Three Guianas Adventure Tour

Arrive at Georgetown’s international airport and be greeted by a professional guide, and transfer to the hotel in the city.

Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and sits on the Atlantic Coast at the mouth of the Demerara River. Here, find fading British and Dutch colonial architecture, tree-lined avenues, Hindu temples next to mosques and wooden churches, West Indian markets, rum shops, and reggae music. The food of Guyana reflects its ethnic diversity, from Amerindian cassava bread and pepperpot to duck curries washed down with rum and the Caribbean cook up rice served with fry fish and ground provisions - the root vegetables that were grown and cooked by slaves in their communally-owned grounds on the plantations.

Note: This Guianas tour is based on starting on a Tuesday to fit with the days of operation of certain flights as well as market days, however, the itinerary can be customized if travelers wish to start on a different day.

Today, embark on a culinary tour of Georgetown. Follow a local Chef around Bourda Market - the largest of the four markets in Georgetown and enjoy breakfast at one of the stands. Visit the fish market, meat section, and haberdashery section. To conclude the culinary tour, the chef will hand-select and purchase goods based on the traveler's tastes and preferences.

Continue with a tour of some of Georgetown's key sights such as Stabroek Market and St. George’s Cathedral - one of the world’s tallest free-standing wooden buildings. Visit the National Museum, which contains a broad selection of animal life portrayed in taxidermy in beautiful old glass cases, and the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, which explains the Amerindian history and lifestyle.

Following the city tour, have lunch at the Backyard Cafe. Next, visit the Botanical Gardens and Zoo (which has become a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center), and feed endangered West Indian Manatees. In the evening, experience a rum tasting session at award-winning El Dorado Rums.

In the morning be driven to the airport for a flight to Rupununi airstrip. The flight travels over hundreds of miles of tropical rainforest and the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers. Upon arrival, be met at the airstrip and driven to the lodge for a stay of two nights.

The Indigenous community of Surama is in the heart of Guyana, set in five square miles of savannah ringed by the forest-covered Pakaraima Mountains. The villagers of Surama are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still observe many of the traditional practices of their ancestors.

After settling in at the lodge, take a short walk to observe the forest and birdlife and a tour of the village. Visit the local school, medical center and church along with some of the village houses. Tonight, enjoy a night walk to observe wildlife.

Rise before dawn for a walk across the savannah and then climb up Surama Mountain for incredible views across the village to the Pakaraima Mountains.

Return to the lodge for lunch and then take a three-mile walk across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. Your guides will then paddle you on the Burro Burro River for opportunities to observe Giant River Otters, Tapir, Tayra, Spider Monkeys, and many more species.  Return to the lodge for sunset.

Note: The climb up Surama Mountain can be difficult, especially after rain, and is not suitable for everyone. The local guides will happily offer alternative activities for those who do not prefer to do this climb.

Today, enjoy a dawn forest walk to look for birds and wildlife or relax at the lodge before transferring to the airstrip. After breakfast at the lodge, take a charter flight to the impressive Kaieteur Falls. Kaieteur thunders over a precipice, plummeting 224 m (741 feet), making it the longest single-drop waterfall in the world. This is one of the most impressive and beautiful sights in Guyana.

A tour of the Kaieteur Park gives the chance to view the falls from several vantage points, offering excellent photo opportunities. With stealth and a little patience, travelers can get a close-up view of the beautiful, but poisonous ‘golden frog’ and, if lucky catch a glimpse of the brilliantly colored, orange ‘Cock-of-the-rock’. Also, observe several carnivorous plants. Following about two hours at the falls, fly to Georgetown, transfer to the hotel for the night and have dinner at an excellent Indian restaurant.

Transfer to Georgetown airport for a morning flight to Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname. Here be met and driven to the hotel for a stay of one night. Learn about Suriname's interesting cultural mix and surprising Javanese population. After the abolition of slavery, the plantations in Suriname needed a new source of labor and Javanese contract workers were attracted from the Dutch East Indies.

Later, begin a dolphin tour. Enjoy the cool breeze and river views, while the captain searches the horizon for the dolphins which can be seen in groups of up to 20. On occasion, they’re very curious and with luck, they will jump and play close to the boat. Next, head to a former plantation and try freshly made local snacks like barra, baka bana or eggroll while experiencing the beautiful sunset near the Commewijne River. After the sun has set, travel back to Paramaribo. Have dinner at an Indonesian Restaurant.

