Explore Guyana

Demerara Harbour Bridge

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Demerara Harbour Bridge toll booth on the East Bank

The Demerara Harbour Bridge is a 6,074-foot (1,851 m) long floating toll bridge. It was commissioned on 2 July 1978. The bridge crosses the Demerara River 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the Guyanese capital Georgetown, from Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara to Schoon Ord, West Bank Demerara. There is a pedestrian footwalk. A raised section lets small vessels pass under. A retractor span lets large vessels pass. Construction of the Demerara Harbour Bridge began on 29 May 1976. Construction assistance was provided by the British Government. Toll is collected only in one direction of travel even though the bridge handles one lane of traffic in each direction. Toll slips are collected at the West Bank side after crossing from the East but traffic going west to east pays no toll.

The bridge is approximately 1.25 miles (2.01 km) long and has 61 spans. A high-level span provides a horizontal clearance of 32.0 metres (105 ft) and a vertical clearance of 7.9 metres (26 ft) to let small craft pass at all times. To let large craft pass, two retractor spans retract fully to leave a horizontal clearance of 77.4 metres (254 ft).

Scenes from Timberhead

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Scenes from Timberhead

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Resorts

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Timberhead Rainforest Lodge, a true rainforest experience with accommodations in native-built long houses on stilts, sleep under insect net canopies, candlelit gourmet meals served open-air under the trees or in the comfortable lodge, and visits to a nearby Amerindian village "Santa Mission", all an incredibly short eight miles away from Georgetown's international airport. VIP guests in recent years have been Queen Elizabeth and former president of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter. You can read this and other stories at: http://www.travellady.com/articles/article-guyana.html

Timberhead Rain Forest Resort, Guyana
Whenever you're visiting Guyana on vacation or on business then you must make your visit complete by visiting Guyana's number one tourism attraction, the Timberhead Rainforest Resort. Your trip to Timberhead Rainforest Resort will take you along the Kamuni River where overhanging vegetation has stained the water a deep black colour and the chill air is relieved by intermittent bursts of sunlight. You enter the Pokerero Creek and the Amerindian reserve of Santa, called Santa Mission.

Our river trip starts from the Prairie Hotel which is located 15 miles from Georgetown, from here our visitors are fitted with life vests and our trained Captains takes special care to ensure the complete safety of everyone on board. A 25 minutes river ride bring you to the start of the Kamuni River and then into the Pokerero Creek and onto the Timberhead Rainforest Resort

Timberhead is found within this reserve, sited on a sandy hill overlooking the savannah and the Pokerero Creek, and ringed by rainforest. The three native jungle lodges are spaced among the trees, each one handcrafted from local timber, and featuring traditional Troolie Palm thatched roofs.

Each lodge has been designed to make the most of the breeze from across the savannah and the incredible views. The lodges have double or twin bedrooms, where you can lie at night atop crisp white linen and look out across the creek. All lodges have full bathroom facilities with fresh running water.

The activities at Timberhead are numerous and include jungle walks on miles of well marked trails. Guides are available or the more adventurous can explore alone. The lodges are surrounded by small creeks which are fun to explore, especially at night, canoeing to spot Caiman and see the nocturnal water lilies. The locations is also famous amongst bird watchers, who have recorded over two hundred different species in the surrounding habitat.

Other activities include swimming in the black water creek, volleyball, badminton and fishing. A short trip from the Timberhead Rain Forest Resort is Santa Mission, an Amerindian village where you can see local handicraft and experience village life.

Timberhead Rainforest Resort is of special interest to bird watchers and one can expect to see hundreds of species simply by sitting anywhere on the Timberhead compound. Just recently the rare Red Siskin bird was rediscovered living in large numbers in Guyana, the exact location is not being disclosed for fear of endangering the Siskins.

Timberhead Rainforest Resort, as natural as Mother Nature intended, simply breathtaking.

