Guyana, a country of exceptional natural beauty, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. Perched on the north-east corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches 450 miles from its long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi. The picturesque capital and primary port is Georgetown, a city of comfortable, modern hotels, fine colonial buildings, and broad, tree-lined boulevards. The striking wooden architecture is reminiscent of Guyana's centuries as a Dutch, and then a British colony. Georgetown offers an evocative introduction to the land of Guyana. Don't miss the imposing St. George's Cathedral, reputed to be the tallest wooden building in the world.
Life in Guyana is dominated by mighty rivers, including the Demerara, the Berbice and the Essequibo, which provide essential highways into the rain forests and jungles of the interior. Mankind has made little impact here, and today Guyana remains one of the world's most exciting destinations for adventuresome travel and exploration.
Setting out for the interior by boat, light aircraft or 4x4, you encounter the extraordinary natural heritage of Guyana spreading out like a tropical carpet. Jaguar still roam the rain forest, and the unearthly cries of troupes of howler monkeys echo through the trees. The Giant River Otter, the Black Caiman, and the Arapaima (the largest freshwater fish in the world) swim in the rivers of the Rupununi. Flashes of scarlet, yellow and blue burst through the forest's intense green as macaws fly like arrows across a clearing in the canopy. Toucans, and the awesome Harpy Eagle, swoop through the trees, while the beautiful but elusive Guyana Cock-of-the-Rock lingers around the waters of Kaieteur Falls. More than 700 indigenous species of birds adorn Guyana's forests.
The tumbling rivers and dense rainforests of Guyana are filled with extraordinary natural sights. Kaieteur Falls, where the 400-foot wide Potaro River plunges 741 feet downward from the Pakaraima Plateau, is one of the world's great waterfalls. The magnificence of Kaieteur stands beyond any comparison in its majesty and sheer size. You can also visit the striking beauty of the Orinduik Falls, the Marshall Falls, the Kaieteur Gorge and remote Mount Roraima - the inspiration for Conan Doyle's Lost World.
For the adventurer, Guyana is a place of wonder; for the eco-tourist, it is a country where nature has placed its greatest riches. Feel the beauty of the nature whisper across your heart. Discover an experience never to be forgotten. Discover the extraordinary wilderness of Guyana.
Georgetown The vibrant character and graceful beauty of Georgetown reflects much of the city's exceptional cultural history and diversity. Designed by the Dutch (and first known as Stabroek), Guyana's capital has wide, tree-lined avenues, lily-covered canals, and many fine examples of 18th and 19th century colonial buildings. Georgetown's tropical botanical gardens, as one might expect in a country of such incredible natural beauty, are considered to be among the very best in the world. Throughout the city are colourful East Indian markets, indicative of the country's largely East Indian population. Because Georgetown lies below sea level at high tide, it is protected by an amazing masonry wall, or mole. The city is situated at the mouth of the Demerara River, one of the many rivers that flow down from the Guiana Highlands and across the coastal plain to the Atlantic.
Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls Situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the great Essequibo, Kaieteur Falls is one of the world's natural wonders. Flowing over a flat, sandstone tableland into a deep gorge, Kaieteur has a single drop of 741 feet (the largest single drop waterfall in the world). It then plummets downward for another 101 feet for a total of 822 feet--five times the drop of Niagara. The unusual conditions created by the falls support a fascinating micro-environment, which includes some species identifiable only to this area. Lucky visitors may catch a fleeting glimpse of the Kaieteur Swifts, or Makonaima Birds. Swifts are the most rapid fliers among living creatures, a property that allows them to snatch up insects while on the wing. The Kaieteur Swifts nest under the vast shield of rock hidden behind the curtain of falling water.
The Orinduik Falls lie on the Ireng, a highland river that thunders over steps and terraces of jasper on the border divide with Brazil before merging with the Takutu and then heading down into Brazil to join the great Amazon. The falls are situated amid the rolling, grass-covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains, one of the most beautiful regions of Guyana's hinterland. In contrast to the dramatic gorge at Kaieteur, Orinduik is ideally suited for swimming.
Rupununi The Rupununi is a vast area of dry grasslands, with sparse trees, termite mounds and wooded hills in the Southwest of the country. The savannah is divided into the North and South Rupununi by the Kanuku Mountains; it is scattered with occasional Amerindian villages and a few large cattle ranches which date from the nineteenth century. Every year the rains flood the savannah. In many areas it is possible to move about only by boat during this season, allowing for exciting water tours of the Rupununi's beautiful forest areas.
The Kanuku Mountains The Kanuku Mountains in Southwestern Guyana rise out of the grasslands to form a stunning backdrop to the Rupununi savannah. With wind-sculpted crowns rising to just below cloud level, the range is notable for its exceptionally diverse bird and mammal species--approximately 80% of the known species of mammals in Guyana are found here. The Kanukus are bisected by the Rupununi River, one of the primary tributaries of the Essequibo.
