GUIANAS:  GUYANA - SURINAME - FRENCH GUIANA ADVENTURE

TOUGYGSFGAD - 14 days / 13 nights
PRIVATE DEPARTURES with 2 participants MINIMUM

PRIVATE DEPARTURES: MONDAY

The three countries that make up the Guiana’s : Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are all different from each other as well as the other countries of South America. Experience unique cultural and environmental differences as well as thousands of years of evolution. From French wines to hot curries, magnificent waterfalls to mangrove swamps, stone-age settlements to Ariane space launch pad - its all here in the Guiana’s. Internal flights in Guyana and international flights between Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are included.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls
The Kaieteur Falls which was first seen by a European on April 29, 1870 is situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. The water of Kaieteur, one of the world’s natural wonders, flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge - a drop of 822 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls. There are no other falls in the world with the magnitude of the sheer drop existing at Kaieteur. Amerindian legend of the Patamona tribe has it that Kai, one of the tribe’s chiefs (after who the falls is named), committed self sacrifice by canoeing himself over the falls. It was believed this would encourage the great spirit Makonaima to save the tribe from being destroyed by the savage Caribishi. Kaieteur supports a unique micro environment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guiana Cock- of-the-rock nesting close by. The lucky visitor may also see the famous flights of the Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved by the centuries of water, hidden behind the eternal curtain of falling water. The Orinduik Falls is where the Ireng River thunders over steps and terraces of solid jasper, a semi precious stone. With a backdrop of the rolling grass covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains, this is truly one of the most beautiful locations in Guyana’s hinterland. It’s name is derived from the Amerindian (Patamona) word, Orin, which is the name of an aquatic plant found in theses falls. The Ireng river forms the border between Brazil and Guyana. In contrast to Kaieteur, Orinduik is ideally suited for swimming and you will find natural Jacuzzi’s as the falls tumble down the steps of Jasper. Guyana’s most popular day trip takes in both of these spectacular falls. The trip departs from Ogle Airstrip and lasts 7 to 8 hours with two hours spent on the ground at each water fall.

Karanambu - North Rupununi
The area is also a last refuge for the Giant River Otter and Diane often has orphans in residence. The river reveals Black Caiman and for the lucky the huge Arapaima, the world’s largest fresh water fish. Diane has started the Karanambu Trust in an attempt to create a private protected area at Karanambu. The primary purpose of the protected area will be the protection of the habitat for the otters and ensuring their survival. This project has created such interest that filmmakers from around the world, such as BBC, Yorkshire Television and Wild Things, have travelled to Karanambu to film Diane's work. As a visitor you can join in with Diane's efforts and help her in the daily feeding and care of the otters, and even swim with them in the Rupununi River. Your overnight rate also helps in funding Diane's work. Guyana's best inland fishing is close by at Simoni Pond, where Peacock Bass is a favourite catch. Boating through the flooded forest offers unparalleled opportunities to observe the unique ecosystem. Excellent bird watching is available on the savannah, in the gallery forest and in particular in Crane Pond. Guests at Karanambu Ranch are treated as friends rather than as clients and the atmosphere is that of ‘living as family’ in a remote settlement on the banks of the Rupununi River. This approach is reflected in an all-inclusive tariff with few supplementary charges.

Commewijne Plantation
Commewijne is located on the Commewijne river, directly opposite Paramaribo city.
The tour will take you along the river, passed former colonial plantations of which most are abandoned and no longer active. A visit to the open-air museum at Nieuw Amsterdam and Marienburg, the oldest former sugar plantation in Suriname, will carry you back in time. The agricultural projects in Alkmaar, Katwijk and surroundings will offer you a view on how the plantation industry transformed itself in modern times. The river, which takes in a dominant place in Commewijne, provides a way of earning a living to many fishermen in the area. A visit to the fish smokehouse will show you how fish is prepared in the traditional manner.

Kourou Space Centre
Kourou, in French Guiana, is the site of the Ariane space launch facilities and "Europe's Spaceport". It was chosen in part because, at 5 deg North latitude, it is close to the equator which makes the site ideal for launching geostationary satellites. As well as requiring minmal changes in the orbital inclination the equatorial lanch site takes maximum benefit of the Earths rotational speed to enhance the performance of the launch vehicle. Unfortunately this latter fact is counter-productive for sun-synchronous satellites, such as ERS and Envisat, which are in retrograde polar orbits! Following the first firing of a Diamant rocket by the French Space Agency, CNES, in 1970, Europe decided to use the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), in Kourou for its Europa launchers.

Devil's island
Located just off the coast of Kourou you find the Iles du Salut. Of the three islands, the Ile du Diable held, ultil 1953 French political prisoners and one of it's most famous residents was Henri Charriere "Papillon" who managed to escape and write a book about it. The islands is visited as a daytrip from Korou.

