Guyana

Upon arrival at Cheddi Jagan International Airport you will be met by your private guide and transferred to Georgetown. Stay in a beautiful wooden colonial hotel which was once the residence of the first Lord Mayor of Georgetown, hotel of choice for many passing dignitaries visiting Guyana, the hotel exudes nostalgia of a bygone era.

The following day take a small plane over the Demerara, Essequibo Rivers and hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to land at Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Upon landing you can walk to the river's edge for fantastic close-up views. In the afternoon return, again by plane, for a second night in the capital.

Fly to Fairview where you will be met for the short transfer to the Iwokrama Forest Reserve. The Iwokrama Rainforest is a vast wilderness of one million acres.  This protected area was established in 1996 as the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.  It lies in the heart of one of four last untouched tropical forests of the world - The Guiana Shield of North-Eastern South America.

Spend two nights in comfortable yet rustic cabins on the banks of the mighty Essequibo river in the reserve, where guided tours take you into the surrounding rainforest. 

Continue south by 4 x 4 on a road where wildlife is often seen. Your base for these two nights is just a short walk from the Iwokrama canopy walkway near the southern boundary of the reserve. The walkway, 30 metres above ground at its highest point, allows the opportunity to view a range of canopy species, many of which you would struggle to see from the forest floor.

There are many natural wonders awaiting you, here, deep in the rainforest. A wildlife walking safari – with an experienced naturalist guide  – will see you treading carefully through the realm of the jaguar, puma, tapir, agouti, tayra, and black curassow, as well as any number of interesting birds.

Leaving your jungle lodge you will travel through the rainforest to Corkwood in the Iwokrama Forest. Here there is a relatively short trail through pristine rainforest to hopefully see the amazingly brilliant Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Continue your journey to the community of Surama.

The Amerindian community of Surama is on savannah ringed by the forested Pakaraima Mountains. Surama’s Macushi tribe inhabitants still observe many of the traditional practises of their ancestors. Stay in a lodge owned and operated by the community. The women have a successful cassava (yuca) factory. Daily walks or boat rides are arranged into the forest and across the savanna.

You will continue your journey across the savannah by road to Annai enjoying the picturesque landscape along the way. Travel around the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains and spot flocks of birds, including iconic jabiru storks. Set in tropical gardens with flowering trees, your lodge resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Most of the produce served is grown directly on the property.

At Annai you are deep in Guyana’s cattle country – visit working cattle ranches and local Amerindian villages to learn about a centuries-old lifestyle that has kept many of its local traditions and industries like cashew nut roasting.

No trip to the Rupununi grasslands of Guyana would be complete without a stay in an authentic cattle ranch. From the nearby Ginep Landing, you will take a boat trip on the Rupununi River to an eco-lodge set on a former cattle ranch. Depending on the river level, this trip offers an excellent opportunity to look for Giant Otters as there are several family groups which live along this stretch of the river.

With river and savannah nearby, early morning and late in the afternoon/evening activities include river cruises, 4x4 game drives or walks along forest trails. A boat trip to see Victoria Amazonica lily at dusk is magical and giant anteaters are often seen in the early morning.

Travelling further along the river, arrive at the local village of Yupukari. At the edge of Yupukari Village is Caiman House Field Station, a combination guest-lodge and education centre focused on research and conservation projects. The Field Station is the hub of several development projects and visitors may have the opportunity to meet local craftspeople, including the furniture builders at Yupukari Crafters, a nonprofit venture to create village jobs and generate income to sustain educational development.

As a guest you have the unique opportunity to participate in an ongoing field study of the Black Caiman, the largest member of the alligator family and an endangered species.

Leaving the wilds of the Rupununi behind, you will be driven to Lethem and fly back to Georgetown for a final night.

Enjoy a tour of the city of Georgetown with an experienced guide who will give you the history, facts and anecdotes on Georgetown and its citizens. You will begin our tour at the Georgetown Seawalls before continuing into the heart of the city. During your visit there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed such as Stabroek Market - once described as a 'bizarre bazaar', and St. George’s Cathedral which is one of the world’s tallest free standing wooden buildings. The following day you will be driven to the airport for international connections.

Suriname's vibrant capital Paramaribo is home to the wide Commewijne river lined with old plantations and home to pink dolphins. The cultural draw to Suriname's wild jungles are the Maroons, descendants of escaped slaves who re-created an African way of life deep in the forest and were essentially forgotten for centuries. French Guiana is blessed with the highest standard of living in the region. Enjoy the French-Caribbean chic of its capital Cayenne by hanging out with a cold beer or café au lait at a colonial-inspired sidewalk bar. Out of town head to Îles du Salut off-shore islands known for their fascinating prison camps, the famed Île du Diable (Devil's Island).