Iwokrama Rain Forest Programme Iwokrama is located in central Guyana, between the Essequibo, Siparuni and Takutu Rivers and just north of the Rupununi savannah. Approximately 360,000 hectares of pristine rain forest have been set aside, in a pioneering effort by Guyana to demonstrate that tropical rain forests can provide social and economic benefits without compromising the ecological integrity of the forest. The town of Iwokrama is a hive of activity, as a steady stream of miners pass through on the way to their claims, which lie further in the interior.
Marshall Falls Just 35 minutes by boat from Bartica, past the ruins of the ancient Dutch Fort of Kyk-Over-Al and up the Cuyuni River, are the picturesque Marshall Falls. At the falls, visitors can bathe in a natural Jacuzzi created by the tumbling waters, talk with the locals in the nearby bush camp, or take a stroll through the surrounding rainforest. Gold dredges can sometimes be seen working in the area.
Kyk-Over-Al
Once the seat of the Dutch Government of the county of Essequibo, Kyk-Over-Al was built in 1616 to guard the junction of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers. After almost four hundred years, only the ruins of this former stronghold remain, evoking something of the spirit of Guyana's early Dutch adventurers.
Shell Beach Shell Beach extends for about 90 miles along Guyana's northwestern shore, in the area between the Pomeroon and Waini Rivers. True to its name, this remarkable strand consists of uncounted numbers of tiny shells, a composition that makes it an ideal nesting site for sea turtles. Four of the world's eight sea turtle species come here each year between March and July, struggling ashore at night to dig nests among the shells, lay as many as ten dozen eggs, and return again to the water.
Currency: Guyana Dollar, but US Dollar is widely accepted. Foreign currency can be changed at banks, cambios and hotel.
Exchange: There are approximately $140 Guyanese dollars to every $1 US dollar.
Time: Guyana Standard Time. 4 hours behind GMT and 1 hour ahead of EST.
Electricity:
110 and 220 Volts
Entry Requirements: All visitors require passports. Visa are necessary with the exception of the following: Commonwealth countries, USA, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Korea.
Visitors are advised to check with the nearest embassy, consulate or travel agent.
Departure Tax: There is an additional departure tax when leaving Guyana of G$1,500.00 (approx. US$10.75) Emergency Numbers: Police: 911 , Fire: 912 , Ambulance Service: 913 Direct Dialing (collect): Canada - 161, USA - 165, U.K. - 169 Main Towns: Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam, Corriverton, Rose Hall, Anna Regina
The Land: Guyana extends over an area of 83,000 square miles (214,969 sq. km) on the northeast shoulder of the South American continent. The Atlantic Ocean stretches for 270 miles along the coast of Guyana, but the country's major thrust is southward and inland, for a distance of 450 miles. Guyana borders on Venezuela in the west, Brazil in the south, and Suriname in the east.
There are three distinct geographical areas - the coastal belt, the forested and mountainous area, and the savannah zone.
The narrow coastal belt, a thin strip only 10 to 40 miles in width (just 4 percent of the total land area), is intensively cultivated and is home to 90 percent of the population. The area actually lies several feet below sea level at high tide, having been reclaimed in order to take advantage of the enormously rich alluvial soil deposited by ocean currents from the Amazon. This coastal belt is protected from the sea by an elaborate system of dams, walls, and groynes--a system that is reminiscent of the Netherlands itself, from which Guyana's first European settlers originated.
From the coastal zone, the land rises to a plateau of dense equatorial forest and swamp. Minerals are found in the area - the most valuable being bauxite, diamonds, gold and manganese. Further inland, the forest plateau rises to the savannah country of the southwest, called the Rupununi. The sparse population of this area is predominantly Amerindian.
Guyana is graced by many mighty rivers, the three most important being the Demerara (on which is found Georgetown), the Berbice (in the South), and the Essequibo, which with its many tributaries drains the greater part of the country.
Climate: The climate in Guyana is hot but pleasant for most of the year, particularly in the coastal belt, which is cooled by the sea breeze. The average temperature ranges between 75°F and 87°F. The rainy season occurs in May and June, and then again in December and January, with an average annual rainfall of 91 inches.
History: Guyana derives its name from an Amerindian word meaning "land of many waters." The area of the Guianas, bounded by the rivers of the Orinoco in the north and west, the Rio Negro in the west, the Amazon in the South, and of course the Atlantic Ocean in the East, is believed to have been settled before 900 AD by Warrau Indians, and later by the Arawak and Carib tribes. However, there is little archaeological evidence from these times of substantial settlements.
In 1595, prompted by the great riches brought back from South America by the Spanish, Sir Walter Raleigh embarked from London on an expedition in search of the fabled city of El Dorado. Raleigh's expedition penetrated hundreds of miles up the Orinoco River into the Guiana Highlands of present-day Venezuela, where he found some mineral specimens that contained gold. Upon his return, Raleigh published The Discoveries of the Large Rich and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana, with a relation of the Great and Golden City of Manoa (which the Spaniards call El Dorado, a book that if not exactly truthful was certainly quite popular. The region quickly attracted the interest of the French, the English, and the Dutch, all of whom soon laid claim to the entire region. It was settled in separate areas by the three nations, and what is now Guyana occupies the area of the former Dutch colonies.