Start the day with a road journey for about 190 km to the village of Atjoni. From here, continue by motorized canoe navigating the rapids of the Upper Suriname River to reach a remote rainforest lodge. Accommodations are in spacious A-frame style cabins and views into the thick, surrounding rainforest. The food at the lodge is a fusion of many different cuisines from around the world that now call Suriname home. The local Maroon influence concentrates on local ingredients such as plantains, sweet potatoes, and cassava. Combine the Maroon with the Indonesian and Hindustani influence and of course European, especially Dutch.

The day ends with a cruise on the river looking for caiman lying on the river banks.

Today visit the village of Pikin Slee, 30 minutes by boat from the rainforest lodge. At this Maroon village, learn about the unique way of life and African traditions. There is a Maroon museum dedicated to cultural heritage. Following the visit, return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, go on a rainforest walk. After that, opt for a massage, fish or take a trip in a dugout canoe. Following dinner, enjoy a cultural dance performance - traditional dances include Seketi, Bandamba, and Awasa.

Following some free time in the morning, retrace the route to Paramaribo by boat and road today. Spend two nights in the Surinamese capital.

Paramaribo is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites for its historical monuments. On the tour, visit Fort Zeelandia, Independence Square, the Presidential Palace, and other historic sights. Stroll along the bank of the Suriname River and the Palm Gardens. Next, cross the Suriname River and visit the Commewijne district. Experience former colonial plantations including Peperpot where there is an old coffee and cocoa factory. Peperpot was established by the British and now is renowned for the many birds found here.

Continue to the mini-museum of Marienburg, a former sugar plantation before having lunch at a typical Javanese restaurant (warung) in Tamanredjo. The next stop is the confluence of the Commewijne and Suriname Rivers at Nieuw Amsterdam. Here, visit the outdoor museum Fort Nieuw Amsterdam. The large fortress was built by the British to defend the plantations along the upper parts of both rivers. Return to Paramaribo following the tour.

Travel east along Suriname’s coast road to the Albina border station. Cross the Maroni River in a Piaka canoe to Saint Laurent du Maroni in French Guiana - an overseas department of France. Technically, travelers have arrived in the European Union and evidence of the “First World” is clear - every car seems to be new, roads are in excellent condition and espresso coffee is everywhere!

Take a tour of Saint Laurent Du Maroni including a brief visit to the well-preserved Transportation Center. This was once a transit point for slaves and indentured servants and then later for political prisoners and convicts. Following the tour, travel onward to Kourou for the night.

After a delicious breakfast, visit what is commonly called Devil’s Island. This is actually a group of three islands - the Îles du Salut or Salvation Islands. The islands are seven miles off the coast and played an important role in French history starting as far back as 1792 when they were a transit point, first for explorers, then slaves and later for political prisoners and convicts. Île Saint-Joseph was known as the ‘man eater’. Here, inmates were forbidden to speak with other inmates or even the guards. Papillion claimed to have been held here for two years of solitary confinement.

On Île Royale the oldest buildings can be found including an old church, administrative buildings and now a good restaurant! The actual Île du Diable (Devil's Island) cannot be visited due to the dangers of landing there. Devil’s Island is where Alfred Dreyfus was famously incarcerated and from where Papillon supposedly escaped on a coconut raft. Spend the day on Île Royale and can walk around leisurely. Convicts were buried at sea to encourage sharks and thereby discourage convicts from escaping by sea. From Kourou, be driven to the hotel in Cayenne - the capital of French Guiana.

This morning explore Cacao - on the Conte River about 60 km from Cayenne. The village is home to about 950 people mostly H’mong farmers from Laos who settled in French Guiana as refugees in the 1970s during the Vietnam War. The H’mong population are the only producers of vegetables and fruits in French Guiana, almost all other produce is imported from France. See fresh fruits and vegetables, handicrafts and embroidery as well as authentic Asian cuisine and culture.

Following the visit to the market, return to Cayenne and fly to Belem in Brazil. Upon arrival, be greeted at Belem airport and driven to the hotel in this Brazilian Amazon city.

Today, travel to the Acai market and experience the arrival and sale of these berries famous for their healthy properties. Next indulge in a typical breakfast in Ver o Peso market which can include coffee, chocolate, tapioca, porridge, bread, and fruit. A local guide will explain the different Amazonian fruits, vegetables, fish, and herbs found in the market. Make sure to try various regional products!

Late morning, visit the Station of the Docks – formerly Belem’s main port and now a complex of bars, restaurants, and shops in front of the Bay of Guajara. Lunch is included in a local restaurant. Next, take a boat trip to the island of Combu and visit Dona Nena’s small cacao plantation and chocolate factory. Following the visit, continue by boat along the channels of the Guama River to the community of Boa Vista do Acara for a walk through native forest and learn about the different types of trees and herbs. Late afternoon, return to Belem for an onward flight, or an additional night in the city.