Guyana in Living Color Travel Package

Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.

Day 1: Georgetown

Pickup and transfer from Cheddi Jagan International Airport to Georgetown and your selected hotel.

Overnight at El Dorado Inn, breakfast included.

Optional service (not included in package price):

The Mangrove Heritage Trail Tour starts at our Visitor Centre, located below the estate house of a former sugar plantation.  With its hewn greenheart beams, pine floors and antique cast iron pillars it reflects the grandeur of an earlier era. The mangrove story is demonstrated in detail through permanent displays and in a hand-painted mural of the coastal birds. Delicious, natural products such as golden-coloured mangrove honey, and handmade beeswax candles, are all attractively packaged and available for sale at the center.

Visitors move via traditional horse cart at a leisurely pace while friendly Nabaclis village cart men point ouy out places of interest.  The next stop is at Victoria Village, the first village purchased by former slaves who pooled their money and put it in a wheelbarrow and wheeled it over to the blue house to pay for the estate, following Emancipation in 1839.

Turning towards the Atlantic Ocean, the scenery includes an old Dutch Koker used to drain the agricultural lands along the low lying coastline and the serene temples of a Hindu Ashram can be seen from across a lake.  You are now in the heart of Guyana’s first mangrove reserve, owned and managed by the community. Along this coastal strip, you will see four different mangrove species and a wide wetland area, teeming with birdlife and tropical fish.  If you’re in luck, you will see local fishermen beating the pond water to chase fish into their nets.  In the middle of the wetland is a small island of lush, black mangroves where beekeepers produce the distinctive golden mangrove honey.

Along the trail, local tour guides point out the array of medicinal plants found in nature’s pharmacy and you will learn of the traditional remedies effectively used by Guyanese for generations.  As the tour comes to a close, local drummers from Victoria Village will regale you with traditional folk songs. (additional fee)  The way back to the Visitor Centre, includes a stop at Ingrid’s roadside stand where you can purchase (own expense) a refreshing glass of Guyana’s legendary Demerara Gold fresh cane juice and some delicious creole snacks such as cassava-coated eggballs, channa, fishcakes or dhal puri.

Day 2: Kaieteur Falls

Breakfast at the hotel.

Hotel pickup and transfer to Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Take a scheduled flight over hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to land at Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall.

Kaieteur, which was first seen by a European on April 29, 1870 is situated in the heart of Guyana.  The water of Kaieteur flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge – a drop of 741 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls.

There are no other falls in the world with the magnitude of the sheer drop existing at Kaieteur.  Amerindian legend of the Patamona tribe has it that Kai, one of the tribe’s chiefs (after whom the falls is named), committed self-sacrifice by canoeing himself over the falls.  It was believed this would encourage the Great Spirit Makonaima to save the tribe from being destroyed by the savage Caribishi.

Kaieteur supports a unique microenvironment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guiana Cock- of-the-rock nesting close by.  The lucky visitor may also see the famous Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved over millions of years by the black water of the Potaro River. Re-board your plane for the return flight to Georgetown.

Pickup and transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport to your hotel.

Overnight at El Dorado Inn, breakfast included. Snack included on the Kaieteur Falls tour.

Optional services (not included in package prices):
Birding in Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens
Early morning pickup and transfer to the extensive and beautiful Georgetown Botanical Gardens where, if we are lucky, we will have views of the Blood-colored Woodpecker. This colorful Veniliornis is found only in the Guianas and even there almost wholly limited to the narrow coastal plain. The gardens host Snail Kite, Gray Hawk, Pearl Kite, Carib Grackle, Red-bellied and Red-shouldered Macaws and the rare festive parrots. We will walk on trails in the back of the gardens and may see Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Black-crested Antshrike, Silver-beaked Tanager, Buff-breasted Wren, White-bellied Piculet and Ashy-headed Greenlet. You may even want to take a break from birding to feed some manatees in one of the nearby ponds. Duration- 3 hours.

Evening Seawall, bars and street food experience
Every Sunday evening Georgetown’s Seawall comes alive as families, courting couples and friends promenade along the seawall, enjoying the Atlantic sea-breeze.  The narrow strip becomes a hive of pop-up cocktail bars, street food vendors, blaring Caribbean music and parties spilling out of the trunks of cars. This excursion takes you into the heart of the scene visiting various bars and enjoying street food, with your guide, who knows all the best places.  We will also visit other local bars around the city, looking for what is popular, traditional or unusual.  Every Sunday is a new experience, tailored around the group and the level of immersion into the local culture they wish to enjoy.

