The Guianas: The Awe-inspiring Breath of Fresh Air
By Veronica Moore
Where?
The Guianas are located in the north portion of South America between Brazil and Venezuela on the coastline. The Guianas are a section of South America that is broken up according to the country of origin.
For example; there are three pieces of Guianas. Guyana was under British power until 1960 when they became independent. French Guiana is still under the colonial rule of France. Suriname was a Dutch colony and is where Travel The Guianas Tour Operator is located. However; they have packages to Guyana, French Guiana Trinidad, and Tobago. French Guiana is located in the east of Suriname. Brazil is in power over the State of Amapa (Brazillian Guyana), which is in the Northeastern section of Brazil.
Why?
There are many adventures to be had in Guianas. There are guided tours available where many people take hikes.
People who have done these guides report that it is one of the lushest and most breath-taking landscapes in the world.
Travel The Guianas Tour Operator offers many of these trips and excursions. They come in basic packages that can be changed to fit whatever length of time and adventure fits for the individual.
Most of the packages are adventure focused, meaning participants are outside absorbing all the intensity that Guianas has to offer. It is recommended that you take a minimum of an eight-day tour. One traveler described the accommodations as basic, but the sights were amazing.
Oliver Dowson says, “I have traveled to 141 countries now, and can say that these are surely amongst the most difficult for the independent traveler to arrange their own travel.” He says that the tour was exactly what he paid for and that they were lucky enough to have an English speaking guide whenever one was needed.
He also included, “I do strongly recommend the Guyanas as a destination to visit; they have been very much “off the map” but well worthwhile. The very best part is inland, at the start of the Amazon forest – the places we visited and stayed at were Iwokrama in Guyana and Knini Paati in Suriname – and the Kaieteur Falls”.
How?
All-inclusive packages are offered from Dinesh at Travel the Guianas. They start with a basic 8-day package and add-ons can be made from there upon request. Travel the Guianas provides information on all of the vaccinations you may need in order to attend these trips.
More information about obtaining visas and what the climate looks like year-round can also be found on this website.
All of the Guianas have international airports and some private airstrips for in-country travel. This means that from any major airport they should have a flight to the luscious Guianas. There will be a guide to pick travelers up from wherever they land, and arrangements can be made.
A Safe Place to Travel
Essential information like personal safety is also offered. For example; regarding personal safety, it is completely safe to travel in Guianas, and tap water is safe and up to drinking grade.
Regarding language, all of the tours can be offered in English and are supplied with English speaking tour guides. The main languages in The Guianas are English, Dutch, and French. In Suriname, people drive on the left side of the road. In Guyana and French Guiana, they travel on the right side of the road. Beware of the difference.
There are many must-sees in the Guianas. In particular, the Kaieteur waterfall is one of the Guianas’ best-known locations and is the largest single-drop waterfall in the world. There are a couple of different options when planning to see these massive falls. You could take a helicopter or light aircraft and fly around the area to get a birds-eye view.
The tour that Travel the Guianas offers is a 50-minute flight, with two hours on the ground at the falls. This tour is offered four times a week so travelers have plenty of freedom as to when they can book this trip.
The falls are located amongst the Potario river that is part of the Kaieteur nature park.
This tour can be easily combined with a visit to the Orinduik Falls, located in the Southern part of Guyana as well, and the travelers have their choice of resort to stay the night in.
The tour you are placed in could range in size drastically. For example, in the case of Dowson, it was just him and his travel partner, but depending on the time of year the group could be much larger. Oliver Dowson neither recommends nor endorses Travel the Guianas Tour group and wishes to remain neutral.
In addition to the Kaieteur Falls tour, a Georgetown tour is offered, specifically focusing on the historical aspects of the small city. A museum trip is taken and the travelers will get to experience all of the highlights of Georgetown, Guyana’s capital.
It is a short tour, respectively, about three hours in length, in which the traveler will be picked up and dropped off at their hotel or resort. On most of the tours offered the traveler will also receive snacks and a bottled water courtesy of Travel the Guianas and their local tour guides.
From Georgetown, you could easily hop a boat or take a car to the beautiful Arrowpoint Nature Resort. Where the traveler gets to see what village living is like for the local Amerindian community of Santa Mission.
Arrowpoint has so much to offer for visitors, like kayaking, and a jungle tour where you can spot all kinds of native wildlife. This tour can also be combined with the aforementioned falls tour and is offered as a day trip switch an overnight stay option.
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