Discover Guyana, where urban allure meets natural wonders 

Times are a changing for Guyana’s new oil-fuelled economy. Yet this little English-speaking enclave in Latin America has long measured its riches in a fabulous Amazon rainforest cover, home to tropical wildlife and Indigenous ethnic groups. Tourism contributes to the conservation of the Guyanese wilderness by financing communities to protect it via exciting treks, visits to fearsome waterfalls and immersion within Amerindian eco-lodges. But don’t expect to be sleeping in a hammock slung up in the jungle. Comfortable ecolodges now combine panache with environmentally friendly design, whether deep in the rainforest or along Guyana’s Caribbean coastline with its remnant British past. 

Whilst Georgetown modernises, its languid pace – encompassing a multiethnic balance of Indian, African and Indigenous heritage – makes this an intriguing capital to explore on foot. Get your bearings at Stabroek Market, an energetic introduction to Georgetown amid an armada of minibuses ferrying all and sundry. Designed in the 1880s with its prominent Victorian style clocktower, hustle and bustle surrounds the sellers of spices, vegetables and seafood. It’s also fun to seek local handicrafts made from all over Guyana and to try delicacies such as roti and fresh coconut water. Of a similar era, St. George’s Cathedral on North Road invariably evokes awe. This huge place of worship is entirely constructed of wood. Dating from 1889, the cathedral is the world’s largest wooden religious structure, soaring to an impressive 44m high. On hot days it offers cool shade and during services, heavenly voices.  

Not far from Stabroek, an easily navigable stroll via the grid-patterned streets, is Promenade Gardens: full of flourishing plants and trees yet also a poignant place that marks the execution here in 1823 of slaves who took part in an uprising. The 1890s Victoriana bandstand is a remnant of the old colonial regime. Memorabilia of that era is hosted in the National Museum, which still houses collections that have been displayed since its opening in 1868. The most surprising exhibit is a model of a 20ft-high giant sloth designed from fossilised bones, which is truly a sight to behold.   

Blanketing 91% of its landmass, Guyana is one of the world’s most densely forested nations. An important green lung of South America, it’s home to 1,800 animal species: from giant river otters to jaguars, as well as 8,000 plant types. The most iconic trip into the Amazon is something out of a cinematic adventure. At 226m high, Kaieteur Falls in Essequibo region is the largest single drop waterfall on Earth. It tumbles off a deep jungle plateau accessed by an exhilarating light aircraft flight. Most visits are daytrips but it’s possible to overnight on the plateau allowing more time to seek out the gaudily orange cock-of-the-rock bird and an endemic golden rocket frog, which spends its entire life inside a bromeliad.  

Another excellent place to absorb the Amazon’s stellar biodiversity is Iwokrama rainforest. Visitors can learn about the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development’s important work here on climate change and sustainable forestry as well as enjoying trails in the protected reserve.  With specialist guides you have a chance to see some of the 500 bird and 130 mammal species. Nothing is guaranteed but giant anteaters and vociferous red howler monkeys are never too far away. A canopy walkway accesses Iwokrama’s special avian fauna; the scarlet macaws are garrulous. And for those wanting to explore more, there is a riverside lodge for guests – a steppingstone to head into the biodiverse-rich North Rupununi wetlands and its myriad lakes. 

The exclusivity of staying within the Amazon is itself a luxury. If sustainable, ecolodges can help to preserve both Guyana’s wildlife and enable Indigenous communities to maintain their traditional lifestyles. There are some long-standing accommodation options in Guyana tied to conservation. The household of the late and legendary conservationist, Diana McTurk, at Karanambu, offers beautiful stays in thatched cottages that fund conservation around her lifelong passion for giant river otters. Rewa and Surama ecolodges equally benefit the Amerindian communities that run them with guests enjoying traditionally designed accommodation. Rewa is deep in Central Guyana and requires a light aircraft and riverboat to reach the Waiwai people. The money your stay raises goes to the community and offers employment to youngsters who might otherwise abandon this forest lifestyle and move away. Guides take guests into the forest and onto the rivers for adventures including seeking out colossal harpy eagles. Surama ecolodge likewise offers Amazon adventures with the Macushi people.  

There’s also increasing opportunities to learn about and sample Guyana’s hybrid cuisine, which fuses Amerindian and Indian elements with staples such as cassava. Traditional favourites include a slow-cooked stew called pepperpot and curry with roti. For hands-on culinary adventures, the most interesting excursion is a charismatic encounter in Georgetown with the larger-than-life, Eon John, ‘the singing chef’. His tours take the culinarily curious to market to shop for ingredients before cookery classes. At his residence, he prepares a tasting meal focusing on local ingredients – a delicious highlight of nighttime Georgetown, in his backyard ‘Secret Garden’.  

Plan your immersive adventure to Guyana today at www.guyanatourism.com