Dinner at Aagman Indian Restaurant
“Aagman” is derived from India’s ancient Sanskrit script, which means ‘arrival’ or ‘beginning’. The Aagman food philosophy is driven by a desire to present an eclectic and expansive Indian repertoire, bursting with flavours and originality, as a multi-sensory dining experience. Experience the epicurean Mughlai Cuisine from the imperial kitchens of India. Enjoy the authentic flavours of creations achieved through the use of the finest ingredients and cooking techniques, in elegant fully air-conditioned surroundings.

Note :   
Flights to Kaieteur Falls are operated on chartered aircraft and all flights have a minimum passenger restriction.  Therefore, any booking to Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls is subject to a minimum of 12 passengers being available to travel.  In most cases we are able to fill flights, especially if scheduled for a weekend.  However, in the rare case that we cannot meet the required numbers we will reschedule the trip to another day during your stay, if this is possible.  Wilderness Explorers retains the right to reschedule a flight as a first option.  If we cannot reschedule the flight Wilderness Explorers will guarantee a flight, with a minimum of 2 passengers, to Kaieteur Falls only. If a flight is cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control, such as weather, we will endeavour to reschedule the flight during your itinerary.  If this is not possible then a full refund on the flight will be made.

Day 3:  Rupununi – Surama Eco-lodge

Pickup and transfer to Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Board scheduled flight for a journey over hundreds of miles of tropical rainforest to land in the Rupununi.

Pick up from the airstrip and transfer to Surama Eco-lodge.

The Amerindian community of Surama is located in the heart of Guyana.  The village is set in five square miles of savannah which is ringed by the forest-covered Pakaraima Mountains.  Surama’s inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe. The Surama Eco Lodge is owned and operated by the community. The rotating schedule allows for most of the villagers to get a chance to earn a salary. The Village Council as the Board of Directors decides how the profits are to be spent to benefit the entire village.

On arrival in Surama you will receive a warm welcome and settle into your accommodation. A guide will escort you for a short walk on trails to observe the forest and bird life.  As the afternoon cools your guide will take you on a tour of the village.  Visit the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses.  Tonight enjoy an educational walk to observe wildlife and experience the mystique of the forest after dark. Make sure to bring your flashlights to look for the eyeshine of the creatures of the night.  

Overnight Surama Eco-lodge, all meals included.

Day 4: Surama Eco-lodge

Rise before dawn for a walk across the savannah and then climb up Surama Mountain for incredible views across the village and savannah to the Pakaraima Mountains.  This is not a technical climb but can be arduous, especially after rain, and not for everyone. Your guides will happily offer alternative activities if you prefer not to do this climb.

Return to the lodge for lunch and then take a three-mile walk across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. Your guides will then paddle you on the river for opportunities to observe wildlife. Paddling down a small river in the middle of the Rainforest with Macaws and Toucans flying overhead, and various tropical sounds around you is a wonderful and unique experience. Return to the lodge for sunset

Overnight Surama Eco-lodge, all meals included.

Day 5: Iwokrama Reserve – Atta Rainforest Lodge

Enjoy dawn breaking across the rainforest.  You can choose from a forest walk to look for wildlife and birds or relax around the lodge before breakfast and departure.

Transfer from Surama through the rainforest to Corkwood in the Iwokrama Forest.  At Corkwood there is a comparatively short trail to hopefully see the amazingly brilliant Guianan Cock-of-the-rock.  This trail is through pristine rainforest and the guides can explain how the plants are used for medicines and other uses.

Then continue the journey to Atta Rainforest Lodge, home of the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.

The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is situated near the southern boundary of the Iwokrama Reserve in central Guyana. The walkway has four suspension bridges leading to three platforms, the highest of which is over 30 metres above the ground.

Another area where we will want to spend some time is the clearing around the lodge, as this is one of the best places to see another of Guyana’s “must see” birds, the Crimson Fruitcrow. The clearing is also a reliable site for Black Curassow as there is a large and growing family party which has become habituated to people and regularly passes through the clearing.

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge, all meals included.

Atta Rainforest Lodge is 500 metres from the base of the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, offering comfortable private-room accommodation with ensuite bathrooms, delicious home-cooked meals, and traditional Amerindian hospitality.  The communal building houses the bar, dining area and kitchen and is open sided with views across the gardens to the towering forest, which completely surrounds the lodge.  Hammocks and outdoor benches enhance the lovely gardens which include varieties of heliconias that attract over ten different hummingbirds, close enough for the perfect photo.

