GUYANA > LATIN AMERICA  > INDEX


Regions in Guyana: Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice, Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo.

Guyana is bordered to the east by Suriname, to the south by Brazil, to the west by Venezuela and to the north by the Atlantic Ocean.

The border with Venezuela is one that is disputed, as is the most southern part of the border with Suriname (upper Courantyne river).

Capital of Guyana: Georgetown. 


car hire, hotels, travel agencies, travel guides, transportation / traveling to guyana

links


Car Rentals

 Avis
World's second largest general-use car rental business, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services.
 Hertz

Hostels

 Holidays in the Caribbean
 Hostels in Latin-America.org

Hotels in Guyana

 All-hotels.com 
 Expedia.com

National Park

 Kaieteur National Park
Kaieteur National Park occupies a prominent position in the center of the Guyana Shield. The Guiana Highlands or Guiana Shield being roughly 2 billion years old is the earth's oldest surface. Located in north-eastern South America, it includes a large mountain plateau and rainforest system that is part of a vast watershed between the Amazon and the Orinoco rivers. Specifically, it covers 75,000 square kilometers (30, 000 square miles) and is bounded roughly by the Amazon River to the South and the Japurá-Caqueta River to the southwest, the Sierra de Chiribiquete Mountains to the West, the Orinoco and Guaviare Rivers to the northwest and the north, and the Atlantic to the East.

Tour Operator / Travel Agents
 
 Guerba World Travel Limited - Adventure Holidays & Discovery Tours
Find the best selection of culture, adventure activity, safari, overlanding and trekking holidays



 Dagron Tours
 Wilderness Explorers
Experience the best Guyana has to offer or combine one or more countries to get a real feel for South America and the Caribbean.
Soft Adventure: suitable for all ages, with easy activities, Mild Adventure: some physical effort required, suitable for most ages of reasonable fitness and Hard Adventure: reasonable to high level of fitness required, some strenuous activities and remote locations.

Travel Guides Guyana / Related Books

Guyana - Bradt Travel Guide - by Kirk Smock [ Author ]
South America's often overlooked English-speaking country lies far off the well-trodden tourist path. Guyana is the ideal destination for the discerning visitor seeking adventure. Within its vast interior, the Guiana Shield (one of the four pristine tropical rainforests left in the world) converges with the Amazon Basin, creating a unique geography composed of coastal waters, mangroves, marshes, savannas, mountains and tropical rainforests.
Bordered by Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and the Atlantic Ocean, the lively locals – a melting pot of East Indian and African descendants, peppered with Chinese, Europeans and Amerindians – create a culture decidedly more Caribbean than Latin.
Paperback: 256 pages; Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1.00 edition (February 1, 2008); Language: English;
ISBN-13: 978-1841622231

Off the Map: The Call of the Amazonian Wild 
By Dervla Murphy [ Foreword ], John Harrison
Until recent aerial surveys, the Guiana Highlands bordering Brazil were one of the few remaining unknown regions on Earth and were believed to house El Dorado and the fabled tribe of Amazon warrior women. The barrier of rapids pouring from the mountain has kept it almost unexplored. In 1950, Raymond Maufrais, a young French explorer, set off into the Amazonian jungle of the region and was never seen again. Fifty years later, inspired by Maufrais' diary, John and Heather Harrison took to the wildest and most remote tributaries of the Amazon with just a canoe and shotgun for company. They quickly have to adjust to an existence where they are dependent upon nature for food and upon each other for their sanity. With no means of contacting civilization, they are forced to realize the poignancy of Maufrais' final record. Unaided and off the map, they encounter jaguars and poisonous frogs, are threatened by malaria and almost lose their way entirely. All the while they struggle to keep their relationship intact in this most inhospitable of places.
Paperback 224 pages (November 20, 2001); Publisher: Summersdale Publishers; Language: English; ISBN: 1840242086
The Discoverie of the Large, Rich and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana 
Sir Walter Raleigh, Neil L. Whitehead (Editor)
"The Discoverie", by Walter Raleigh, narrates his expedition to South America in quest of an indigenous 'empire' in the highlands of Guiana. Military encounters with the Spanish, diplomatic encounters with native kings, and enigmatic encounters with monstrous marvels, are woven into a near-mystic quest for hidden gold. However, because of these apparently fantastical elements, this key text on the European expansion into the Americas remains poorly understood. Newly transcribed and annotated, this edition for the first time provides an anthropological commentary of the original edition of "The discoverie" and challenges existing evaluations of both Raleigh and of early travel texts more generally.
Paperback 256 pages (December 1997); Publisher: Manchester University Press; Language: English; ISBN: 0719051762