Environment and biodiversity

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The following habitats have been categorised for Guyana: coastal, marine, littoral, estuarine palustrine, mangrove, riverine, lacustrine, swamp, savanna, white sand forest, brown sand forest, montane, cloud forest, moist lowland and dry evergreen scrub forests (NBAP, 1999). About 14 areas of biological interest have been identified as possible hotspots for a National Protected Area System.
More than 80% of Guyana is still covered by forests, ranging from dry evergreen and seasonal forests to montane and lowland evergreen rain forests. These forests are home to more than a thousand species of trees. Guyana's tropical climate, unique geology, and relatively pristine ecosystems support extensive areas of species-rich rain forests and natural habitats with high levels of endemism. Approximately eight thousand species of plants occur in Guyana, half of which are found nowhere else.
Guyana is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. Guyana, with 1,168 vertebrate species, 1,600 bird species, boasts one of the richest mammalian fauna assemblages of any comparably sized area in the world. The Guiana Shield region is little known and extremely rich biologically. Unlike other areas of South America, over 70% of the natural habitat remains pristine.
The rich natural history of British Guiana was described by early explorers Sir Walter Raleigh and Charles Waterton and later by naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell.
In February 2004, the Government of Guyana issued a title to more than 1 million acres of land in the Konashen Indigenous District declaring this land as the Konashen Community-Owned Conservation Area (COCA), to be managed by the Wai Wai. In doing so Guyana created the world's largest Community-Owned Conservation Area.^[20]
This important event followed a request made by the Wai Wai community to the government of Guyana and Conservation International Guyana (CIG) for assistance in developing a sustainable plan for their lands in Konashen. The three parties signed a Memorandum of Cooperation which outlines a plan for sustainable use of the Konashen COCA’s biological resources, identifies threats to the area’s biodiversity, and helps develop projects to increase awareness of the COCA as well as generate the income necessary to maintain its protected status.

A Golden Frog (Kaieteur), that only lives in the Guianas

The Hoatzin the national bird of Guyana.

The Konashen Indigenous District of Southern Guyana houses the headwaters of the Essequibo River, Guyana’s principal water source, and drains the Kassikaityu, Kamoa, Sipu and Chodikar rivers. Southern Guyana is host to some of the most pristine expanses of evergreen forests in the northern part of South America. Most of the forests found here are tall, evergreen hill-land and lower montane forests, with large expanses of flooded forest along major rivers. Thanks to the very low human population density of the area, most of these forests are still intact. The Smithsonian Institution has identified nearly 2,700 species of plants from this region, representing 239 distinct families, and there are certainly additional species still to be recorded.
Such incredible diversity of plants supports even more impressive diversity of animal life, recently documented by a biological survey organised by Conservation International. The clean, unpolluted waters of the Essequibo watershed support a remarkable diversity of fish and aquatic invertebrates, and are home to giant river otters, capybaras, and several species of caimans.
On land, large mammals, such as jaguars, tapirs, bush dogs, giant anteaters, and saki monkeys are still common. Over 400 species of birds have been reported from the region, and the reptile and amphibian faunas are similarly rich. The Konashen COCA forests are also home to countless species of insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates, many of which are still undiscovered and unnamed.
The Konashen COCA is relatively unique in that it contains a high level of biological diversity and richness that remains in nearly pristine condition; such places have become rare on earth. This fact has given rise to various non-exploitative, environmentally sustainable industries such as ecotourism, successfully capitalizing on the biological wealth of the Konashen COCA with comparatively little enduring impact.

[edit] World Heritage Site status

Among many other mammals, Guyanese jungles are home to the jaguar.

Many countries interested in the conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage sites of the world accede to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. Guyana signed the treaty in 1977, the first Caribbean State Party to do so. In the mid-1990s, Guyana seriously began the process of selecting sites for World Heritage nomination, and three sites were considered: Kaieteur National Park, Shell Beach and Historic Georgetown. By 1997, work on Kaieteur National Park was started, and in 1998 work on Historic Georgetown was begun. To date, however, Guyana has not made a successful nomination.
Guyana submitted the Kaieteur National Park, including the Kaieteur Falls, to UNESCO as its first World Heritage Site nomination. The proposed area and surrounds have some of Guyana's most diversified life zones with one of the highest levels of endemic species found anywhere in South America. The Kaieteur Falls is the most spectacular feature of the park, falling a distance of 226 metres. The nomination of Kaieteur Park as a World Heritage Site was not successful, primarily because the area was seen by the evaluators as being too small, especially when compared with the Central Suriname Nature Reserve that had just been nominated as a World Heritage Site (2000). The dossier was thus returned to Guyana for revision.
Guyana continues in its bid for a World Heritage Site. Work continues, after a period of hiatus, on the nomination dossier for Historic Georgetown. A Tentative List indicating an intention to nominate Historic Georgetown was submitted to UNESCO in December 2004. There is now a small committee put together by the Guyana National Commission for UNESCO to complete the nomination dossier and the management plan for the site. In April 2005, two Dutch experts in conservation spent two weeks in Georgetown supervising architecture staff and students of the University of Guyana in a historic building survey of the selected area. This is part of the data collection for the nomination dossier.

