Guyana Wildlife: South America's wild frontier

Beyond a few bland modern properties, Georgetown does not offer much choice of hotels, but if you are after somewhere with a bit of history and faded elegance look no further than Cara Lodge. The 19th century building was originally two aristocratic residences (one belonging to the city’s mayor) and it has since hosted various dignitaries such as King Edward V11, ex-president Jimmy Carter, Prince Charles and Mick Jagger.

In spite of the elevated status of some of its guests, it isn’t luxurious or glamorous: more an atmospheric guesthouse than a first class hotel, a reflection of Victorian colonialist taste and design with Demerara shutters and polished wooden floors. The informal restaurant has a very good reputation locally.

The décor of many of the higher category rooms is based on a busy, lavish style. The suites in particular have different and rather elaborate themes: one takes its inspiration from Africa while another, the Walter Raleigh Suite, recalls the captain’s quarters of the 18th century ships which used to visit the shores of Guyana in search of gold. Some of the standard rooms, while spacious enough, are quite dark, which keeps them cooler. Executive rooms overlook a patio dominated by a giant mango tree.

While terms like ‘eco-conscious’ and ‘sustainable’ are increasingly overused, Iwokrama River Lodge is the real deal. Not only is this pristine rainforest environment protected, but its local inhabitants – the Makushi people – have hands-on involvement in all aspects of the project, including scientific research, conservation and tourism.

Set on the Essequibo River are eight beautifully constructed wooden, thatch-roofed cabins raised on stilts, each with a veranda and hammock. The main building includes labs and a roomy semi-open lounge/dining area where you can mingle with the researchers and hear about work taking place at the lodge. 

The whole area is fantastic for wildlife – expect to see macaws, toucans and howler monkeys, and if you’re very lucky, a wild cat. Don’t miss the hike to the top of Turtle Mountain from where the views over the jungle are simply breathtaking.

To reach the lodge you can fly from Georgetown to an airstrip a half-hour drive away, or travel overland from the capital across the unpaved red earth in a 4WD journey of about six hours.

Atta Rainforest Lodge is a modest property totally immersed in the surrounding rainforest, offering an intimate experience of the region’s rich flora and fauna.

There are three simple buildings: one thatched and open-sided, in which you’ll find the bar, kitchen, lounge and eating area; the other two housing the accommodation. This consists of brick and tiled cottages with eight basic but private guestrooms with net-protected beds, in which you’ll drop off to a symphony of nocturnal insects and perhaps be awakened by the booming call of howler monkeys. All rooms now have private bathrooms but there are also extra facilities in separate open-roofed blocks, allowing the unusual experience of showering beneath a view of the rainforest canopy.

The lodge is just 500m from the celebrated Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, offering the chance to observe the exuberant wildlife from observation platforms at sunrise and sunset when it is usually at its most active. It’s also a good area for spotting jaguars and the birdwatching opportunities can be very satisfying, as are the wholesome, home-cooked meals.

The Eco-Lodge at Surama sits at the gateway to the Pakaraima Mountains and close to the Burro Burro River, bordering the small village. Some of the most impressive examples of thriving rainforest ecology to be found anywhere on Earth can be found in this part of Guyana. 

The abundant flora and fauna is well-managed and conserved by local residents who accompany guests on hikes, river canoe expeditions and visits to community schools and traditional events. Cooks, drivers, farmers, fishermen, construction and maintenance workers who work directly or indirectly with the lodge are all recruited locally, and all have great pride in their tourist-orientated community project. 

The village welcomes visitors who come for the day on a trip out from other lodges, but really to get a feel for the place it is best to stay here for a couple of days. A stay at Surama Ecolodge offers much more than just somewhere to sleep: children and local guides from the local Makushi Amerindian community are eager to show guests the village, as well as the wildlife and flora of the surrounding forest and savannah grasslands, from the nests of harpy eagles to local plants with medicinal properties. Simple but delicious meals are prepared with local ingredients such as cassava and manioc.

Guests spend the night in one of eight circular huts on low stilts, with private bathroom and beds protected by mosquito nets. There’s no hot water, but nor is there need of it in these hot and humid conditions. Similarly, don’t expect TV or internet: this is a place to get away from the trappings of modern civilisation.

Rock View Lodge sits on the yawning plains of the Rupununi savannah grasslands, close to the foothills of the Pakaraima mountain range in central Guyana. Its central location means that the the Iwokrama International Research Station, the Canopy Walkway, a cluster of indigenous Makushi villages and several excellent birdwatching locations are all easily accessible.

This agreeable base for adventurous expeditions into the surrounding countryside is owned and run by Englishman Colin Edwards, whose love for Guyana is contagious. Guests stay in one of two brick cottages. There are eight rooms with air-conditioning, screened windows, mosquito nets and private bathrooms; half are triples with a tiny mezzanine floor reached by ladder. Each also has a veranda with chairs and hammock, which some guests choose to sleep in so as to feel even closer to nature, while others just use their hammocks to relax with a cold beer at sunset. All buildings have electricity for part of the day, and running water supplied by a deep well.

Evenings may be spent in the old family ranch house, which has an art collection and library. The grounds are landscaped with hundreds of palms, fruit and flower trees that create a little oasis in the prairies. There's also a good-sized swimming pool in which to cool off after the day's explorations.

Karanambu Ranch was the home of Diane McTurk, widely acclaimed for her work rehabilitating orphaned giant river otters to the wild. Karanambu has a long history of welcoming visiting naturalists and television crews, and both David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell are amongst the ranch’s previous guests.

Accommodation is in five basic clay cottages with twin beds and a shaded veranda; most have private bathrooms with refreshing cold-water showers. Meals are served communally around a large dining table in the living room of the main ranch house.

On occasions there are otters at the lodge, and visits can be made to nearby ponds to spot birds and admire the enormous Victoria Amazonica water lilies, which can be seen coming into flower on one of the several boat trips offered from the lodge. Other excursions involve opportunities to fish, watch caiman patrolling the lake at night, or explore the savannah on foot or by 4WD vehicle in search of wildlife.