ACCOMMODATION:

Cara Lodge
Cara Lodge is the perfect hotel for those who want to soak up Guyanese heritage and culture. One of the oldest wooden buildings in Georgetown, it has in just 6 years become the best known hotel in the country. Built in the 1840s and originally consisted of two houses, it has a long and romantic history associated with it and was the home of the first Lord Mayor of Georgetown. Over the years it has hosted many dignitaries including Edward VII who stayed at the house in 1923 and planted the sapodilla tree in the front garden, to mark the occasion. He was, of course, later to abdicate and marry the American Wallis Simpson. In recent years the home has become a unique hotel that offers all the tradition and nostalgia of a time gone by, complete with all the comfort and services of the most modern of hotels, all in the most congenial family atmosphere. Our restaurant, The Bottle Restaurant, is known as the best in the capital and is open for lunch and dinner daily except Sunday. Cara Lodge is the perfect location for the vacationer wishing to experience a taste of Guyana's past, as well as for the business person who requires today's services in a comfortable and unique place to stay.

KARANAMBU Ranch
Karanambu Ranch is situated where the north savannah grassland, swamp and flood forest meet on the Rupununi River and the horse flats stretch towards the Pakaraima Mountains and into Brazil. The settlement has the flavor of an Amerindian village, with its clay brick and palm thatched cabanas set in a compound between the bush and the open range. Diane McTurk, well known for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild, can accommodate guests in five cabanas with verandah, twin bedded rooms and ensuite bathrooms. Meals are served around a large dining table in the open hammock-swagged living room of the main ranch house. Outstanding tropical freshwater fish and teeming bird life abound. Bird watchers intrepid enough to brave the flood and insects of the wet season (June - August) are rewarded with water birds breeding in the nearby nursery.

SURAMA - Pakraima Mountains
The Amerindian community of Surama is located in the heart of Guyana. The village is set in five square miles of savannah which is ringed by the forest covered Pakaraima Mountains. Surama’s inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still observe many of the traditional practises of their forebears. This isolated and idyllic location offers an escape from the concrete jungle to a serene and peaceful existence with nature. Dawn hikes, led by Surama guides across the savannah and up Surama Mountain, reveal a multitude of birds and fantastic vistas. The guides have lived their entire lives in the rainforest, and have an incredible understanding of nature and how to utilise its resources. Surama shares a common border with the Iwokrama International Centre for Conservation and Development along the Burro Burro River. It is here the community have established Carahaa Landing Camp, a hammock camp on the river edge. This camp offers a base for night walks and day break canoe floats on the Burro Burro River, which allow opportunity to observe Giant River Otters, Tapir, Tira, Spider Monkeys and many more species. Guests can also stay in the village guest house, which provides simple, comfortable accommodation with shared facilities and excellent meals prepared from local produce. The Surama community have identified eco-tourism as a sustainable use of their land. It means employment at home, rather than the men leaving to mine or cut timber in other parts of Guyana. Surama and Wilderness Explorers have developed a strategic alliance which fosters the development of eco-tourism in the community. All tours to Surama are managed and operated solely by the Macushi. Wilderness Explorers provide the administration, sales and marketing skills in support of Surama. Apart from the direct employment from eco-tourism, the community also benefits from the purchase of local produce and a portion of every tour goes to a village fund which is used for community development projects.

Eco-Resort
The Eco Resort in Paramaribo is the perfect combination of architectural history and modern comfort. All the facilities (swimming pool with large terrace, sauna, jacuzzi, tennis courts, beach volleyball field, basket ball corner, fitness room, health bar, aerobics center) at the Torarica Hotel (nearby sister property) are yours, on presentation of your Eco Resort i.d. card, issued upon check-in. There, you'll also find a beauty parlor, hairdresser, pastry shop, flower shop, gift shop, drugstore, nail studio and cozy country-house with snackbar, boat ramp and a 100 m pier, stretching out into the Suriname river, tropical garden with mini zoo, jogging court, taxi service, meeting and banquet facilities, baby sitting service, as well as a casino and bar with live entertainment..

Your Itinerary

Day 1 Monday GEORGETOWN.
Arrive in Guyana. Formerly British Guiana, this now independent country is the western most of the three Guiana’s. Transfer to the capital Georgetown and overnight at Cara Lodge.

Day 2 Tuesday GEORGETOWN / KARANAMBU
Early morning departure for the airport and flight to Karanambu Ranch in the North Rupununi savannahs. Your hostess at Karanambu is Dianne McTurk, who is well known for her work in rehabilitating orphaned Giant River Otters to the wild. Dianne normally has a couple of otters in residence and you can join her for bathing and feeding time in the Rupununi River. The otters are of such interest that National Geographic and the San Diego Zoo have filmed here. Dianne will escort you on a river trip in search of wild Giant River Otters. (B,L,D)

Day 3 Wednesday KARANAMBU
Today explore the Rupununi River by boat in search of Black Caiman and Arapaima, the largest freshwater fish in the world. If the water is high enough take a canoe through the flooded forest. Enjoy fishing at Simoni Pond, considered one of Guyana’s leading fishing locations, for Peacock Bass. Late afternoon visit Crane Pond to view Ibis, Heron, Egret and Anhinga roosting and see the Victoria Regis. (B,L,D)