Kaieteur Falls is the world's largest single drop waterfall by volume

Meanwhile, as a result of the Kaieteur National Park being considered too small, there is a proposal to prepare a nomination for a Cluster Site that will include the Kaieteur National Park, the Iwokrama Forest and the Kanuku Mountains. The Iwokrama Rain Forest, an area rich in biological diversity, has been described by Major General (Retired) Joseph Singh as “a flagship project for conservation.” The Kanuku Mountains area is in a pristine state and is home to more than four hundred species of birds and other animals.
There is much work to be done for the successful nomination of these sites to the World Heritage List. The state, the private sector and the ordinary Guyanese citizens each have a role to play in this process and in the later protection of the sites. Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage will open Guyana to more serious tourists thereby assisting in its economic development.
Guyana exhibits two of the World Wildlife Fund's Global 200 eco-regions most crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity, Guianan moist forests and Guiana Highlands moist forests and is home to several endemic species including the tropical hardwood Greenheart.

Geography of Guyana

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Guyana can be divided into five natural regions; a narrow and fertile marshy plain along the Atlantic coast (low coastal plain) where most of the population lives; a white sand belt more inland (hilly sand and clay region), containing most of Guyana's mineral deposits; the dense rain forests (Forested Highland Region) in the middle of the country; the grassy savannah in the southern west; and the larger interior highlands (interior savannah) consisting mostly of mountains that gradually rise to the Brazilian border.

Some of Guyana's highest mountains are Mount Ayanganna (2,042 metres / 6,699 feet), Monte Caburaí (1,465 metres / 4,806 feet) and Mount Roraima (2,835 metres / 9,301 feet — the highest mountain in Guyana) on the Brazil-Guyana-Venezuela tripoint border, part of the Pakaraima range. Mount Roraima and Guyana's table-top mountains (tepuis) are said to have been the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 novel The Lost World. There are also many steep escarpments and waterfalls, including Kaieteur Falls. Between the Rupununi River and the border with Brazil lies the Rupununi savannah, south of which lie the Kanuku Mountains.

Rupununi SavannahThe four longest rivers are the Essequibo at 1,010 kilometres (628 mi) long, the Courantyne River at 724 kilometres (450 mi), the Berbice at 595 kilometres (370 mi), and the Demerara at 346 kilometres (215 mi). The Courantyne river forms the border with Suriname. At the mouth of the Essequibo are several large islands, including the 145 km (90 mi) wide Shell Beach lies along the northwest coast, which is also a major breeding area for sea turtles (mainly Leatherbacks) and other wildlife.

The local climate is tropical and generally hot and humid, though moderated by northeast trade winds along the coast. There are two rainy seasons, the first from May to mid-August, the second from mid-November to mid-January.

Guyana has one of the largest unspoiled rainforests in South America, some parts of which are almost inaccessible by humans. The rich natural history of Guyana was described by early explorers Sir Walter Raleigh and Charles Waterton and later by naturalists Sir David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell. In 2008, the BBC ran a three-part programme called Lost Land of the Jaguar which highlighted the huge diversity of wildlife, including undiscovered species and rare species such as the giant otter and harpy eagle.

Mountains

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The Guiana Shield is formed some two billion years ago during the precambrian period. The shield is covered with 2.5 million km sq of tropical forest.The massive granite craton underlying the Guyana Shield are covered with sandstones, quartzite, shales, conglomerates and boulder beds. The Guyana shield is the world's largest remaining tract of mostly undisturbed and unexplored tropical rainforest and is one of the only four such remaining forest in the world.

Mount Roraima Is the most famous Tepui in the World. Over 1,700 million years old, this ancient formation s one of the most acclaimed sights in South America forming a tripartite border between Guyana, Venezuela and Brazil. For hundreds of years this ancient flat-topped mountain formation inspired travelers - tales and rumors abounded concerning the mysterious, inaccessible summit above the clouds.

Mount Roraima is the highest point in Guyana with a plateau standing at 2700m. Forming part of the ancient Guiana Shield, Mt. Roraima was once part of Gondwanaland before tectonic activity moved apart the continents of Africa and South America. The lunar-like surface is home to many unique flora speacies which huddles for shelter in pockets on the exposed, windswept plateau. Amazing rock formations have been carved by wind and water, and the ground is uneven and rocky with frequent crystal clear pools of excruciatingly cold water (good for the circulation apparently!) There are crystal beds that contain large, individual crystals in interesting shapes, and stunning views.

