Tucked away on the northern coast of South America is the country of Guyana. Nestled between Venezuela, Brazil, and Suriname, the country is one of the least visited places on the continent and it’s hard to see why.
If you’re into nature and animals, this is your ultimate playground, and if you’re just looking for an unexpected adventure, you're looking in the right place. Being the inquisitive person I am, I went in with meager expectations and was blown away by the share amount of activities offered in the country.
I was a little discouraged at first but the disappointment quickly left once I was on the ground. Once I booked my flight, I then secured a hotel. Afterward, I went searching for things to do. Quickly I realized, I’d have to go about this differently. A lot of the large tour sites have little to no itineraries in Guyana.
I then reached out to the hotel and It was a disaster from the start. I reached out initially and got no response for the better part of a week. Then I had my travel agent call them only to be told they cannot provide the information to them and I should email them directly. So I did, told them I was trying to arrange airport transportation and instead of booking it for me, they gave me the number to the taxi company. Then when I tried to book tours, I was told I had to speak to the concierge while in Guyana and I couldn’t prearrange tours. With all this, it certainly lowered my expectations but nevertheless, I wanted to make the best of my trip.
I got a taxi driver from a local friend and boy did he make it a great trip. I got his number the day I was supposed to land and messaged him immediately to secure pick-up. We met later that night and it’s almost as if I met my long last friend. If you're ever in Guyana, call Lawrence Transpiration Service for all your transportation needs. (+592 618 5630) He is the absolute best.
Lawrence picked me up from the airport and we embarked on the roughly one-hour ride to my hotel, the Ramada Princess Georgetown. The hotel is located near the famous Demerara Bridge. I checked in around 1:00 am and settled into my room. Shortly after, I head downstairs for some buffalo wings and fries. The kitchen is open 24 hours and they also do room service.
The next day, I head out to you the city with Lawrence. The first thing we did was drive over the Demerara Bridge. We made a left and explore the neighborhood of La Grange as far as Canal 2 before turning around to visit Vreed en Hoop. Here we pulled into the bus stop to enter the Vreed en Hoop Ferry Terminal. The boats here air colorfully painted and line the harbor taking the local people over to Stabroek Market. Had I been on foot I would have liked to try one and the fare is only GYD 100. (0.50 USD) From there we drove to the Stabroek Market. It was one of the largest and busiest markets I have been to in my life. The share amount of people and the ability to buy almost anything you might need. (Reminded me of Amazon but with fresh food)
From there we moved to the Parliament building and then to the St. Georges Cathedral. The Cathedral is the largest wooden structure in the world and is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. Georgetown has a lot of impressive wooden buildings. This is great from an architectural standpoint and it creates a great contrast between the older wooden buildings and the new modern glass buildings popping up around the city.
We then stopped at the park where the 1763 Memorial is located. It commemorates the 1763 uprising and the role it played in the abolition of slavery. We then visited the 1823 monument which signaled another rebellion in the country. We stopped at the I Love Guyana sign before heading to grab some food.
For food, we went to Roosters at the Giftland Mall. I had mutton over white rice with local spices. The food was on the spicy side but was really incredible. I washed it down with a local 5-finger juice. (Star Apple Juice) We then drove to Mahaica, which is a village about an hour away from Georgetown. Our last stop was the Beterverwagting Emancipation Monument in Beterverwagting. From here the sun began to recede behind the lush greenery which signaled the end of my day.
The following day, my trip to Kaieteur Falls was cancelled due to insufficient passengers but I decided to make the best of the day and hang around the hotel. You can never go wrong with hotel food and relaxation by the pool. I also tried Pepper Pot for the first time.
Although my time was coming to an end in Guyana, I really appreciate everything I saw and the simplicity of the country. The people are amazing and I can't wait to return.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content listed in this post.
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