Itinerary summary

Guyana - Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls

Days 1-3: Arrive into Georgetown, on the edge of the Demerara river, and stay three nights allowing time to time to visit the city, museums and famous Stabroek market, and take an overflight of Kaieteur Falls with its 741 foot single drop and where you can land and walk to the river's edge for fantastic close-up views.

Iwokrama: jungle and jaguars

Days 4-5: Fly south to Fairview and met for the short transfer to the Iwokrama Forest Reserve, on the banks of the mighty Essequibo river, and where guided tours take you into the surrounding rainforest. The Iwokrama canopy walkway allows the opportunity to view a range of canopy species, many of which you would struggle to see from the forest floor, and two nights at the Atta Rainforest Lodge is a unique experience

The Rupununi: rivers and savanna

Days 6-7: Continue south by road and boat for two nights at Karanambu, with the chance to see giant river otters. Varied excursions are undertaken, including excellent bird-watching, a boat excursion to see Victoria Amazonica lilies at dusk, or savanna jeep trips where giant anteaters are often spotted.

Georgetown

Day 8: After and early morning excursion driven (2-3 hours) across the savanna to Lethem and fly back to Georgetown for a final night.

Suriname: Paramaribo - architecture and abandoned plantations

Days 9-10: Fly east to Suriname, a former Dutch colony whose vibrant capital is Paramaribo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with magnificent architecture, and stay two nights. The city has many historical buildings including the renovated Presidential Palace, the mosque and synagogue and also an amazing Hindi temple, bustling central market and impressive palm gardens.

Many of the former colonial plantations outside the city are now abandoned but you can still see coffee and cocoa plants and an ancient shed and factory at the Peperpot plantation originally established by the English. At the confluence of the Commewijne and Suriname Rivers, at Nieuw Amsterdam, visit the outdoor museum, Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, where a large fortress was built as a defence for the fields of crops grown along the upper parts of both rivers.

Maroon villages: rainforest and culture

Days 11-12: Travel south by road and motorised canoe, passing several small villages and through breathtaking scenery into the rainforest for two nights at the foot of Ferulassi Falls. A visit to the Maroon villages to understand their culture (they are descended from escaped slaves) and ancient West African traditions is a unique experience. Visit a local school, learn about the use of local medicinal plants and enjoy their traditional dancing.

Paramaribo

Days 13-14: Return to Paramaribo for the final night and on the last day transfer to the airport for onward connections.

Go further - French Guiana (Guyane)

If you have time and budget (French Guiana is expensive), you could add a few days from Paramaribo, crossing by land at Saint Laurent Du Maroni. You would need two nights in Cayenne, the administrative and commercial centre of French Guiana, from where you could visit a local H’mong village in the jungle with a market and plantations. Two nights in Kourou would give you time  to visit the Guiana Space Centre and sail around Devil’s Island (actually triangle of three islands known as the Îles du Salut), seven miles off the coast.