Mt. Roraima has made a deep impression on western literature and thought, influencing such men as Charles Darwin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After the publication of Darwin's 'Origin of Species' there was great public interest in 'missing links' and 'relic species' preserved by isolation. Roraima's mysterious summit was an excellent possibility for an area at evolutionary standstill and the last place on earth where dinosaurs could exist. Conan Doyle, fascinated by the descriptions of early explorers such as Im Thurm, wrote in 1912 what is considered to be one of the best science fiction novels ever written - "The Lost World."

Kanuku Mountains

The Kanuku Mountains – recognized by Conservation International as being one of the few remaining pristine Amazon habitats - is located in southwestern Guyana. This picturesque mountain range forms a spectacular backdrop to the Rupununi Savannahs with its sculptured crowns peaking just below the clouds.

The range, divided by the Rupununi River, is noted for its high diversity of bird and animal species, with approximately 80% of the known mammal species of Guyana being recorded. With little or no human settlement on the eastern range, the area is still pristine and is perfect for the nature and adventure traveler to experience the diversity of the tropical ecosystems.

A trip down the enchanting Rupununi River provides you with the opportunity to see Black and Spectacled Caiman, Puma, Tapir and Giant River Otters. Explore forest trails that lead into the virgin Kanuku Mountains in search of the Harpy Eagle, the Cock of the Rock, Cotingas, Three-toe Sloth, Tyra and many more exotic animals.

The Pakaraima Mountains

The Pakaraima Mountains are found in central and western Guyana along the Venezuela/Brazil border. This mountain range covers a distance of roughly 500 miles, is part of the Guyana Shield and populated with many tepuis, or flat-topped mountians.

Natural

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Guyana is South America's little-known curiosity that lies between Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela. It is a country the size of Britton and covers an area of 83,000 square miles.
Guyana has three distinct Geographical zones: the coastal belt, the forested and mountainous regions and the savannas.
The coastal belt accounts for 4% of the land mass in Guyana where 90% of the country's population is found.From the coast, the landscape rises to the mountain ranges and high plateaux, an area rich in minerals that spawned the age-old belief that Guyana is the site of El Dorado, 'the lost city of gold'. Further south are the savannas, the North and South Rupununi.
Guyana, an Amerindian word meaning 'Land of Many Waters' has numerous rivers and waterways. The three main rivers are Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. The Essequibo River is South America's third-largest with a mouth of 20 miles long and runs the entire lenght of Guyana. All three of the rivers spills into the Atlantic which stretches for 270 miles along Northern Guyana.
Guyana is an amazing country with Natural beauty, but you have to be there to see, enjoy, explore and experience it for yourself.

Park, Zoo & Gardens

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Botanical Garden

No trip to Georgetown would be complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens houses one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean and are laid out with ponds, canals, kissing bridges and a bandstand.

Promenade Garden
The Promenade Garden, with its main entrance on Middle Street, occupies one city block. The area was once used as a public display for hanging the slaves associated with the 1823 East Coast rebellion. Prominent fixtures in the garden include a bandstand and the Mahatma Gandhi Monument. The bandstand is the oldest of three in the city and was completed in 1897.

The National Park
The National Park, formerly occupied by the Demerara Golf Club since 1923 was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II National Park in 1965 in honour of the Queen's visit to Guyana. On Guyana's attainment of independence it was became known as the National Park.On 26 May 1966 the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted and the Union Jack lowered marking the birth of Guyana. This park is utilized for cultural, educational and recreational activities and is maintained by The National Parks Commission under the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Zoological Park
Over 100 species of wildlife can be observed at the Zoo including a wide variety of tropical fishes and birds.
The Guyana Zoo houses approximately 30 species (or kinds) of mammals, 40 species of birds, 15 species of reptiles and 20 species of fish. Some exciting representatives of these groups include the following species:

Mammals: jaguars, pumas, tapirs, giant otter, white faced saki monkeys, capuchin monkeys, a tayra, a family of two-toed sloths, and manatees.
Birds: eagles and hawks (raptors), parrots, toucans and owls.
Reptiles: rattlesnakes, spectacled caiman, anacondas, matamata turtle, and emerald tree boa.

Some endangered species (animals with low population numbers in the wild) can also be found at the zoo. For example, we have four harpy eagles, three jaguars, a giant otter and West Indian manatees.

Museums

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Georgetown hosts the majority of museums in Guyana. Each of which showcases a different aspect of Guyana’s historical remnants.

The Guyana National Museum
The Guyana National Museum is located on North Road in a building complex which opened in 1951. The Museum's collections were housed previously in the Carneige Building. The Guyana National Museum in Georgetown has a collection of flora and fauna, precious stones found in our land formation, archaeological findings, and examples of Amerindian arts and crafts. This museum is the largest and house most of our general artifacts.

Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, the first museum of anthropology in the English-speaking Caribbean was founded in the year 1974 with the collections of Guyanese Archaeologist, Dr. Denis Williams.
An ethnographic collection of the Wai Wai, one of the nine indigenous tribes found in Guyana, was presented to this Museum in 1991 by Guyanese Cultural Anthropologist, Dr. George P. Mentore. The Museum’s collections also include excavated artifacts from all of the ten Administrative Regions of Guyana.

Castellani House: the home of the National Gallery of Art
This large wooden building was designed by Cesar Castellani. It was once the residence of the Director of Agriculture in 1888. In 1965 the building was converted as the official residence by Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, then Prime Minister of British Guiana. In 1993 the inaugural collection of the Art Gallery was held.

The Museum of African Heritage
The museum was initially called The Museum of African Art and Ethnology and was founded in 1985. In 2001, the museum was renamed the Museum of African Heritage, in order to open their doors to a wider audience and begin to fully address the African experience in Guyana. The existing collection includes items on African Art, mostly West African, from the wooden mask to the carved door of secret societies, helping to educate people about the meaning and reasons behind African art traditions. Also in the collection are more practical pieces like the brass weights used for measuring gold dust, drums, musical instruments, games and clothing. More recent donations include a wooden replica of the 1763 Monument.

John Campbell Police Museum
Uniforms, musical instruments, photographs and other police artifacts dating back to colonial times are on display.

National Military Museum
Historical artifacts such as Military weapons, uniforms, and many other equipment and items used from previous troop engagements and records are on display.

The following Museums located out of the city:

The Rupununi Weavers Society Museum at Lethem The Rupununi Weavers Society is also associated with the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology in Georgetown. This association is designed to promote and enhance awareness of Guyanese indigenous cultures. To this end the society maintains a museum within its compound on the outskirts of Lethem. The museum houses Amerindian artifacts and antiquities, as well as archival materials and other intellectual resources

The Guyana Heritage Museum
Irons, enamel lunch carriers, ice-shavers, three-legged iron pots, 18th and 19th century maps, coins and stamps, other artifacts and an impressive collection of books by Guyanese authors awaken a sense of nostalgia. It was obvious that the collection of these artifacts at the Guyana Heritage Museum, situated at Kastev, West Coast Demerara was as a result of love for one's country, dedication and hard work over a number of years.

The Philatelic Museum, A branch of the Guyana Post Office was established in 1860 and was closed in 1962 when the Post Office Training School was opened. The building is located on Lamaha and Carmicheal Street, Cummingsburg, currently houses an Internet Cafe and Post Office operated by the Guyana Post Office Corporation.

Natural

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Sports

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Cricket lovely Cricket! One cannot miss out on Guyana’s national sport without participating in a game of cricket while in Guyana.
You can enjoy international test matches at the Providence National Stadium, local club matches at various cricket club venues such as the Everest Cricket Club, Bourda Cricket Club and The Georgetown Cricket Club, or the most exciting friendly competition played in open fields, parks or streets.
Cricket which was handed down to the Caribbean region by the British in the past centuries have grown tremendously over the years. Some of the worlds cricketing legends such as Basil Butcher, Lance Gibbs, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kalicharran, Colin Croft, Roger Harper, Clive Lloyd, Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan are all Guyanese and continue to make Guyana National game exciting.
Guyana is home to motor racing in the region with over 50 years in the motor racing sport. Today the South Dakota Circuit is the main venue for all international, regional and local races for cars, bikes and go karts racing. Countries from the USA, Canada, Caribbean and Suriname come to Guyana to be crushed by Guyana’s top Racers such as Mark Veira, Andrew King, Ryan Rahaman, Jad Rahaman, Andre Morgan and Stefan Jeffery in the race of Champions and international races.
Football commonly known as soccer is another of Guyana’s favorite sport. There are tournaments such as the Kashif & Shanghai Tournament, Digicel League and the GT&T League which throughout the year pulling local, regional, and international footballers to Guyana .On Friday nights, football fans flock venues to watch their teams compete. Football is also being played in a frenzy atmosphere on weekends in the streets, community centers, and parks in Guyana.

Rugby, perceived to be one of the roughest sports in Guyana . Players and spectators alike look forward to the yearly international competition that involved players from all across the region and Latin America to compete in the male and female league.

The horse racing association pulls off one of the most exciting sporting event in Guyana which attracts jockeys, horses and fans from all across the country to participate in the ‘sport of the kings’. Popular race tracks such as Georgetown Turf , Kennard Memorial Turf , Port Mourant and Rising Sun Turf are known to create exciting experience at horse racing time. A day at the races is always a fun filled day with onlookers shouting and screaming in support of thier favourite horse and jockey. Owners, punters,families and friends party all day as the atmosphere is being charged with many races. It could be a lucky day for you while having a good time.

Getting around while in Guyna

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Guyana’s capital city, Georgetown was named after the British conquered the Dutch in 1812. The name originates from Fort St. George which was established at the mouth of the Demerara River as a signal station for the purpose of observing and controlling incoming and outgoing traffic.
Like all capitals, the city is the centre of government administration and a wide range of economic activity. Most of the streets of Georgetown are laid out in almost perfect rectangles, a legacy of our Dutch heritage. This design therefore makes it relatively easy for the stranger to wend his/her way around town.
The larger concentration of commercial houses is found 'downtown'. This area is bounded by Camp Street in the east and by Water Street in the west with Lamaha Street and Brickdam being the northern and southern extremities respectively.
BY ROAD

Georgetown is well served with taxis, which operate throughout the city and to other urban centres. Taxis are easy to find outside most hotels and throughout Georgetown. There are fixed fares for most distances; enquire before embarking upon travel. Private taxis are easily arranged through your local hotel or by calling one of the numerous taxis services.
Taxis Services Rentals
Transportation around the city is provided by privately owned mini buses which operate in allocated zones for which there is a well-regulated fare structure. This arrangement extends to all mini bus routes throughout the country. Taxis have freer movement around the city.
BY RIVER
While one way of travelling to East Berbice is by ferry, mainly between Rosignol and New Amsterdam, commuters to West Demerara have a choice of road transport via the Demerara Harbour Bridge or by the Demerara River ferry from the Stabroek Stelling to Vreed-en-Hoop which is obliquely opposite each other.
The highway which begins on the West Coast of Demerara is heavily trafficked since it provides a link to Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo River which has become an important centre of economic activity in the Essequibo region. For example, speed boats or other types of transportation can be hired to take passengers as far as Bartica or other hinterland resorts and back in a single day.
BY AIR
Air transportation is readily available for travelling to several parts of the hinterland, whether for business or for pleasure. Several local airlines depart from Ogle Aerodome on the East Coast of Demerara and from Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. Information on their availability and movement is easily obtainable from their office and from tour operators. For more information click on the airline of choice:
Local Airline Operators :
Roraima Airlines
Trans Guyana Airlines
Air Services

Quick Facts about Guyana

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The Name "Guyana" originated from the Country's indigenous Amerindian people and is translated as "the land of many waters."Capital : Georgetown
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Suriname and Venezuela. Latitude between 10 degrees and 90 degrees and Longitude between 57 degrees and 61 degrees.
Area: 215,000 sq km (Land: 196,850 sq km, Water: 18,150 sq km)
Geography: the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay. The country has four distinct geographical areas: the low flat coastal plain; the hilly sand and clay belt; the high land region and the interior savannah.
Climate: Tropical, pleasant and warm for most of the year, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to June, November to January). Average temperatures 24 degrees Celcius – 31 degrees Celcius.
Political Status: Independent Nation since 26 May 1966 (from UK)
Population: Guyana’s population is approximately 770,794
Ethnic groups: East Indian, Africans, Amerindian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Mixed
Language: English, Creole, Amerindian dialects, Caribbean Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Urdu
Religion: Christian, Hindu, Muslim,Others
Counties: Essequibo,Demerara and Berbice.
Administrative Divisions:
Region 1 - Barima-Waini.
Region 2 - Pomeroon-Supenaam.
Region 3 - Essequibo Islands-West Demerara.
Region 4 - Demerara-Mahaica.
Region 5 - Mahaica-Berbice.
Region 6 - East Berbice-Corentyne.
Region 7 - Cuyuni-Mazaruni.
Region 8 - Potaro-Siparuni.
Region 9 - Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo.
Region 10 - Upper Demerara-Berbice.
Natural Resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Agriculture Products: sugarcane, rice, shrimp, fish, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products.
Exports: sugar, gold, bauxite, alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Communications:
Telephone: domestic and long-distance service, international country code - 592.
Cellular Services: GT&T and Digicel are the two cell service providers in Guyana supporting a wide range of services including international roaming, web browsing, blackberry etc.
Internet Services: DSL Broadband, Dial-up. Services available at numerous internet cafes and Hotels. GT&T Hot Spots are free services.
Time Zone: 4 hours behind GMT, 1 hour ahead of EST.
Clothing: Lightweight, causal clothing can be worn throughout the year.
Voltage: 110v in Georgetown; 220v in other places, 50/60 cycles.
Shopping Hours: 8:00 to 17:00 hours (Monday-Friday, noon Saturday)
Security: Exercise the same precautions as you would in any other city.
Emergency Numbers: 911-Police, 912- Fire, 913- Ambulance.
International Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
International Partners : ACP, C, Caricom, CDB,CIDA, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO.
Taxes: Value Added Taxes (VAT) is charged at 16% to goods and services, however, many items are either zero rated or exempt. The prices displayed on shelves usually include this tax, unless stated otherwise. Business charging VAT should display their Certificate of Registration.
Banking: All Banks are opened from Monday to Friday at 8:00 hrs to 14:00 hrs. ATM machines are accessible on a 24 hrs basis. The commercial banks are Scotiabank, Rebublic Bank, GBTI, NBS, Demerara Bank, Citizens Bank, Baroda Bank.
Currency: Guyana Dollars ($GYD), US, CDN, Sterling or other foreign currency are widely accepted and can be exchanged at banks and cambios.
Driving: Driving and riding are done in the left lane. Before you start enjoying the fun of driving in Guyana, you must stop by the Inland Revenue Department - License Revenue Division, Smyth & Princess Streets, Georgetown (Telephone number (592) 223 5501 (592) 223 5501) for a 30-Day Permit to drive. Be sure to walk with your valid driver's license or an international driver's license. In Guyana it is an offence to drive without your seat belt. Transportation:
By River - by speed boats (seat capacity +12), ferry service (Berbice, Essequibo and North West)
By Air - by aircrafts to all major airstrips in Guyana.
By Land - by taxis, minibus, vans and trucks to most places in Guyana.

