Nature`s Gift

2010 EXPLORE GUYANA
The Official Tourist Guide of Guyana 2010
FREE
Nature’s Gift
To The World
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EXPLORE GUYANA
CONTENTS
EXPLORE GUYANA is published annually for the
Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)
in association with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and
Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Association (GTA) by:
Advertising & Marketing Services Ltd. (AMS)
P.O.Box 101582, 213B Camp Street, Georgetown, Guyana
Tel: (011592) 225-5384
Fax: (011592) 225-5383
E-mail: mail.amsguyana.com
Publisher & Editor:
Lokesh Singh
[email protected]
Advertising Sales:
Lokesh Singh
Adrian Pryce
Jessica Xavier
Susannah Morgan
Leisa Waddell
Graphic Design:
Mensah Fox,
Donald Brower
Editorial Contributors:
Lokesh Singh
Kirk Smock
Colin Chandra
Treina Butts
Shyam Nokta
Teri O’ Brien
Dr. Vindhya Persaud
John Gimlette
Dr. Raquel Thomas
Wanderlust Magazine
INTRODUCTION
7 President’s Message
8 Minister of Tourism Message
10 THAG Welcome Message
EXPLORE GUYANA
Cover Photography:
Contributing Photography:
Conservation International
FotoNATURA
Iwokrama Centre
Guyana Tourism Authority
Dr. Raquel Thomas
Ashley Holland | G. Duncan
David Fernandes
Capt. Mike Charles
Annette Arjoon
Mensah Fox
Kirk Smock
Julie Zickefoose
Ken Wilson
Pete Cosgrove
John Gimlette
Wanderlust Magazine
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68
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77
Guyana’s Green Gold
Map of Guyana
City Map of Georgetown
History of the People Who Came
A Festival for Every Reason
Georgetown Enjoy it our Way
Georgetown A Walking Tour
Diwali in Guyana
Guyana’s Interior - An Experience of a Lifetime
Dancing with Ants
Guyana - In God’s Garden
Mind the Candiru - Unearthing Guyana’s Wildlife
The Irresistable Kaieteur Falls
Wings to Treasure
Birding Eden
ABOUT GUYANA
© Copyright 2009. Reproduction of any material without the
permission of AMS is strictly prohibited.
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AMS and THAG wish to express sincere thanks and
appreciation to all parties who have assisted in making
this publication a reality.
Country Facts
Government
Travelling
Money & Business
Accommodations Georgetown
Accommodations Eco Resorts
THAG Members Services
Calendars of Events 2009/10
ON THE COVER
Leatherback Turtle
Nesting at Shell Beach
ADVERTISING
& MARKETING
S E R V I C E S LT D.
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to Guyana
President’s Invitation
His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo
PRESIDENT, Republic Of Guyana
W
elcome to Guyana, a pristine rainforest paradise that offers
an unforgettable and unsurpassed experience. The natural
beauty of my country with its extensive flora and fauna, diversity
of species, stupendous mountain ranges, majestic waterfalls and vast
savannahs is surpassed only by the legendary hospitality of our people.
I invite you to explore our country, from the coziness of our capital with its numerous
historic buildings to the vast depths of our interior with its intricate web of well
established jungle trails offering visitors a glimpse of nature’s serene face and secrets.
Guyana is an environmental haven. Having adopted a low carbon development path, we
intend to demonstrate that our greatest wealth emerges from our diverse cultures and
peoples, our natural resources, intact ecosystems and the environmental services
these can provide. Our endless cover of lush green forests, scenic landscapes,
diverse wildlife and indigenous communities will provide an enlightening
experience of how the rainforest can be effectively deployed in addressing
climate change while providing sustainable development to our people.
This development is being harnessed through the many
infrastructural investments that have been made by my
government. We have a vast network of roads, bridges and air
services that facilitate travel throughout Guyana.
I hope that you will enjoy your stay in Guyana and that having
experienced our breathtaking beauty and unmatched hospitality
that you will come again.
Bharrat Jagdeo
President of Guyana
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Guyana
Come experience
Guyana – the Amazon Adventure. It is the ultimate destination for nature lovers,
eco-tourists and the adventurous traveller. Experience the warmth of our people, our
culture, our foods, our heritage, our rich nature adventure product and participate in
exciting events such as the Rupununi Rodeo, the Bartica/Mainstay/Orealla Regattas,
Rockstone Fish Festival, Jamzone Summer Events, Motor Racing, Pakaraima Mountain
Safari or simply relax on the No. 63 Beach.
Hon. Manniram Prashad, M.P.
Minister of Tourism, Industry
and Commerce
New and exciting tourism developments are emerging in our country. Guyana is a safe
haven for yachts and a new and off the beaten path destination for small to medium
sized cruise ships. Bird watching is one of the most popular eco tourism activities in
Guyana and we have carved a new niche that is gaining widespread international
attention and we are now being described as the “hot new” neo-tropical birding
destination.
We are a model of Community-based and indigenous tourism which have been the
recipient of international awards and recognition. Agro-tourism is another niche market
which offers our visitors a farm based experience. Guyana is also known as the “Craft
Capital of the Caribbean” as we produce a wide variety of intricate handmade craft
made out of indigenous materials.
Be sure to visit the Kaieteur Falls, the longest single drop waterfall in the world which
continues to attract thousands who long to get a glimpse of its sheer beauty and a
touch of its magical mists. Guyana offers a wealth of options and experiences from bird
watching, wildlife spotting, sport fishing, canoeing, mountain climbing, hiking, trekking,
shopping, culinary and indigenous experiences.
Guyana is fast emerging as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE)
destination with modern-day conference facilities to comfortably accommodate large
functions such as Summits, Seminars and workshops, makes it a great MICE destination.
Guyana’s nature resorts, pristine forest, picturesque views of the many waterfalls, the
warmth of our people combined with our strategic geographic location, makes it the
ideal business and pleasure destination for corporate meetings and events,
Prestigious travel publications and travel writers have ranked Guyana
among the “Top 10 Wild Adventures in Latin America” and “Five Best
Wildlife Retreats in the World”; while others have described Guyana
variously, as the “Next Big Neotropical Birding Destination”, “A journey
into the Jurassic” and as being “In God’s Garden”. Come experience
Guyana for yourself.
Hon. Manniram Prashad, M.P.
Min. of Tourism, Industry and Commerce
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Welcome
to Guyana
A
Paul D. J Stephenson
President
Paul Waldron
Vice President
very warm Guyanese welcome to all our readers of this 2010 edition
of Explore Guyana magazine. I am very excited about this year’s
production and trust that it gives you a representative insight of the
beauty and choice of activities which await you in Guyana.
If you are considering visiting our unique country, I hope the vision which
you get from our magazine will encourage you to visit us very soon. Experience
for yourself some of our great Hotels or interior Lodges or book a tour into our
formidable interior, where a feast of nature awaits you.
If you are reading this in Guyana, I welcome you and hope you are enjoying
your trip, and that Explore Guyana will encourage you to further explore this
beautiful country and feel the wonder of Guyana’s people and our unique
culture.
I am pleased to introduce our team at the Tourism & Hospitality Association
(THAG) who are responsible for helping me to promote and develop our unique
tourism product whilst at the same time ensuring your vacation to Guyana will
be your most memorable.
I would like to thank our existing members and previous executives for all
their efforts and hard work over the years and look forward to encouraging
as many new members who currently supply products and services to our
sector to join our association in the immediate future.
Guyana’s President Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy has recently
brought international attention to the beauty of Guyana’s forests and the
importance of preserving them for the world and future generations. I ask you
all to join us in Guyana in supporting this creative initiative.
Thank you for spending time with us and please come back again. If you’re
considering visiting us here in Guyana please don’t hesitate, just come and
experience all that Guyana has to offer. I hope you enjoy reading and using your
copy of the Explore Guyana Magazine.
Paul D. J Stephenson
President
Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana ( THAG).
Treina Butts
Executive Director
Mitra Ramkumar
Treasurer
Coiin Edwards
Committee Member
Dee George
Committee Member
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Abdoul Ba
Committee Member
Guyana’s
Green Gold
by Shyam Nokta
T
ales of the fabled El Dorado, the city of gold, have for
centuries dazzled explorers around the world and the lure is
there again with Guyana moving to tap the full potential of
its pristine forests.
These tropical rainforests cover almost 80 per cent of the
country and are still largely untouched, offering untold natural
wonders including breathtaking landscapes and myriad ranges of
biodiversity.
The nine indigenous Amerindian tribes who have lived in the
forests and on savannah lands for centuries, have maintained
their cultures which have survived despite blends with modern
society and tourists will find much to savour from visits to these
communities.
Eco-tourism is also developing as an important aspect of the
tourism sector. A lot of what Guyana can offer discerning tourists
is unfolding in the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy
(LCDS) in which maintaining forests is a centrepiece.
Since 2006, the Guyana Government has been calling for bold
action by rainforest nations and international partners to address
deforestation as a key element in the global climate change
efforts.
President Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that if the right economic
incentives are created, Guyana would be willing to consider
placing almost its entire rainforest under internationally verifiable
protection, provided national sovereignty and the rights of all
Guyanese are not undermined.
The impact of what the LCDS offers tourism, among other key
economic sectors, was evident at the formal launching of the
draft document on June 8 at the International Convention Centre,
Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
After President Jagdeo’s formal presentation, Paul Stephenson,
Chief Executive Officer of Cara Hotels, was among those very
optimistic about the LCDS.
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Kaieteur Falls in all it’s splendour
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“I was very impressed by the initiative as presented by the President”, he
said.
“I feel it will have very positive effects on Guyana’s tourism industry,
hotels and eco-tourism activities. This will place Guyana on a new level of
international acceptance in the green policies and any discerning eco-tourist
will derive great comfort from such strong governmental policies”, he added.
The global eco-tourism market is about US$50 billion (or 6 per cent of the
$860 billion general tourism market) but is growing rapidly (20-30 per cent
per year).
The LCDS identifies tourism as a priority potential growth area.
Guyana has recognised that although standing forests provide enormous
Economic Value to the World (EVW) through environmental services such as
biodiversity and water regulation, in practical terms there is currently only
one potential market of real importance for an environmental commodity –
the carbon market.
The LCDS outlines the way forward and the international profiling of Guyana
from its climate change leadership is helping to broaden its tourism appeal.
The groundbreaking work on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation
has been recognised around the world and by reputable personalities
including United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Britain’s Prince
Charles and actor Harrison Ford, and institutions like the World Bank and the
Clinton Foundation.
It is also working with the government of Norway on a model that could set
the standard for other forest countries.
This international high profile offers a good marketing tool for operators in
the tourism sector looking for green tourism destinations.
“our gift of nature
to the world”
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Guyana is one of the last almost untouched tropical destinations and interest
in it as a land to be explored goes back to the search for El Dorado beyond
1592 when Sir Walter Raleigh tried to regain favour with Britain’s Queen
Elizabeth 1 by trying to discover the fabled city in her name.
Its mystery and allure also inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel `The Lost
World’ which also triggered movies that have become classics.
Raleigh set off on an unsuccessful expedition to find El Dorado but the LCDS
can become the tool to unlock the vastness of the `green gold’ inherent in its
pristine forests.
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Fair View
Conservation
International
Concession
Rewa
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A HISTORY
of the people who came
1593 -The earliest account of the territory of Guiana is made
in a dispatch to the Royal Council of Spain in which the
Governor of Trinidad, Antonio de Berrero, describes his
journey down the Oronoco and his attempt to explore
Guiana.
1594 -Sir Robert Dudley makes inquiries about the rumoured
Empire of El Dorado when his ship puts in to Trinidad. A
small boat is sent to investigate and its crew returns to
say that the natives (Amerindians) had told them of gold
mines so rich that the people of the country powdered
themselves with gold dust.
1598 -The Dutch make their first voyage to Guiana.
1640 -Slaves arrive in the colonies from Africa.
1657 -A small Dutch settlement is established on the
Pomeroon River.
Early Amerindian Family
1763 -The Berbice Slave Rebellion breaks out (at the time
when Berbice is a separate Dutch colony). It begins on
one estate, but soon spreads to others along the Berbice
River. The revolt is the result of the cruelty with which
the Dutch plantation owners have been treating their
slaves, and it is led by a male slave called Coffy
1781 -War breaks out between England and Holland. The
colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice are taken
by the English.
1783/4 - (a) The colonies are restored to Holland. (b)Long
champs (established by the French) is chosen as the site
of the new colonial capital, later to be called Stabroek.
(c) The Dutch move the seat of Government for the
Demerara territory down river to its mouth, where they
begin to build the town of Stabroek in a geometrical
1763 Monument-A tribute to the African struggle
‘grid-iron’ system of streets, divided by canals in the
manner of their home-country. (d) The Dutch build a series of sluice-gates or kokers at points
where the canals meet the Demerara estuary. At high tide, the kokers form a barrier between the
Atlantic Ocean and the canals. At low tide they are opened to allow the accumulated water from
the land to flow away.
1796 -War breaks out again between England and
Holland. The colonies are taken by England, for the
second time.
1802 -At the peace of Amiens, Guiana is returned to the
Dutch. English settlers are given three years to wind up
their affairs, and to then leave.
1803 - War breaks out again between England and Holland. In
September, Hood arrives at the mouth of the Demerara,
and demands the surrender of the Colony. Guiana is
handed over without fighting, never again to be returned to Holland.
1812 -The town of Stabroek is renamed ‘Georgetown’.
1814 -Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice are assigned to
England during the Great Peace.
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European Plantation Owners
1822 -The Town of New Amsterdam is laid out in Berbice.
1823 -There is a slave insurrection on the East Coast of Demerara.
1828 -The Public Buildings (now Parliament Buildings) are built Hadfield, architect. (completed 1834)
1830 -The 103 ft tall, red and white striped Lighthouse is erected at
the mouth of the Demerara River (Water Street). It replaces
the original wooden structure that was built in 1817 by the
Dutch.
1833 -The Act of Abolition of slavery is passed. The slaves are not
granted full freedom, but are bound to their masters for threequarters of each day for a period of seven years.
1835 -Portuguese labourers are imported to work on the
plantations. (Almost one thousand immigrant Portuguese die
from tropical diseases).
1837 -John Gladstone suggests East Indian indentured labour as a
solution to the drifting of Africans from the plantations to the
towns. Permission is granted to bring ‘Coolies’ for his two
Parliament Building
plantations.
1837 -While exploring what was then British Guiana, botanist Robert Schomburgk stumbles across a
spectacular water lily of gigantic proportions. Stretching about
six feet across, the lily-pad looks like an enormous pie plate and
can easily support a coiled boa napping in the shade of its tremendous blossom, which boasts an expansive corolla that runs
the gamut of pink between its pearly white petals, and bright
red center. The chivalrous Schomburgk christens the future
pride of botanical gardens “the Victoria Regia” in honour of the
British sovereign.
1837 -Georgetown has its first Mayor and Town Council.
1838 -August 1st,”Full and unqualified liberation of the Negroes”.
1838 -The first indentured labourers drawn from the hill areas of
India, arrive in Guiana. 156 East Indians arrive from Calcutta on
the “Hesperus”. They are under indenture for a five year period,
and for the first part, they are housed and given rations, but are
not paid. Great mistreatment of the labourers result in
prosecution of some of the planters.
1838 -Schomburgk discovers Mount Roraima.
Chinese Indentured Labourers
1838 -The Colony is divided by ordinance into the three counties of
Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice.
1842 -Georgetown is declared a city.
1843 -The end of the first period of indenture. Many of the labourers
return to India.
The 1840’s - England suspends the indentured labourer system. Immigrant labour from India, Portugal (mainly
Madeira) and China is permitted, under Government control.
1844 -Queen’s College is founded.
1848 -The Demerara Railway Company introduces the railway in
British Guiana. The railway runs from Georgetown for 60 miles
down the Atlantic coast to Rosignol on the Berbice River.
1853 - January 12th. The first contract Chinese labourers arrive in
British Guiana on the “Glentanner”. Most are assigned to
Windsor Forest, Pouderoyen and La Jalousie estates.
1860 - March 11th. The first female Chinese labourers arrive on
the “Whirlwind”.
1864 - The Mahaica Bridge is opened.
1870 -Members of a geological survey team discover the Kaieteur
East Indian Indentured Family
Falls on the Potaro River in central Guyana.
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city and villages to admire all the diyas
and decorations. A major attraction today
are the elaborate float parades which are
unique to Guyana. See the special feature
on Diwali in this issue.
Mashramani Action
CHRISTMAS is a major Christian festival
a Festival
O
ver the centuries with the
discovery of Guyana, the colonial
powers imported labour originally
from Africa then India, China and Madeira
(Portugal) for the cultivation of sugar as
the local indigenous people were not
suited for this type of work. Guyana’s
population of today is classified as being
six ethnic groups who still practise the rich
and diverse religious and cultural heritage
of their foreparents to include festivals
which are celebrated with great pomp and
ceremony. The legacies of these cultures
and their importance in today’s Guyana
are shared with all Guyanese with public
holidays being granted to recognise their
significance. Be part of this unique cultural
experience and plan your visit to participate
in one or all of the many annual festivals.
Detailed below are some information on
the various festivals celebrated annually in
Guyana:
MASHRAMANI, often referred to as
“Mash”, is the equivalent of Guyana’s
Carnival and is an annual festival that
celebrates Guyana becoming a sovereign
Republic on 23 February 1970. The first
Mashramani festival was celebrated on Feb
23rd, 1970 in the mining town of Linden
and has since become a major national
annual event . There are spectacular
costume competitions, float parades,
masquerade bands, and dancing in the
For Every Reason
streets to the accompaniment of steel
band music and calypsos. Masquerades
frequent the streets performing acrobatic
dance routines, a vivid reminder of
Guyana’s African heritage. The Mash Day
depicts a hive of activity in Georgetown
from Vlissengen Road and lrving Street all
the way to the National Park. Thousands of
people summon to the streets to participate
in the annual Mashramani celebrations,
which has been a part of Guyanese culture
for almost 40 years. In 2010, Guyana will
celebrate 40 years as a Republic and Mash
is expected to be bigger than ever.
Kite flying at Easter
Celebrating Phagwah
Christmas in Guyana
PHAGWAH or HOLI – is a Hindu religious
holiday observed in March to celebrate the
triumph of good over evil. It is also a Spring
Festival celebrating the Hindu New Year, the
beginning of another crop, the coming of
the rainy season and is popularly known as
the festival of colours. Hindus traditionally
wear white on Phagwah day and indulge
in the throwing upon each other of a
harmless liquid called abeer. Abeer is a
red dye which symbolizes the blood of the
tyrannical King Hiranya who in Hindu lore
ordered that his son Prince Prahalad be
burnt to death for defying his wishes. The
traditional burning of the ‘Holika’ on the
night before is practised as the forerunner
to the start of Phagwah day celebrations.
After attending services at the temples in
the morning Hindus start their festivities
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Diwali Float Parade
with the throwing of abeer, powder,
perfume, and water on family, friends and
neighbours in what is an amusing, goodnatured and joyful celebration. The festival
is celebrated across the country by both
Hindus and non Hindus and was originally
brought to British Guiana by Hindus who
arrived as indentured labourers to work on
sugar plantations over 170 years ago.
