Home to pristine, ancient rainforest, native wildlife and rushing waterfalls, Guyana is a treasure trove of well-kept secrets. With little exploration due to the dense forest canopy, Guyana has secreted away many a worldly phenomenon. From waterfalls boasting jaw dropping cascades to endangered eagles with 2m wide wingspans! Looking for something a bit off the beaten path, our Guyanese adventures have exactly what you need.
How to get to Guyana
You can either fly into Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) or Eugene F.
Correia International Airport (OGL) on Day 1 of your trip.
From US
there are daily flights to Cheddi Jagan airport with American Airlines. They offer a daily service from
New York and on some days two flights from Miami. There is also a direct
nonstop service with United Airlines out of Houston.
From the UK, there is a
direct service with British Airlines on a Monday and Thursday, which has a
short stopover at Saint Lucia. As there
are daily flights from the US, it is also possible to do a combination of British Airways and American
Airlines flights via New York or Miami. Both British Airways and Virgin also fly to
Barbados where it is possible to connect with InterCaribbean Airlines and Caribbean Airlines to Guyana.
As of June 2025, KLM will also be running a service to Guyana
on a Wednesday and Saturday. With KLM it is possible to connect from most
airports in the UK via Amsterdam.
Upon arrival at the airport, once you have exited the Arrivals area, keep an eye out for our driver holding a "KANDOO" sign.
It takes about 45 minutes to drive to our hotel from Cheddi Jagan (GEO),
and about 20 minutes from Eugene F.Correia (OGL).
Travelling Responsibly
Here at Kandoo, we like to support our guests to make their travel more sustainable. As of 2025, we are offsetting the carbon on all of our trips from arrival in destination to dropping you back off at the airport. As we don't include flight travel in our trips these aren't included in our offsetting calculations, so we are providing you with the calculator below for you to do this yourselves.
If you are changing airlines or re-checking your luggage at an airport on route, please ensure you leave a minimum of 3 hours between flights. This will account for any delays on arrival, travel time across airports (this can take longer than you think) and time taken to re-check baggage.
Our Guyanese adventures
To offer our Guyanese adventures we have partnered with the very best local operator who provides support for almost all of the adventure companies working in Guyana. Their expertise and health and safety procedures are second to none so you are in the safest hands possible for your trip.
TREK THE TEPUIS | Follow the roar of the falls. Embark on an adventure across the remote tepui plateau that towers over the indigenous settlement of Paruima. Deep in the Guyana highlands, this thrilling adventure climbs up through luscious rainforest onto the wide, expanse of highland savannah, stretching out to the torrenting Kamarang Falls. Sleeping in hammock camps and bathing in natural infinity pools, we traverse the savannah to the stunning drop of Uchi Falls, an untouched utopia known to few, before floating back downriver through pristine rainforest to the impassable Panacema Falls.
KANUKU MOUNTAINS ADVENTURE | Follow remote trails and delve into alluring backwaters, tracing little known trods, previously only used by the local indigenous people and live off the land on this unique jungle expedition. Explore the dense Rupununi rainforests and the incredible wildlife that call this area home. Travelling both on foot and by boat, we explore from forest floor to vast, open savannah, to the very edge of the Amazon watershed. Along the way, learning bush craft skills and putting them to the test as we adventure deep into the rainforest, before cruising back along the Rupununi river and getting involved in the vital research that takes place at Caiman House.
This a brief summary. Guyana sits just above the
equator line, so daytime temperatures here are generally between 25-35°C year round with high humidity. Guyana has two dry and two wet seasons. The dry seasons run February to April and July to November and the wet seasons run April to July and November to January. However, Guyana's interior experiences slightly different seasons due to it's density of forest, February to March and throughout September are it's dry seasons, then it is wet for the remainder of the year. We run our trips during the wet seasons because, although the humidity is higher, the wet season also brings cooler temperatures which make trekking a more pleasant experience.
Training for your trek
Although our trips in Guyana don't summit peaks as such, they are not to be underestimated. You need to bear in mind that these trips take place in very remote areas and the paths that
we will be using aren't frequently trodden. Expect to contend with muddy
sections, uneven ground on river beds and forest trails with roots and fallen
branches. Your participation is also part of the challenge and unlike some of our other tours, on this trip you will
be expected to carry your own equipment and some of the group equipment in your
rucksack each day. As well as hiking, you will be packing away
and putting up hammocks and basha (tarps), assisting with cooking, loading and
unloading boats and fetching water. There are no porters, cooks or waiters on
this trip, you are part of the expedition and must do your share of the work. With that in mind, being physically and mentally prepared are a great way to ensure you have a positive experience and make the most out of your time in the rainforest!
