Guyana

One of the more Northerly South American countries, and the inspiration for Conan Doyle’s Lost World, Guyana is in many respects one of the region’s undiscovered wonders. Pressed between the larger, more famous, states of Venezuela and Brazil on one side and Surinam on the other, Guyana is an often-overlooked destination, full of equally appealing attractions.

The name ‘Guyana’ means the ‘land of many waters’ in the native Amerindian, and is particularly apt given the multitude of rivers that criss-cross the small country, fed by the imposing Orinoco, or even more inspiring Amazon. These waterways work their way through the densely rainforested interior of the country, which remarkably still makes up approximately 95% of Guyana’s area. Its vast forest is arguably one of Guyana’s greatest attributes, providing some magnificent sights and experiences. Indeed, Guyana is something of an eco-tourism haven, particularly given the abundant display of animal and plant life still available in the jungle.

Language

As an ex-British colony Guyana is unique amongst the many countries of South America as the only predominantly English-speaking state. Although language barriers are not a problem, in Guyana visitors will have to get used to the local dialect of the country, which is mainly a Creole (Carib) on Guyana’s Atlantic coast. You may be told just now, meaning ‘in a minute’, or over so for ‘over there’. It is equally likely that the visitor will witness local people making ‘pursing’ sounds, a noise that indicates either disgust or disapproval.

Aside from the mainly English speaking coast where approximately 98% of Guyana’s 700,000 people live, there are three separate Amerindian languages spoken by nine different forest tribes.

Currency

Guyana is quite expensive for South America, although still considerably cheaper than the UK, and prices can be compared loosely to those of a cheaper European country. Currency is the Guyana Dollar (GYD), and the general exchange rate is 358 GYD to the Pound, 242 GYD to the Euro (EUR), and 189 GYD to 1 US Dollar (USD). You can check current exchange rates at www.xe.com/ucc/full.shtml

Weather

Guyana is just fractionally north of the equator, and temperatures tend to be accordingly equatorial, sticking at around 26-28˚C (80˚F), although the coastal areas are cooled by fairly consistent winds. Weather patterns are also tropical with dry and rainy seasons. Along the coast there are two rainy seasons, from May-July and from December-January. To the forested south of the country there is just one rainy season, though it lasts longer than either of the coastal monsoon seasons, continuing from May until September.

Attractions

Amongst the many attractions of Guyana, the magnificent and awe-inspiring Kaieteur Falls stands out. One of hundreds of waterfalls to be found in the largely unexplored forests of Guyana, Kaieteur is arguably one of the most dramatic sights in the world. Located within the Kaieteur National Park, which covers 224 square miles of untouched rainforest, Kaieteur Falls is the largest single-drop waterfall in the world. Twice as high as the Victoria Falls on Africa’s Zambezi River and five times the size of the Niagara Falls, Guyana’s Kaieteur Falls drop 741 feet in a single breathtaking plunge.

Currently the Kaieteur Falls can only be reached by a three to five day rainforest trek, or by a ‘fly-in’ trip from one of Guyana’s local airports. Details can be found at www.kaieteurpark.gov.g and listings of numerous tour operators can also be seen here. Custom-designed tours are also available.

Another rainforest-based attraction is the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, a one million acre swathe of protected forest – half of which is dedicated to eco-tourism, and the other half of which is devoted to producing sustainable rainforest products. More information can be found at www.iwokrama.org, where you can learn about established tours, nocturnal wildlife spotting, or even designing your own adventure itinerary. However, perhaps one of Iwokrama’s most exciting opportunities for visitors is offered by their 'canopy walkway'. A 154m structure, suspended at heights of up to 30m, the walkway allows you to peer right into the mid-level canopy of the surrounding rainforest.

Outside the rainforest, the capital of Georgetown is always worth exploring. Full of old colonial buildings, the city is a good place to start if you want to connect with the history of Guyana. If this whets your appetite, you can find out more at Georgetown’s Museum of Guyana. (http://www.nationaltrust.gov.gy www.nationaltrust.gov.gy)

Shopping

You will not find a huge range of shops in Guyana, although those selling traditional goods are always well worth looking out for alongside the more western influenced shops of Georgetown. Traditional tribal handicrafts can be beautiful and often give a real insight into forest life. They can be bought directly from the tribes themselves, as well as from retailers in the capital.

Driving

Following the British colonial influence, in Guyana you drive on the left. However, outside Georgetown and the major coastal roads this is largely redundant as the roads are frequently reduced to rough dirt tracks. In fact you will need to travel by 4X4 throughout most of Guyana, and allow plenty of time to negotiate getting from one place to another by car – a problem that is even more pronounced during the rainy seasons.

Food and Drink

Creole, or Caribbean, food dominates the Guyanese cuisine. Here you will find exotically spiced curries wrapped in roti; an Indian inspired flat bread. You may even encounter a local ‘cook up’ – a Creole dish usually reserved for festive occasions, which takes the form of a meaty broth. This is best complimented with a sample of Eldorado Rum. One of the best rums in the world, Eldorado is made in Guyana and exported to discerning palates around the globe.

If you venture away from the coast where the Creole influence is most evident, you may also be able to experience some of the dishes favoured by the Guyanese tribes. These largely centre around fish caught from the many rivers, and also around cassava; a ubiquitous root vegetable from which they derive a large number of different culinary ingredients, in particular a type of flour often used in cooking. The tribes even brew an extremely potent cassava wine.

Tourist Information

Although Guyana lacks a central tourism board, information about Guyana can be found at www.guyanaguide.com or at www.guyanaconsulate.com

Airports

Guyana’s only international airport is the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (www.cjairport-gy.com), located between 30-40 miles south of Georgetown. It is possible to fly to Guyana direct from London and also from New York.