EID UL FITR – Muslims celebrate ‘Eid
ul Fitr following the month of Ramadhan
(the month of fasting). Following a Lunar
calendar, Muslims mark the beginning
of the month with the sighting of the
new crescent. The month long fasting of
Ramadan culminates into the festival of
‘Eid-ul-Fitr, the Festival of Fast-Breaking.
It is a festival of joy, family reunion and
thanksgiving to Almighty God. The giving
of a special charity for this occasion is
obligatory. This is known as Zakat. Muslims
dress in holiday attire, attend a special
community prayer in the morning, and
visit friends and relatives. Greetings
of “’Eid mubarak,” or “a blessed ‘Eid”
are exchanged joyfully. Eid is generally
celebrated annually in September at the
end of the month of Ramadan which is
confirmed with the sighting of the moon
according to Muslim tradition.
EASTER – is a Christian religious festival
celebrated annually in April. Easter is a very
popular time of the year as it symbolizes
the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
It is a period which always falls over a
weekend and generates a lot of activities
and celebrations due to the long weekend
always associated with it. On Good Friday
all businesses are closed. Easter Sunday
and Easter Monday is when all the fun
starts. Imagine looking up into the sky and
seeing hundreds of kites flying . Kites of all
shapes, sizes and colors buzzing around
and dancing to the wind in the skies, all
make for a beautiful site. The kite season
starts a few days before Easter. The kites
are normally flown along the coast of the
country and on the Sea Wall where the
wind is strong and there are no overhead
electrical wires. In addition families get
together and travel to various parts of the
country where they picnic in the parks and
along the creeks and rivers.
DIWALI – or “The Festival of Lights” is a
Hindu Festival brought by the East Indians
and is celebrated annually in October.
Diwali is a celebration based on the return
from exile of the great Hindu hero Rama
as set out in the Ramayana , a holy book
which is often read at Hindu festivals. He
was the heir to the throne and was exiled
by his father for fourteen years. Diwali
celebrates Rama’s return from exile. It
is celebrated in October generally and
everyone in the Hindu household looks
forward to it as Indian sweetmeats to
include metai, halwa and other special
foods are prepared. Around each house
clay cups containing oil and a wick are
arranged in beautiful patterns. These cups
are called diyas. In the evening the wicks
are lit. What a marvellous sight it is to
see. People walk and travel around the
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in Guyana. At Christmas time, plans for
making the famous “Black Cake” are put
into works. “Garlic Pork” is another popular
dish at Christmas. Normally a few nights
before Christmas, the older folks start going
from house to house and sing carols. There
are lots of eating and drinking at this time.
On Christmas Day there are exchanges of
gifts between family members and friends.
Churches hold services and the people of
the Christian Faith attend. Businesses and
homes are decorated with Christmas lights.
It is also a major period of homecoming
for Guyanese relatives and friends to visit
from overseas making it a grand holiday
to stay and welcome the New Year. Major
family reunions and social gatherings
are the order of the day. In addition the
Government has organised the “Main Big
Lime” as a major Street Party celebration
taking place on all of Main Street in the
capital city of Georgetown.
EMANCIPATION DAY – 1st August is
celebrated annually as Emancipation Day. It
was on 1st August, 1834, that full and final
freedom was announced for all enslaved
Africans throughout the British Caribbean.
Out of the abolition came the villages, the
struggle of the trade union movement,
the opening of the hinterland through the
pork knockers, and the evolution of the
Civil Service and artesian shops. Guyanese
of African Heritage have been mobilised
through the African Cultural Development
Association with the hosting of an annual
day of celebration at the National Park in
Georgetown. Many people wear traditional
African attire and attend an exhibition
of historic African lifestyle and culture.
There is African food, singing, dancing and
music at the National Park celebrating the
heritage of their ancestors.
Emancipation Day Celebrations
GEORGETOWN
Enjoy it Our Way
Stabroek Market,
The Heart of Georgetown
Historic Buildings
Georgetown - Guyana’s Capital city is the
heart beat of the country. It is also the seat
of Government and the base of the financial and commercial sector. Originally called
“The Garden City” it houses two botanical
gardens and is laid out with wide tree lined
avenues and attractive historic wooden
buildings which are worth exploring.
On a daily basis it is teeming with people
coming in from the outlying regions to go
to work , school, do their shopping and to
conduct general business in the original
city center and business district of Water
Street. In recent times Regent Street ( between Avenue of the Republic and Camp
Street ) has significantly expanded as a major shopping area with the recent opening
of shopping malls which now offer a new
dimension to the shopping experience.
In addition there are organised vendors
arcades and the local markets. Between
them all you are sure to find some excellent shopping at bargain prices.
The influx of persons to the city center
and the increasing number of visitors has
seen a significant growth in the number
of restaurants, bars and clubs operating
within Georgetown and environs offering
a range of cuisine and entertainment reflecting Guyana’s diverse population and
their rich culture. Whether your taste is for
Chinese, Indian, Creole or traditional dining
there are a variety of options. Popular eating places recommended are as follows:
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Vendors Fresh Fruit stall
Chinese Cuisine : New Thriving on Main
Street and Buddy’s Mei Tung on Sheriff
Street.
Creole Cuisine: Sidewalk Cafe on Middle
Street and German’s Restaurant on New
Market Street.
Traditional Dining: Le Bistro 176 at Cara
Suites, The Bottle at Cara Lodge, Browne’s
Cafe at the Pegasus, Dutch Bottle Restaurant on North Road and Duke Lodge in
Kingston. Reservations are recommended.
Should you wish to have a drink with
friends you can visit any of the popular
watering holes where you guaranteed to
interface with locals having a popular local beer or internationally famous Guyana
rum and engaging in healthy and hearty
conversational exchanges.
On weekends the city comes alive with
local live entertainment and music for
dancing where you can party into the wee
hours if this is your style at the various
hotels and nightclubs. Popular spots are:
The Guyana Pegasus, The Duke Lodge, Le
Bistro 176 Bar, Buddy’s Pool Hall, Bar and
Nightclub, the Sidewalk Cafe & Jazz Club.
Hungry in the wee hours? There are a
number of popular spots frequented by
locals for that early morning treat. Check
with your local friends. You are sure to find
some Bar-b-Q or other local delicacy.
Moving around in Georgetown is inexpensive with several taxi companies offering twenty four hour service. Rates average GY$ 300 in and around Georgetown.
Fares may be higher for late night service.
Most hotels have taxis operating at their
premises or they will be sure to call one for
you. Always use authorised taxis for your
personal safety.
Enjoy Georgetown the city of bargains,
variety and an abundance of fresh fruits
and juices during the day and a hotbed of
entertainment at night and all through the
night if you choose.
Do not over indulge and if you drink –
do not drive. Identify a designated driver.
Have fun and enjoy as we offer you the
keys to our city.
Georgetown
TOUR
MAP
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Georgetown and Guyana,
on behalf of myself I do wish you an
enjoyable stay.
I am Teri and I will be your guide for
this City Tour. This tour will take you
to some of the more well-known and
architecturally significant buildings in
Georgetown.
GENERAL HISTORY INTRODUCTION
The Guyanese are pluralistic, ethnically,
racially and religiously diverse peoples.
There are six major groups of people –
indigenous Amerindians (who came to
Guyana by way of Mongolia, centuries
before Westerners reached these shores),
Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese and Europeans. The Europeans are
essentially Spanish, Dutch, French and
English.
Most of the Africans, East Indians and
Chinese were either enslaved or indentured servants who worked on Sugar
plantations.
The major religions are Christianity,
Hinduism and Islam. The Amerindians
generally maintain their traditional beliefs
based on tribal practices.
10
Guyana has a population of approx.
750,000.00 with a zero population growth,
due mainly to migration. There are however approx. half a million Guyanese living
as expatriates mainly in the United States
and Canada.
Although English is the official language,
an English based Creole is widely used.
The literacy rate is high, approx 90%.
11
10
12
11
12
UMANA YANA. 1
UMANA YANA means, “meeting place”
in Wai-Wai. It was erected for the nonaligned Foreign Ministers Conference held
in Guyana in August 1972. It was constructed by a team of Wai-Wai Amerindian, one of the nine indigenous tribes of
Guyana. The height of the building is 50ft
and occupies an area of 5300sq.ft.
The roof is thatched with dried leaves
of the Troolie palm and held together
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with mukru, turu and nibbi reeds. The
posts are made of Wallaba, a native
hardwood. Traditionally no nails were use
in the construction of such a building. In
1992 the Umana Yana collapsed and was
repaired by another tribe. The four tall
Greenheart poles in front of the Umana
Yana constitute the Liberation Monument
to the African freedom fighters, and were
erected in the Benab’s ground when the
United Nations Commission of Namibia
met in Georgetown in 1974.
RED HOUSE 2
Originally one of the larger plantation
owner’s residences. Taken up the Government in the 1950’s, it became Dr. Cheddi
Jagan’s residence between 1953-1957. He
was Premier of British Guyana in 1961 to
1964. Dr. Cheddi Jagan was also opposition leader for 28 years and final became
the president of Guyana in1992-1997. It
has been totally refurbished and is now
the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.
ANGLICAN BISHOP’S HOUSE 3
Formerly Kingston, now Austin House.
Residence of the Bishop of Guyana.
This fine timber building dates back to
the late 1842.Named after Guyana’s first
Anglican Bishop, it is said that Bishop
Austin’s nine children amused themselves
by throwing object at passers -by; Rather
than correct them, the tolerant Bishop
moved the house further back from the
street.
Many building in Georgetown have
what is called Demerara Shutters similar
to what you see on the windows’ of the
Bishop’s House.
The flat section at the bottom of the
shutter would have a block of ice placed
on it, the breeze would then blow though
the shutters and over the block of ice,
thus providing a primitive means of air
conditioning for the building.
PRIME MINISTER’S RESIDENCE
4
Built for Mr. Sandbach and later acquired by the Booker conglomerate which
dominated the sugar industry.This was
for along time owned by Bookers Bros.
A Walking Tour
Plantation owners in British Guiana. The
British Government as the residence of
the British High Commissioner purchased
it in the 1960’s to Guyana. In 1987 it was
acquired by Guyana Government to be
the residence of the Prime Minister. In its
early day the tower was used to give notice of ships approaching the Georgetown
Harbour. Legend has it that the Directors
of Booker would watch the ships come
in from his window, and that Captains,
aware of this, would ensure that the
port side of their ships were always well
painted.
STATE HOUSE 5
This is the Official residence for the
President of Guyana.
The State House dates back to 1858 it
was the residence of our Governor; Governors’ General and until 1980, of our first
President, Arthur Chung.
THE WALTER ROTH MUSEUM OF
ANTHROPOLOGY 6
Next to the State House, this is a center
for research into Guyana’s Amerindian
communities. Named after a Dr Walter Roth a British doctor and geologist
who was posted to Guyana in 1909 and
developed by its first curator Dr. Denis
Williams.
It displays Relics and artifacts of Guyana’s nine indigenous people.
The Cenotaph, or War Memorial.
The marble monument, about 4.5m
tall, is a memorial to those who died in
the first and second World Wars.
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY
(CARNEGIE BUILDING)
7
The National Library, formerly known as
the Georgetown Public Free Library, was
opened in1909 at the corner of Main and
Church Streets. Scottish-Born American
philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, after
whom the building was named, funded
the Construction. It began with 5700
books, and 1500 members and one librarian.
ST. GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL 8
It is said to the world’s tallest freestanding wooden building at a height of 143
feet.
The current structure is the third Church
and second Cathedral of St. George’s
erected near this site. The first Church
was razed to the ground, the second collapsed due to weak foundations and this,
the third one was built in 1892.
This is the main Anglican Church in Guyana, and is constructed from design by Sir
Arther Bloomfield, with the very strong
Guyanese Greenheart wood and beautiful
English Oat.
Over the top of the Alter you will notice
a Candelabra donated by Queen Victoria,
which was later electrified.
Also to note are the intricate strained
glass windows and the many scrolls on
the walls depicting a great part of Georgetown’s early history.
Independence was granted from England.
The statue was re-instated its original
position at the High Court upon the visit
of the Queen Victoria’s granddaughter
Elizabeth 2nd in 1994.
ST. ANDREW’S KIRK 11
One of the oldest Churches in Georgetown, St.Andrews Kirk. Designed by
Joseph Hadfield, work began on its foundations in1811 and was not completed
until 1818. Where we are standing here
stood the first building in Georgetown the
Brandwagt or signal station. Georgetown
was originally known by the French as La
Nouville Ville and by the Dutch as Stabroek.
The two guns in the grounds are from
the Crimean War.
It was in these grounds in 1966 that the
Duke of Kent o behalf of Queen Elizabeth
2nd handed over Guyana to govern itself.
MONUMENT OF THE NON-ALIGNED
MOVEMENT 9
The four busts on the concrete plinth
represent the four founders of the movement Naseer, Nkrumah, Nehru and Tito.
There are made of bronze and the other
of a plastic material. Just in front of the
monument is a pool from which rise four
jasper rocks. These were taken from the
Ireng River in the interior of our country.
STABROEK MARKET 12
Half of Stabroek Market is built on land,
which has been re-claimed from the river.
There has been a public market in this
area since 1792, but the present building
dates from 1842, it was expanded in 1881.
The Stabroek Market was built of cast iron
and shipped over from Holland where it
was made. The structure was originally
intended for Georgetown’s train station.
This area of the city is called the
Company Path Gardens.
During Colonial times, the ‘powers that
be’ and elite forbid their children from
visiting the market for fear of them being
indoctrinated with ideas from the lower
classes.
HIGH COURT 10
Another building designed by Cesar
Castellani and built in 1887 of Tudor architectural influence.
The open verandahs flank its eleven
courtrooms on both sides and the registries of the Supreme Court occupy the
ground floor.
The statue of Queen Victoria was vandalized during the 50’s and 60’s (note the
missing hand and nose) and was banished
to the rear of the Botanical Gardens after
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| 29
Nowadays Stabroek is a hub of activity
where almost anything can be bought.
I do hope you enjoyed this short tour
with me. There are lots more interesting places to visit. Should you require a
longer more detailed tour of our beautiful
city, please do not hesitate to contact a
local tour operator.
(See THAG Member Listings at back of
magazine.)
Diwali
in Guyana
By Dr. Vindhya Persaud
The Spectacular Festival of Lights
Light is an important aspect of all our lives and often we only recognize the obvious forms derived from electricity and sunlight. Deepavali is an ancient Hindu Festival of Lights which celebrates the deeper meaning of
light. Celebrated on the darkest night (Amawasya) of the Hindu month of Ashwin (October-November), the
message of Deepavali is to eradicate darkness from the world filling each individual with self- illuminated light
within. The differences of social standing, beliefs and wealth are forgotten, as the festival’s aim is to usher in
rational thinking, wisdom, prosperity and ultimately equanimity and equality in society. Of all the Hindu festivals celebrated in Guyana, Deepavali is by far the most enthusiastically enjoyed by people of all walks of life;
its magical and radiant touch creates an atmosphere of joy and festivity. It is firmly ensconced on the National
calendar and all Guyanese look forward to the unique festivities and camaraderie associated with this festival.
Deepavali, a Sanskrit word literally translates to mean a row of light. It is sometimes shortened to the more
popular Diwali. The little clay lamps or diyas represent each individual and the collective efforts of all to light
the diyas is a powerful way of vanquishing ignorance that subdues humanity dispelling darkness from every
nook and cranny of the heart and land.
Diyas are made of mud or clay and shaped by hand or molds. Families in Berbice and Wakenaam have been
making diyas for generations to supply stores and individuals. Locally made or fancy imported diyas filled with
wax candles, cotton wicks and ghee can be bought from religious stores around the country.
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Images of the Annual Diwali Float Parade
How is Deepavali
Celebrated in Guyana?
Deepavali, the festival of lights even today in this modern world is celebrated in
the traditional manner.
In Guyana, weeks before the actual day,
people clean their homes thoroughly, fast
and prepare for Lakshmi Puja. Maha Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity, light and
wisdom is worshipped at this time. Puja or
worship is done by all family members on
Diwali night in Hindu homes prior to lighting the diyas. In fact, the observances occur over a five day period. Two days preceding Diwali, one and then few diyas are
lit to pray for longevity and to recognize
the victory of Lord Krishna over the despot Narakasur. Many Hindus would also
attend their mandirs (temples) on Diwali
day. Mandirs are scattered throughout the
country and one can easily attend special
Diwali puja wherever they find themselves
on that day.
Homes are artistically and tastefully decorated for Diwali. Brightly colored torans
(colourful hanging decorations) are hung
from doorways. Intricately designed rangolis (coloured tracing with rice and flour)
conspicuously placed in yards or entrances
would greet visitors as they visit homes to
exchange sweets and gifts. The traditional
motifs used are considered auspicious
and decorative. An Inter-faculty Rangoli
competition is held every year a few days
before Diwali at the University of Guyana.
Huge and elaborate patterns are made on
large open spaces with coloured rice, flour
and even embellished with glitter dust!
Houses twinkle with an abundance of
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fairy lights creatively draped on every
available surface perfectly complimenting
rows and rows of tiny diyas strategically
placed to remove every tinge of darkness.
There are special streets in some villages
where every house is aesthetically lit and
large groups of people would be busy lighting diyas to line the street and bridges of
every home. Persons would continuously
place the soaked cotton wicks and refill
the diyas with oil to keep the lights blazing all through the night. Streets are lined
with bamboo structures laden with diyas
or festooned with electric lights. Passers
by who flock the streets would be sure to
receive little boxes or bags of Prasad (holy
offering) or sweetmeats from the inhabitants. Take a drive through Sheriff Street,
Campbelville, Lamaha Gardens, Parika on
the West Coast of Demerara or along the
East Coast and East Bank of Demerara to
view fabulously decorated homes.
The Festivities for Diwali
Perhaps the most spectacular events
which precede Diwali are the Guyana
Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s countrywide motorcades. Many persons travel to Guyana
annually to see this one of a kind parade
each year. Designers, individuals, the corporate world and temple members would
have spent weeks erecting huge, intricately lit steel and wooden structures, meticulously decorated and with flowers, yards
of gorgeous fabric, glittering jewelry and
elaborate backdrops onto various vehicles
and huge low bed trailers. The result - a
large number of stunning and breathtaking floats complete with thousands of
lights of all kinds, extravagant designs and
ornately dressed young people sitting still
for hours depicting the various forms of
god. The floats crawl slowly along various
routes much to the delight of thousands
of Guyanese and tourists who throng the
roads every year for a glimpse of this fascinating parade. The biggest motorcade held
on the eve of Diwali (October 16th) leaves
the Shri Krishna Mandir, Campbelville at
6pm, moves from Sandy Babb Street, Kitty
into J.B. Singh Road, then along the Seawall Road; the perfect spot to sit and view
the floats. With darkness as the perfect
backdrop, feast your eyes on the fantastic
floats as you enjoy the cool Atlantic breeze
of the seawall and then make your way to
the LBI Community Centre ground, East
Coast Demerara to join thousands there
for an entertaining cultural programme of
dances, singing, skits and fashion. Make
sure you sample tasty seven curry spreads,
spicy achars with phoulori, potato balls and
channa not forgetting an array of sweets to
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| 33
make the mouth water; gulab jamun, barfi,
pera. Why not take some home for the
next day!
