Guyana is South America's best kept secret
The likes of Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru often top travellers’ ‘must-visit’ lists when they head to South America. While it might lack the pulling power of South America's big hitters, Guyana has plenty to offer. Located on the northeastern coast of the continent, this English-speaking nation offers Amazonian adventures, superlative natural landscapes and a unique Caribbean culture. Here are four of the best reasons to visit, from sampling traditional dishes in the cosmopolitan capital of Georgetown to wildlife-watching in the vast and vibrant Iwokrama Rainforest.
1. Diverse natural landscapes
Guyana is known as the ‘Land of Many Waters’ in its native Amerindian language due to the numerous rivers, creeks and streams that flow throughout its length and across its breadth. Board a flight from Georgetown to the majestic Kaieteur Falls, located in Kaieteur National Park, to view the world’s largest single-drop waterfall. Its remote location — and the fact Guyana has just 300,000 tourists each year — means it’s possible to have a serene solo visit.
Rainforest covers some 80% of Guyana and, with much of it untouched, a multi-day expedition through untamed jungle is another unforgettable experience. Intrepid travellers can join various tours, such as the Rainforest Escape Tour by Wanderlust Adventures GY, to sleep in hammocks beneath the stars and stay with remote Indigenous communities who introduce guests to their local customs and delicacies. Meanwhile, the wetlands and savannah of the Rupununi region have borne a completely diverse culture: cattle ranchers have etched out a living on these plains since the late 1800s and travellers can now join vaqueros (cowboys) on roundups and attend the annual Rupununi Rodeo, held every Easter.
The river systems and savannahs in the remote Rupununi region are a haven for unique wildlife, such as giant anteaters, jaguars, pumas and capybaras.
2. Thrilling wildlife encounters
One of the world’s most densely forested nations, this former British colony is a sanctuary for rare and unusual wildlife, including jaguars, capybaras, caimans, red howler monkeys and poison dart frogs. A typical wildlife-spotting itinerary sees travellers hop between several lodges in the nation’s remote southwest. Karanambu Lodge, located in Rupunumi, is a superb place to start, as travellers can comb the savannah for slumbering anteaters or witness orphaned river otters at feeding time at the rehabilitation centre.
Guyana is also a twitcher's dream. Some 800 bird species flit, float and forage here, from brightly coloured toucans and macaws to majestic harpy eagles. One of the best destinations for birdwatching is in the almost one-million-acre Iwokrama Rainforest. Guides know the exact trees favoured by harpy eagles — which can grow to around three-feet tall — while a dawn meander along the canopy walkway at ATTA Rainforest Lodge introduces travellers to a vast array of other species. Guides often take visitors to certain areas to witness the extravagant mating dances of the Guianan cock-of-the-rock — an endemic, tangerine-coloured bird with a punk-like quiff.
3. Rich cultural heritage
Guyanese culture is a blend of many influences, with the country home to 80,000 Indigenous peoples from nine distinct ethnic groups. These peoples have acted as stewards of the land for millennia and some now run eco-lodges in far-flung parts of the rainforest. At Rewa Eco-lodge, visitors can stay in a traditional benab (hut-like structures made of leaves and branches, supported by a framework of poles), learn how the local Rewa community brought one of the world’s largest freshwater fish species, the arapaima, back from the brink of extinction and even visit a burrow belonging to the planet’s biggest spider, the goliath bird-eater.
After exploring Guyana’s wild interior, spend a few days in the capital, Georgetown. Here, visitors can further their cultural education through Guyanese cuisine, which is influenced by dishes brought by enslaved West African people and indentured Asian labourers. Chef Delven Adams from the Backyard Cafe takes visitors to Georgetown’s Bourda Market to sample quintessential dishes, including pepperpot, a rich meat stew and seven curry — a dish of seven curries traditionally served on a water-lily leaf.
4. Eclectic events
Guyana might geographically be part of South America, but it shares the Caribbean’s love of cricket. Whether you’re a fan of the game or not, visit during the month of September for the exciting Cricket Carnival to experience flamboyant parades, mega concerts, regattas, food festivals and, of course, nail-biting cricket matches.
Another key festival in the Guyanese calendar is Mashramani, a celebration of the country’s transition to a republic from a British colony. Held on 23 February, ‘Mash’ is a party of epic proportions. Expect parades of vibrantly clad dancers shimmying to blaring calypso and steel pan music and vendors selling steaming plates of cook-up rice and chow mein. For a more sedate, but no less fascinating, insight into Guyanase culture, don’t miss November’s GuyExpo. It’s a great place to pick up quirky souvenirs, as pottery businesses rub shoulders with artisans crafting jewellery from coffee-coloured tamarind seeds and pearl-like buck beads.
