time, with many locations not even linked by telephone! As big as Britain but with a population of less than 750,000 people, this is a land of high mountains, world-class waterfalls, virgin rainforest, vast savannahs and Amerindian Communities. Locally known as the land of many rivers and the only English speaking country on mainland South America. It is also excellent for rare wildlife spotting including: Giant River Otters, Black Caimen, Giant Anteaters, Tapirs, Cock of the Rock and the elusive Jaguar.
There are many highlights – from the capital of Georgetown you can take a day trip by small plane to the Orinduik and Kaieteur Waterfalls - the tallest single drop waterfall in the world (lunch included). Stay in lodges managed by the local Amerindian Communities and experience true community tourism.
From Karanambu visits can be made to nearby ponds for bird-watching and to view the Victoria Amazonica, the world’s largest water lily. Plus an evening visit to Crane Pond to see hundreds of ibis, anhinga, heron and egret roosting. Not to mention seeing Giant River Otters and Giant Anteeters in the wild.
Travel through the rainforest into the heart of Guyana with an evening caiman spotting trip. Hike to Turtle mountain for spectacular views of the forest. Visit Kurupukari Falls and Amerindian petroglyphs, and Amerindian village of Fairview.
As Guyana has very limited accommodation throughout, itineraries are very much governed by where you can stay. This tour offers some superb wildlife and scenery whilst staying in our recommended properties. In Guyana you can be sure that the local people are truly benefiting from your trip.
For details on itineraries to Suriname and French Guiana, please contact us. We can give you ideas for travelling to each separately or combining all three. You can also easily combine any of these countries with Trinidad and Tobago for a truly Caribbean experience.
Please note we are a UK based company and are only able to help with flight arrangements from the UK. If you are not from the UK and happy to organise your own flights then we can make the ground arrangements for you.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Georgetown. Fly from London to Georgetown. Time exploring Georgetown and day trip to Kaieteur and Orinduik Waterfalls. There are no other falls in the world with the magnitude of the sheer drop at Kaieteur Falls. Kaieteur falls has a single drop of 822 feet - 5 times higher than Niagara Falls. The Orinduik falls, on the border with Brazil, is ideally suited for bathing in the natural Jacuzzi’s as the water tumbles down the Jasper steps. |
| Day 3: | Iwokrama Field Station. Flight across the virgin rainforest, and then take a boat along the Essequibo River to the Iwokrama Field Station. Afternoon free to explore the trails around the field station with an Iwokrama Ranger. Night-time caiman and nocturnal wildlife spotting boat trip. |
| Day 4: | Iwokrama Field Station. Gentle climb up Turtle Mountain for a picnic lunch and the breathtaking views over the forest canopy. Visit Kurupukari Falls to see the Amerindian petroglyphs. Visit a small Amerindian village. |
| Day 5: | Atta Rainforest Lodge . Dawn wildlife walk. After breakfast transfer along the trail that is one of the best places to see the elusive Jaguar in a forest rapidly gaining an international reputation for its healthy jaguar populations that seem not to be troubled by the appearance of curious humans. No promises, but many have been lucky! Visit the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and view the forest from 35m up in the canopy. See darkness settle over the forest and birds such as Macaws and Toucans come in to roost. |
| Day 6: | Surama Village. Welcome the dawn chorus from the canopy walkway. After breakfast travel to a trail to hopefully see the amazing Guianian Cock-of-the-rock. Continue your trip onto the Amerindian village of Surama, this is true community tourism. Welcome from a village counsellor and guided wildlife walk. Visit the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses which all benefit from your tourism. Optional night walk to experience mystique of the forest after dark. |
| Day 7: | Surama Village. Early morning walk across the savannah and then the gentle climb up Surama Mountain for breakfast at the look out point. Observe bird life along the trail and see incredible views across the village and savannah to the Pakaraima Mountains. Burro Burro River trip to observe Giant River Otters, Tapir, Tira, Spider Monkeys and many more species. |
| Day 8: | Rock View Lodge. Rock View Lodge is located where the savannah meets the forest-covered foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains. With its tropical gardens and flowering trees, the lodge resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. It also has a swimming pool! |
| Day 9: | Rock View Lodge. Today you can join the vaqueros on horseback as they take cattle out to graze on the savannah, hike in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains or visit nearby Amerindian villages. Witness local people roasting cashew nuts being roasted and weaving cotton. |
| Day 10: | Karanambu Ranch . After breakfast take boat trip on the Rupununi River to Karanambu Ranch. This is the home of Diane McTurk, internationally famous known for her work in rehabilitating orphaned, Giant River Otters to the wild. Karanambu has a long history of welcoming famous naturalists such as David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell. Dinner with Diane will include stories on the history of the family and the Rupununi Savannahs (depending if Diane is there of course). |