For those who want the full motorcade
experience you can travel to Oceanview,
West Coast Demerara, spend the day in
Berbice and enjoy motorcades in Upper
Corentyne and West Berbice, choose to
stay on in Berbice for motorcades at the
Albion Sports Complex and Canje Ground
or take the ferry to the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground Essequibo for the
motorcade there. Whatever you do, you
cannot miss the biggest national event at
this time of the year.
However, amidst all this frenzy of shopping, decorating and eating, the steady,
burning lamp is a constant symbol of an illuminated mind and the triumph of good
over evil.
Be sure to plan your visit to enjoy this
Hindu Cultural Extravaganza.
Guyana’s Interior
an experience of a lifetime
By Kirk Smock
EXPLORE GUYANA
| 35
Our dugout canoe cut a silent swath
through the milky brown water of
Guyana’s Burro Burro River. Having just
passed a curious wedge-capped capuchin
monkey, we turned our attention to the
screeching sounds of macaws. Then, as
if we crossed some invisible perimeter,
the trees erupted in primeval howling
that enveloped us. A kingfisher shot off
an overhanging branch, a box turtle slid
from the bank, and we stopped paddling
to look for the red howler monkeys that
were announcing their presence – or
protesting ours.
After the racket stopped, we continued to
fish for piranha with handlines and beetle
larvae that we collected from the seeds
of the kokerite palm tree during an early
morning hike. While scouring the forest
floor for the seeds we stepped over fresh
jaguar tracks bigger than our fists and
peered inside giant armadillo burrows.
Once we found the kokerite nuts, we used
a machete to remove the plump white
larvae and had a taste: squishy, sweet,
protein-packed snacks.
Jaguar tracks, screaming monkeys, piranha
fishing, and grub goodies all make for a
surreal day, but I found that in Guyana’s
interior, surreal does not mean unusual.
Within Guyana’s interior, the Guiana
Shield – the world’s largest remaining
tract of intact rainforest – and the Amazon
Basin overlap, creating one of the world’s
most unspoiled natural wilderness areas.
monkeys from trees, day-glow orange
Guianan cock-of-the-rocks dance, and
Muppet-like tapirs walk amongst bird-eating tarantulas. In the rivers, black caiman
and giant river otters swim with toothy
red-bellied piranha, prehistoric catfish,
anacondas, seven-foot-long arapaima, and
electric eels charged with 500 volts.
Likely because Guyana’s interior remains
so untamed (80 percent of the country is
carpeted in pristine tropical rainforest),
the vast majority of the country’s 760,000
inhabitants remain clustered along the
more developed Atlantic coast, populating a mere five percent of the country.
Travel south from this coastal belt and you
enter what is generally referred to as the
interior.
Visitors to the interior can experience
some of the world’s best Neotropical
birdwatching, photograph rare wildlife,
stay with an Amerindian family, or trek an
unexplored jungle mountain. Those seeking more adventure can cross savannahs
on horseback, swim with giant river otters,
study black caiman, go on an epic river
journey, or take a jungle survival course
that culminates with two days alone in the
forest.
Here, some of the world’s largest species
thrive, including many that are endangered or threatened elsewhere. In the
forests, jaguars and pumas stalk herds
of peccaries, massive harpy eagles pluck
To explore the forest from above, the
plane ride into the interior is often enough
for many, but you shouldn’t miss the
chance to stand atop one of the world’s
largest single-drop waterfalls – Kaieteur
Sunset at Yupukari
Falls – as it dumps 30,000 gallons of water
per second off a 400-feet wide and 741feet high rock face. And at the millionacres of protected Iwokrama Forest
hike to the top of 1,000-foot-high Turtle
Mountain for expansive views or enjoy
a sundowner on the Canopy Walkway,
which dangles 100 feet above the rainforest floor.
orphaned and injured giant river otters for
their return to the wild, and offers visitors
a hands-on experience. At Dadanawa
Ranch expert guides lead guests on cattle
round-ups with barefoot Amerindian cowboys and pull anacondas from swamps.
Need a break from the dark jungle? In
the southwest of Guyana, the Rupununi
Savannahs are 5,000 square miles of
grasslands, wetlands, rainforest-covered
mountains, and countless waterways that
draw comparisons to eastern Africa, only
with giant anteaters and jaguars roaming
the plains.
The interior is also home to most of
Guyana’s Amerindian population, and
several villages are now offering excellent community tourism experiences.
The idyllic village of Surama offers village
tours, birdwatching trips, mountain treks,
jungle survival courses, and dugout canoe
trips along the Burro Burro River. Fair View
village has a butterfly farm where you can
walk amongst hundreds of the colorful
creatures.
Stylish Rock View Lodge has the Rupununi’s only swimming pool and some
of Guyana’s best fruit juices. At Karanambu Lodge, Diane McTurk rehabilitates
Yupukari village has built upon a long-term
ecological monitoring program for black
caiman to create an ecotourism venture
that invites visitors to join in nighttime re-
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search that entails catching, studying and
then releasing caiman. Rewa village has an
Eco-Lodge that provides access to some
of Guyana’s most remote wilderness and
excellent catch-and-release sport fishing.
The Maipaima Eco-Lodge at Nappi is the
only one in Guyana’s Kanuku Mountains,
offering great access to a mountain range
that is considered one of the most pristine
remaining Amazonian habitats.
This is just a taste of what Guyana’s interior offers visitors. It is an undiscovered
bastion of nature, wildlife, and preserved
Amerindian cultures. The rainforests remain pristine and the biodiversity primordial. The time to visit is now.
Kirk Smock is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of the Guyana
guidebook, published by Bradt Travel Guides.
past towering buttress trees and under swaying palms; we stepped
over endless deadfall, chopped through tangles of vines, and had
ant dance recitals more than once. Spider, capuchin, and squirrel
monkeys bounded effortlessly through the trees and macaws
squawked unseen above the canopy.
with Ants
Kirk Smock
Suddenly the foliage thinned out and the steeply sloped forest
floor leveled off. At the top we were rewarded with an amazing
panorama of jungle-covered mountains that receded into the farreaching Rupununi Savannah of southern Guyana. For the past
week we had been living under the thick jungle canopy where
sunlight was sparse; seeing miles of blue sky filled with puffy
cumulous clouds was sublime. The ceiling of flora became a carpet
of treetops, raptors soared at eye level, and beautiful red-andgreen macaws finally came into view below us. The pain in my
blistered feet and aching legs faded, and each and every burning
ant bite became tolerable.
Hours later, on the long walk down, I considered asking Ian why
he left the ant dance out of the jungle training prior to the trek,
but then realized it’s more natural reaction than learned moves.
Still, two-stepping aside, the jungle isn’t unforgiving terrain, and
before loading up our rucksacks and walking into its bowels it was
necessary to acclimatize and gain a bit of knowledge. Ian Craddock,
our trek leader who has been guiding trips through the remote
jungles of Guyana for five years, was just the man for the job.
Even with the relative obscurity of South America’s oftenoverlooked English speaking country, it’s easy to see why Ian has
chosen Guyana for his jungle trips. Guyana is roughly the size of
Idaho, but has more rainforest than all of Central America. And
with most of the 750,000 inhabitants living along the Atlantic coast
(roughly 5 percent of the landmass), Guyana’s interior remains
mostly unpopulated and undeveloped.
I
t wasn’t until we reached one-third of the way up the 3,000-foot peak in Guyana’s
Iwokrama Mountain range that I was suddenly stricken by the need to dance. It
was a foolish looking number that involved flailing your arms, stomping your feet,
and slapping yourself silly. I performed it with such gusto—slap, slap, hop; slap, hop,
slap—that Jon, watching from behind, sarcastically asked, “What’s the matter, ants in
your pants?” I inserted an impressive spin between hops and rapidly informed him,
“I’m doing the ant dance, the latest jungle craze; and the ants, thanks for asking, are
in my shirt, not my pants.” I looked down and saw hundreds of the scurrying insects
determined to defend their nests and told him it can be infectious. Sure enough,
before I even had a chance to ask him to dance, Jon was moving to the same unheard
jungle beat.
Some time later we came across the remnants of a trail, although I use the word trail
lightly. There were faded machete marks on random trees but the foliage had grown
back so thickly that our local Makushi Amerindian guides, Harold and Lawrence, had
to keep their machetes in a constant chopping motion. The steep jungle climb took us
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Within Guyana, we mainly stuck to the boundaries of Iwokrama
International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.
Guyana’s gift to the world, Iwokrama is a one million acre preserve
set aside as a living laboratory for sustainable tropical forest
management, ranging from eco-tourism to scientific research. It’s
location within the Guiana Shield—one of four remaining mostly
untouched tracts of tropical forests in the world—provides a
perfect home to more than 1,500 species of flora, 200 mammals,
500 birds, 420 fish, and 150 species of amphibians and reptiles.
Our first two days were spent in the comfortable surroundings
of Iwokrama’s River Lodge. We had beds to sleep in, cold beer
at night, and we ate in a beautiful open dining room overlooking
the sublime Essequibo River. Once our equipment was issued
(necessary jungle gear, ranging from hammocks to mosquito nets,
waterproof canoe bags to machetes, were supplied) we spent the
time covering jungle hazards.
We discussed serious health problems like heat illness,
dehydration, and broken bones, while covering the best ways
to avoid them, but it was the threats that come from the forest
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itself—and the numerous creatures within
it—that made the biggest impact.
On land you have mammals including
big cats like the jaguar, puma, and ocelot;
monkeys, including the red howlers
who fill the pre-dawn forest with eerie,
prehistoric-sounding screams; there are
also tapirs (locally called the bush cow),
giant anteaters, giant armadillos, and
oversized rodents, including the capybara,
the world’s largest. But we were told the
most menacing mammal is the whitelipped peccary, a stinky, noisy wild boar
that can travel in herds of up to 200.
Besides mammals, there are the smaller,
more bothersome creatures that include—
but are not limited to—snakes (from the
highly venomous labaria to obscenely large
anacondas), scorpions, spiders, wasps,
bees, mosquitoes, botflies, caterpillars
(even they aren’t safe), centipedes, ticks,
and ants.
Before having a chance to digest the
land creatures, Ian casually moved on to
rivers. Water threats include black caiman,
a massive freshwater crocodile that can
reach lengths of 15 feet; sting rays; sixfoot long electric eels packing 500 volts;
toothy piranhas; and the tiny candiru,
barbed parasites that are known to plant
themselves in the urethras of swimmers
who mistakenly decide to pee in the river.
Hearing the risks posed by the jungle’s
inhabitants can certainly cause one to feel
a bit of fear and trepidation, but we were
quickly reminded that our chances of having
a harmful encounter are slim. Jaguars are
known to shy away from humans, piranha
typically only bite if you’re bleeding, and
venomous creatures like snakes and
scorpions usually only attack if they feel
threatened. Besides, most of the fear is
overshadowed by a desire to actually see
the creatures in their natural habitats.
From the Iwokrama River Lodge we piled
into a boat and moved an hour downriver
to a camp at the base of 900-foot Turtle
Mountain. For three days we acclimatized
and got into the rhythm of camp life. We
learned how to set up our hammocks,
mosquito nets, and rain tarps, discussed
necessary chores ranging from cooking to
digging latrines, and were trained in the
art of the machete – your best friend in
the jungle.
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Besides providing you with a sense of security (real or imagined), the machete clears your
path, helps to prepare food, chop firewood, build shelter, and even find potable water in
various vines, bamboo, and banana plants. Swinging a 16-inch blade can be a bit intimidating
at first, but it wasn’t long before I bonded with my new multi-purpose tool and quickly
understood why it rarely left the hands of our guides, Lawrence and Harold.
Heading into the jungle without a local guide, is foolish, if not suicidal—it’s possible to get
lost by straying too far from camp to relieve yourself, let alone trekking for miles. Besides,
with a guide, you essentially have a living jungle encyclopedia. They are usually the first
to discern a monkey in the trees, a caiman on the banks, a jaguar print on the ground, or
an orange and black poison dart frog on the rocks; they know every tree, plant, and vine
and what tangible use they have. And their relaxed nature in the jungle was refreshingly
intoxicating, except when holding an upset snake.
Darkness comes suddenly in the equatorial jungle of Guyana. Within the trees, the time
when day sinks into night is not a lingering moment of sun-dappled colors; your surroundings
quickly turn from green to gray to an inky black that is quickly filled with the screaming
sounds of beetles, the loud, back-and-forth croaking of frogs, and the rustling of leaves and
snapping of sticks as nocturnal creatures begin to stir. Normally, you’re in bed shortly after
the sun goes down, but our first night at Turtle Mountain found us venturing back onto the
river, high-powered spotting torch in hand, in search of a little jungle nightlife.
At first my eyes were torn between the magnificence of the Milky Way overhead and the
hopes of spotting eye shine on the dark banks lining the river, but as a thin layer of clouds
moved in and muted the brilliance above, I resigned to searching for sets of red eyes in our
beam of light. We saw the backsides of labba and agouti as they scurried away, scared by
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the boat’s motor, but it wasn’t long before
Lawrence stood in the bow, holding a fourfoot long corkscrew boa that he pulled
from a tree. Moments later we hovered
over a caiman frozen in our light. While
staring at the eerie red eyes, razor-sharp
teeth, and long, armor-plated body sunk
in mud and covered by gnarled, thornladen vines and exposed roots, it seemed
the years between present day and the
prehistoric era were but a blip in time.
Back on land, the thick canopy of trees
made for horrible stargazing, but as I swept
my headlight across the ground, I noticed
hundreds of twinkling lights. Upon closer
inspection I realized I was seeing eye shine
from hundreds of small spiders; it was an
unnerving beauty, but no less captivating
than the hidden stars overhead.
The following day we did the final phase
of preparation for our trek by hiking to the
top of Turtle Mountain, albeit without our
45-pound packs. We took our time on the
climb, allowing Lawrence and Harold to
transform the tangled mess of green around
us into something more discernable.
Colossal greenheart trees, the source of
one of the world’s strongest woods, stood
next to equally massive wallaba trees,
the bark of which is used to lash together
shelters and make warashis, a type of
Amerindian backpack. Scarred balata trees
beckoned back to a time when their latexlike sap was quite valuable. Similar looking
vines revealed distinct uses: karia and
kapadula held pure drinking water; hiowee
had a poisonous inner pulp that’s used in an
inventive, if unfair, form of fishing; and nibi
vines hung from treetops 100 feet above
and made for perfect jungle swinging, a la
Tarzan.
The top of Turtle Mountain provided a
view of the Essequibo River, a shimmering
ribbon twisting through the never-ending
forest that stretched into the horizon
where Guyana’s largest mountain range,
the Pakaraimas, came into sight. From
that height, the jungle appeared so
impenetrable, that it was easier to imagine
trekking over it—leaping from treetop to
treetop—than through it.
We left Turtle Mountain camp and
headed south to the base of the Iwokrama
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Mountains, where we began our sevenday trek. It took us four hours to make our
way from the roadside to the river at the
base of the gorge. As opposed to Guyana’s
larger, low-lying rivers like the Essequibo,
the river in the gorge ran clear and cool
amongst exposed rocks worn smooth by
days of higher waters; towering trees lined
the banks, straining for a taste of the sun’s
rays that shone through the hole in the
canopy above.
The next day, two hours further up the
gorge, we came upon a large rock situated
on the bank of the river and covered in an
ancient petroglyph. The left-hand side of
the carving featured an upside-down body
with arms at the waist and legs spread.
To the right, attached by a cord, was a
small head with two big eyes and an open,
rounded mouth. It appeared to be the
scene of a birth, but with no proper studies
into possible meanings of the petroglyph,
we began drawing our own conclusions.
We transported ourselves back
thousands of years to when the carvings
were done. Was this the spot of a sacred
birth? A place where people would come
in search of fertility? The work of a man,
full of pride, after the delivery of his first
child? The general scenery around us—
trees, rocks, river—certainly mirrored
what the artist saw while chiseling into the
rock. Did they intend the scene to last as
long as it has? Was their world, as ours is
today, obsessed with the unknown future,
and they wanted to leave a permanent
reminder of yesterday?
The petroglyph became a neverending metaphor that occupied my mind
throughout the day’s walking, which ended
when the river forked and we stood staring
at two separate waterfalls. With cascading
water in front and two steep mountains
at our sides, we decided to set up a base
camp.
From our camp, we spent one day antdancing our way to 3,000 feet and two
more days following the river further up
the gorge. The three-tiered waterfalls
near our camp were so stunning that we
spent hours on top, basking in the sun
and watching jungle life. Ants completed
mysterious missions with determination;
lizards casually feasted on bugs; electric
blue morpho butterflies alternated
between spasmodic flying and serene
sitting; flies buzzed our heads, as they do;
worms twisted through the soil; and trees
fed off their fallen brethren.
wouldn’t end when we returned to the
road where we began—we still had stays at
two eco-resorts, along with an afternoon
at 741-foot-high Kaieteur Falls, said to be
the world’s highest single-drop waterfall,
to look forward to—but I felt a pang of
sadness when I thought about leaving this
world behind.
Beyond the waterfalls we pushed through
thick jungle and found a still, swampy
section. There was no direct sunlight
and everything was covered in subdued
shades of green—the ground, the rocks,
the trees, and the top of the water. As a
dwarf caiman disappeared into the water
and spider monkeys sprung through the
trees, it all seemed too perfect to be real,
too archetypal. But this was no movie set
or Disney World ride, it was pristine nature
beyond the reach of the human hands that
so often destroy, only to try and recreate it
again elsewhere.
The swamp was near the end of our
push up the gorge; from there we would
double-back and head out. Our trip
The jungle as a whole fascinated me, and
I began likening it to a complicated lover
who soothes inflicted pain with unnatural
beauty. At least that’s how I saw it when, as
I sat watching a dark green hummingbird
hover over the swamp, I was embraced
by ants and invited to another dance. This
time I knew the steps and, with a whispered
promise to return, began slapping and
hopping my way out of the jungle.
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Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Kirk
Smock is the author of the Guyana guidebook
published by Bradt Travel Guides.
Should you wish to tour Guyana’s Interior,
please contact a local tour operator.
(See THAG Member Listings at back of
magazine.)
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| 47
Guyana
In God’s Garden
W
hen I arrived in Georgetown
I found it in the grip of a good
murder trial, and so I went
along to watch. In one sense it was like a
courtroom drama circa 1790. The accused,
Blacksam and Buggins, were old felons
who drank in taverns and ate saltfish
and souse. Then, one day, they picked a
Georgian quarrel with their neighbour and
despatched him with a cutlass.
In every other sense, the trial was like
a snapshot of modern life in Guyana.
Defence counsel was, like every third
Guyanese, Indian (and spoke a rich Creole,
well-larded with Dickens and Donne).
Another third of the populace, the Africans,
were represented by the judge and the
constables; the remainder, the mixed races,
by the jury. In their 12 furrowed faces was
the story of Guyana: slaves, Amerindians,
‘Chineymen’, Irish adventurers, Scottish
cattlemen, pirates, pioneers and Pathans.
