2020-03-01_Wanderlust

GUYANA

wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 61

Vitalstatistics

Capital:Georgetown

Population:778,000

Language:EnglishplusCreole

andAmerindiandialects

Time:GMT4

Internationaldiallingcode:+592

Visas:NotrequiredbyUK

nationalsfortripsofupto 30 days.

Money:Guyanesedollar(GYD),

currentlyaroundG$266tothe

UK£.NotethatGuyanaisstill

alargelycash-basedeconomy.

Don’trelyonyourcreditcard.

Whentogo

MaytoAugust:Thisistherainy

season,whenit’sparticularlyheavy

inthecountry’sinterior.

December:Therearelighterrains

inthecountry’sinterior,knownas

the‘cashewrains.’Therestofthe

yearisthedryseasonbut,being

atropicalforest,therecanbe

showers.Theaveragetemperature

is26.8°C.Humidityisgenerallyhigh.

Footnotes

Guyana

Sarah Marshall

THE TRIP

The author was a guest of

Cox & Kings (020 3642

0861; coxandkings.co.uk)

which o
 ers a 15-day

Guyana: The Caribbean

Amazon tour from £5,245pp

(two sharing). The trip

includes 13 nights’ full-

board accommodation,

international ƒlights from

London (and a light

aircraft ƒlight), all transfers

and guided excursions

(including boat trips) with

an English-speaking guide.

Health & safety

Take care in Georgetown, especially

after dark. Guyana is generally

safe and friendly. Healthwise, it’s

worth being up to date with your

jabs. Don’t skimp on sun protection

and insect repellent. The malaria

risk depends upon where you are

visiting so take expert advice.

Getting there & around

Virgin Atlantic(virginatlantic.com)

˜lies from London Gatwick via

Bridgetownfrom£659return;the

shortestjourneytimeisaround

13 hours.AmericanAirways

(aa.com)operates˜lightsfrom

LondonHeathrowviaNewYork

from£705return;theshortest

journeytimeisaround 17 hours.

CheddiJaganInternationalAirport

is41kmsouthofGeorgetown.

Theone-hourtaxijourneycosts

G$5,0006,000(around£20)–

it’swisetoorganiseatransfer,

especiallyifarrivingafterdark.

Theeasiestandsafestwayto

getaroundGeorgetownisbytaxi.

Travellingaroundthecountryis

moredi¢icultasthefewroads

arenotingoodcondition,and

someplacesarebestoronly

accessedbyriver.Ifyou’retravelling

independently,lookintointernal

˜lights.Travellingwithatour

operatororguideisrecommended.

WHATTO

TAKE

Exploringthe

interiorinvolves

longboattrips

andjunglewalks.

Thefollowingare

essential:insect

repellent,sun

protection,hat,

lightweight

waterproof,

binoculars,

goodwalking

shoesandpower-

cutaidingtorch.

Chasing waterfalls

Kaieteur Falls is full of

culture and folklore;

(above) a great

horned owl

Accommodation

Georgetown: Dating back to the

1840s, Cara Lodge (caralodge.

com) is a beautiful heritage hotel,

and the place to stay as Mick

Jagger and many celebrities will

testify. Doubles from US$145/£111.

Alternatively, Kings Hotel &

Residences (kingshotel.gy/) o¥ ers

spacious rooms and a popular

bistro and (sometimes noisy) bar.

Doubles from US$150/£115.

The Interior: Note that

accommodation is often

simple compared to safari

lodges in Africa. But hosts are

welcoming, and food is fresh

and local. Just getting to Rewa

Ecolodge (rewaecolodge.com/)

is an adventure as it’s set on the

con˜luence of two rivers and only