1. Georgetown–Kurukupari Crossing
This route, all done via the Georgetown–Lethem–Georgetown minibus, can also be done in reverse. Book lodging in advance for best results.
After a long night on the minibus from Georgetown you arrive at the ferry crossing., For lodging you have two options at the ferry crossing: Michelle’s Island, the best budget choice, is right on the Essequibo River, complete with swimming hole. Otherwise, the Iwokrama River Lodge & Research Center is a quick jump across the river and offers a higher level of comfort and prices.
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2. Kurukapari Crossing - Annai
Only 50km from the Kurukupari Crossing, Annai also has two options. Oasis is basically a truck stop but offers cheap hammock lodging, two simple bungalows and affordable meals. You may be able to rent motorbikes here. A newer and more scenic option is Pakaraima Mountain Inn.
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3. Annai - Lethem
Lethem, the biggest settlement in the Rupununi, is 120km down the road on the Brazilian border. Here you can choose to either sling a hammock or stay in pricier rooms at the popular Takutu Hotel, or try the more budget-focused Adventure Guianas Guesthouse.
There’s plenty to do to the south of Lethem. Options include camping/trekking trips in the nearby Kanuku Mountains and day or overnight Amerindian village trips, staying at lesser-visited, small, community-run lodges. Check in at Visit Rupununi (www.visitrupununi.com) to find out what’s available and to book.
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Georgetown
On the spot where the Demerara River pours into the Atlantic, Georgetown is by far Guyana’s biggest city and a place all visitors will spend at least some of their time.
With its dilapidated architecture, unkempt parks and vibrant street life, Georgetown has a laid-back feel and considerable charm in parts, even if there’s little to see beyond a smattering of museums, churches and colonial curiosities. Home today to the Caricom economic community, and thus a kind of Brussels of the Caribbean, Georgetown is no backwater, and its restaurants and nightlife reflect that, lending a distinctly cosmopolitan edge to the general chaos of a modern Guyanese city.
Georgetown can be explored comfortably in a couple of days, with several interesting museums and attractive parks to explore. The best 19th-century buildings are along Main St and especially along Ave of the Republic, just east of the Demerara River.
- The most impressive building in town is the white-painted, Gothic-style St George’s Cathedral, said to be the world’s tallest wooden building. It was completed in 1892 and was built with a native hardwood called greenheart. It was enjoying a renovation at the time of writing – though remains open – and will look wonderful when it’s finished.
- One of the city’s most prominent landmarks is Stabroek Market, a cast-iron building with a giant corrugated-iron clock tower. This frenetic and colourful market dates back to the late 1700s, although the current structure was built in 1880. Visiting is a must for sheer atmosphere, but don’t bring any valuables and keep a grip on your bag.
- During daylight hours, the Promenade Garden in Cummingsburg is a quiet place to relax, read and enjoy the flowers and tropical birdlife. Its tranquility is in stark contrast to its role in the 19th century as a public execution site during the Demerara Revolt, a slave uprising that took place in 1823. A statue of Gandhi can be found here today, as well as a very Victorian-looking bandstand.
- Georgetown’s Botanical Garden is a pleasant open space with a huge range of tropical plants, trees and flowers in it, including the Victoria Regia Lily, Guyana’s national flower. The entire place is charmingly laid out, with ponds, bandstands, walkways and gazebos. You’ll also find Georgetown’s small zoo here, as well as the mausoleum of Guyana’s long-time president, Forbes Burnham.
- Demerara Distillers (www.theeldoradorum.com) is where Guyana’s most famous export, its exceptional Eldorado Rum, was originally made in 1670. It is no longer made here, but the site is now open as an excellent museum. One-hour tours take you through the distillery (where you’ll see the last operating wooden Coffey still in the world), warehouse, heritage center and gift shop
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Kaieteur Falls
Watching 1140 metric tons of water shooting over a 250m cliff (the world’s highest single-drop falls) in the middle of an ancient jungle with few tourists in sight is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Depending on the season, the falls are from 76m to 122m wide. The trail approaching the falls is home to scarlet Guianan cock-of-the-rock birds, and miniscule golden frogs (best seen in the rainy season and/or in the morning), which produce a potentially fatal poison.
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Orinduik Falls
Nearly all visitors to the country visit Kaieteur on a day trip by air from Georgetown, often combined with a second stop at nearby Orinduik Falls, a place where you can actually get wet and swim.
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Kaieteur National Park
The 627-sq-km Kaieteur National Park is perhaps Guyana’s greatest drawcard, with the magnificent Kaieteur Falls its single biggest attraction, not to mention a national icon. As well as the stunning falls, the park is home to a tiny population of Amerindians and the endless biodiversity of the Guiana Shield, a massive geological formation covered in pristine rainforest, rushing rivers and vast savanna. This is the reason you came to Guyana.
Several Georgetown tour operators offer day trips via small planes; make early inquiries and be flexible. The cheapest option to Kaieteur only is to book directly with Air Services Limited, which usually runs two flights per day that allow you to spend two hours, with a guide, at the falls. Return flights cost G$30,000. Most tour companies also offer charter tours where you can choose to add in Orinduik Falls or a stop at Baganara Resort (on an island with white-sand beaches in the Essequibo River), for an additional cost.
The real adventure, though – not to mention the chance to be alone here – comes with organizing an overnight stay in this staggering natural setting.
There are two very basic lodges near the falls, both of which need to be booked in advance through the National Parks Commission in Georgetown.
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Iwokrama Rainforest
Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve is one of the most pristine rainforests left in the world. Its secluded location allows for a complete immersion in the rainforest experience. It is a unique living laboratory for tropical forest management and socioeconomic development for Amerindians. Established as a protected reserve in 1996, this exceptional region is home to South America’s largest cat, the jaguar, and the world’s highest recorded number of fish and bat species, not to mention the world’s largest freshwater fish, otters, river turtles, anteaters, snakes, rodents, eagles and caimans.
While wildlife can be tough to spot, birders will love the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway (www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com) located in the middle of the reserve, and excursions run by the two big lodges here aim to get you into the jungle to see its unique inhabitants yourself.
Overnight buses between Georgetown and Lethem go through the rainforest reserve, and so one of the lodges makes for an excellent stopover to break up the journey. Atta Lodge is approximately 300km (190 mi) south of Georgetown and 130km (80 mi) north of Lethem on the Brazilain border. Surama Village and Rock View Lodge are about 45 minutes away by road, and Iwokrama River Lodge is about 75 minutes away. The nearest airstrips are Annai (Rock View Lodge) Surama village and at Fair View Village adjacent to Iwokrama River Lodge.
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Lethem
Sleepy Lethem is the ‘capital’ of the Rupununi; it’s where buses and flights from Georgetown arrive, and it has a decent array of services for travellers passing through on their way to the various ranches and nearby. Local vaqueros (cowboys) and visiting Brazilian shoppers mingle on the red dust streets that surround the airstrip, and very little goes on here, though it’s an important local center in a region that is otherwise virtual wilderness. Its annual rodeo, held over the Easter weekend, is a massive event attracting thousands, and a great time to visit.
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