From cowboys to conservationists, cricketmad Indians to shy Amerindians, Guyana
is a country of survivors. John Gimlette
explores their little corner of Eden
Equally intriguing was the backdrop,
which was all so lumpishly British. With
its arches, wrought iron and corrugated
gables, the Victoria Law Courts were a
lingering fantasy of tropical gothic. There
was even a statue of Victoria herself. She’d
recovered her head, I noticed, after losing
it in the squabbles over independence in
1961.
“Ask not for whom the bell tolls…”
thundered the Indian, but the jury didn’t
hear. The rains had come early and
sounded like horses thundering on the
tin. But somehow mercy survived and the
verdict was manslaughter. Off went the
prisoners, grinning through their chains.
“Yeah, man,” said the constable, “they
been spared the noose…”
From the court, a beautiful city, as light
as feathers, flutters off down the coast.
Perhaps – like its people – Georgetown
doesn’t truly believe that it belongs here,
and so it hovers over the water. It’s all
built on canals and breezes, a city of stilts
and clapboard, brilliant whites, fretwork,
spindles and louvres. The streets are as
wide as fields, and the cathedral seems
to drift endlessly upwards, reputedly the
tallest wooden building in the world. One
area of the city is even called Lacytown as
if, at any moment, it might simply take off
and drift away – home, perhaps.
Water is a constant feature of the Townies’
lives. At high tide, the sea looms 2m above
the city, held back by a wall. Concrete rots
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here, and even cars seem to moulder. By
day, the canals are velvety and green,
and by night they’re operatic with frogs.
“Why? Why?” they sing, which makes the
dogs all howl. Nature, it seems, is gradually
reclaiming its inheritance.
dozen countries all stuffed into one. I even
felt this as I walked across Georgetown;
one moment I’d be passing Chinatown,
then a mosque, and then a Mexican circus
(‘With real tigers!’) before finally ending
up in a festival of extreme chutney.
Among this riot of parrots and flamboyants,
the Townies can still be fleetingly British.
Even now, you can buy a bottle of Nerve
Tonic or a sausage roll at Fogarty’s
department store. Other survivors include
Hackney carriages, EIIR letterboxes and a
pair of Sebastopol cannons. Once I even
saw a large building site called Buckingham
Palace, although – sadly – financing
had failed before any resemblance took
shape.
All this might not be so odd in a big city,
yet Georgetown is tiny. There’s only one
escalator in the whole town (it still draws
a crowd), and the beautiful National Art
Gallery receives just 20 visitors a month.
Everyone knows everyone, even the men
who sell horse dung from their carts.
Almost all the old buildings are famous,
sometimes for several things at once. My
hotel, Cara Lodge – apart from being a
masterpiece of Victorian carpentry – was
once the home of the colony’s orchestra,
the basketball squad and the communist
party. During the rule of Forbes Burnham
(1964-85), it was even used by the
resistance movement as a base for making
bombs.
Despite these trappings, however, the
Guyanese are neither British nor truly
South American but live in a world of
their own. Sometimes it seems that being
foreign comes so naturally to them that
they don’t even understand themselves.
Originally, each race had its own political
party. With a population of only 770,000,
this often makes Guyana feel like several
Go west across the Demerara,” people
said, “and you’ll soon see who built this
country.”
It was not, I realised, the British. The
clue was in the names, thickly clustered
along the shore: Vreed-en-Hoop, Harlem,
Uitvlugt and Tuschen. For well over half
Guyana’s colonial history (from the late
16th to early 19th centuries), the Dutch
were in command. Here, on the coast, they
stripped out the mangroves, drained the
mudflats and walled off the sea. It was a
Pharaonic achievement, costing thousands
of African lives. Even now, looking inland,
the horizon is just a bold green curve of
sugar cane; the coastal strip remains the
home of almost 90% of Guyanese.
After an hour’s bus ride from Georgetown
I came to the main artery of the Dutch
colonisers’ operation. The Essequibo is
the largest of Guyana’s four great rivers
(the Demerara, Berbice and Corentyne run
parallel, progressively further east), with a
mouth big enough to swallow Barbados. It
looks like a vast, rum-coloured sea, lavishly
spotted with islands and spills of squeaky
clean white sand. As each rocky outcrop
blurred past, my boatman would sing out
its story. “This was a leper colony…” he’d
say, “and this one’s Eddy Grant’s…”
At the Dutch islands a few kilometres
upstream we stopped and clambered into
the jungle. At Fort Kyk-over-al there was
nothing but an arch but, on Fort Island, a
huge star fort, dated 1739, still loomed up
out of the forest. Next to it was a large brick
hall. This had been the seat of government
for a wild land, only 4% of which the Dutch
had ever seen. Although the Zeelanders
called this the Court of Policy, it was really
no more than a parliament of ants.
It was easy to see why the Dutch had
loved the Essequibo. Everything seemed
abundant, and even the birds – tanagers
and tyrants – seemed to jangle like freshminted money. I stayed on a luxurious
silvery river beach, once a Dutch camp
and now a resort called Baganara. At first
it seemed I was the only person who’d ever
stayed there – except Mick Jagger (who’d
left his picture over the bar).
Later, I moved further upstream and stayed
in a Benedictine monastery. Every few
hours the brothers’ euphonious chanting
would lift out of the rubber trees and carry
across the water. On the opposite bank
was another Dutch institution: probably
the most beautiful prison in the world.
On the way back downriver I stopped at an
old sugar estate called Wales. It employed
2,000 souls, including rat catchers and lady
weeders. Meanwhile, the cane is harvested
exactly as it had been three centuries
before: charred first, cut by hand and then
heaved into barges. It often felt as though
the Dutch had never left, especially near
their graves. “They’re haunted,” said my
guide. “We never urinate here.”
But the Dutch have left more than ghosts.
Here, a sluice is still a koker and a wharf
a stelling. Even better is their litter that
still bubbles up out of the mud. In MetenMeer-Zorg, back on the coast, I stayed
with Gary Serao, who rents out beds in
his extraordinary museum. Among his
ephemera I spotted manacles, 17thcentury wine jars, cannonballs and heaps
of flasks for Zeeland gin. By 1800 the Dutch
had become spectacularly debauched.
Their planters carried ivory whistles, and
every day began with gin and ended with a
slave-girl, all painted up like an Amsterdam
whore.
Naturally, the early Guyanese had often
risen in revolt. Even now their descendants
have a healthy suspicion of authority. The
slaves’ big moment came further southeast and 160km inland. Today it’s called
Dubulay, a pretty ranch overlooking the
Berbice River. Back in March 1763 this was
Peerboom (Pear Tree), a plantation house
besieged by 2,000 machete-wielding
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slaves. As the Dutch fled for the river, the
rebels butchered them. The remains of
this struggle are still scattered along the
foreshore: broken bricks, tiles, and shards
of pottery and glass.
I followed the revolt all the way back to the
sea. It was a sad and beautiful voyage. My
boatman Bob Kertzious, descended from
both the slaves and the slavers, knew all
the landmarks of this bloody revolt: Juliana,
Vigilantie and Dageraad (Daybreak). The
region had never recovered. Even after
the uprising was crushed, this, one of the
richest settlements in the world, had simply
reverted to jungle. We stopped only twice.
Once was to visit Bob’s parents, who lived in
a hut decorated with rag mats, ships’ paint
and an old Dutch bottle. The other stop
was Fort Nassau. It looked almost exactly
the same as it did the day the rebels sacked
it, except now it’s being slowly prised apart
by macaws and strangler figs.
Things looked very different on the Berbice
coast. The walls of vegetation parted, and
India appeared: I could see prayer flags
and minarets. In New Amsterdam (which
was like a mini Georgetown), I even found
a curry shop, although the choice was bush
hog, chicken or iguana. Unsurprisingly, it
was the British who were responsible for
this eerie infusion of Asia. With slavery
abolished, from 1838 they began to import
Indian labour. Over the next 80 years some
250,000 Indians arrived, becoming the
predominant race.
The introduction of Indians to this, the
old wild coast, has created a curious new
culture. Eastern Guyana is now a hotbed of
cricket (not to mention communists, giant
pink elephants and grand sari pageants).
But it’s also a place that’s not quite like
anywhere else in the world. Here there are
Hindus in cowboy hats, halal snackettes
(snack shops) and beggars with green
parrots. Once I even spotted a petrol
station called Vishaul & his Three Adorable
Sisters. This was India, alright – but with a
South American swagger.
For the rest of my Guyanese encounters I
needed a plane. Beyond the coastal strip
a vast forest begins, covering 80% of the
country. For hundreds of kilometres it
sprawls inland before spreading out among
some of the oldest mountains in the world.
Somewhere in it, or beyond it, live the
remaining 10% of the Guyanese people.
I loved flying over this forest. The canopy
itself was so dark and dense that it felt like
a journey through a long green night. The
foliage seems to swallow everything – even
waterfalls like Kaieteur, at 228m, loftier
than the BT Tower (and undiscovered until
1870). Until the aeroplane age, Guyana’s
interior was accessible only by river. Small
wonder that it became the literary refuge
of lost worlds (Conan Doyle), lost minds
(Evelyn Waugh) and cities made of gold
(Raleigh).
I had my first encounter with the people
hidden in here at Iwokrama. For the
Amerindians, it’s always been a special
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| 53
well; now they manage 5,000 cattle, 34
staff and two bright-red macaws known as
the ‘Terrorists’. Not that there is money.
The family lives in a delightful cemetery
of Land Rovers, surviving on home-grown
vegetables and the BBC World Service.
Each of their children they’d delivered by
themselves.
The cowboys, on the other hand, are
Wapishana Indians and sleep in barracks.
They all carried long knives like swords
and rode brilliantly, barefoot and often
bareback. The youngest, I discovered, was
12, and sang as he rode. One, a saddlemaker called Uncle Cyril, was descended
from the long-extinct Atorad tribe.
place. Now it’s a 4,000 sq km forest with
a research centre. There are little riverside
huts for tourists and a village, Fair View, for
the Makushi, an Amerindian tribe whose
ancestors have lived in this forest for
perhaps 10,000 years.
It seems an idyllic life. By day, we pottered
round the forest, identifying cures for
everything from ringworm (aromata) to
diabetes (wild mango). The Makushi could
be alternately shy and uninhibited, and
every mealtime was a gathering of clans. It
was like taking our own lives and stripping
them of clutter: no chairs, no floors, no
cash and no concept of time. “We like it
here,” one man told me. “We got canes for
our arrows, and plenty of monkeys.”
Later, as I moved further south to the
edge of the forest, a more complex picture
emerged. Although the Makushi village of
Surama has its own breezy ecolodge with
a view across the unknown, I opted to stay
with a family. Paula has a tattooed face;
Daniel is a hunter. They live on a beautiful
hill in a house made of leaves. There was
no water, no electricity, and nine of us
slept in the hut. We washed out in the
long grass and ate whatever Daniel caught.
“Life’s become harder,” he said, “since the
jaguars killed all our horses.”
But if the temporal world seemed tough,
the spiritual world was tougher. Makushi
life is deeply infested with magic. There
are supernatural boulders and trees that
turn you grey. Later, in Yupukari, I met a
man who thought his brother had been
drowned by a ghost – this in a village with
a new American library and an exquisite
boutique hotel for alligator lovers, Caiman
House.
Daniel was unsure about the modern
world and whether he wanted to join it.
On my last day he gave me a 2m bow with
five arrows. “Take them back to London,”
he said, “and then you’ll remember us
whenever you use them.”
collection of war clubs, a tiny beach and
a pet racoon. Diane has also raised more
than 40 orphaned giant otters, two still in
residence. Every day a bowman padded off
down to the river, to shoot them a bucket
of fish.
Beyond Surama the trees gave way to a vast,
golden plain about the size of Scotland.
The Rupununi savannahs are home to the
world’s biggest ants, biggest otters, biggest
anteaters and most ferocious fish.
For the final leg of my journey I drove south
for another two days to find wildness of a
different kind. Dadanawa is like the Wild
West, yet even more remote. At 4,400 sq
km it’s the biggest ranch in Guyana, tucked
away behind a massive ridge of jungle (the
Kanuku Mountains) and a river the width
of the Thames (and three times as long).
For the last bit of this journey my driver
had to put our truck on a raft of oil drums
and float it through the torrents.
Few Europeans have ever settled here.
However, some remained, and now
they often take in guests. One was Colin
Edwards, who’d built the road through
the forest. (“Until then, Guyana leaned
towards the Caribbean,” he told me. “I
linked it to South America.”) He’d never
stopped building, and now runs Rockview,
an oasis of orchards and cottages, with a
bar that sells bras and machetes.
The ranch was an unforgettable adventure.
Pretty soon even the Wild West seemed
fluffy in comparison. Of course, there
were the same big rivers, mountains and
stampedes, but Guyana can also be brutally
exotic. Almost every night jaguars attacked
the cattle. Meanwhile, watching a roundup was like witnessing an extraordinarily
violent sport in which no one – miraculously
– gets hurt.
Another of the great Rupununi hosts is
Diane McTurk. Her ranch, Karanambu, is
on a riverbank, deep in the thorns. “I was
born here in 1932,” she told me: “a wild
child.” Although she’d been away (with a
stint at London’s Savoy Hotel), Karanambu
still feels like a wild childhood.
There are thatched huts, fruit trees, a
Everyone here lives an extraordinary life.
My hosts, the de Freitas family, slept (like
me) in a sort of cricket pavilion on stilts
overlooking the Kanukus.
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With their hawkish faces and taut, athletic
frames, it’s hard to believe they were from
the same country as the coastlanders.
When my favourite, Orvin, was bitten by a
snake, he simply tied a tourniquet round
his arm and rode off to join his friends.
Perhaps none of this should surprise me.
This, after all, is Guyana: a garden built by
God, inhabited by survivors and lived to
the full.
Wild Guyana
Guyana is fabulously rich in fauna,
some of it brilliantly showcased in the
BBC series Lost Land of the Jaguar. The
country is home to more than 800 species
of birds, with a list that sounds like an
orchestra (piculets, cotingas, euphonias).
There’s also a relic of the dinosaur age –
the hoatzin or canje pheasant – and one
of the largest birds on the planet, the
jabiru stork. Remarkably, this spectacle
of feathers begins before you’ve even left
Georgetown.
No less exciting are the mammals. South
America’s largest cat, the jaguar, is
relatively abundant wherever there are
cattle (including Dadanawa and Surama),
and is even regarded as a pest. Shy and
elusive, however, your chances of seeing
one are slim.
Other mammals are more obliging.
Almost any boat trip down the Rupununi
will bring you eyeball to eyeball with the
world’s largest rodent, the capybara. And
at Karanambu you’ll almost certainly
meet a giant otter.
They are descended from Portuguese
immigrants who fled the great famine of
Madeira in 1834. Guyana had suited them
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The reptiles may be less cuddly but they’re
a fabulous sight. At Iwokrama, there’s
a good chance of seeing snakes, and in
Yupukari you can help tag caiman.
Last but not least is my favourite: the
giant anteater. Palm-tailed and wombleheaded, it must be the oddest creature on
the planet. You should be able to spot one
out on the ranches.
Mind the Candiru
Unearthing Guyana’s
Wildlife
A
wake, I stepped onto the cabin’s
patio as the sun was rising over
the trees on the opposite bank of
Guyana’s largest river, the Essequibo.
As the howlers quieted, golden rays
bathed Iwokrama with a pre-day calm that
seemed to resonate. A pair of screeching
Scarlet Macaws eventually penetrated the
silence and I watched their reflections on
the river’s calm surface until a ten-foot
black caiman glided by, rippling the image
in its wake. Across the river the trees
remained dark, faceless shadows robbed
of details, yet full of secrets.
I knew enough about Guyana’s rivers
and rainforests to realize that much of the
morning’s activities were going on out of
my view. On land, mammals are many and
range from big cats like the jaguar, puma,
and ocelot to playful squirrel, capuchin,
and brown-bearded saki monkeys. There
are also tapirs, giant anteaters, giant
armadillos, oversized rodents like the
capybara, and aggressive white-lipped
peccaries, the smell-them-before-yousee-them wild boars that travel in herds
of up to 200. That is to say nothing of
the smaller creatures like poisonous and
constricting snakes (bushmasters, labarias,
On my first morning at Guyana’s Iwokrama International Centre,
prehistoric guttural rumblings and feverish screams jolted me from
sleep. I half expected to see some horrible jungle creature hanging
over me, but it was just the dawn chorus of red howler monkeys.
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and anacondas among them), scorpions,
spiders, wasps, bees, mosquitoes, botflies,
centipedes, termites and armies of biting
ants.
In the rivers there are stingrays, sixfoot long electric eels, many toothy and
prehistoric-looking fish species, including
the menacing piranhas and a one-inch
parasitic catfish called the candiru that has
been known to lodge itself in the urethras
of urinating swimmers (removal involves
surgery; it’s best not to pee in the rivers).
So it goes in Guyana, South America’s
unlikely Caribbean destination. With a
historical backdrop of British colonialism
and a nation of English-speaking locals,
the culture and people of Guyana are
decidedly more Caribbean than Latin, but
the tourism experience is a far cry from
the turquoise waters and five star resorts
of the islands to the north. What Guyana
offers to visitors is largely unparalleled
elsewhere in the world.
Within Guyana, part of the Guiana Shield
– 2.5 million square kilometers of the
world’s largest remaining tract of mostly
undisturbed rainforest – and the Amazon
Basin converge and create an enticing mix
of ecosystems. Besides the rainforests
that carpet roughly 80 percent of the
country, there are exotic mangroves, wild
coastal swamps, rugged Atlantic beaches,
lofty mountain ranges and sprawling
savannahs.
With 83,000 square miles and only
760,000 inhabitants who mostly live along
the populated coast – a mere five percent
of the landmass – the majority of Guyana
is virtually unpopulated outside of the
Amerindian villages home to Guyana’s
indigenous peoples. What remains is
one of the world’s most unspoiled natural
wilderness areas that harbors a remarkable
diversity of flora and fauna, including more
than 225 species of mammals, 880 species
of reptiles and amphibians, 815 species of
birds and 6,500 species of plants.
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That morning at Iwokrama, as I stared
at the seemingly impenetrable forest, I
realized that the ants, the cats, the birds,
the monkeys, the trees – all of it – were
part of an ecosystem that has been
thriving for millions of years. Throughout
the world, the human race has conquered
and claimed for itself, but much of Guyana
has remained untouched, and this is the
reason to visit.
Much of Guyana’s flora and fauna can
be experienced at ecolodges, resorts and
villages throughout the country; those
listed here are only a small cross-section
of some of Guyana’s more well-known
tourism regions and destinations and the
key species that can be seen there.
The Jaguar
Of Guyana
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The Northwest
The northwestern region of Guyana is filled with beautiful
waterways, dense forests, rolling hills and wide savannas, and
little tourism development. But Shell Beach, a 90-mile stretch
of unspoiled Atlantic coastline where endangered sea turtles
lay their eggs, is a reason for intrepid travelers to visit.
From March through August, Shell Beach is the nesting
ground for four of the
world’s eight endangered
species of marine turtles:
leatherback,
green,
hawksbill and olive ridley.
While male sea turtles
typically never leave the
sea, females used their
paddle-like flippers to
crawl ashore and dig a
nest in which they can
lay a clutch of around
100 soft-shelled eggs.
At Shell Beach guests
are invited to watch the
turtles nest from a rustic
beach camp that is also
the home base to a turtle
conservation
project.
The hosts are a group of
reformed turtle poachers
that now monitor the
beach as ‘Turtle Wardens’
to protect their one-time
prey, including the six-foot long and 1,000 pound leatherback.
Central Rainforests
This region of Guyana loosely encompasses the Pakaraima and Iwokrama mountains, and includes two of Guyana’s
tourism highlights: Kaieteur National Park and the Iwokrama
International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development.
Isolated in the middle of the Pakaraima Mountains, Kaieteur
National Park is home to the 741-foot sheer drop of Kaieteur
Falls, the crown jewel of Guyana’s vast ecosystem. While the
greatness of Kaieteur is certainly in the falls – at its peak, 30,000
gallons of water per second flow over a wall some 400ft wide –
visitors shouldn’t miss the area’s fascinating microenvironments
supported by the constant spray of the falls.
Birdwatchers come to see the Guianan cock-of-the-rock leks
where the overly orange birds participate in bizarre mating
rituals that involve calling and dancing for females. In the
evening, visitors can also watch white-chinned and whitetipped swifts by the hundreds as they return to roost behind
the falls.
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Birds aside, two of the park’s more fascinating creatures are the
prehistorically large tank bromeliads and the miniscule golden dart
frogs that spend their entire lives inside the bromeliads’ leaves.
The terrestrial tank bromeliads, which have been known to reach
nine feet in height, collect water in their upturned leaves, allowing
the endemic frogs to thrive. Other highlights at Kaieteur include
carnivorous plants and brilliant morpho butterflies, including
morpho hecuba, whose eight-inch wingspan makes it South
America’s largest butterfly, and the iridescent blue morpho.
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At its core, Iwokrama is a one million-acre (371,000 ha)
research project used as a living laboratory for scientific research,
ecotourism, and sustainable tropical forest management. Located
in the heart of Guyana, the Iwokrama Forest has an amazing
cross-section of Guyana’s biodiversity, including 1,500 species
of flora, 200 mammals, 500 birds, 420 fish, and 150 species of
reptiles and amphibians.
One of Iwokrama’s many monikers is “Land of the Giants,”
because it has healthy populations of some of the Americas’ and
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the world’s largest species. While sightings are never guaranteed,
Iwokrama is one of the best places to see the elusive Jaguar,
the largest cat in the Americas, and the Harpy Eagle, whose
six-foot wingspan and knack for plucking sloths and monkeys
out of trees has earned the largest eagle in the Americas the
nickname of ‘flying wolf’. Area oxbow lakes also have healthy
populations of arapaima, the world’s largest scaled freshwater
fish. These beasts, which can reach 3m in length and can weigh
upwards of 440lbs, can be easily seen – and heard – as they
belch and bubble on the surface while breathing.
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Iwokrama also harbors many dank spots
along rivers that seem too archetypal to be
real. Bright orange and black poison dart
frogs pepper rocks, emerald hummingbirds
elegantly hover, metallic blue and green
beetles shimmer, kinkajous sleep, and
squirrel monkeys pass through the sounds
of screaming pihas, the birds that provide
the most recognizable jungle soundtrack.
Unnaturally green swamps harbor
anacondas, the world’s largest constricting
snake that easily exceeds lengths of 20 feet
and feeds on peccary, deer, capybara and
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agouti. The elongated, trunk-like snout and
mohawk of black hair on South America’s
largest native mammal, the tapir (or bush
cow, locally), are also seen loping along the
banks.
The Rupununi Savannahs
In a direct contrast to the dense
rainforests, the Rupununi Savannahs cover
roughly 5,000 square miles of southern
Guyana. They are one of the world’s
largest open ranges of savannah lands, but
they also encompass extremely biodiverse
wetlands, rainforest-covered mountains,
hundreds of miles of freshwater river
systems and several Amerindian villages
and historical cattle ranches that also
offer lodging.
The Amerindian village of Surama
has an excellent community tourism
experience that includes the chance to
paddle a dugout canoe on the Burro Burro
River. The silence of the canoes provides
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a great opportunity to find birds and
wildlife, including jaguar, giant river otter,
howler monkey, spider monkey, peccary,
tayra, macaws, herons, and kingfishers.
Depending on the season, it’s also possible
to ask your guide to bring along a handline
to fish for a few of the toothy red-bellied
piranha or electric eel, which reach 6ft and
pack 500 volts, found in the river.
Karanambu Lodge, located along
the Rupununi River, is well known for
owner Diane McTurk’s giant river otter
rehabilitation program. Giant river otters
are often called ‘water dogs’ in Guyana,
and their social and diurnal lifestyles have
made them easy prey for hunters after
their fur. When Diane is rehabilitating
orphaned or injured otters for their return
to the wild, guests have a chance to get
up close and personal. Depending on your
comfort level around wild animals with
razor sharp teeth, visitors can swim with
the otters and hand feed them piranha.
Karanambu also offers a good chance to
spot two of Guyana’s stranger creatures:
giant anteaters and capybara. With a long
nose, bushy tail, length of 3 feet, and a
shuffling gait exaggerated by the fact that
they walk on their knuckles, giant anteaters
are unmistakable when seen. Regularly
spotted along the river, the world’s largest
rodent, capybara, has a stocky body with
a large square head, webbed feet and
arched, rounded rump.
Karanambu is also home to a healthy
population of Guyana’s national flower,
the Victoria amazonica. The largest of the
giant water lilies, the flower’s stalks can
reach lengths of 7-8m with leaves that can
grow up to 3m in diameter and support the
weight of a baby. At dusk the lily’s flower
slowly opens to a brilliant white bloom
before increasing their temperature and
emitting a strong odor to attract a beetle
that pollinates them. Two days later the
flower blooms again, vibrant pink in color.
Not far from Karanambu on the Rupununi River are Yupukari Village and Caiman
House. A highlight of a visit here is the
“Creatures of the Night Tour,” which begins
just after darkness settles on the river and
many creatures emerge like black caiman,
spectacled caiman, tree boas, iguanas,
frogs, bats, nightjars, possums, tree dwelling rodents and capybara. Sleeping monkeys and birds are also often seen.
Visitors can also participate in ongoing
black caiman research overseen by the
community. Guests can observe caiman,
the world’s largest alligator that can
reach lengths greater than 15 feet, being
captured and then assist in data collection
– weighing, measuring, sexing, tagging
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– once the caiman is pulled to shore and
secured. It may be your only chance to
handle a live black caiman.
At Dadanawa Ranch, a multi-textured
cattle ranch that was once the largest in
the world, expert guides lead guests in
search of anacondas, big cats, giant river
turtle, goliath bird-eating tarantulas, and
the endangered red siskin bird. If the
wildlife isn’t exciting enough, head out
with the vaqueros to round up more tame
beasts: cattle.
This is only a taste of what a visit to
Guyana can entail. Guyana has a tourism
offering that is unfortunately increasingly
rare in today’s world, and it is the reason
to look beyond the beaches of the typical
Caribbean vacation.
Currently based in Brooklyn, New York, Kirk
Smock is the author of the Guyana guidebook
published by Bradt Travel Guides, and Senior
Writer for the USAID Guyana Sustainable
Tourism Initiative.
The Irresistable
Kaieteur Falls
T
he spectacular sight of the horse shoe of the Falls first
appears into sight, shaded from above by an umbrella of
wispy clouds and partially hidden by the thick rising foam
from the Gorge below. As the plane makes the turn, preparing
for descent and landing at the Kaieteur airstrip, a view of the
majestic Kaieteur Falls appears before you. Simply breathtaking!
“When [the] flight [gets] close to the fall. It’s very beautiful
because of the view degree” – Visitor from China to Guyana who
heard of Kaieteur Falls via the internet.
THE KAIETEUR FALLS is undoubtedly the crown jewel of Guyana’s
interior. With a sheer drop of 741 ft and a total height of 822 ft, it
is one of the highest waterfalls in the world and is reputed to be
the highest single-drop waterfall in the world. Amerindian legend
has it that Kaie, one of the great old Patamona Chiefs committed
self-sacrifice by paddling his canoe over the falls to appease
Makonaima, the Great Spirit, in order to save his tribe from the
savage Caribisi tribe. Some still believe that the face seen on
the left side of the Falls, as if carved into the mountain side,
is that of Old Kaie. This folklore has served as the basis for the
legend of Kaieteur which is world renowned. Up until the 1800s
Kaieteur was known only to the Amerindians. The first European
to see Kaieteur Falls was a geologist, Barrington Browne, in 1870
and whose recount of his travels and discovery paved the way for
many subsequent visits by early Europeans and the area being set
aside for protection.
The splendour of Kaieteur Falls has often overshadowed the
other attributes of the wider Kaieteur National Park which is
situated within the middle Mazaruni region, a highland region of
Guyana known for its forest covered mountains, rivers, waterfalls
and rapids. The geographical features of the wider area support a
unique nature habitat with a mix of dense tropical forests and open
savannahs. Plant and animal collection and research have still not
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scratched the surface of Kaieteur. Recent research has revealed a
number of new species of frogs and lizards endemic to Kaieteur.
The Smithsonian Institute has spent many years studying plants
at the falls area and species collected around the area number
1100 species with 22 being endemic to Kaieteur, and this still
remains an underestimate of the total number of species of the
Park. Indeed, Kaieteur National Park is home to a host of rare and
endangered species as well as unique landscapes and forest types.
Most notable are those which occupy the immediate environs of
the falls, the rarely seen Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola rupicola),
and the Golden Frog (Colostethus beebei) which spends its entire
time within the giant Tank Bromeliads (Brocchinia micrantha).
Under the vast shelf of rock on the face of the Falls lives flocks
of white-chinned and white-collared Swifts (Cypseloides cryptus)
which can be seen during the late afternoons. Kaieteur remains
Guyana’s premier tourist attraction and conservation site.
In 1929, The British Colonial Administration designated an area
of the Potaro River, including the Kaieteur Falls, as a National
Park. The Park, covering a 45 square mile area was established
principally for the preservation of the natural scenery, and the
fauna and flora of the area and at that time, was one of the first
protected areas established in South America.
Today, the Kaieteur National Park covers an area of 224 square
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miles, approximately 62,700 hectares.
There once were no human settlements
within the National Park, the nearest
community being Chenapau, situated
some 30 miles on the Potaro River, upriver
from Kaieteur.
However today, two
communities fall within the boundaries of
the Park; Chenapau, with a population of
approximately 250 persons is a Patamona
community with a close cultural linkage
to the Kaieteur area and the transient
settlement of Menzie’s Landing that
developed next to the Potaro River.
Unlike many other Parks and Protected
Areas, Kaieteur, though well known, is
remote, accessible mainly by light aircraft.
Visitors may also travel to the Park via
the overland route, facilitating longer
stays and a casual pace to truly explore
Kaieteur and its wonders. These guided
overland packages are available using
a route that traces back to the journey
the first Europeans made to discover the
magnificent Kaieteur Falls. Throughout
the journey, one can easily imagine the
emotions they may have had over a
century ago, as little has changed in the
interim.
The five day four night round-trip
journey begins with an eight hour bus trip
to the small interior town of Madhia. The
next three days are dedicated to trekking
overland until you reach the bottom of
Kaieteur Falls where a challenging climb
awaits you. When you eventually reach
the top, the feeling of achievement
is indescribable. A one night stay at
the Kaieteur Guest House offers you a
fascinating opportunity to experience
the pristine beauty of the Falls and the
immediate Park surroundings.
Each overland guided tour can usually
handle from one guest up to twenty guests
(maximum number for safety and available
accommodations). The ages of guests to
date have ranged ten to seventy years
age. This is a trek through a magnificent
rainforest and can be arduous for some;
however as long as you are prepared
for an adventure and willing to follow
a few precautionary rules, the journey
will be quite safe and remain a lifelong
experience.
“It is difficult to isolate one part of an
amazing experience” - BBC UK Lost Land of
the Jaguar
As you approach the Falls by plane, in
the distance on the right of the Falls, the
red roof of the Kaieteur Guest House
comes into view.
Built in 1975 by Government and
refurbished in 2003, the Kaieteur Guest
House has two bedrooms, each with
two beds. One of the bedrooms is self
contained while the other is regular
standard. In addition, there are 12
comfortable hammocks which can be
hung almost anywhere inside guesthouse.
All beds and hammocks are equipped with
nets although very few mosquitoes are
found on site. Solar powered electricity
(110V), water, stove, large dining table
and refrigerator are available. Rain
water is used as drinking water, so carry
purification tablets. All food must be taken
in by air. The resident housekeeper is more
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than willing to prepare vegetables or cook
complete meals when requested. There is
a radio set for communication.
Kaieteur is a true wilderness area. Visitors
to Kaieteur will experience the thundering
of Kaieteur as it plunges into the Gorge
below, the sounds of nature, the Swifts
in the setting of the sun as they make
their way into their resting place behind
the Falls. There are no roads, no luxurious
hotels, no protecting guard rails and very
few people. Kaieteur has managed to
maintain its natural beauty, unaffected
thus far by the arrival of visitors.
“Native views, waterfalls, not seeing
many visitors.” – A visitor from Spain
who learnt of Kaieteur Falls through the
internet
With an average of 200 visitors a month,
it is Guyana’s most visited natural site,
with a record 1401 visitors during the
Cricket World Cup 2007. July 2009, for
the first time, recorded arrivals of 582
visitors as compared to 214 visitors for the
corresponding period of 2008. Despite
these numbers, if you should arrive during
the week, you might be the only tourist for
the whole day.
All visitors are encouraged to follow
the rules of the Park to ensure a safe
and incident free visit for all. For further
details on alternatives available for
your visit to Kaieteur Falls and Kaieteur
National Park and Communities email the
National Parks Commission at natparks@
networksgy.com
For tours to Kaieteur Falls and National Park
contact a local tour operator. (See THAG Member
Listings at back of magazine.)
Wings to Treasure
Iwokrama’s Kawe Amazonica
by: H. Sambhu, S. James
Butterflies are incredible insects whose imagery permeates our
culture as a symbol of freedom, transformation and rebirth, and
fragile beauty. In ancient Greek, the word for “butterfly” translated
becomes ”Psyche”, and in mythology, this character is often represented with butterfly wings; in Chinese culture, two butterflies
flying together is a symbol of intertwined love. We can all identify
with butterflies and it’s not hard to imagine a large iridescent blue
Morpho weaving though the vines and leaves of tropical rain forests. We may also be familiar with the orange and black spotted
monarchs which feed on milkweed and in September, make an epic
migration from North America to Mexico. In Guyana’s interior, we
acknowledge the dry season when we see yellow and green Sulphur
butterflies floating in clouds across the roads or down the rivers.
Butterflies are charismatic insects and sought after by collectors
and kept in zoos, butterfly houses and gardens; you can visit Guyana’s only butterfly house, Kawe Amazonica, in Fair View Village,
located near the Kurupukari Crossing and within the Iwokrama Forest. Kawe means butterfly in Makushi and this beautiful space is a
joint venture between the Iwokrama International Centre and the
communities of the North Rupununi District Development Board
and an output of a Darwin Initiative project. In 2006, The University
of Warwick, the University of Guyana, the North Rupununi District
Development Board and Iwokrama International Centre came
together to see what butterflies they could find in the area
and to pilot butterfly farming in Guyana. Prior to this study,
not much was known about Guyana’s butterflies, but over
the past 2 years, local researchers have identified 96 species
thus far in the North Rupununi and Iwokrama Forest. Some
of these butterflies are especially unique and have potential
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for sustainable breeding, harvesting and
could provide an alternative income for local people.
Iwokrama Rangers and community researchers worked for 2 years, hunting,
setting traps and monitoring butterflies in
various habitats in Iwokrama and the North
Rupununi savanahs. They found several
potential trade species ranging form the
popular “Blue Morpho” to the elusive and
nearly invisible “Glass Wing”, the traveling
“Monarch”, numerous “Sulphurs”, resident
“Heliconids” and minute “Grinders”.
Butterflies, the adult form of the insect,
are relatively easy to spot and identify as
they flutter about looking for food and a
mate. Unlocking the key to breeding the
butterflies is a little more difficult.
At Kawe Amazonica, you will see a beautiful farm of host plants and the voracious
and spectacular caterpillars which feed on
them. Most caterpillars require a specific
food source in order to thrive and they
must have these leaves in abundance in
order to grow and store the energy necessary to metamorph into the adult form.
Once the caterpillar is fully grown, it stops
feeding and looks for a suitable place to
anchor and pupate. Slowly, it transforms
into translucent and magical pupae, some
exquisite gifts like drops of molten gold
or silver, some incredibly camouflaged as
bird droppings. The pupae are left for a
day to harden and then they are gently
“picked” and packed for shipping to the
UK, where anxious and ardent collectors
receive them and allow the adult butterfly
to emerge from it’s casing where it is released into enclosed butterfly houses for
others to enjoy.
At Kawe Amazonica, you can purchase
the only butterfly guide for Guyana and
keep an eye out for butterflies along your
journey. After visiting the farm, spend
some time in the Amerindian Village, Fair
View, bathe in the spectacular falls at Kurupukari and look for petroglyphs (carvings)
on ancient Precambrian rocks characteristic of the area. As you drive south though
the Iwokrama Forest, watch out for animals, birds and butterflies as the road corridor is an excellent place to spot wildlife.
Stop in at the Canopy Walkway, a series of
suspension bridges over 30 metres (100
feet) above the forest floor. Here it’s easy
to image life in the canopy and you can
come face to face with birds, butterflies
and monkeys. The Rupununi savannahs
and Aranaputa Mountain are great places
to visit if you are on the trail of some of the
local “fluttering jewels”, and end the day
at the Oasis in Annai, with a cool drink and
hearty meal and watch the sun set over
the mountains.
Kawe Amazonica is Guyana’s only butterfly house, we are located in the Iwokrama
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Forest and the butterflies farmed are from
North Rupununi region as well as the forest. Kawa Amazonica is the hub for a community based butterfly export business, a
training centre and tourist attraction which
is meant to benefit the livelihoods of the
communities in the area. The butterfly
house was developed on land provided by
Fair View Village and funded by the Darwin
Initiative Programme in the UK with additional support from the British High Commission. The World Wildlife Fund Guianas
Programme (WWF) will also provide additional support for this venture. Come and
visit us and experience the magic!
For more information about Kawe Amazonica, visit www.guyanabutterflies.com
Butterfly identification guides can be purchased {in Georgetown} at the Iwokrama
office, Austin Books Store, the Universal
Book Store, the Outdoor Store and {in the
Rupununi} at Rock View Lodge, the Oasis,
Surama Eco-lodge, North Rupununi District Development Board – Tourism Office,
Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre
and at the Kawe Amazonica craft shop.
H. Sambhu is a Professional Development
Fellow, and S. James is the Community
Education and Awareness Manager at
Iwokrama International Centre
For tours to Iwokrama Rainforest Centre,
Canopy Walkway & Area Attractions contact a
local tour operator. (See THAG Member Listings
at back of magazine.)
Eden
The Giant Harpy Eargle
Guyana’s Largest Bird of Prey
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Birding
According to Susan Roney Drennan, of the National Audubon Society, “Birding Guyana was
like birding Eden. The jungle rainforest was pristine. The birds were varied and abundant.
The guides were expert and focused. The accommodations were very comfortable. It was
all a bonanza of riches. Who could have asked for more?”
Until recently, Guyana remained a fairly unknown South American destination, but dedicated birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts are starting to change that. Over the past few
years, representatives from some of industry’s most respected and well-known tour operators and media have been visiting Guyana and leaving impressed.
“Hot, humid and full of birds,” said Kevin Loughlin, owner of Wildside Nature Tours.
“Guyana offers birders and nature enthusiasts a new frontier of expansive,
pristine forest and savannah habitats to explore!”
“The richness of the wildlife-watching experience in this relatively pristine country
was mind-blowing – never before have I witnessed such high concentrations of
kingfishers and herons!” That was Mike Weedon, Assistant Editor of Bird
Watching magazine. He continued, “Seeing a young Harpy Eagle at close range was
one of my most thrilling birding memories. And few places can compare with the
majesty of Kaieteur – and its attendant Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, what an awe-inspiring
combination!”
James Curry, host of the television show Birding Adventures also like the Harpy, saying that
while filming they were “very, very lucky to see a juvenile [Harpy Eagle] sitting in a huge, huge
tree eating a Capuchin Monkey.”
Those who bird by numbers won’t be disappointed either. Lee Harper of Betchart Expeditions
said, “We saw 17 species of Parrots and Macaws without even trying!” Ken Klotz of EcoVenture Travels revealed, “Some species that are hard to find in other South American countries
are relatively abundant here. [In Guyana] one man who had birded most in the tropics of Latin
America added 90 life birds to his list.”
Rick Wright of the tour operator Wings believes, “Guyana is a revelation, not just in the
diversity of its habitats but in their purity… these habitats still harbor some of the most
desirable birds in the Neotropics.” Gunnar Engblom of Kolibri Tours agrees.
“Kaieteur Falls, the lodges, ranches and community tourism projects…all
provide endless opportunities for first class birding. The birding
exploration of Guyana has just started but it shall become a
magnet for all birding styles. Guyana has it all.”
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According to Susan Roney Drennan, of the National
Audubon Society, “Birding Guyana was like birding
Eden. The jungle rainforest was pristine. The birds were
varied and abundant. The guides were expert and focused. The accommodations were very comfortable. It
was all a bonanza of riches. Who could have asked for
more?”
Until recently, Guyana remained a fairly unknown
South American destination, but dedicated birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts are starting to change that.
Over the past few years, representatives from some of
industry’s most respected and well-known tour operators and media have been visiting Guyana and leaving
impressed.
“Hot, humid and full of birds,” said Kevin Loughlin, owner of Wildside Nature Tours. “Guyana offers birders and
nature enthusiasts a new frontier of expansive, pristine
forest and savannah habitats to explore!”
“The richness of the wildlife-watching experience in
this relatively pristine country was mind-blowing – never before have I witnessed such high concentrations of
kingfishers and herons!” That was Mike Weedon, Assistant Editor of Bird Watching magazine. He continued,
“Seeing a young Harpy Eagle at close range was one of
my most thrilling birding memories. And few places can
compare with the majesty of Kaieteur – and its attendant Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, what an awe-inspiring
combination!”
James Curry, host of the television show Birding Adventures also like the Harpy, saying that while filming they
were “very, very lucky to see a juvenile [Harpy Eagle]
sitting in a huge, huge tree eating a Capuchin Monkey.”
Those who bird by numbers won’t be disappointed either. Lee Harper of Betchart Expeditions said, “We saw
17 species of Parrots and Macaws without even trying!”
Ken Klotz of EcoVenture Travels revealed, “Some species that are hard to find in other South American countries are relatively abundant here. [In Guyana] one man
who had birded most in the tropics of Latin America
added 90 life birds to his list.”
Rick Wright of the tour operator Wings believes, “Guyana is a revelation, not just in the diversity of its habitats but in their purity… these habitats still harbor some
of the most desirable birds in the Neotropics.” Gunnar
Engblom of Kolibri Tours agrees. “Kaieteur Falls, the
lodges, ranches and community tourism projects…all
provide endless opportunities for first class birding.
The birding exploration of Guyana has just started but
it shall become a magnet for all birding styles. Guyana
has it all.”
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To help you plan a trip around some of the same birds and destinations
that have been creating the buzz, read on for brief overviews of the some
places loved by the experts.
Georgetown Botanical Gardens and Coastal Rivers
With more than 200 species, including the endemic Blood-colored Woodpecker, the Botanical Gardens are a great start to a birdwatching trip. To
guide you, enlist Andy Narine, of Guyana Feathered Friends, and to explore further, have him take you to the nearby Abary and Demerara rivers
where you may see the Hoatzin, Scarlet Ibis, Rufous Crab-Hawk, and the
Guianan Gnatcatcher and Piculet.
Arrowpoint Nature Resort
Located just two hours from Georgetown on the banks of the Pokerero
Creek, Arrowpoint Nature Resort offers great views of hummingbirds,
including Crimson Topaz and Reddish Hermit. Other specialties include
Red-bellied Macaw, Crimson Topaz, Paradise Jacamar, and Point-tailed
Palmcreeper. Don’t miss birdwatching via kayak a visit to the nearby Amerindian village of Santa Mission.
Baganara Island Resort
Close to the junction of the Essequibo and Mazaruni rivers, Baganara is
a short trip from Georgetown. Specialty birds include the Caica Parrot,
Pygmy Antwren, Guianan Warbling Antbird, and Spotted Antpitta. Also
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visit Parrot Island to watch hundreds of parrots returning to roost.
Kaieteur National Park
Most people visit to view Kaieteur Falls, one of the world’s longest single-drop waterfalls, but keen birdwatchers will want to stay close to bird
guide Lawrence for the best chance of seeing the Guianan Cock-of-theRock, White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts, and Orange-breasted Falcon. Don’t pass by the Giant Tank Bromeliads without looking for the
Golden Dart Frogs that live in their leaves.
Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development
With nearly one million acres of protected forests, there is a lot to see
here, including many specialty birds like Blue-cheeked Amazon, Marail
Guan, Guianan Red-Cotinga, Rufous-throated Antbird, and several macaw
species. Request that Wally Prince be your birdwatching guide around
the River Lodge and at 900-foot Turtle Mountain.
Atta Rainforest Lodge and Iwokrama Canopy Walkway
After exploring the area around the Iwokrama River Lodge, head to the
Atta Lodge and the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, also in the Iwokrama
Forest. From 30 meters above the forest floor you can look for Waved
Woodpecker, Dusky Purpletuft, Painted Parakeet, and White-winged Potoo. Nearby there is also an excellent Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock lek.
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Rock View Lodge
This oasis of beautiful rooms, a swimming pool and excellent food and fruit
juices – made from garden fresh ingredients – provides access to good deciduous forest and savannah birding. Allow Hendricks Daniel to guide you
in search of Brown-throated Parakeet, Finsch’s Euphonia, Cayenne Jay, and
Double-striped Thick-knee, and don’t miss sunrise from the top of the Lodge’s
namesake rock.
Karanambu Lodge
Many people visit the magnificent Karanambu Lodge, located on the Rupununi
River, to meet Diane McTurk and learn about her work rehabilitating Giant
River Otters. When not playing with otters or looking for Giant Anteaters in the
savannahs, guide Manuel Mandook can lead you in search of Capuchinbird,
Spotted Puffbird, Bearded Tachuri, Agami Heron, Crestless Curassow, and the
brilliant Rose-breasted Chat. Another highlight is enjoying Diane’s rum punch
and home-baked cookies while watching the giant Victoria amazonica lilies
open.
Yupukari Village and Caiman House
Just a short distance from Karanambu on the Rupununi River, Yupukari village
has great savannah, gallery forest and river-edge birds, including Pinnated Bittern, Green-tailed Jacamar, Black-chinned Antbird, and Capuchinbird. After
Ashley Holland has shown you the birds, be sure to join the Black Caiman research team for a night of studying the prehistoric creatures.
Dadanawa Ranch
You shouldn’t miss Guyana’s Southern Rupununi, and the best place to stay is
at Dadanawa Ranch. Guides Duane and Justin de Freitas or Asaf are your keys
to finding Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Harpy Eagle, Jabiru Stork, and the highly
endangered Red Siskin. The area also has healthy populations of Jaguar and
Giant Anteater. Dadanawa also used to be the world’s largest cattle ranch, so
eat plenty of beef during your stay.
Rewa Village and Eco-Lodge
At the junction of the Rewa and Rupununi rivers is this idyllic village that is
rapidly becoming prized for excellent sport fishing, birdwatching and wildlife
viewing. Alwin Rovan will be happy to take you to several spots in search of
Ornate Hawk-eagle, Guianan Puffbird, Todd’s Antwren, Spotted Tanager, Bayheaded Tanager, and a high density of Macaws. Take time to hike to the top of
Awarmie Mountain to absorb the stunning views.
For your entertainment we offer you the services of
our first class Restaurant, Bar, Pool Hall, Night Club and Gym
You’re Sure To Enjoy Yourself
137 Sheriff Street, Georgetown, Guyana.
Tel: Restaurant - 592-231-7260, Gym - 592-231-4104
Pool Hall - 592-223-7658
Nappi Village and Maipaima Eco-Lodge
Nestled at the base of the Kanuku Mountains, the Maipaima Eco-Lodge at
Nappi Village provides excellent access to pristine rainforests home to an
abundance of macaws and parrots, including Red-fan Parrot. White-bearded
Bellbird and Southern Screamer are also in the area. Consume plenty of the
delicious locally grown fruit juices and hearty vegetables before trekking to the
secluded but spectacular Jordan Falls.
For more information to help you plan a birdwatching trip to Guyana,
Visit: www.guyanabirding.com. or contact your local Tour Operators
(See THAG Member Listings at Back of Magazine)
EXPLORE GUYANA
Birding
Surama Village
If you’re lucky, guide Ron Allicock will be home when you visit Surama Village and Eco-Lodge. His keen eyes and ears will increase your chances of getting good looks at Harpy Eagle, Bronzy Jacamar, Zigzag Heron, and the elusive
Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo. Also explore the Burro Burro River via dugout
canoe and eat anything made with cassava.
| 83
LANGUAGE
The official language is English. Often spoken with a
Caribbean Creole flavour. Guyana is also the only English
speaking country in South America.
About
Guyana
COUNTRY FACTS
fish, fruits, fresh vegetables and well – respected brands
of rum. Gold, bauxite and diamonds are mined.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police: 911,564
Police: Emergency Response Unit: 225-6411
Fire: 912
Ambulance: 913
CLOTHING
Lightweight, causal clothing can be worn throughout the
year.
CURRENCY
The local currency is the Guyana Dollar
TIME ZONE
GMT - 04:00
LOCATION
Guyana is situated on the North East of South America and is
the only English speaking country. Between 1o & 9o North
Latitude and 57o & 61o West Longitude, bordering Venezuela
to the West, Brazil to the South, Suriname to the East.
GEOGRAPHY
Guyana is the third-smallest country in South America after
Suriname and Uruguay, it has four distinct geographical
areas: the Low Coastal Plain; the Hilly Sand and Clay Belt;
the High Land Region and the Interior Savannah. The area
in square kilometers is 214,970 (83,000 square miles).
About 85% of the land area is still forested, and only 2.5%
is cultivated. Coastline lays 1 to 1.5 meters below sea level
at high tide necessitating elaborate systems of drainage
canals. The most valuable mineral deposits are bauxite, gold,
and diamonds. The main rivers are the Demerara, Berbice,
Corentyne and Essequibo.
CLIMATE
Guyana is a tropical destination that is pleasant and warm
for most of the year, humid, moderated by northeast
trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to June, November
to January). Average temperatures 24 °C– 31 °C. Mean
temperature of 27 ° C and the average temperature range
from 24 ° C to 31 ° C. Rainfall is approximately 2,300mm a
year in Georgetown.
ECONOMY
The agricultural sector accounts for half the national GDP,
producing sugar and rice for export, with extensive timber
operations and a range of other products, from coffee to
84 |
HEALTH
There is a risk of malaria in certain parts of the interior.
Consult your doctor for the required precautions if you
intend to travel there. Georgetown and coastal areas are
Malaria-Free. Georgetown has one public and several
private hospitals, these include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation
St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital on Parade Street,
Prashad Hospital on Thomas Street
Davis Memorial in Lodge Back lands
Balwant Singh Hospital on East Streets
Municipal Hospitals and Health Care Centres exist within
rural and outer lying communities with medivac services
available in cases of emergency.
Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of
Health on Telephone Numbers: (592) 226 7338 or (592)
226 1366.
INTERNET
For most customers, internet service is available nationally
from independent providers. Service is also available
in most hotels and at many internet cafés which have
been established across the country. Some hotels and
restaurants provide WI-FI at no charge to patrons using
their laptops. The major Internet Service Providers in
Guyana are:
•
Guyana .net(www.guyana.net.gy)
•
Inter Net Works(www.networksgy.com)
•
Soultion2000(www.solution2000.net)
The informative home pages of these service providers
have useful links to other sites. The sustainable
development programme site, www.sdnp.org.gy.has links
to several NGOs, conservation groups, and international
organizations as well.
EXPLORE GUYANA
MEDIA
There are four daily papers: Stabroek News, Guyana
Chronicle, Kaieteur News and the Guyana Times. The
well respected Catholic Standard and The Mirror are
published weekly.
There are over 20 TV stations: most rebroadcast US and
other imports. GTV and GBC have merged as one entityNational Communication Network (NCN) operating as
Voice of Guyana, Radio Roraima and 98.1 FM, the main
radio stations.
PLACES TO WORSHIP
The predominant religious groups are Christians,
Hindus and Muslims. Each is well represented with its
own churches, temples, mosques. They are also very
dominant across the country in most villages where they
are major landmarks featuring traditional architecture of
the various groups.
POPULATION
Approximately 751,223 (Census 2002) of which 90% live
along the coastal strip and banks of major rivers.
OTTAWA, CANADA
High Commission of Guyana
H. E. Rajnarine Singh
High Commissioner
151 Slater Street
Suite 309
Ottawa , K1P 5H3 ,Canada
Tele: 613 - 235 – 7240, 235 -7249
Fax: 613 -235 -1447
E-mail: [email protected]
About
Guyana
GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT
Guyana became independent from Britain in
1966 and a “Cooperative Republic in 1970,
when a non executive President replaced
the Governor-General. A new constitution
in 1980 gave the President wide executive
powers. The Cabinet is headed by the President, and there is a 65-member National
Assembly elected by proportional representation.
CHINA
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
Mrs. Choo A Yin
Charge d’ Affaires a.i.
No. 1 Xiu Shui Dong Jie
Jian Guo Men Wai
Beijing ,China
Tele: 8610 - 6532 - 1601
Fax: 8610 - 6532 - 5741
E-mail: [email protected]
GUYANA’S MISSIONS OVERSEAS
CUBA
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H. E. Mitradevi Ali
Ambassador
Calle 18, No. 506
Entre 5ta y 7ma , Miramar , Havana
Cuba .
Tele: 537 - 204 - 2094
Fax: 537 - 204 - 2867
E-mail: [email protected]
BELGIUM
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H.E Dr. Patrick Ignatius Gomes
Ambassador
12 Avenue du Bresil
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 322 - 675 - 6216
Fax: 322 - 672 - 5598
E-mail: [email protected]
BRAZIL
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H. E. Harrinarine Nawbatt
Ambassador
SHIS Q I05 Conjunto 19 Cassa 24
Lago Sul , CEP 71615 – 190
Brasilia DF , Brazil
Tele: 55-61-3248–0874, 3248–0875, 33645319
Fax: 55-61-3248–0886
E-mail: [email protected]
INDIA
High Commission of the Republic of Guyana
H. E. Jairam Ronald Gajraj
High Commissioner
F-8/22 Vasant Vihar
New Delhi - 110057 , India
Tel: 91 11 4166 9717-8
Fax: 91 11 4166 9714
E-mail: [email protected]
LONDON
High Commission of the Republic of Guyana
H. E. Laleshwar K. N. Singh, C.C.H.
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EXPLORE GUYANA
High Commissioner
3 Palace Court
Bayswater Road
London , W2 4LP , England
Tele: 44 - 207 - 229 – 7684
Fax: 44 - 207 - 727 - 9809
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.guyanahc.com
NEW YORK, USA
Consulate General for the Republic of
Guyana
Mr. Brentnold Evans
Consul General
Mr. M.R. Khan
Deputy Consul General
370 7th Avenue
Room 402, New York ,
New York 10001 , USA
Tel: 212 - 947 – 5115-6, 947 – 5110-9
Fax No: 212 - 947 - 5163
E-mail: [email protected]
NICKERIE, SURINAME
Consulate General for the Republic of
Guyana
Mr. Arlington Bancroft
Consul General
Doorga Shaw Straat #29
Nickerie , Suriname
Tele: 597-210-266
Fax: 597-212-080
E-mail: [email protected]
PARAMARIBO, SURINAME
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H.E. Karshanjee Arjun
Ambassador
Henck Arron Straat No. 82
Paramaribo ,Suriname
Tele: 597 - 477 – 895, 472 - 509
Fax: 597- 472 - 679
E-mail: [email protected]
PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United
Nations
Mr. George Talbot
Charge d’ Affaires a.i.
801 Second Avenue,
Suite 501 (Fifth Floor)
New York
New York 10017
USA
Tele: 212 – 573 – 5828-9
Fax: 212 -573 - 6225
E-mail: [email protected]
TORONTO, CANADA
Consulate General of the Republic of Guyana
Mr. Danny Doobay
Honorary Consul General
505 Consumers Road
Suite 206 Willowdale
Ontario M2J 4V8, Canada
Tele: 416- 494-6040, 494-6059, 494-2679
Fax: 416 - 494-1530
E-mail: [email protected]
VENEZUELA
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H.E. Dr. Odeen Ishmael, C.C.H.