Transportation / How do I travel to British Guyana

 Georgetown Airport - Georgetown Timehri Airport

 Trans Guyana Airways - regional airline

  Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights - Flights to Guyana

 Online maps of British Guyana [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]
Surinam and the Guianas Map 
International Travel Maps
Unbound (January 1, 2003); Publisher: ITMB Publishing; ISBN: 1553414152


Links 

 Travel Insurance - online travel and holiday insurance

 Guyana Tourism Authority

 Office of the President of Guyana 
 The British High Commission, Georgetown, Guyana
 GINA Government Information Agency

 Georgetown - Capital City Guyana
Georgetown is Guyana 's capital city. It was so 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.

 Barima-Waini
 Cuyuni-Mazaruni
 Demerara-Mahaica
 East Berbice-Corentyne
 Essequibo Islands-West Demerara
 Mahaica-Berbice
 Pomeroon-Supenaam
 Potaro-Siparuni
 Upper Demerara-Berbice
 Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

 Annai - where the savannah meets the Pakaraima Mountains
 Charity
 New Amsterdam - Historic New Amsterdam
 Saxacalli
Nestled between the lush tropical rainforest and the mighty Essequibo river Saxacalli has remained relatively isolated, protected by rocks and sand banks.
The word Saxacalli means 'Kingfisher' in the Arawak language and the village was so named after the many such birds that was there at that time and can still be seen today.
The journey to Saxacalli is an enlightening experience. There are many interesting natural and cultural features along the way, premier amongst them Fort Island, which used to be the former capital of Guyana during the days of Dutch colonization.
Though a great deal is not known of Saxacalli, legends have its origin to the early days of the Dutch presence on the Essequibo river.
 Surama village - on the edge of the rainforest
Amerindian village community whose members have embraced tourism as a way to preserve their culture while bringing in much-needed income. One the edge between the savannah and the rainforest, Surama offers wonderful examples of the fauna and flora of both ecosystems.

 Coastal Plain
Four major rivers cross the coastal plain (from west to east) the Essequibo, the Demerara, the Berbice, and the Corentyne (which forms the frontier with Suriname). Only the Demerara is crossed by bridges. Elsewhere ferries must be used. At the mouth of the Essequibo River, 34 kilometres wide, are islands the size of Barbados.The lower reaches of these rivers are navigable (120 kilometres up the Demerara to Linden and 72 kilometres up the Essequibo to the mouth of the Cuyuni River); but waterfalls and rapids prevent them being used by large boats to reach the interior.
 Disputed territories
The area west of the Essequibo River, about 70 percent of the national territory is claimed by Venezuela. In the southeast, the border with Suriname is in dispute, the contentious issue being whether high or low water is the boundary (in the area of the Koeroeni and New rivers).
 Essequibo River
In the 1620s the Dutch established a permanent and successful colony on an island in the Essequibo River.
 Kaieteur Falls
Guyana is notably famous for Kaieteur Falls, which is situated on the Potaro River, where that river falls off the Pakaraima Plateau.
 Kanuku Mountains - south-western Guyana
The rise out of the grasslands and forms a backdrop to the Rupununi savannahs. Noted for it's high diversity of bird and animal species, the area is still uninhabited, pristine and perfect to experience the diversity of the tropical ecosystems.
 Rupununi Savannah
Sight Giant River Otters and Black Caiman, fish, canoe, bird watch and visit Amerindian settlements in this vast expanse of open savannah.
 Shanklands Rainforest Resort
 Shell Beach
 Wai Wai country - Guyana's most remote and traditional hunter gatherers.

 Bank of Guyana
 Botanic Gardens
No trip to Georgetown would be complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens and zoo. The Botanical Gardens houses one of the most extensive collection of tropical flora in the Caribbean and are laid out with ponds, canals, kissing bridges and bandstand. Over 100 species of Guyanese wildlife can be observed at the Zoo including a wide variety of tropical fishes and birds. The Botanic Gardens is one of Georgetown 's popular recreation parks.
 El Dorado - Sir Walter Raleigh
 Guyana Zoo in Georgetown
The zoo officially opened its doors to the public on 1st January, 1952. Even before the zoo opened, animals were already being housed on the zoo grounds. Manatees have been living in the botanical gardens ponds since 1895!
 Iwokrama 
Promoting the conservation and the sustainable and equitable use of tropical rain forests in a manner that leads to lasting ecological, economic, and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general, by undertaking research, training, and the development and dissemination of technologies.
 Karanambu Ranch - home to Diane McTurk and her otters
 Press - Guyana Chronicle
 Press - Stabroek News
 Radio - Megajams
 Sir Walter Raleigh [ 1552 - 1618 ]
  St. Georges Cathedral
Designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield and built in the 1890s, St. George's Cathedral is reputed to be one of the world's tallest wooden buildings. Its spire rises over 132 feet. The Chief Church of the Anglican Diocese is found in the heart of Georgetown. The story of the Cathedral is told in the interior on tablets and memorials.
 Stabroek Market - Historic Stabroek
 University - University Of Guyana

Cuisine - Guyana cooking

Guyana's cuisine shows diverse ethnic influences. East Indian flavors, Chinese food, and creole cuisine influenced Guyanese cooking. Enjoy spicy pepperpot stew, perhaps made with iguana or watrash, cook-up rice, curries, cow-heel soup and seafood dishes. 

 Guyana Online
 Guyana For The Gourmet Traveler
Popular Foods & National Cuisine [ Curry, Roti, Seafood ], Popular Beverages & National Drinks [ Rum ], Best Dining Destinations [ Georgetown ]

History of Guyana

Independence from the UK : May 26, 1966

Guiana" was the name given the area sighted by Columbus in 1498, comprising modern Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and parts of Brazil and Venezuela. The Dutch settled in Guyana in the late 16th century, when the Amerindians welcomed them as trading partners. However, colonial government and exploitation of the Amerindians - and later of African slaves - followed. Interrupted briefly by the French and British, Dutch control ended when the British became the de facto rulers in 1796. In 1815, the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice were officially ceded to Great Britain at the Congress of Vienna and, in 1831, were consolidated as British Guiana. See for more Guyana Online.

 Guyana's History - Wikipedia
The Dutch settled in Guyana in the late 16th century, but their control ended when the British became the de facto rulers in 1796. The colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice were officially ceded to the United Kingdom in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 and at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In 1831 they were consolidated as British Guiana.
Masters of All They Surveyed: Exploration, Geography, and a British El Dorado 
D. Graham Burnett
Chronicling the British pursuit of the legendary El Dorado, this text tells the story of geography, cartography, and scientific exploration in Britain's South American colony, Guyana. How did 19th-century Europeans turn areas they called terra incognita into bounded colonial territories? How did a tender-footed gentleman, predisposed to seasickness (and unable to swim), make his way up churning rivers into thick jungle, arid savanna, and forbidding mountain ranges, survive for the better part of a decade, and emerge with a map? What did that map mean? In answering these questions, D. Graham Burnett brings to light the work of several such explorers, particularly Sir Robert H. Schomburgk, the man who claimed to be the first to reach the site of Ralegh's El Dorado. Commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society and later by the British Crown, Schomburgk explored and mapped regions in modern Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana, always in close contact with Amerindian communities. Drawing heavily on the maps, reports, and letters that Schomburgk sent back to England, and especially on the luxuriant images of survey landmarks in his "Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana", Burnett shows how a vast network of traverse surveys, illustrations, and travel narratives not only laid out the official boundaries of British Guiana but also marked out a symbolic landscape that fired the British imperial imagination.
Paperback 314 pages (October 8, 2001); Publisher: University of Chicago Press; Language: English; ISBN: 0226081214
 National Trust of Guyana
 The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology  - Georgetown
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, is housed in an elegant wooden building named in honor of an Englishman, who laid the foundation of our research into Amerindian Life and folklore. The building, which was once the residence of Duncan Hutson, an eminent Barrister and legislator, now houses an interesting collection of artifacts and relics of Amerindian culture.

Music, Art & Culture, Events & Entertainment

The Culture of Guyana is very similar to that of the English speaking Caribbean.

 Culture of Guyana
Legends and Myths of the Aboriginal Indian of British Guiana - William Henry Brett (Editor)
Paperback 216 pages (May 1, 2003); Publisher: R A Kessinger Publishing Co.; Language: English; ISBN: 0766158160

Web Portal / Search Engine / Directory

 Guyana Online
 Guyana.org - Guyana News and Information
 Land of Six Peoples ***
 SDNP - Guyanese directory and host to ministerial sites


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