Birding Tour Guyana: The Lost World – Guiana Shield Specials and Sun Parakeet
January 2027/2028

Guyana conjures up visions of one of the last few truly wild places on Earth that still holds incredible landscapes covered by thousands of miles of untouched rainforest, pristine forest rivers, water lily-covered lakes, rolling grassland and savannas, and magnificent, breathtaking waterfalls. Guyana truly gives visitors the sense of being in the Lost World.

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock is one of the key species that we will search for on this trip.

This relatively small country, found in northeast South America, has become a mandatory destination for adventurous birders as it hosts many species that are hard to find in adjacent South American countries. Some of these species include Capuchinbird, Black Nunbird, Crimson Fruitcrow, Blood-colored and Waved Woodpeckers, Black and Crestless Curassows, Bearded Tachuri, Red-fan Parrot, and Rufous and White-winged Potoos. It also offers great chances for Harpy Eagle, if there are active nests in the area. With the help of our Birding Ecotours leaders and local guides we will do our best to find this most-wanted and massive raptor. In addition, Guyana offers a unique set of species called Guiana Shield specials, including Guianan Toucanet, Guianan Trogon, Guianan Red Cotinga, Guianan Streaked Antwren, and Guianan Puffbird. There are also good chances for some forest species including White-plumed Antbird, Rufous-throated Antbird, and with luck Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo.

The distinctive Black Curassow will be searched for at Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Our 14-day Guyana birding tour is designed to explore the best that this country has to offer to birders in two parts. The first part takes in the coast at Georgetown, looking for the localized Rufous Crab Hawk and Scarlet Ibis. We will then explore the awesome Kaieteur Falls and visit a lek of the gorgeous Guianan Cock-of-the-rock near Surama Eco-Lodge, where we will be based. Next up are the rainforests of Atta Rainforest Lodge with its magnificent canopy walkways which should give us eye-level views of several canopy-dwelling species. The second part of the trip includes long 4×4 drives exploring remote Amerindian communities in search of two localized, Endangered, and most-wanted species, Sun Parakeet and Red Siskin. We will make all possible efforts to provide you with these unique species as well as the localized Rio Branco Antbird and Hoary-throated Spinetail.

Finally, Guyana also offers visitors good chances of encountering interesting wildlife, with sightings of Giant Otter, Giant Anteater, and even Puma and Jaguar are not uncommon in this fantastic country.

We may get lucky with a Puma sighting (photo John Christian).

Itinerary (14 days/13 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Georgetown and transfer to the hotel

You will arrive at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the capital city, Georgetown, meet our local representative, and transfer to the hotel. Dinner would be for your own account tonight.

Overnight: Cara Lodge, Georgetown

Day 2. Mudflats birding, Mahaica River boat cruise, and Georgetown Botanical Gardens

Today we will have an early start to head to the Atlantic coast and check the mudflats for the beautiful Scarlet Ibis. We will then continue towards the village of Mahaica, where we will take a boat trip along the Mahaica River. Among our targets will be Guyana’s national bird, the bizarre and distinctive Hoatzin. We will also look for a host of other species, including Rufous Crab Hawk, a localized Guyana special. Other target birds include Black-collared Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Long-winged Harrier, Barred Antshrike, Silvered Antbird, Mangrove, Striped and Little Cuckoos, Green-tailed Jacamar, Blood-colored Woodpecker, White-bellied Piculet, and Mangrove Rail. Depending on the level of the tide we may be able to check the shoreline for waders, including White-rumped and Western Sandpipers, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Short-billed Dowitcher, and other coastal and typical aquatic species such as White-cheeked Pintail, Tricolored and Little Blue Herons, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Magnificent Frigatebird, Royal, Gull-billed, and Least Terns, and Brown Pelican.

After lunch we will visit the famous Georgetown Botanical Gardens. This parkland area with open grass, scattered trees, bushes, and several ponds is famous for holding a good selection of species, including the localized Blood-colored Woodpecker. In addition we will look for White-bellied Piculet, Spotted Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Southern Beardless Tyrannulet, the impressive Toco Toucan, Black-capped Donacobius, Wing-barred Seedeater, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Black-collared Hawk, and a colorful and noisy selection of parrots, including Red-shouldered Macaw, and Orange-winged, Yellow-crowned, Southern Mealy, and Festive Amazons. Flowering trees may support hummingbirds such as Black-throated Mango, and White-chested and Plain-bellied Emeralds.

Overnight: Cara Lodge, Georgetown

The Georgetown Botanical Gardens usually hold a good selection of parrots such as Festive Amazon.