Ambassador
Quinta Roraima
Avenida El Paseo
Prados del Este
Caracas, Venezuela
Tele: 58 - 212 - 977 – 1158, 58- 212 – 975 3687
Fax: 212 - 976 – 3765
E-mail: [email protected]
WASHINGTON
Embassy of the Republic of Guyana
H.E. Bayney Karran
Ambassador
2490 Tracy Place, N. W.
Washington , D.C. , 20008
USA
Tele: 202 - 265 - 3834, 265 – 6900-1, 328 –
1567
Fax: 202 - 232 -1297
E-mail: [email protected]
AMBASSADORS & HIGH COMMISSIONS REPRESENTED IN GUYANA
H. E. Manorma Soeknandan
Ambassador
Embassy of the Republic of Suriname and
Dean of the Diplomatic Corps
171 Peter Rose & Crown Streets
Queenstown
Georgetown
Tele: 592 226 7844; 225 2631; 225 2846
Fax: 592 225 0759
Email: [email protected]
H.E. Luiz Gilberto Seixas de Andrade
Ambassador
Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
308 Church Street
Georgetown
Tele: 592 225 7970; 226 9693
Fax: 592 226 9063
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
H.E. Fraser Wheeler
High Commissioner
British High Commission
44 Main Street
Georgetown
Tele: 592 226 5881-4
Fax: 592 225 3555
Email: [email protected]
H.E. Francois Montour
High Commissioner
Canadian High Commission
High & Young Street
Kingston
Georgetown
Tele: 592 227 2081-2
Fax: 592 225 8380
Email: [email protected]
H.E. Zhang Jungao
Ambassador
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
Track ‘B’
Mandela Avenue
87 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
Georgetown
Tele: 592 227 1651; 227 1652
Fax: 592 225 9228; 226 4308 (Commercial)
Email: [email protected] or
[email protected]
H.E. Dario Morandy
Ambassador
Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
296 Thomas Street
Georgetown
Tele: 592 226 1543; 226 6749; 226 9041
Fax: 592 225 3241
Email: [email protected]
H.E. Pavel A Sergiev
Ambassador
Embassy of the Russian Federation
Public Road
Kitty
Georgetown
Tele: 592 227 1738: 226 9773
Fax: 592 227 2975
Email: [email protected]
H.E. Subit Kumar Mandal
High Commissioner
Indian High Commission
307 Church Street
Georgetown
Tele: 592 226 3996; 226 8965; 226 3240
Fax: 592 225 7012
Email: [email protected]
Ms. Karen Williams
Charge D’ Affaires
Embassy of the United States of America
Young & Duke Streets
Kingston
Georgetown
TELE: 592 226 3938; 225 7960; 225 4900
Fax: 592 2270240; 592 225 8497
Email: [email protected]
About
Guyana
TRAVELLING
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All visitors to Guyana are required to have a
valid passport to enter and depart Guyana.
All visitors to Guyana should ensure that
their passports have at least six months of
remaining validity. Those arriving by air
require a return online ticket.
Visitors who wish to extend their stay may
contact the Ministry of Home Affairs at 60
Brickdam, Georgetown. The Central Office
of Immigration, located on Camp Street,
Georgetown, must also note the extension
in the visitor’s passport.
Travelers for purposes other than tourism
should check with the Ministry of Home
Affairs for information about requirements
for work permits and extended stays. On
arrival, Guyanese Immigration normally
grants visitors a stay of no more than thirty
days.
Visas are necessary for all visitors except
nationals of the following countries:
Commonwealth Countries
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Luxembourg
The Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
United States of America
For further information contact the Consulate or Guyana Foreign Office nearest
to you.
TRANSPORTATION
DRIVING IN GUYANA
Traffic drives on the left. Seat belts are necessary by Law. If travelling to Guyana and
you wish to drive, please enquire with the
Customs Officer upon entry into Guyana
for a local driving permit. Be sure to walk
with your international licence to show.
The permit is granted on the spot and is
free of charge.
TAXI AND BUSES
Georgetown is well served with taxis,
which operate throughout the city and
to other urban centres. Taxis are easy to
89 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
find outside most hotels and throughout
Georgetown. Enquire of the rates before
embarking upon travel. Private taxis are
easily arranged through your local hotel or
by calling one of the recommendable taxis
services.
There are also ultra –cheap minibus running around town and along the coast, or
to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport
and Linden. Check and confirm the fares
before entering the vehicle.
Transportation around the city is provided
by privately owned mini buses which operate in allocated zones for which there
is a well-regulated fare structure. This arrangement extends to all mini bus routes
throughout the country. Taxis afford freer
movement around the city.
RIVER BOATS & FERRIES
With the opening of the Berbice Bridge
between East and West Berbice,, travelling time is lessened for commuters from
Georgetown to Berbice and onward travel
to Suriname via the crossing at Molson
Creek.
Commuters to West Demerara have a
choice of road transport via the Demerara
Harbour Bridge or by the Demerara River Ferry from the Stabroek
Stelling to Vreed-en-Hoop which is obliquely opposite each other.
The highway which begins on the West Coast of Demerara is heavily trafficked since it provides a link to Parika on the East Bank of
Essequibo River which has become an important centre of economic activity in the Essequibo region. For example, speed boats
or other types of marine transportation can be hired to take passengers as far as Bartica or other hinterland resorts and back in
a single day.
DOMESTIC AIR SERVICE
About Guyana
MONEY & BUSINESS
Air transportation is readily available for traveling to several parts
of the hinterland, whether for business or for pleasure. Several
local airlines depart from Ogle Aerodome on the East Coast of
Demerara and from Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
Information on their availability and movement is easily obtainable from their office and from tour operators. Private charter
companies operate flights into the interior from the soon to be
upgraded Ogle International Airport.
BANKING HOURS
• Air Services Limited.
Tele: 222-4357/222-4368
www.airservicesltd.com
• Roraima Airways.
Tele:225-9647/8
www.roraimaairways.com
• Trans Guyana Airways.
Tele: 222 2525/2861
www.transguyana.net
• Wings Aviation Ltd.
Tele: 222-6513 / 226 9098
www.airguyana.biz
CARICOM - The Caribbean Community Secretariat
P.O. Box 10827, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown
Tel: 222 0001-75 • Fax: 222 0171
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.caricom.org
Banking Hours at most banks are relatively short:
Mondays to Thursdays: 8am to 2pm Fridays: 8am to 2:30pm
Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry
The main commercial banks are:
Bank of Baroda
Ave. of the Republic, Georgetown • Tel: 226 4005/6
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown • Tel: 226 4603
Email:[email protected]
Bank of Nova Scotia
Forest Products Association of Guyana
Citizens Bank
Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Carmichael Street, Georgetown (Branches in Bartica,
New Amsterdam and Parika) Tel: 225 9222
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown • Tel: 226 9848
Email: [email protected]
Camp Street, Georgetown • Tel: 226 1705/6
156 Waterloo St, Georgetown • Tel: 225 5846
Email:[email protected] www.geochamberofcommerce.org
Demerara Bank
Camp Street, Georgetown • Tel: 225 0610/9
GO-INVEST(Guyana Office for Investment)
Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry
190 Camp & Church Sts, Georgetown
Tel: 225 0658/227 0653 • Fax: 225 0655
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.goinvest.gov.gy
Water Street, Georgetown, Tel: 226 8430/9
New Building Society
Ave. of the Republic, Georgetown Tel: 227 4444
Guyana Association of Travel Agents
Republic Bank Guyana Ltd
INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL CARRIERS
Guyana’s international airport, named after the late president,
Cheddi Jagan International is at Timehri, 25 miles south of
Georgetown. Flights from Europe are routed through Antigua,
Barbados, or Trinidad. There are direct flights from Miami, New
York, Toronto, Brazil, and Suriname.
• Caribbean Airlines
• LIAT.
Tele: 1-800-538-2992
Tele: 227-8281/1-888-538-2992
www.caribbean-airlines.com www.liatairline.com
• Meta Airlines.
Tele :225-5315
www.voemeta.com
• Suriname Airways
Tele: 225-4894/3473
www.surinamairways.net • Delta Airlines
Tele: 225-7800
www.delta.com
• Blue Wings.
Tele: 225-9647
www.bluewings.com
There is an exit tax of G$2,500.00 plus a security charge of
G$1,500 (being a total of G$4,000). This is paid at the airport at
the GRA booth. (The US dollar equivalent for this exit tax may
vary with exchange fluctuations.) Please note that this is payable
in GY$ or foreign currency.
CAMBIOS / TAXI
These are licensed currency exchange houses. Most cambios are
open from 8am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 12pm,
sometimes to 2pm. Keep your cambio receipts, you will need to
produce them in order to change Guyanese dollars on departure.
90 |
CURRENCY
The unit of currency is the Guyana dollar, which floats against the
US dollar. (Exchange rate at the time of publication: US$1=G$204*
*approximate value, check for daily rates.) US dollars are widely accepted.
British, Canadian and some other bank notes may be accepted as well.
Foreign currency can be changed at banks, finance houses, and cambios.
Many hotels will change money but generally give a lower rate.
Guyana Manufacturers’ & Services Association
CREDIT CARDS
Guyana Rice Producers’ Association
Major credits cards and traveller’s cheques are accepted by most hotels,
restaurants, car rental agencies and tour operators. Scotia Cards and
Master Cards can be used to obtain cash from the Bank of Nova Scotia
during banking hours. American Express cards can be used at Demerara
Bank. Foreign credit cards cannot be used at ATM machines in Guyana
.
GUYANA STOCK EXCHANGE
DEPARTURE TAX
EXPLORE GUYANA
Wm Fogarty Building, 34-37 Water St., Georgetown
Tel: 227 7225 • Fax: 225 2513
Email:[email protected]
Water Street, Georgetown Tel: 226 1691/5/4091
GASCI is a “self-regulatory Organization” which was formed for the
purpose of developing a Stock Market in Guyana. It is the result of
earlier work undertaken by the Adam Smith Institute funded by the UK
Department.
Gasci was incorporated on June 1st, 2001 Trading commenced on June
30th, 2003. The Stock Exchange was formally launched on September
25th, 2003. Its members consist of the four securities companies
registerd to trade on the Stock Exchange viz. Beharry Stockbrokers Ltd.,
Guyana America Merchant Bank Inc., Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation
Inc. and Trust Company (Guyana) Ltd. It is governed by a board of six
directors. Trading currently takes place on Mondays and on Wednesdays
when Monday is a holiday. Trading starts at 10:00am.
BUSINESS CONTACTS & ORGANISATIONS
Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development
12 Chapel Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice • Tel: 333 3324
157 Waterloo Street, Georgetown • Tel: 223-7405/06 Fax: 225-5615
Email:[email protected] • www.gma.org.gy
Guyana Rice Development Board
117 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown •
Tel: 225 8717 Fax: 225-6486
Public Rd. Crane,W.C.D • Tel: 254 2011 / 0355
Guyana Tourism Authority
National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Georgetown
Tel: 219-0094/5/6 • Fax: 219 0093
Email: [email protected] Website: www.guyana-tourism.com
Institute of Private Enterprise Development
253 South Road, Bourda, Georgetown • Tel: 225 8949
Email:[email protected]
Linden Chamber of Industry and Commerce
84 Riverside Drive, Watooka, Linden • Tel: 444 2901
Ministry of Tourism Industry & Commerce
229 South St., Lacytown, Georgetown
Tel: 226 2505 • Fax: 225 9310
Private Sector Commission
Umbrella organization for most private sector business and employer
organizations. Most major companies are also members.
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown
Tel: 225 0977 • Fax: 225 0978
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.psc.org.gy
Rupununi Chambers of Commerce
2 Lethem, Rupununi
Tel: 772 2213
Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown
Tel: 225 0807 • Fax: 225 0817
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.exploreguyana.org
EXPLORE GUYANA
| 91
ACCOMMODATIONS
THAG TRAVELER
1
5
9
2
3
6
10
7
11
13
15
14
Resort
1 Aracari
160 Versailles, W.B.Dem, Guyana
Tel: 264-2947-8, 264-3310-2. Fax: 264-2949
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aracariresort.com
The Aracari Resort of Guyana offers a full line of
hospitality services.
This 150,000 square-foot Resort features 36
magnificent one bedroom
apartments, a fine dining & Fast Food Restaurant and
bar, an internet Café,
a fitness Gym, nightly, an incredibly exciting pool,
poolside entertainment
and a line of warm and hospitable staff.
2
4
6
7
8
Brandsville Apartments
89-90 Pike Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.
Tel: 226-1133/ 227-0989 Fax: 231-7001
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.brandsville.net
Relax! You’re at Brandsville-located just a short
distance from the Seawall which boards the Atlantic
Ocean and a corner away from the American School.
Set among a quiet neighborhood, three blocks offers
32 executive type rooms and suites to suit your
needs. Inclusive of Jacuzzi, self catering facilities and
customer amenities including wired and wireless
networks.
Whilst in Georgetown, you certainly will need to investigate quality
accommodation and we recommend that you consider the city
properties detailed below.
All of these properties are members of the Tourism and
Hospitality Association of Guyana, and offer the quality
of service we know will meet your satisfaction. 12
Wave Apartments
3 Blue
8-9 North Road, Bourda, Georgetown.
Tel: 227-8897/ 226-1417/8 / 226-4295. Fax: 226-2742
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bluewave-gy.com
We offer 21 rooms all constructed and fitted to the
highest standards. These include 2 executive suites, 5
studio suites, 2 one bedroom suites, all self catering as
well as 12 standard rooms. Free and secured parking
is also available.
Georgetown and Environs
8
Ariantze Hotel Sidewalk Café
176 Middle Street, Cummingburg, Georgetown.
Tel: 226-5363/ 225-4634/ 225-4644
Fax: 227-0210
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ariantzesidewalk.com
11 rooms centrally located. Also featuring Sidewalk
Café and Jazz Club. Delighting charming décor. Your
home away from home..
ACCOMMODATIONS
4
5
9
Eco-Resorts, Interior Lodges
& Attractions
Cara Lodge
294 Quamina Street. P.O.Box 10833, Georgetown.
Tel: 225-5301/5 Fax: 225-5310
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.carahotels.com
Guyana’s first Heritage House Hotel. Victorian tradition
with all the comfort and service of a modern hotel in a
congenial, relaxed atmosphere. Our Bottle restaurant is
recognized as the best in Georgetown and we offer full
conference and banqueting facilities, complimentary
high speed internet access and mini gym.
Grand Penthouse
10 Le
6 Commerce Street, Georgetown.
Tel: 227-3499, 227-1801. Fax: 227-4480
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.legrandpenthouse.net
View International Hotel &
11 Ocean
Convention Centre
Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara
Tel: 592-222-5429-31, 222-5440
Fax: 592-222-4722
Ocean View International Hotel & Convention
Centre has a total of seventy fully air conditioned,
self contained rooms. Among these, approximately
twenty rooms, overlooks the Centuries old Dutch
built Sea-Wall at the village of Liliendaal.
Housed on the same grounds the hotel boasts
the biggest self contained and air conditioned
Convention Centre with seating capacity for four
hundred persons. We have hosted important events
including the Parliament of Guyana.
Cara Suites
176 Middle & Waterloo Sts., Georgetown.
Tel: 226-1612-8. Fax: 226-1541
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.carahotels.com
Located in the heart of the diplomatic and business
district of Georgetown, with an excellent range of
facilities including our Bistro 176 bar and restaurant and
complimentary high speed internet access. The finest in
corporate executive accommodation!
12
Duke Lodge
94-95 Duke Street Kingston
Tel: 231-7220, 227-2213 . Fax: 227-3816Email:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairawys.com
Herdmanston Lodge
65 Peter Rose & Anira Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.
Tel: 225-0808/ 0811 Fax: 231-7904
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.herdmantsonlodge.com
An elegant 8- room Victorian facility offering all the
comforts you would expect in an atmosphere that is
welcoming and anticipates your every need with the
greatest satisfaction. Whether on vacation or business
we will take care of you.
Hotel Tower
75-76 Main Street, P.O.Box 101010, Georgetown.
Tel: 227-2011/ 2015 / 227-0484 / 227-0456.
Fax: 225-6021
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hoteltowerguyana.com
Hotel Tower Limited Is Guyana’s “Business Hotel”,
located in the heart of Georgetown. We offer
comfortable accommodation, fine dining and good
service. We offer breakfast in our main Street Café.
16
DENOTES CITY HOTEL LOCATIONS ON MAP
Please refer to Page 18 & 19 for Georgetown City Map
92 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
1
13
2
3
Radisson Suites Hotel
83 Laluni Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.
Tel: 226-2145 / 227-4983. Fax: 226-2145
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.guyanahotel.com
14
Regency Suites
15
Roraima Residence Inn
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Akawini Creek, Pomeroon River
Tel: 771-5391
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.adelresort.com
Located in the pristine rainforest area of
the Pomeroon River & surrounded by a 60
acre farm that provides all the food you eat.
We are within an hour’s boat ride of several
Amerindian reservations and the famous Shell
Beach where you can witness the turtles come
in to lay their eggs. You can awake to the
beautiful sunrise and the variety of birds flying
overhead. Come and enjoy the serenity of the
resort and the feast to your heart’s content.
168 Century Palm Gdns,
Durban Backlands, Lodge
Tel: 455-3200/ 225-3557/ 624-8694
Fax: 226-0240
Email: [email protected]/[email protected]
Website: www.hurakabragy.com
“Nestled on the water’s edge of the magnificent
Essequibo River, Hurakabra is embraced by the
rain forest. Experience the peace and tranquility
of one of Guyana’s finest, bird and animal life
habitats. Wake up to the breath taking sunrises
and laze away the day in a hammock under a
palm tree or join in the day’s activities. Be pampered by our indigenous staff and feel at home
while away from home.
Arrow Point Int. Resort
Atta Rainforest Lodge (CATS)
5
Baganara Island Resort
7
Jubilee Resort
8
Karanambu Ranch
C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites
176 Middle Street, Georgetown.
Tel: 226-2085, 227-7698 Fax: 226-2085
Email: [email protected]
Skype: tonywildex
Website:www.iworkramacanopywalkway.com
Essequibo River, Guyana
159 Charlotte Street, Lacytown Georgetown
Tel: 226-0605/ 2265128 Fax: 225-1171
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.baganara.com
13
Tel: 226-2755/ 226-2975
Fax: 226-2755
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.lakemainstayresort.biz
10
Rock View Lodge
11
Splashmin’s Fun Park & Eco Resort
12
Surama Eco Resort
13
Timberhead Rainforest Resort
River Resort
6 Hurakabra
Essequibo River
Adventure Guianas Villa & Court
Yard
R8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.
Tel: 225-9647-8 Fax: 225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairways.com
Arrowpoint is an Eco Tourism facility that offers guest an unforgettable good experience.
It is a located in the Amerindian Reservation
of Santa Mission which has a population of
approximately four hundred (400) Arawak
Indians and boasts Guyana’s only EPA permit
for a Resort.
PLEASE REFER TO FULL
SIZE COUNTRY MAP
FOR SPECIFIC RESORT
LOCATIONS (PAGE 17)
You dream of a place, within your reach, where
you can be alone, with nature’s beauty surrounding you on all the shores. Your senses are
indulged by the calming lilt of birdsong, the
chirping of crickets and the croaking of frogs. The
magnificence of the rainforest inspires you as you
rest in awe of the vastness of this pristine natural
world. Baganara Island Resort is the reality.
Adel’s Rainforest Resort
4
98 Hadfield Street, Werk-en –Rust, Georgetown.
Tel: 225-4785/ 226-0621
Fax: 226-0531
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.regencyhotelguyana.com
R8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown.
Tel: 225-9648 . Fax: 225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairawys.com
2
Lethem, Rupununi.
c/o 53 Pere Street,. Kitty, Georgetown
Tel: 227-4713 / 227-3158 / 626-9033
Fax: 227-3196
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.adventureguianas.com
Pegasus Hotel Guyana
Seawall Road, Kingston, Georgetown.
Tel: 225-2853-9. Fax: 225-3703
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pegasushotelguyana.com
Guyana’s leading hotel. Guyana Pegasus offers 132
rooms ranging from standard to luxury, and an
excellent array of facilities including pool, bars, a la
carte restaurant, gym and conference facilities.
