Inspired by our inquisitive travelers who prefer a hands-on adventure, our newest Guyana tour offers a glimpse into jungle survival. Camp in the Guyana rainforest and learn how to build shelter, make fire, find food & more on a day-long survival training course. Your Amerindian guide is your companion and mentor during your jungle venture. Combine this off-the-trodden rainforest adventure with a visit to Guyana’s Georgetown, beautiful savannahs, Amerindian villages and the remote Kaieteur Falls. A unique week-long Guyana adventure!
Highlights
Survive in the jungle during a day long course with an Amerindian guide
Make your way through the Iwokrama Forest watching for wildlife all the way
Explore the natural beauty surrounding Kaieteur & Orinduik Falls
Tour through the unique city of Georgetown with your guide
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
Arrive to Guyana and transfer to your hotel in Georgetown. You will be staying in Cara Lodge, a 150-year-old heritage house converted into a small hotel.
You are picked up early this morning for your internal flight to Lethem and onward to Surama village by vehicle. The village is located deep in the rainforest, in a small savannah surrounded by forested hills. The famous Charles Waterton once explored this region and was stunned by the beauty of the spot. Surama's inhabitants are from the Makushi tribe; they still observe many of their traditional practices. When you arrive, you are greeted by local staff and settle into your accommodations. Enjoy lunch and then spend the afternoon learning some basic jungle survival skills, such as collecting food and fuel material. Overnight at the eco-lodge.
Day 3: Jungle Survival
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Following an early breakfast, set out with your guide and begin your outdoor training for the day. Learn how to make your shelter for the evening, how to fish, hunt, and look for other food and water sources. Your Amerindian guide will show you how to make fire with traditional materials. Your guide will also take you out and show you their method for hunting and fishing. Make a wabini (elevated platform) from where you can make a base to observe the wildlife at night. Spend the night in your own shelter, your only night of camping on your Guyana adventure.
This morning enjoy breakfast in your survival camp before returning to Surama. After lunch take your 4x4 vehicle and transfer by way of a trail through the Iwokrama Forest. Keep your eyes peeled for the amazing Guianian Cock-of-the-rock bird. Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve is a vast area of one million acres that protects one of the last four untouched tropical rainforests in the world. Iwokrama is exceptional in its conservation because of its intimate collaboration with the local people in every aspect of its work. The forest is the homeland of the Makushi people, who have lived off the forest for thousands of years.
Continue following the trail through Iwokrama forest, keeping your eyes ready to spot birds and even jaguar. The Iwokrama forest is rapidly gaining international acclaim for its healthy jaguar populations. Watch for a myriad of bird species as you drive this route, the only North-South road in all of Guyana. Travelers often see agouti, tayra, puma, tapirs, and black curassows.
Arrive to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, where you can birdwatch from 115ft (35 m) in the forest canopy. From this vantage, you can sometimes spot howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and many birds. Continue on to your rainforest lodge this evening and settle in.
Enjoy the bird chorus that awakens you this morning and hop out onto the canopy to spot the many birds that come alive at dawn. The timid black curassow can often be seen in this region in the mornings. After breakfast, transferto the airstrip for your mid-morning flight back to Georgetown.
This afternoon set out on a guided city tour of Georgetown City which highlights the unique architecture - excellent examples of old colonial homes and buildings constructed of tropical hardwoods. The famous Stabroek Market, once described as a "bizarre bazaar", contains every conceivable item from household goods to gold jewelery. The Botanical Gardens and zoo house one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean and over 100 species of Guyanese wildlife including jaguar, river otter, birds, snakes and other reptiles.
Early this morning you will be picked up and transfer to thr airport for the flight to Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls. Kaieteur, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Kaieteur is a single, massive, thundering waterfall 100 meters wide created as the Potaro River makes a sheer drop of 228 meters, nearly five times the height of Niagara. This natural beauty is located in a very remote location and it may be likely to be the only ones viewing it on any given day! Keep your eyes peeled for White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirling over the gorge, and perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to see the astonishingly colorful Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock. The flight then continues onto Orinduik Falls or Baganara Island before you return to Georgetown.*
Tour Options: Orinduik Falls
The Orinduik Falls is where the Ireng River thunders over steps and terraces of solid jasper, a semi precious stone. With a backdrop of the rolling grass covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains, this is truly one of the most beautiful locations in Guyana’s hinterland. The Ireng River forms the border between Brazil and Guyana. In contrast to Kaieteur, Orinduik is ideally suited for swimming in natural Jacuzzi’s as the falls tumble down the steps of Jasper.
Baganara Island
Spend the afternoon at Baganara Island Resort relaxing or choose from a variety of activities such as canoeing, fishing, table tennis or volleyball to name a few; after you have enjoyed our delicious buffet lunch.
*Flights to Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls are operated on chartered aircraft and all flights have a minimum 12 passenger restriction. In most cases flights are full, especially if scheduled for a weekend. However, in the rare case that we cannot meet the required numbers we will reschedule the trip to another day during your stay, if this is possible.
Day 7: Return Home
1 Breakfast
Add on to your Guyana travel an extension south to visit the Rupununi Savannah, or return home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $600, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Very responsive to questions. Helpful with all arrangements
Roz
1 day ago
The ship company they sent us on was perfect in every detail
lisa wegener
2 days ago
I’m so glad we found AdventureLife. Jess, our planner, was such a pleasure to work with. She readily shared her extensive knowledge about Panama, she offered good suggestions and creative ideas, kept everything organized and handled the details each step of the way.
Tim King
3 days ago
Jessica was wonderful! She made every effort to ensure our trip was just what we wanted.
Celine Krafft
3 days ago
Erin was easy to work with and very helpful. She was patient and helped us figure out the adventure tour we were hoping for in Belize. Can’t wait to go on this trip!