| Day 11: | Karanambu Ranch . Diane sometimes has resident orphaned otters and you can help her as she tends to them. You can visit Simoni Pond for some of the best inland fishing (not included) in Guyana including Peacock Bass or explore the flooded forest or savannah. Visits can be made to nearby ponds for bird-watching and to view the Victoria Amazonica, the world’s largest water lily and Guyana’s national flower. |
| Day 12: | Karanambu Ranch . Explore the Rupununi River in search of wild Giant River Otters, Black Caiman and Arapaima. An evening visit to Crane Pond to see hundreds of Ibis, Anhinga, Heron and Egret roosting is a highlight. |
| Day 13: | Georgetown. This morning travel out onto the Savannah to search for a Giant Anteater. After an early lunch take a flight back to Georgetown. Enjoy an afternoon Georgetown city tour. During your visit to Georgetown there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed including St. George’s Cathedral, the famous Stabroek Market, the botanical gardens and zoo, and the National Museum. The tour will include walking along the Avenues with an experienced guide who will give you the history and facts of Georgetown and its citizens. |
| Day 14: | Depart. Transfer to the airport for your departing flight. |
tailormade holidays to Guyana
Guyana is still in its tourism infancy. The majority of the lodges are quite basic so if you are looking for luxurious acccommodation it is definitely not the right destination for you. This is a wilderness with very few tourists and wonderfully eccentric people. It is a last frontier and the lifestyle reflects this. If you expect ice in your drink, a hairdryer in your room and queen size beds do not even consider holidaying here. If you don't mind rustic but comfortable lodges and are seek a life-changing adventure that combines world-class scenery and wildlife with true community tourism then get in touch now to be further inspired!how this holiday makes a difference
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This tour visits some of Guyana's wild and untouched areas. Local Amerindian communities of the Makushi, Carib and Arawak tribes directly benefit from visitors into these areas. Tourism brings employment and an appreciation of these ancient cultures. Our tours in Guyana are operated through a ground handler whose aim is to promote ecologically sensitive tourism through a responsible and concerned attitude towards the environment. This brings maximum benefits to local communities by operating in an honest, thoughtful and concerned manner towards their customs and involving the communities in the management of tourism.
The inhabitants of the Surama Village are mainly from the Makushi Tribe and still observe many of the traditional practises of their forebearers. They are keen to preserve their culture and land, and have identified eco-tourism as a sustainable use of their land. It means employment at home, rather than the men leaving to mine or cut timber in other parts of Guyana. Trappers and hunters of the Surama villagers have learnt to become conservationists and guardians of the unique biological diversity of their rainforest. Surama has developed a strategic alliance with our local ground handler, which fosters the development of eco-tourism in the community. All tours to Surama are managed and operated solely by the Macushi. Apart from the direct employment from eco-tourism, the community also benefits from the purchase of local produce and a portion of every tour goes to a village fund, which is used for community development projects. The Iwokrama Research Centre established to promote the conservation, sustainable and equitable utilisation of tropical rainforest in a manner that leads to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits. The Centre is responsible for the conservation and management of the 1,000,000-acre Iwokrama Forest for research and development purposes. Half the area will be retained as a Wilderness Preserve. Part of Iwokrama’s mission is to develop new sustainable uses for tropical rain forest ecosystems in order to increase the value of these ecosystems and thereby encourage their conservation. Sustainable utilisation is to be combined with research, training and outreach to develop and demonstrate sustainable rain forest management practises on an operational scale. The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and Atta Rainforest Lodge is a pioneering joint venture between the local Makushi community, NGOs and private enterprise. They aim to plans to make this partnership a model of how ecotourism can be financially successful and provide real long term sustainable benefits and ownership to local communities. The owner of Rock View Lodge, Collin, has developed strong links with the community links with the five Amerindian villages within the Annai sub-district, with a population of about 235 people of mixed Makushi and Arawak nations. These communities depend mainly on subsistence farming and fishing and like other Amerindian communities the staple food is cassava, from which many products are produced. There are various small-scale projects with the local community designed to both enhance the tourist’s experience and benefit local people. Visits to Karanambu Ranch also help fund the work of Diane McTurk, in her efforts of rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters back into the wild. Diane has helped over 30 of these endangered otters over the years. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |