Makonaima: Discover the Three Guianas

Day 1

Arrive in Georgetown the capital of Guyana and transfer to your hotel in the centre of town.

Day 2

Guided tour of Kaieteur Falls and travel to Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Take a flight over extensive unbroken rainforest and the Demerara and Essequibo rivers to Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single drop waterfall. First “discovered” by Europeans in 1870, the falls drop 741 feet (5 times the height of Niagara), down into a deep gorge and combine with the surrounding woodland to create a postcard-perfect scene that has long been the subject of local myths and legends. You will have plenty of opportunity to listen to some of these tribal tales, as well as explore, take photos and search for some of the plentiful wildlife – including the golden rocket frog (found no-where else on Earth), Kaieteur swifts and the iconic cock-of-the-rock bird.

Re-board the aircraft and continue to Fair View airstrip then transfer along a treelined road to Atta Rainforest Lodge, home of the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and your base for the first two nights in the interior of Guyana.

Stay at - Atta Rainforest Lodge

Day 3

Visit the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.

Traverse the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, which has four suspension bridges leading to three platforms, the highest of which is over 30m above the ground. Keep your eyes peeled for canopy species which would not be visible from the forest floor.

Then enjoy wildlife and birdwatching walks on the ground-based forest trails. Many bird species, stunning insects, noisy amphibians, and playful primates make the forest their home and chances are you will be able to spot some as you move through the trees. Deer and agouti are also regular visitors to the lodge.

Stay at - Atta Rainforest Lodge

Day 4

Boat trip to Karanambu.

Head back to the walkway this morning to await the dawn chorus from the waking jungle, then enjoy a short trail at Corkwood, where your guide will help you search for birdlife and explain how native plants are used by the locals as medicines, fabrics and for other ingenious applications.

Continue to Ginep Landing, where you will take a boat trip on the Rupununi River to Karanambu. When river conditions are favourable, this journey offers a chance to see some of the giant otters that have benefitted from the work of famous local conservationist Diane McTurk. The region’s location, which encompasses vast wetlands, large riparian forests and an expansive savannah, mean that it is one of the most ecologically diverse places on the continent, boasting at least 600 species of birds, over 200 species of mammals and approximately 700 species of fish. There is also rich human history, with evidence that people have been part of this thriving eco-system for more than 7,000 years.

In the late afternoon you will head out once more by boat, keeping watch for giant otters. But as the light begins to fail it is the giant Amazonica waterlilies that will likely capture your attention. Their mesmerising colourful pads will bloom incongruently into life while dusk slowly falls around you. On your way back, use spotlights to aid your search for black caiman and other creatures of the night.

Stay at - Karanambu Ranch

Day 5

Day to explore the savannah and choice of evening excursions.

Spend the morning in the savannah trying to locate one of the giant anteaters that will be excavating its breakfast from the termite mounds that dot these rolling grasslands.

In the evening you can either choose to do another river excursion or explore a number of land-based habitats in search of birds such as the agami heron, seven different species of nightjar, and the double-striped thick-knee.

Stay at - Karanambu Ranch

Day 6

Fly to Georgetown for guided city tour.

After breakfast, depart Karanambu and travel across the savannah to Lethem where you will board your flight back to Georgetown.

There will be a guided city tour including highlights such as the State House, a typical Demerara-shuttered colonial home with large gardens. Walk along the avenues with an experienced guide who will narrate the history and anecdotes about Georgetown and its people. Other places of interest on the tour include St. George’s Cathedral, one of the world’s tallest free-standing wooden buildings; the public library housed in the Carnegie Building; the gothic town hall; Victoria Law Courts and the National Museum. Visit Stabroek Market where stalls sell everything from household goods and gold jewellery to fresh meat and vegetables. The excursion usually ends with a visit to the Botanical Gardens and zoo.

Day 7

Travel by ferry to Suriname.

An early pickup in Georgetown will transfer you along the east coast of Guyana, and across the floating bridge of the Berbice river before continuing along to Molesen Creek for a ferry crossing to Suriname.

Suriname was Dutch territory, and modern-day Paramaribo has inherited not only the language, and the attractive clapboard architecture, but also its unique melting pot of cultures. Thousands of indentured labourers were shipped in from the Dutch East Indies to work the plantations, and they brought their Indonesian cuisine with them, as well as their religion: mosques are a common sight, and the largest in Paramaribo is right next to the synagogue.

Stay at - Eco Torarica

Day 8

Explore the plantations in the Commewijne district.

You’ll be escorted to the Commewijne district, east of Paramaribo across the Suriname river, travelling through former colonial plantations, most of which are now abandoned. Here, you’ll stop at Peperpot, one of the oldest plantations in Suriname, established by the English before Suriname was conquered by the Dutch in 1667. This is one of the last former plantations still in its former original state: you can still see coffee and cocoa plants as well as an ancient shed and factory, the manager’s residence and a kampong (workers’ living area). Peperpot is also renowned for the many birds which can be spotted in the grounds.

Later you’ll make a stop at Nieuw Amsterdam to visit the outdoor museum, a fortress which was built as a defence for the crop fields which were situated along the upper parts of both rivers.

Stay at - Eco Torarica

Day 9

Guided tour of Paramaribo, Suriname's capital.

Paramaribo has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002, and today you’ll be taken on a guided tour of the capital by car and on foot, exploring the most prominent historic locations in downtown Paramaribo. There are 291 listed monuments in Paramaribo and only a few have been replaced by new developments. Many of these monuments exhibit high authenticity because of the use of traditional techniques and materials in repair and rehabilitation works. Your guide will tell you about the history of Fort Zeelandia, built in 1667, the presidential palace, Independence Square and other places of interest.

Stay at - Eco Torarica

Day 10

Travel to St Laurent in French Guiana.

Depart by bus towards Albina, and another river border, the Caroni. From here, shuttle canoes make the short trip across to St Laurent, in French Guiana, once the receiving station for new inmates bound for the notoriously brutal penal colony maintained by France until the mid-20th century. Continue on a smart paved road to Kourou.

Guiana is a “département” of France. They send deputies to parliament, the currency is the euro, its citizens are members of the EU and enjoy the full protection of the French labour law. It’s expensive: lots of things are imported from France. Kourou is home to many of France’s top scientists and astrophysicists, because this is the base of the Ariane space rocket programme.

Stay at - Hotel Atlantis

Day 11

Day excursion to the Iles du Salut.

A full-day excursion to the former penal colony on the Iles du Salut. The archipelago lies about an hour out into the Caribbean and consists of 3 islands: Ile Royale, Ile St Joseph and Devil’s Island. The cells, guards’ quarters and administration blocks on Ile Royale have been converted into accommodation and dining facilities, and there’s an excellent small museum that recounts the history of the place, and the privations that both the convicts and the guards had to endure. There’s a small church, the remains of a hospital, and a cemetery with memorials to the prison staff. At Ile St Joseph work is underway to clear the jungle from many more of the prison cells.

Stay at - Hotel Atlantis

Day 12

Excursion to the French space station and day trip to Cayenne.

Start with a morning excursion to the French space station or Centre Spatial, where you’ll find a fascinating museum, and possibly, a tour of the space centre itself. You’ll then depart by road for Cayenne, French Guiana’s main city. It’s a hotchpotch of building styles, some glorious belle époque, others more modern and worn. This is a pleasant place to spend some time – sipping a cold drink in one of the bars in the Place des Palmistes, you could almost be on the Riviera. The busy market is worth a visit, and there is a footpath up to the remains of the old fort that overlooks the town.

Day 13

Depart for international flight or extension.