Wild life of Guyana

2009-05-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

Hope you enjoy some of our great wildlife shots.

Ashley Holland holding a Red Pacu caught in the pool below the drop of Corona Falls. On the rock beside him is a monkey petroglyph. Dozens of similar rock carvings can be found on the rocks around the falls. Corona Falls is a truly special place, rich in animal and bird life, sport fishing, plants and natural beauty.

Capybaras are the largest rodent in the world, and are common in the Rewa and the Rupununi Rivers. They can be seen along the river banks, foraging in the grass in small family groups. Capybaras are also a major food source for Jaguars.

Anaconda:. This big guy one was spotted sleeping on some rocks in the upper Rewa. When anacondas are asleep like this they can be safely approached from behind, for closer viewing. Also seen anaconda below Corona Falls in the lower R ewa River.

This shot was taken at Sea Wall camp on the last day in the Rewa River; after a 7 week trip and 10 jaguar sightings. This name of the camp refers to the strange rock formation along the bank which resembles the wall built as a sea defense in Georgetown. From left to right are Ashley Holland (guide), Jose (local assistant), Gordon Duncan (repeat guest), and Joe (local assistant).

Tiger Fish (Pseudoplatystoma spp.) as they are locally called are well known for their fighting spirit and endurance. These big catfish will strike at spoons rattle baits, fish bait and even the occasional fly. This one was caught by Samantha James in "Fish Pond" in the Rewa River. It weighed 35 lbs and was around 3.5 feet long.