Day 3. Kaieteur Falls – Surama Eco-Lodge

After breakfast at our hotel we will take a chartered flight over unspoiled pristine forest to Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Though Venezuela’s Angel Falls is greater in total height, its filamentous drop occurs in stages, whereas Kaieteur Falls is a single, massive, thundering cascade 330 feet (100 meters) wide, as the Potaro River makes a sheer drop of 750 feet (228 meters), nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls. The spectacle is even more impressive due to its remoteness – it is entirely possible that we will be the only people viewing the falls during our visit. Here we hope to find White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirling over the gorge. The other two targets are the astonishingly colorful Guianan Cock-of-the-rock and the most-wanted Orange-breasted Falcon. We should also be able to find the rare and endemic Beebe’s Rocket Frog that lives in water held in the leaves of giant bromeliad plants.

Afterwards our chartered flight will take us to Fairview village, from where we will be transferred to Surama Eco-Lodge in the heart of Guyana’s beautiful rainforest. Arriving at the lodge by 3 p.m., we will settle into our accommodation and should have time to look for some classic and common species around the lodge grounds before it gets dark. When darkness falls, this will be our first opportunity to look for Tawny-bellied Screech Owl and other species of nightjars including Pauraque, White-tailed Nightjar and Short-tailed Nighthawk.

Overnight: Surama Eco-Lodge

Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo at Surama Eco-Lodge (photo Anne Koke).

Days 4-5. Birding Surama Eco-Lodge

We will spend the next two full days exploring the forest interior of Surama Eco-Lodge looking for specials such as Black-faced Hawk, White-bellied Antbird, Cream-colored, Ringed, and Waved Woodpeckers, Guianan Puffbird, Caica Parrot, Spix’s Guan, Little Chachalaca, Red-and-green Macaw, White-crowned Manakin, Black-crested Antshrike, Rufous-bellied, Long-winged, and White-flanked Antwrens, Helmeted Pygmy Tyrant, Cinnamon-throated,  and Wedge-billed Woodcreepers and if we are lucky, we may find the elusive Rufous-winged Ground Cuckoo.

We will spend the afternoons birding some diverse habitats such as forest edge where we could find species such as Ochre-lored Flatbill, Golden-headed Manakin, White-throated Toucan, Red-fan Parrot, Black-necked Aracari, and perhaps even Pompadour Cotinga and Marail Guan. The open grasslands in the area offer chances for Finsch’s Euphonia, Yellow-bellied and Wing-barred Seedeaters, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Green-tailed Goldenthroat, and Savanna Hawk. With some luck we may find the secretive Ash-throated Crake.

Surama Eco-Lodge is also well known for Harpy Eagle which often nest in the vicinity. We hope to find this majestic and most-wanted species, if there are any active nests in the area.

Overnight: Surama Eco-Lodge

Harpy Eagle photographed near Surama Eco-Lodge in 2023 (photo Ron Allicock).

Day 6. Transfer to Atta Rainforest Lodge

Today we will leave Surama Eco-Lodge and head to Atta Rainforest Lodge. Here, the impressive Guianan rainforests protect a unique ecosystem in the heart of the Guiana Shield, where the high species richness of Amazonian and Guianan flora and fauna make it one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. Along the drive we may spot a series of great birds such as Spangled and Pompadour Cotingas, Black-necked Aracari, Red-throated Caracara, Gould’s Toucanet, Blue-throated Piping Guan, Green-backed Trogon, Green Aracari, Black Nunbird, Green-tailed Jacamar, Black-spotted Barbet, Guianan Toucanet, and Black-crowned Tityra, amongst others. We will start looking for our first Crimson Topaz from roads running along blackwater streams in the area.

We will spend three nights at Atta Rainforest Lodge, looking for species such as Black Curassow, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Guianan Toucanet, Guianan Red-necked Cotinga, Capuchinbird, and Spotted Antpitta, amongst other targets. Canopy flocks may also produce Ash-winged, Todd’s, and Spot-tailed Antwrens, Buff-cheeked and Lemon-chested Greenlets, Olive-green and Guianan Tyrannulets, Zimmer’s Flatbill, Yellow-throated Flycatcher, and Guianan Puffbird. Before arriving at our lodge, we will look for Rufous Potoo and if any birds are at their day roosts, we will be able to enjoy this very rare and elusive bird.

Overnight: Atta Rainforest Lodge

Days 7-8. Atta Rainforest Lodge

We will have two full days to explore the forests around Atta from which we will visit the canopy walkway to look for passing flocks of canopy-dwelling species. Time will be spent looking for Todd’s and Spot-tailed Antwrens, Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant, Guianan Toucanet, Green Aracari, Painted Parakeet, Screaming Piha, Black-headed Parrot, Guianan Puffbird, Guianan Trogon, Dusky Purpletuft, Paradise and Opal-rumped Tanagers, Golden-sided Euphonia, and Black Nunbird. The entire morning will involve birding from the canopy walkway and walking the trails around the lodge. This wonderful area is famous for its variety of colorful cotingas, and if we can locate a few fruiting trees, we will be in for an avian spectacle with possibilities of Pompadour, Purple-breasted, and Guianan Red-necked Cotingas as well as the most-wanted Crimson Fruitcrow. The forest interior is our best bet for Grey-winged Trumpeter, Amazonian Barred and Red-billed Woodcreepers, Helmeted Pygmy Tyrant, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Waved, Chestnut and Red-necked Woodpeckers, as well as Guiana Spider Monkey and White-faced Saki.

