My adventure in the Guyana started from Lethem, a city in the border with Brazil. There is not much to do or see in this place, so in case you don’t want to travel overland all the way to the capital, flying into Georgetown is a good option.
There are two main attractions in the country, Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single drop waterfall by the volume of water flowing over it and the capital Georgetown.
Kaieteur Falls (2 days)
To visit Kaieteur Falls you can either take a 45 minutes flight from the capital and return overland or book a complete tour for around 150 USD. Located on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park, it sits in a section of the Amazon rainforest .
Georgetown – Guyana (5 days)
The capital of Guyana, Georgetown is a melting pot of Amerindians and Afro-descendents. The beautiful english architecture and a vibrant market brings personality to the city. People speak an English with a very strong accent. Spending 5 days in Georgetown is a good time to feel the city and see the main sights.
If you are looking for accommodation, the best place to stay is in the city center.
If the day you arrive is not a Sunday, start visiting the Stabroek market, build in 1881 may be the oldest structure still in use in the city. This market houses a wide variety of items for sale (fruits, hammocks, jewelry, fishes, bags, and many other stuff) and covers an area of about 7,000 m2. It is possible to visit the top of the clock, but no one will tell you that. I looked for some stairs and asked in a shop if I could go up. The lady told me I should talk to the market owner in the office, located in the back of the building. I went there and after a few hours of wait they brought me up for free to have this amazing view on the city.
Behind the Stabroek market there are boats that cross to the other side of the river. They leave when full, almost every 5 minutes and have a cost of 100 GYD. There is not a lot to see on the other side but the boat trip is an experience itself.
After a busy day, save the second day to calm down in the botanical garden. It was one of the best I visited in my world trip. A big variety of trees and plenty of birdlife.
You can spend half day there and head to the Art museum in Castellani house, just adjacent to the botanical garden. The square of revolution is also an important landmark in the city and sits a few meters away.
For the third day, head back to the city center to see all the historical buildings, such as St. George’s Cathedral. This Anglican Church is one of the tallest wooden churches in the world, at a height of 43.5 metres. It is the seat of the Bishop of Guyana.
St Andrew’s Kirk inaugurated at 1818, is the oldest church from Georgetown and is a beautiful white wood building. Other main sighs include the City Hall, National Library, High Court building, Austin house, Red House, House of the president and House of the prime minister. All of them are walking distance and great to be visited in a day.
The fourth day can be spent away from the town. Hire a taxi or get into the Linden shared vans direction Splash Mint Creek. This place is a real unique experience, specially if you go on a weekend, that will be crowded of people. The Guyanese like to spend time with family swimming in creeks!
In your last day go to the costal area. Walking will take you around one hour but is easy to find vans heading that way. There is a big boardwalk with restaurants and a view on the river.
Nearby the top of the lighthouse can be visited for 200 GYD, providing you a great view on the coast.
Guyana is a special place for me because I met lovely people, including this shoe seller that wanted to gift me a pair of shoes after 2 hours chat. Completely worth a visit!