Things to do and see

2009-05-07T20:13:00.000-04:00

Guyana offers the visitors a truly unique experience with nature; the heartland provides an experience with raw, rugged nature that is an ideal complement to the more traditional tourism fare of the Caribbean. Blue waters turn to brown as one approaches the Guyanan coastline, and brown waters assume darker hues as you journey inward along the rivers and creeks. Black waters have their own dark, brooding serenity, even as blue waters have a gaiety and beauty all their own.
Black waters are an important part of the tourist discovery of Guyana. Kaieteur, Orinduik, Andu and Great Falls are all part of the majestic chain of cascades that have enchanted and mystified explorers, travelers and tourists from as early as the nineteenth century. Kaieteur, for example, has generated in travelers feeling akin to mystic awe and reverence. Its beauty has been described as distant and inaccessible. Orinduik, on the other hand, has been regarded as the more 'accessible' of the two falls, a natural jacuzzi for the adventurous traveler.Nature Resorts and Ranches
Your trip of discovery does not end at the Mighty Falls! Guyana boasts a number of nature resorts where an intimate experience with nature can be had for as long as you wish. Emerald Tower rainforest Lodge on the Madewini Creek is ideal for those who do not wish to make a very distant interior journey, far away from Georgetown.
But its nearness to the city does not in any way diminish the element of adventure at Emerald Tower. A relaxing boat ride along the Kamuni Creek will take you to the sands of Timberhead Eco-Resort. The resort comprises three jungle lodges on a forested area, the Nature Trails of which are not to be missed!
Shanklands on the Essequibo river beckons the traveler in quest of serene solitudes. The white colonial style gingerbread cottages sit regally upon a cliff overlooking the mighty Essequibo river. There is rich birdlife in the forest aback Skanklands. Beyond Shanklands there lies the Gazebo on Kaow Island.....the natural place to be! Experience the Sunset Suite, set on the edge of the jungle, ten feet above, and lording over, the jungle.
Much, much farther away, leaving the river behind and entering the North Rupununi, stands Rock View Ecotourism Resort - a graceful old ranch built in the 1950s. Rock View is in Annai where the savannah ends and the cattle trail begins. If your urge is for a real ranch style vacation, with daredevil vaqueros, horse racing and roping, then a visit to the Dadanawa ranch, deep in the Southern Rupununi, is a must.
Dadanawa is the largest ranch in Guyana, established in 1906. Some even consider Dadanawa the largest ranch in the world. Karanambu can be found where the grassland, swamp and forest meet.Beaches
There is no shortage of beach in Guyana. Discover Almond Beach, the only Shell Beach in the world where four of the eight species of sea turtles nest. Shell Beach is also home to the brilliant Scarlet Ibis. If you travel to Berbice, you will wish to spend time at No. 63 Beach in the Corentyne. The Essequibo, meanwhile offers the rolling Saxacalli Beach to tempt your fancy. Historical Sites
For a more historical flavour your discovery may prompt you to visit any of the ruins of the Dutch forts in Guyana. Fort Nasau in Berbice, Fort Island and Kyk-Over-Al in the Essequibo. Still on the Essequibo river there is the gold-mining town of Bartica, familiarly known as 'the gateway to the interior.' Bartica is galvanized in April, the month of the famous Bartica regatta.
Santa Mission is an Amerindian village where visitors can purchase authentic and high-quality handicraft made by the villagers themselves. Our experienced tour guides will assist you in making your plans.
And then there is Georgetown, with so much to offer......
With so much travel your journey of discovery will have acquainted you with the immense and diverse beauty that is Guyana. Before you leave, however, you may wish to enjoy an education in trees at the Guyana Forestry Commission's Yarwkabra Nature Trail, where skilled and knowledgeable guides will explain the fascinating culture of different species of trees.
Guyana is yours to rediscover!

Guyana land of many waters

2009-05-06T20:32:00.000-04:00

Located in northern South America, Guyana is the continent’s only English-speaking nation. With the Atlantic Ocean at its northern coastline, the country is bordered by Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname.
Guyana has a range of ecosystems and landscapes which include four mountain ranges, 275 waterfalls, eighteen lakes and vast areas of tropical rainforest, much of which remains untouched.
The interior is renowned for its spectacular waterfalls, distinctively large plants and trees and a thick tropical rainforest teeming with brilliantly-coloured birds, insects and a wide variety of mammals.

Guyana, set in a natural tropical wilderness, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. On the northeast corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches from its 270 mile long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad Savannah of the Rupununi.
Dominated by mighty rivers which provide essential highways into the rainforest and jungles of the interior, where man has made little impact, Guyana is waiting to be explored.
The picturesque capital and port of Georgetown, with its modern hotels and traditional wooden buildings lining broad boulevards, stands guard over the Demerara River. The striking architecture reminds us of its strong 18th and 19th century Dutch and British history and is a fascinating introduction to the land of Guyana. Don't miss St. George's Cathedral, reputed to be the world's tallest wooden building.
Setting out to explore the natural beauty of the interior by boat, light aircraft or 4 x 4, you encounter the extraordinary natural heritage of Guyana spreading out like a tropical carpet. See jaguar roaming freely in the rainforest and listen to the unearthly cry of howler monkeys echoing through the trees. To discover the beauty of Guyana is to glimpse the flashes of scarlet, yellow and blue as macaws fly like arrows across a clearing in the forest canopy, and toucans and the awesome Harpy Eagle swoop through the trees. These are a few of the more than 700 species of birds that are indigenous to Guyana.
In Guyana, nature has supplied the beauty, man has supplied the means to explore. The natural wonder of the Kaieteur Falls, where the 400 foot wide Potaro River plunges over the Pakaraima Plateau in a stunning 740 foot single drop, is one of the world's great waterfalls. Discover the 90 mile-long Shell Beach where four species of turtle, including the endangered Oliver Ridley, crawl awkwardly up the beach to to lay their eggs in the warm sands, by the light of the tropical moon. An experience never to be forgotten by the human watcher.