1
9
106-107 Lamaha & Carmichael
Streets Georgetown
Tel: 225-4020/ 223-7847/ 691-7313
Fax: 223-0739
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.jubileeresort.com
Karanambu North Rupununi or
A102 Issano Place, East Bel Air Park
Georgetown, Guyana
Tel: 226-5180, 226-2085. Fax: 226-2085
Email:[email protected]
Website: www.karanambu.com
Where the savannah, swamp and flood forest
meet on the Rupununi River providing a unique
diversity of wildlife habitat: a cluster of palm
thatched houses in a gravel compound invokes
the pioneer period of a century ago.”
Lake Mainstay Resort
216-217 Lamaha Street North Cummingsburg,
Georgetown.
93 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
Annai, North Rupununi, Region 9
Tel: 226-0605 Fax: 225-1171
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.rockviewlodge.com
Ideally located in an Amerindian Community
affording good access to the Iwokrama Forest
Reserve, Surama Village and Karanambu. Well
furnished self-contained suites surrounded by
savannahs, mountains, rainforest and rivers, and
a family atmosphere with excellent ranch house,
regional cooking and swimming pool.
48 High & Hadfield Sts., Georgetown
Tel: 223-7301 - 4
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.splashmins.com
c/o Wilderness Explorers
Tel: 226-2085 / 227 7698
Fax: 226-2085
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wildernessexplorers.com
Surama Village is an Amerindian community set
in 5 square miles of Savannah ringed by the forest
covered Pakaraima Mountains. The inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still
observe many of the traditonal practices of their
forebearers.
Surama shares a common border with the
Iwokrama Centre along the Burro Burro River.
8-10 Providence, East Bank Demerara
Tel: 233-5108/ 233-5023
Fax: 233-6608
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.timberheadguyana.com
Located on the Pokeroro Creek in the Amerindian
Reservation of Santa Mission. Day and evening
jungle walks and canoeing, birding watching,
swimming, sports.
GUYANA’S
INTERNATIONAL
INCOMING DIRECT
DIALING CODE IS 011592
THAG TRAVELER
THAG MEMBERS SERVICES
All of these tourist services are members of the Tourism and
Hospitality Association of Guyana, and offer the quality of
service we know will meet your satisfaction.
ADVERTISING & PUBLISHING
COMPANIES
Advertising & Marketing Services
213 B Camp Street.
P.O.Box 101582, Georgetown
Tel:225-5384 . Fax:225-5383
Email: [email protected]
Publishers of Explore Guyana Tourist
Magazine, The Guyana Tourist Map, Horizons
Magazine, Fast Lane Magazine & Other
Publications
Corbin Media Group
48 Sandy Babb St. Kitty.
Tel: 225-1738 /624-2751.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gemmagonline.com
Trans Guyana Airways
Ogle Aerodrome, E.C.Demerara
Tel: 222-2525/2861 . Fax:222-5462
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.transguyana.net
Providing scheduled and charter services for
passengers and cargo to over 35 destinations in Guyana.
Wings Aviation Ltd.
Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle, E.C.Demerara
Tel:222-6513, 226-9098
Fax: 226-9098, 222-5361
Email: [email protected]/
[email protected]
Website: www.airguyana.biz
We offer air charter services to over 40
destinations including Kaieteur and Orinduik
Falls
AIRLINES
ALLIED MEMBERS
Caribbean Airlines
Precision Woodworking Ltd.
35 Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, G/town.
Tel: 225-2366 / 225-4793 / 225-4862
Fax: 225-6448.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.precisionguyana.com
Regent St. & Avenue of the Republic
Georgetown,
Tel: 1 800 744 2225
Reservations: 592 227 3716
AIR SERVICES DOMESTIC CHARTER &
CARGO
Air Services Limited
Ogle Aerodrome, E.C. Demerara
Tel:222-4357/4368 Fax:222-2005 .
Email: [email protected].
Website: www.airservicesltd.com
Offering air charter and scheduled domestic
services to Guyana’s interior and tourist attractions
Roraima Airways Ltd.
R8 Eping Ave. Bel Air Park, Georgetown
Tel:225-9647/8 . Fax:225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roriamaairways.com
Enjoy a friendly, professional, safe, efficient,
reliable and prompt service. Our experienced
pilots & well maintained fleet of aircraft
will transport you to any destination within
Guyana, twenty four hours a day, seven days
a week all year round.
BARS & NIGHT CLUBS
Bistro 176
Cara Suites, 176 Middle & Waterloo Sts.,
Georgetown
Tel: 226-1612/8 Fax: 226-1541
Email: [email protected]
Buddy’s Night Club
137 Sheriff St., Campbellville, Georgetown
Tel: 225-3983 / 226-8162. Fax: 226-8156
Email: [email protected]
Pegasus Hotel Guyana
Seawall Road
Kingston, Georgetown. Tel. 225-2853/59.
Fax: 225-3703. Email: reservations@
pegasushotelguyana.com. Website: www.
pegasushotelguyana.com
Liquid Liner
Brandsville Apartments
94 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
89-90 Pike St. Campbellville, Georgetown
Tel:226-1133/227-0989. Fax:231-7001
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.brandsville.net
Sidewalk Café & Jazz Club
176 Middle Street, Georgetown
Tel:227-0152/226-5363 . Fax: 227-0210
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ariantzesidewalk.com
The Rock Bar
Roraima Residence Inn
8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown
Tel: 225-9647/8. Fax: 225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairways.com
RESTAURANTS
SPORTS/TENNIS
Bistro 176
Cara Suites, 176 Middle & Waterloo Sts., Georgetown
Tel: 226-1612/4 . Fax:226-1541
Email: [email protected]
Pegasus Hotel Guyana
Seawall Road, Kingston, Georgetown
Tel: 225-2856 . Fax: 225-3703
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pegasushotelguyana.com
Brasil Churrascaria & Pizzaria
Alberto Bermudez
208 Alexander St. Georgetown
Tel: 225-6037
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
TOUR OPERATORS
Brown’s Café
Hotel Pegasus Guyama, Seawall Road
Kingston, Georgetown
Tel:225-2853-9. Fax: 225-3703
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pegasushotelguyana.com
COMPANIES / ORGANIZATIONS
Guyana Lottery Company
Lamaha St., Georgetown
Tel: 226-0753 / 225-9634 / 225-2922.
Fax: 225-9633
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.guyana-lottery.com
Iwokrama
CIDA Building, High St., Kingston,
Georgetown.
Tel: 225-1504/7144 . Fax: 225-9199
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iwokrama.org
National Parks Commission
Thomas Road, Thomas Lands, Georgetown
Tel: 225-8016/226-7974 . Fax: 223-5379
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kaieteur.gov.gy
Palace De Leon Hospitality Inc.
71 Croal St. Stabroek, Georgetown
Tel; 226-5278
Email: [email protected]
GIFT SHOPS
Creations Craft Ltd
7A Water St. Georgetown
Tel: 226-0073/227-0472. Fax: 227-2814
Email: [email protected]
Website: [email protected]
The Bottle at Cara Lodge,
294 Quamina St., Georgetown
Tel: 225-5301 . Fax; 225-5310
Email: [email protected]
Recognized as the best restaurant in Guyana with a
dazzling display of antique Dutch bottles. A perfect
setting for enjoying Guyana international cuisine.
Café Tepuy
8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown
Tel: 225-9648. Fax: 225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roriamaairways.com
Dutch Bottle Café
10 North Road, Bourda, Georgetown
Tel: 231-6561 / 226-9648. Fax: 231-6560
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dutchbottle.com
El Dorado Restaurant
Pegasus Hotel Guyana
Seawall Rd., Georgetown
Tel: 225-2856. Fax: 225-3703
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.pegasushotelguyana.com
Sidewalk Café & Jazz Club
176 Middle St., Georgetown
Tel: 227-0152/226-5363 . Fax; 227-0210
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ariantzesidewalk.com
Adventure Guianas
c/o Mikel Plaza
53 Pere Street, Kitty, Georgetown
Tel: 227-4713 / 227-3158 / 626-9033
Fax: 227-3196
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.adventuresguianas.com
Team Adventures Guianas is experienced
in nature and adventure tourism. We pride
ourselves in our ability to customize tours, to
meet your itinerary and interest.
“We’ve been there and done that”
Air Guyana Tours
Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle E.C. Dem.
Tel: 222-6513 / 226-9088
Fax: 226-9098 / 222-5361
Email: [email protected] /
[email protected]
Website: www.airguyana.biz
Christine’s Executive Tour Service
83 Laluni Street, Queenstown, G/town.
Tel: 225-2566 / 645-7333 / 677-5924
Fax: 226-2145
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.guyanahotel.com
Dagron Tours
35 Main Street., Georgetown
Tel: 223-7921 / 610-7597
Tel/Fax: 227-1166
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.dagron-tours.com
Dagron offers a wide range of travel itineraries
in South America and the Caribbean. They
also offer tours to Kaieteur and Orinduik
falls, Essequibo and Mazaruni rivers, Santa
Mission, Iwrokrama and Karanambo Ranch,
Rock View Lodge, Interior resorts such as Sloth
Island, Baganara, Hurakabra, Arrowpoint and
many more destinations throughout Guyana.
Contact us for nature, wildlife and bird
watching tours, fishing, trekking and hiking.
And for hotel bookings and general ground
handling services.
95 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
Evergreen Adventures Inc.
159 Charlotte St., N/C/ Burg, Georgetown
Tel: 226-9627/226-0605 / 225-4484.
Fax: 225-1171. Email: evergreen.
[email protected]
Website: www.evergreen-adventures.com
Evergreen offers day tours to the Essequibo
and Mazaruni rivers. Kaieteur and
Orinduik Falls and city tours. Overnight
trips to Baganara, Arrowpoint, Rockview,
Karanambu, Iwokrama and others.
Customized itineraries to the three Guianas
and North Brazil Sports Fishing packages.
Hurakabra Tours
168 Century Palm Gdns.
Durban Backlands, Lodge
Tel: 455-3200 / 225-3557/624-8694.
Fax: 226-0240
Email: [email protected] /
[email protected]
Website: www.hurakabragy.com
Hurakabra Tours offers fully guiding and
management for cruises visiting Guyana.
We also offer day tours to the Essequibo and
Mazaruni rivers, Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls
and city tours. Overnight trips to Hurakabra.
and others.
Iwokrama Canopy Walkway
Operated by Community and Tourism
Services. Cara Suites, 176 Middle Street,
Georgetown Tel: 227-7698.
Tel/Fax: 226 2085
Email: info@iwokrarmacanopywalkwalkway.
com Skype: tonywildex
Website: www.iwokramacanopywalkwalk.
com
Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is a series of
suspension bridges and platforms that
gets you up to 100 feet into the mid and
upper rainforest canopy, in the heart of
the Iwokrama Forest.
Roraima Tours
Roriama Residence Inn
8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown
Tel: 225-9648. Fax: 2259646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairways.com
Discover the lost paradise with Roraima
Tours – the only tour operator that allow
our clients to experience Guyanese
hospitality and professionalism while
utilizing a complete tour package with
the Roraima BRAND.
Timberhead Tropical Adventures
8-10 Providence , E.B.Demerara
Tel: 233-5023 / 233-5108. Fax: 233-6608
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.timberheadguyana.com
Wilderness Explorers
Cara Suites, 176 Middle St., Georgetown
Tel: 227-7698. Tel/Fax: 226-2085
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wilderness-explorers.com
Skype: wildernessguyana or tonywildex
Offering exiting nature and adventure
travel in the wilderness of Guyana,
neighbouring South American countries
and the Caribbean. Catering for singles
and groups for soft adventure and
intrepid travel.
Wonderland Tours
85 Quamina & Carmichael Sts., G/Town
Tel: 225-3122 / 225-9795 / 676-5696
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wonderlandtoursgy.com
Cortours Inc.
34 Grant 1651, Crabwood Creek, Courentyne
Tel: 339-2430 / 623-8456 / 339-2741 /
648-1941 / 626-4605. Fax: 339-2741
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
TOURISM CONSULTANTS
Public Communication Consultants Ltd.
168 Century Park Gdns
Durban Backlands, Lodge
Tel: 225-3557. Tel/Fax: 226-0240
Email: [email protected]
TRANSPORTATION
Canawaima Management Company (Ferry)
Molson Creek, East Corentyne, Berbice
Tel: 339-2744/2787
Email: [email protected]
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Angellina’s Travel Agency
1995 Parika H/W. E.B. Essequibo. / 91 Middle
Street, S/Cburg
Tel: 260-4536/7 / 225-1035&7. Fax: 2604537
Email: [email protected] /
[email protected]
Website: www.angcam.com
Events2010
calendar of
an IATA accredited Full Service Destination
Management Company. We represent all
major airlines such as Delta Airlines, American
Airlines, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines,
Air Canada, LIAT and Constellation Tours with
onward connections to the US, Europe, Canada
and South America. Our travel agency is fully
equipped with two computerized airline
reservations systems allowing us to offer the
broadest range of travel related services.
Special Events & Public Holidays
DIWALI - NOVEMBER
INTERNATIONAL
Connections Travel Service
6 Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown
Tel: 227-2810 / 227-2832. Fax: 227-2999
Email: [email protected]
Roraima International Travel Agency
R8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown.
Tel: 225-9647/8. Fax: 225-9646
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roraimaairawys.com
Roraima International Travel Agency is
MOTOR RACING
- MARCH
RY
MASHRAMANI - FEBRUA
January
January 1
January 1
New Year’s Day
Kashif & Shanghai Football Finals
April
April
April 3
February
May
February About the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana
(THAG)
T
he Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) was established in January 1991
by a number of persons working in the industry and is a member of the Private Sector
Commission.
It was initially called the Tourism Association of Guyana but evolved into Tourism and Hospitality
Association of Guyana in recognition of the magnitude of the industry. It is the umbrella body
of all tourism related restauranteurs, tour operators, travel agents, craft owners, jewelers, and
transportation services, among others.
THAG has pursued partnership with the Government of Guyana in development and expansion
of various aspects of the tourism industry; generic marketing, training and development;
positioning individual members locally, regionally and internationally to operate with the highest
standards in the industry.
THAG is headed by an Executive Board comprising of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and
two Committee members. The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Director who is responsible
for the day to day management of the association, sits on the Boards of various committees,
organizes and participates in trade shows locally and overseas. THAG’s permanent staff also
includes an Administrative Officer and Administrative and Marketing Assistant.
THAG and the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the
Guyana Tourism Authority, have built a strong alliance to promote and develop Guyana’s many
natural and cultural attributes as a tourism destination.
Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana
Private Sector Commission Building
Waterloo Street, Georgetown, Guyana
Tel: 011 592 225 0807
Fax: 011 592 225 0817
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.exploreguyana.org
www.exploreguyana.org
96 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
Cricket – Football
(Canadian Clubs – Edward VanLuein)
February 23
40th Republic Anniversary of Guyana
February 23
Mashramani:
February 23
Flag Raising Ceremony
February
Steel Pan Competition
February
Tassa Drum Competition
February
Children’s Costume Parade
February
Masquerade Competition
February
Chinese New Year
February
Calypso Finals Nationwide
February 26
Uman Nabi
March
March March
March 20
Culinary Delights & Symposium
International Motor Racing
Yuman-Nabi: Birth of the
Prophet (Religious Holiday)
March 21
Good Friday (Religious Holiday)
March 22
Phagwah (Religious Holiday)
March 22-24
Easter Weekend
March 22-23
Rupununi Rodeo
March/April
Pakaraima Safari Cross country
March
Yachting Meet
March 28
Kennard Memorial Horse Race
April
April
April
April 2-5
April 2-5
April 25 - May5
April 3-5
Horse Racing
Gospel Fest 2010
Rupununi Wildlife Festival
Easter Weekend celebration
Linden Town Day
Bartica Easter Regatta
Month of Butterflies
Bird Watchers Meet
Opening Ceremony ICC Twenty20
World Cup
May 1
ICC Twenty20 World Cup Match
– England vs. Qualifier 2
May 1
Labour Day (National Holiday)
May 2
ICC Twenty20 World Cup Match
New Zealand vs. Zimbabwe
May 3
ICC Twenty20 World Cup
Match – West Indies vs. England
Shri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe
May 5
Indian Arrival Day (National Holiday)
May 26
Independence Day (National Holiday)
May
Festival of flowers
May
Moruca Expo
June
June 5
Environmental Day
June
Wedding Expo – Bridal Festival
June
Environmental Awareness Week
June
Motor Racing
July
July
Horse Racing
July
Caricom Day (First Monday)
July
Berbice Expo
July
Madhia Expo
July
Festival of Arts/Music/Sports
July 17 & 18
(CACSO) XXI Central American
and Caribbean Games Sevens Rugby
tournament Providence Stadium
July 22 & 23
(NACRA) Sevens Championships
Providence Stadium
97 |
EXPLORE GUYANA
HOCKEY FESTIVAL
- NOVEMBER
August
August
August 1
Mini Festival of the Arts/Music/Sports
Emancipation Day
(Day of Commemoration/National Holiday)
August 1
Wakenaam Day
August 2 Digicel Summer Duck Curry Competition
August 2
Hamburg Beach August Monday
Celebration
August
Watts Hott Guyana
August
Madhia Expo
August
Jamzone 2010Splashmin’s Fun
Park and Resort
August
Biker Fest
August
Goodwill Swimming Tournament
August
Bartica Summer Regatta
August
Lake Mainstay Regatta
August (3rd Week)
Mining Week
August 28
Porkknocker’s Day
August 29
Horse Racing
August
Guyana Music Festival
September
September 1-31
Amerindian Awareness Month
September 19
Orealla Regatta
September International Indigenous People Culture
& Dance Festival September
Amerindian Pageant
September
All Star Basketball
September
(3rd Week)GUYEXPO
September
Eid-Ul-Fitr (National Basketball)
October
October 17
October
October
October 24
October
Horse Racing
Car & Bike Show
National Trust Heritage Week
Ms Renaissance Pageant
National Indoor Hockey Festival
Events2010
calendar of
Special Events & Public Holidays
October
October 17
Rockstone Fish Festival
Horse Racing & Rodeo
November
November 1-30
November 6
November
November
November
November
Tourism Awareness Month
THAG Novelty Pet Show
Hospitality Week
International Motor Racing
New Amsterdam Town Day
Car & Bike Show
November
November
November
November
November
November
November 29
November
November
November
Tourism Awareness Month
Caribbean & International Motor
Bartica Town Day
Diwali (Festival of Lights)
Main Street Lighting Up
Rupununi Expo
Accolade Music Awards Guyana
Rupununi Day
Essequibo Nite
Guyana Open Golf Tournament
December
December Horse Racing
December New Amsterdam Town Day
December Eid-ul-Azha
December 25
Christmas Day
December 26
Boxing Day
December 26
Main Big Lime
December 31
Old Year’s Day
December
Christmas Village (Gift & Craft, Tea &
Santa)
Share the excitement when in Guyana
Annually Guyanese celebrate a number of special occasions based on its rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic population. Many of these
activities are celebrated across Guyana or staged in specific parts of the country. Be sure to plan your vacation to visit Guyana whether it be to
celebrate Mashramani our local carnival, Phagwah the Hindu Spring festival, motor racing or all the thrills of International Cricket, the nation’s
number one sport.