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For tailor-made itineraries including Guyana please contact us on info@latinamerica.co.uk Guyana Natural Experience Tour

Guyana
General Information

Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, a little-known land that contains some of the most unspoilt rainforests and savannahs in the world and an abundance of exotic flora and fauna that will take your breath away. Relatively untouched by tourism, Guyana allows you to experience how the world once was. If you want air-conditioning, hot showers, nightclubs and room service, then Guyana is not for you. However, if you want a natural breeze through an open window, a refreshing dip in the river, the nightlife of the forest and intimate dinner with your hosts then you will enjoy a visit to this ‘Land of Many Waters.’

KAIETEUR FALLS

Guyana’s best known attraction is without doubt the spectacular Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single drop waterfall, 5 times the height of Niagara. The surrounding National Park supports a unique microenvironment with tank bromeliads, in which the tiny golden frog spends its entire life, and the rarely seen Guiana cock-of-the-rock. The lucky visitor may also see the famous Kaieteur swifts which nest under the vast shelf of rock that has been carved by the millennial flow of the falls and is hidden behind the eternal curtain of water.

GEORGETOWN

Guyana’s capital city is located at the mouth of the Demerara River and is home to the vast majority of the country’s population. Most visitors will spend a night here at the beginning or end of their trip and can admire the attractive colonialera architecture including St George’s Anglican Cathedral, believed to be the tallest wooden building in the world.

THE RAINFOREST

Around 80% of Guyana’s sparsely populated interior is covered by virgin rainforest, giving wildlife enthusiasts an excellent opportunity to witness untouched nature at its best with excellent chances to see jaguars, caiman and an incredible number and variety of birds. The Iwokrama International Centre manages a vast area of rainforest (370,000 hectares) and is intended to preserve biodiversity by developing the potential of the rainforest in a sustainable way and in a manner that benefits local communities. A lodge at the centre’s field station provides an ideal base for jungle excursions in the area. Not to be missed is the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, some 30 metres above the forest floor, which gives visitors a unique view of the upper canopy of the forest and allows wildlife to be relatively free from human intrusion.

THE RUPUNUNI SAVANNAHS

In the south of the country, vast savannahs stretch to the border with Brazil. Home to some of the largest cattle ranches in the world, this is a pioneer region of hardy characters where visits to neighbours mean a day’s journey by river or by 4-wheel-drive vehicles over the rough dirt roads. The Rupununi is also home to Amerindian communities such as Surama, where the Makushi villagers welcome visitors and offer a mutually beneficial cultural exchange. Karanambu Ranch is another destination that merits a stay; here you have a good chance of seeing giant anteaters and giant river otters in the wild and you can also explore the superb birdlife of the Rupununi River by motorised canoe.

GUYANA PLUS

Guyana can be combined with a selection of neighbouring countries – such as Brazil and the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad & Tobago – to make an interesting multi-centre holiday. For bird lovers a superb option is a stay at the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad, a tranquil retreat in the island’s Northern Rangewhere a first-time visitor can easily see 20 to 30 life birds before breakfast and which is the home of the most accessible colony of oilbirds in the world.

Austral Tours Ltd: 20 Upper Tachbrook Street
London SW1V 1SH - United Kingdom
Tel. +44(0)20-7233 5384 / Fax +44(0)20-7233 5385
Email: info@latinamerica.co.uk

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