From 1781 onwards, British influence became increasingly evident, but it was not until 1814 that the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice were finally ceded to Britain, while the Courts of Policy and Combined Courts, the legislative and executive bodies created by the Dutch, remained in operation under British rule for another century. In 1831 the three colonies merged to become British Guiana.
The territory attained its independence on May 26, 1966 and became a Republican State on February 23, 1970.
Population: The original inhabitants of the territory were Amerindians. However, to meet the labor needs of the plantation economy, slaves were brought in large numbers during the 18th and early 19th centuries from West Africa to work on the cotton and sugar plantations. When slavery was abolished in 1834 the former slaves refused to work for their former masters, even for wages. They left the plantations and established their own village communities. Immigrants were therefore brought in to work, first from Europe (Germany, Malta and Portugal), then China, and eventually in large numbers from India. Today the country's population reflects its immigrant history with Africans, East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Europeans, and Amerindians living side by side.
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Life in Guyana is dominated by mighty rivers, including the Demerara, the Berbice and the Essequibo, which provide essential highways into the rain forests and jungles of the interior. Mankind has made little impact here, and today Guyana remains one of the world's most exciting destinations for adventuresome travel and exploration. 
The tumbling rivers and dense rainforests of Guyana are filled with extraordinary natural sights. Kaieteur Falls, where the 400-foot wide Potaro River plunges 741 feet downward from the Pakaraima Plateau, is one of the world's great waterfalls. The magnificence of Kaieteur stands beyond any comparison in its majesty and sheer size. You can also visit the striking beauty of the Orinduik Falls, the Marshall Falls, the Kaieteur Gorge and remote Mount Roraima - the inspiration for Conan Doyle's Lost World.
The vibrant character and graceful beauty of Georgetown reflects much of the city's exceptional cultural history and diversity. Designed by the Dutch (and first known as Stabroek), Guyana's capital has wide, tree-lined avenues, lily-covered canals, and many fine examples of 18th and 19th century colonial buildings. Georgetown's tropical botanical gardens, as one might expect in a country of such incredible natural beauty, are considered to be among the very best in the world. Throughout the city are colourful East Indian markets, indicative of the country's largely East Indian population. Because Georgetown lies below sea level at high tide, it is protected by an amazing masonry wall, or mole. The city is situated at the mouth of the Demerara River, one of the many rivers that flow down from the Guiana Highlands and across the coastal plain to the Atlantic.
Situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the great Essequibo, Kaieteur Falls is one of the world's natural wonders. Flowing over a flat, sandstone tableland into a deep gorge, Kaieteur has a single drop of 741 feet (the largest single drop waterfall in the world). It then plummets downward for another 101 feet for a total of 822 feet--five times the drop of Niagara. The unusual conditions created by the falls support a fascinating micro-environment, which includes some species identifiable only to this area. Lucky visitors may catch a fleeting glimpse of the Kaieteur Swifts, or Makonaima Birds. Swifts are the most rapid fliers among living creatures, a property that allows them to snatch up insects while on the wing. The Kaieteur Swifts nest under the vast shield of rock hidden behind the curtain of falling water.
Iwokrama is located in central Guyana, between the Essequibo, Siparuni and Takutu Rivers and just north of the Rupununi savannah. Approximately 360,000 hectares of pristine rain forest have been set aside, in a pioneering effort by Guyana to demonstrate that tropical rain forests can provide social and economic benefits without compromising the ecological integrity of the forest. The town of Iwokrama is a hive of activity, as a steady stream of miners pass through on the way to their claims, which lie further in the interior.
Capital:
All visitors require passports. Visa are necessary with the exception of the following: Commonwealth countries, USA, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Korea.
From the coastal zone, the land rises to a plateau of dense equatorial forest and swamp. Minerals are found in the area - the most valuable being bauxite, diamonds, gold and manganese. Further inland, the forest plateau rises to the savannah country of the southwest, called the Rupununi. The sparse population of this area is predominantly Amerindian.
In 1595, prompted by the great riches brought back from South America by the Spanish, Sir Walter Raleigh embarked from London on an expedition in search of the fabled city of El Dorado. Raleigh's expedition penetrated hundreds of miles up the Orinoco River into the Guiana Highlands of present-day Venezuela, where he found some mineral specimens that contained gold. Upon his return, Raleigh published The Discoveries of the Large Rich and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana, with a relation of the Great and Golden City of Manoa (which the Spaniards call El Dorado, a book that if not exactly truthful was certainly quite popular. The region quickly attracted the interest of the French, the English, and the Dutch, all of whom soon laid claim to the entire region. It was settled in separate areas by the three nations, and what is now Guyana occupies the area of the former Dutch colonies.
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