Guyana - A Timeless Paradise

Guyana lies at the point where the Caribbean meets South America on its North Atlantic seaboard. Although little known, it is nonetheless a wonderful country, blessed with unspoiled natural beauty and great rivers, waterfalls and unexplored rainforest. Truly a timeless paradise, Guyana is a land of immense biodiversity. Here, Jaguars still roam the forests; rivers hold Giant River Otter, Black Caiman and Arapaima (the world’s largest freshwater fish) … and Harpy Eagle and Guianan Cock-of-the-rock thrive amongst an avifauna of over 700 species.  

Our holiday begins with a morning flight to the majestic and breathtaking Kaieteur Falls. Situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo, Kaieteur was first seen by Europeans in 1870. With a sheer drop of 228 metres, the falls are five times the height of Niagara, and their pounding waters create an eternal rainbow over the mist-covered boulders of the gorge. There is no other waterfall in the world discharging so much water over such a great drop! Nearby, the table-top summit of a  tepuis (the classic ‘Lost World-like’ table-top mountain typical of the region), on which our plane lands, supports an amazing ecosystem which we will explore, hoping to encounter a male Guianan Cock-of-the-rock in full display! With a backdrop of rolling, grass-covered hills, this is one of the most stunning locations in Guyana’s remote interior.  

Next we take a short flight south to Fairview Village, from where we transfer by 4x4 to the Iwokrama River Lodge (which also functions as a working biological research station). Here we will explore the pristine rainforest which surrounds the research station, using a good network of trails and a boat to investigate the mighty Essequibo River. Red Howler Monkeys and calling toucans will wake us here each morning and we should be treated to daily fly-pasts by Blue-and- yellow, Red-and-green, and Scarlet Macaws.

We continue south to the intimate and peaceful Atta Rainforest Lodge, well known for its canopy walkway high within the treetops. This wonderful facility gives us access to sought-after birds that are rarely visible from the ground such as Pompadour Cotinga, Guianan Toucanet and Dusky Purpletuft. Rainforest mammals, although never conspicuous, are well represented within the Iwokrama forest. With luck, we may encounter the impressive Black Spider Monkey and possibly the curious looking White-faced Saki. Though glimpsing a Jaguar is a difficult mission, we will certainly be keeping a sharp eye out in the hope of seeing this most impressive of South American cats. Leaving Atta, we journey onwards to Surama Eco Lodge, which is situated in a tranquil, beautiful location offering our best chance of seeing the magnificent Harpy Eagle.

After a scenic journey south, where the habitat gradually changes to more open savannah, we then transfer by boat to Karanambu Ranch, arguably, the highlight of the tour. Here, endless rainforest dramatically gives way to a rolling savannah that is sliced by rivers and broken by hills which rise suddenly from the plains. This is the Rupununi Savannah, a vast land of huge skies and sun-scorched plains, interrupted by patches of scrub and riparian woodland, swamps and lakes, together with a scattering of Amerindian villages and cattle ranches. Karanambu is an isolated cattle ranch and former home of Diane McTurk, famous for her work rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. Here we will explore the maze of lagoons along the Rupununi River in search of Giant River Otters, Red Howler Monkeys, Capybara and Black Caiman. The quiet backwaters here are home to the legendary Arapaima, the largest of all scaled freshwater fish. Lakes and ponds are crammed with Jabirus, egrets, herons and other waterbirds, and blanketed by the enormous pads of the  Victoria amazonica water lily, Guyana’s national flower. On one morning we make an early start to reach an area of rolling grassland which is home to a population of Giant Anteaters. With luck, and with the help of the  vacqueros riding barefoot in the stirrup, we will locate one of these 2-metre long animals excavating its breakfast from one of the red termite mounds that stud the savannah.

Back in Georgetown, with two nights to relax at Cara Lodge, we will have the opportunity to travel eastward to Abary Creek to look for the highly sought-after Blood-coloured Woodpecker, along with a host of new species including Rufous Crab-hawk, White-bellied Piculet and Guianan Gnatcatcher. We will take a final boat journey in search of Guyana’s national bird, the Hoatzin; exposed mudflats of the Demerara River often host Scarlet Ibis and Tricolored Herons, while Magnificent Frigatebirds wheel overhead.

Finally, a little culture in colonial Georgetown, together with a visit to the Botanical Gardens where the astonishing Blood-coloured Woodpecker is a possibility, will round off what is likely to be an unforgettable tour.