Day 4 Thursday KARANAMBU / SURAMA
This morning transfer by boat along the Rupununi River to Ginep Landing and then by 4x4 to the Amerindian community at Surama. On arrival in Surama receive a welcome from a village counsellor and settle into your accommodation. A local guide will escort you for a short walk on trails to observe the forest and bird life. As the afternoon cools your guide will take you on a tour of the village. Visit the local school, medical centre and church along with some of the village houses. Tonight enjoy an educational walk to observe wildlife and experience the mystique of the forest after dark. Overnight at Surama Guest House. (B,L,D)

Day 5 Friday SURAMA
Rise before dawn for a walk across the savannah and then the gentle climb up Surama Mountain in the cool morning air. This is the best time to observe bird life along the trail. Breakfast will be served at a look out point which affords incredible views across the village and savannah to the Pakaraima Mountains. Return to village 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, Tira, Spider Monkeys and many more species. Return to village for sunset and to overnight at Surama Guest House. (B,L,D)

Day 6 Saturday SURAMA / GEORGETOWN
After breakfast depart Surama by 4x4 for Annai. Lunch at Rock View Lodge before an afternoon flight to Georgetown. Overnight at Cara Lodge. (B,L)

Day 7 Sunday GEORGETOWN / KAIETEUR & ORINDUIK FALLS
This morning depart for a flight to Kaieteur Falls which is situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. The water of Kaieteur, one of the worlds natural wonders, flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge – a drop of 822 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls. Kaieteur supports a unique micro environment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guiana Cock- of-the-rock nesting close by. The lucky visitor may also see the famous flights of the Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved by the centuries of water, hidden behind the eternal curtain of falling water. The trip then continues onto Orinduik Falls is where the Ireng River thunders over steps and terraces of solid jasper, a semi precious stone. With a backdrop of the rolling grass covered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains, this is truly one of the most beautiful locations in Guyana’s hinterland. The Ireng river forms the border between Brazil and Guyana. In contrast to Kaieteur , Orinduik is ideally suited for swimming and you will find natural Jacuzzi’s as the falls tumble down the steps of Jasper. Overnight at Cara Lodge. (B,L)

Day 8 Monday GEORGETOWN / PARAMARIBO
This morning enjoy a Georgetown city tour highlighting the unique architecture and markets before transferring to the airport for departing Surinam Airways flight at 1200. Arrive in Paramaribo at 1430 and transfer to the Eco Resort Inn. (B)

Day 9 Tuesday COMMEWIJNE PLANTATION
Today we take you on the Commewijne River past old Dutch colonial plantations of which some are still active. You will visit the Nieuw Amsterdam museum; Marienburg, the oldest sugar-cane plantation in Suriname; Rust en Werk; the Thilapia fishery and Agricultural projects in Alkmaar, Katwijk and surroundings. You will see fishermen in the area pull in their shrimping and you will visit the fish-smokery. Overnight at the Eco Resort Inn. (B,L)

Day 10 Wednesday JODENSAVANNE & BLAKAWATRA
This morning we will travel approximately 70 km to the South of Paramaribo, where on the right bank of the Suriname river, lies Jodensavanne. A former Jewish settlement, it is named after the Jewish people who settled in this savanne area around 1650. This former Jewish village is where the ruins of the most ancient synagogue of North and South America lies and the graveyard can still be seen. The tour will continue with a visit to Blakawatra, not far from Jodensavanne. Blakawatra is a recreation resort with swimming facilities in the refreshing water of the creek which is rich in minerals. Overnight at the Eco Resort Inn. (B,L)

Day 11 Thursday PARAMARIBO / CAYENNE
Transfer to airport for Surinam Airways flight departing Paramaribo at 1130 and arriving Cayenne at 1215. Meet at the airport and transferred to Cayenne. This afternoon enjoy a city sightseeing tour including the Place des Palmistes, place de Grenoble, Fort Cépérou, the franconie museum and shopping. Overnight at Hotel Amazonia. (B)

Day 12 Friday KOUROU SPACE CENTRE
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Kourou to visit Space Centre. Tour the main installations from 0800 to 1100, followed by a guided visit of the museum. Lunch at the Relais Spatial, near the Spatial Center. Overnight in Kourou at the Mercure Atlantis. (B,L)

Day 13 Saturday DEVILS ISLAND
Breakfast at the hotel. Take the ferry boat for a full day visit to Devils Island (only on Royal Island) including lunch in the Auberge des Iles. Return to Kourou with the shuttle boat, arriving in Kourou at 1800 and transfer in bus to Cayenne. Overnight at Hotel Amazonia. (B,L)

Day 14 Sunday RETURN HOME
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to airport for departing flight from Cayenne. (B)

INCLUDED:

Not Included:

PLEASE NOTE: All tours are usually presented as LAND ONLY (no airfare is included) and best airfare from your departing city will be included at time of departure. All tour programs are subject to your acceptance of our Terms and Conditions, which is understood when you progress into the reservation. Please review Terms & Conditions

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