Day 6:  Iwokrama Reserve – Atta Rainforest Lodge

Before dawn we will return to the canopy where we can birdwatch easily and from this treetop vantage you can sometimes see Red Howler and Black Spider Monkeys.

Apart from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway itself you can enjoy wildlife and birdwatching walks on the trails around the area. Many bird species, stunning insects, noisy amphibians, and playful primates make the surrounding forest their home. Deer, tapir and agouti are also regular visitors to the lodge.  Serious birders will want to search the undergrowth for the rarely seen Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo.

As darkness falls on the canopy walkway, you may see the White-winged Potoo.  Night walks are also possible and something interesting or new always seems to pop on to the scene including one of the six different cats to be found along the transnational road near the lodge.

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge, all meals included.

Day 7: Georgetown

Welcome the dawn chorus from the canopy walkway and then return to the lodge for breakfast before departure.

Pickup and transfer to Fair View airstrip.

Depart by scheduled flight from Fair View airstrip to Mahdia (approximately 3hrs ground time) and then reboard flight for return journey over hundreds of miles of tropical rainforest to land at Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Pickup and transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport to Georgetown. Overnight at El Dorado Inn, breakfast included. Lunch is included today.

Day 8: Georgetown

This morning we make an early start to have breakfast at one of the local stands with our host, guide and culinary master, Chef Delven Adams who will guide us around Bourda Market, the largest of the four markets in Georgetown. We will start our tour at the Guyana Shop which has all the locally packaged products, before heading over to the market where we will meet some of the vendors who Chef buys from daily.

We will visit the fish market, the meat section and the haberdashery section – where one can find anything you can think of from thread to bolts of all kinds of fabric. A stop at the bush medicine stalls is always educational. Heading outside you can see, touch and taste a variety of local fruits and vegetables unique in this part of the world. Chef will make his purchases with your suggestions of what you would like to try and will then head home to start preparing while we continue on a tour of the city of Georgetown with an experienced guide who will give you the history, rumour and facts on Georgetown and its citizens.

During your visit to Georgetown, there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed such as Stabroek Market – once described as a “bizarre bazaar, and St. George’s Cathedral which is one of the world’s tallest free-standing wooden buildings. Other historic buildings along this promenade are the Public Library, City Hall, the Victoria Law Courts and St. Andrews Kirk. Visit the National Museum, which contains a broad selection of our animal life portrayed in taxidermy including an amazing extinct giant sloth. The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology houses a wonderful collection of artefacts and explains the Amerindian history and lifestyle, in a beautiful colonial wooden building that is worth a visit on its own.

After our city tour, we will go to the Backyard Café for lunch. This, as the name suggests, is a backyard that Chef has turned into an exclusive little hidden gem of a restaurant. You can sit under the arbour and sip unique blends of juice or enjoy a cold beer while taking in the sounds and smells of a delicious meal in the making. Once he is ready, we will start eating our way through the courses, remember to pace yourself as you will want to try it all.

After lunch, we will visit the Botanical Gardens, home to an extensive collection of tropical flora, and the Zoo which has become a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre that houses over one hundred different species of tropical wildlife.  We will also pay a visit to a pond either in the gardens or the National Park, to feed the endangered West Indian Manatees.

Overnight at El Dorado Inn, breakfast included.  Lunch is included today.

Optional Service (not included in package price):  Demerara Historical River Tour
This afternoon we will take a drive through the heart of the city to the Stabroek Market area. Here we will join the afternoon commuters using the old ferry stelling to board the river taxis which are used to cross the Demerara River. The river taxis are a faster alternative route to using the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

We will slowly cruise along and across the Demerara River while your guide will give a brief history of the famous buildings along the waterfront.  We then continue our trip to see the Demerara Harbour Bridge, once the longest floating bridge in the world at a total length of 1,851m long. We will cross under the bridge and tie up our boat near a mangrove that is the nightly roost for a variety of birds. As the sun sets over the river we will have a cold drink and some snacks (or cutters as we call them here in Guyana) as we enjoy flocks of brilliant Scarlet Ibis, Snail Kites, Herons, and three kinds of Egrets as they fly across the sky and settle into the mangroves for the evening.

Soon after the sun sets we return to the ferry stelling while enjoying the city and ship lights from the river.

Day 9: Departure

Pickup and transfer to Cheddi Jagan International Airport for your departing flight.