Good equipment starts with your feet. Do not turn up for your trip in a shiny new pair of boots. Make sure your boots are well worn in and are comfortable. After your feet, make sure you are looking after your head. You will need something that provides good sun protection and walking poles will definitely come in handy when it's slippery underfoot. Finally, think about clothing layers, Guyana is generally hot and humid. Quick drying, lightweight, baggy clothing will allow you to stay a bearable temperature in the heat, and covering up will protect you from bug bites. Other critical items are a lightweight sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 10 degrees (although this is provided for our Kanuku Mountains adventure), a head torch (preferably with a red filter, again to contend with bugs), a comfortable day pack, insect repellent containing 50% DEET and lots of high factor sunscreen.
Hammock camping: You will be provided with your own hammock that you will string up alongside
your fellow trekkers (earplugs for these nights are essential!). On your first
night you will be taught how to set up your hammock with your
camping mat placed below it, to step onto when getting out of your hammock.
Your basha or a shelter will protect you from rain during the night and the inbuilt mosquito
nets on the hammocks will protect you from any bugs. A kitchen area will also be set up which will include small camp chairs, a water station and fire. The toilet situation whilst in hammock camps is a case of "going wild" and our guides will usually designate an area in which to do this. You will need to bring some toilet roll with you, please ensure you dispose of this appropriately in the rubbish bags provided.
Mapari Wilderness Camp: Only accessible by boat and situated on the uninhabited Mapari River surrounded by pristine rainforest.
It is a simple hammock camp consisting of a thatched shelter under which
hammocks are strung up. At the front of the camp is a riverside open-air
dining area and pools nearby create perfect natural baths. At Mapari Camp there are pit latrines, situated about 50m from the main camp down a clearly marked trail to provide you with some privacy. Toilet roll is provided in these.
Hut: Huts in Guyana are simple shacks with basic bed frames and mattresses that have netting covers to protect against bugs. These will be in dormitory style rooms. Some huts have pit latrines situated nearby whilst others have no toilet facilities and you will be expected to "go wild".
Guesthouse accommodation: Booked on a full board basis and you
will stay in simple twin rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
Hotels: Hotels will be of 3 star standard with twin or double rooms and en-suite bathrooms.
Food and drinks
Whilst in Georgetown you can choose to eat at the hotel restaurant or at one of the street food stalls, the best of which can be found along the seafront. Try some of the local cuisine including; Metemgee, Channa and Sour, Eggballs or a Pinetart and wash it all down with a glass of rum.
Whilst in the rainforest, mealtimes will be part of expedition life and you will be expected to take part; you may be asked to fill up the water filter, maintain the fire, monitor the water as it boils and clean up your personal dishes. The guides will be carrying food rations for each day whilst trekking. This
typically includes a dehydrated meal, noodles, oats, cookies, crackers,
snack bars, peanuts, canned tuna/sardines, coffee/tea etc. We would encourage you to bring some of your favourite snacks from home to add to this but the pack itself will provide all the energy you need for the day.
Water will be collected from local creeks and boiled in camp to provide safe drinking water. Whilst trekking, you will need to bring your own water filter or purification system so that you can refill your bottle at any point throughout the day.
Dietary requirements can be difficult to cater for due to the remoteness of the camps in Guyana; a vegetarian diet can easily be catered for, however vegan options can be harder to provide. If you have a strong allergy to specific foods such as nuts, this can also be difficult as we will be carrying and cooking all the food together and we can't guarantee a sterile environment in the camps. Please let us know of any dietary requirements as soon as possible and we will do all we can to cater to your needs.
Budget
The currency in Guyana is the Guyanese Dollar (GYD). This is a closed currency so you will not be able to purchase these before you arrive. It is advisable to travel with US Dollars, as these are widely accepted. It is very important that US bills be new (no more than 10 years old), crisp and untorn. Our hotel in Georgetown will exchange money for you, simply let us know how much you plan to bring and they can have it ready for you on arrival, or alternatively, your guide can take you to one of the local Cambios in the city where you can exchange money. Please note that once you are out on your trek there won't be anywhere for you to exchange money so this must be done before leaving Georgetown. Traveller’s cheques and credit cards are also useless outside of Georgetown as you need a bank to use them and you will be at least 450kms from the nearest one in the jungle.
If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.
Tips
Tipping customs vary all over the world and can be very confusing when travelling to a new country. Tipping is completely voluntary in Guyana, and at your discretion. The decision on how much to tip should be determined by how well the team serve you whilst you are on your adventure. Tips should be made in Guyanese Dollars and we recommend allocating the equivalent of US$100-150 (~GY$20,900 - 31,600) per trekker for your tips.
Different crew members will be with you for different stages of your trip in Guyana, so you will have three different groups to split your tips between. These are specified on the trip pages in the Details section. Once you have collected all your tips together as a team, these can be given to the lead guide who will split them equally amongst the crew.