The white-sand forest patches are good habitat to look for Black Manakin, Red-billed Woodcreeper, Guianan Streaked Antwren, Amazonian and Mouse-colored Antshrikes, and Black-chinned, and Grey Antbirds. Other interesting birds to look for here include Rufous-bellied Antwren, Collared Puffbird, White-throated Manakin, Cinnamon-crested Spadebill, Common Scale-backed, White-plumed, Ferruginous-backed and Rufous-throated Antbirds.

At night we will look for the localized White-winged Potoo which is one of the targets for this area as well as Amazonian Pygmy Owl, and Crested and Black-and-white Owls.

Overnight: Atta Rainforest Lodge

Day 9. Atta Lodge to Rock View Lodge – Northern Rupununi

Before leaving the lodge, we will have a final morning’s birding session around the lodge, scanning the treetops looking for Marail Guan, Green Aracari, Guianan Puffbird, Dusky Purpletuft, Black-spotted Barbet, Golden-collared Woodpecker, Black-bellied Cuckoo, Green Oropendola, and Crimson Fruitcrow.

After breakfast we will depart for Rock View Lodge, with our journey taking us across the North Rupununi Savannah. The road skirts numerous gallery forests and wetlands, offering great views of a variety of herons, ducks, Jabiru, Pinnated Bittern, Plumbeous and Grey Seedeaters, Bicolored Wren, Grassland Yellow Finch, Yellowish Pipit, White-fringed Antwren, Crested Bobwhite, Green-rumped Parrotlet, the colorful Orange-backed Troupial, and Double-striped Thick-knee. On the drive we will make several stops to look for Crested Doradito and Bearded Tachuri, two key species on our target list. This is also the best chance of finding Giant Anteater – we have a high success rate of spotting these most-wanted and bizarre animals on our tours. We will then continue our journey to Rock View Lodge, where we hope to arrive early in the afternoon in time for check in and our dinner.

Overnight: Rock View Lodge

Pinnated Bittern is reliable in the Rupununi marshes (photo Paul Newman).

Day 10. Rock View Lodge birding and Rupununi River excursion 

The morning will start with a cup of coffee before heading out by boat on the Rupununi River. We will be in small engine-powered boats as we head downstream. Depending on the water level we will visit some of the many oxbow lakes found in the area and focus on seeing the rare Crestless Curassow – our best chances of seeing this bird are along the river banks as the birds come to drink in the morning. We are also likely to find Green-and-rufous and Amazon Kingfishers, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Agami, Boat-billed and Capped Herons, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, Pied Plover, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, and Spot-breasted Woodpecker. In addition, we may be lucky enough to see Giant Otter, Capybara, Black Caiman, Spectacled Caiman, and many species of monkeys. Afterwards, we will return for lunch back at the lodge.

In the late afternoon, as the temperature cools down, we will visit a nearby gallery forest to look for White-tailed Nightjar, Spot-tailed Nightjar, and Rufous Nightjar. This is also a good opportunity to see hundreds of Least and Lesser Nighthawks as they feed at dusk.

Overnight: Rock View Lodge

Day 11. Rock View Lodge to Karasabai Village

Moving on, today we head for Karasabai village, a distant border village perched between the northern Rupununi Savannah and Pakaraima Mountains along the Brazilian border. Here we are delighted to have the rare opportunity to see the Endangered Sun Parakeet. In the early 1990s this species was on the brink of extinction due to extreme pressure from the pet trade, at which point local villagers took aggressive action to rehabilitate the population. Down to a mere seven individuals, conservation efforts have battled to regain their former numbers, but signs are hopeful, and the current population census suggests that at least 300 birds are thriving in the area today. Karasabai Village is well off the standard tourist track, offering a government guesthouse with adequate but sparse accommodations for our group. Nonetheless, local hospitality reigns, and when not on the trail looking for Sun Parakeet we’ll have a great opportunity to meet and interact with an Amerindian community that sees very few tourists and is eager to share their stories and learn about a world outside of their own. We will see plenty of other species during the day, but our focus will be on finding and observing this gorgeous parakeet. After seeing the Sun Parakeet we will enjoy a delightful lunch before departing Karasabai village in the afternoon and continue to Manari Ranch near the town of Lethem.

Overnight: Manari Ranch, Lethem

The beautiful and rare Sun Parakeet (photo John Christian).

Day 12. Full day looking for Red Siskin

Today we leave the lodge very early at 3 a.m. in our 4×4 vehicles and drive roughly 55 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Lethem. The drive will take us about six hours depending on what we see along the way. The ‘road’ is a traffic-less sandy track meandering through the hilly savannas, with many opportunities for spontaneous birdwatching stops. Along the way, we may scan numerous wetland areas for Maguari Stork, Brazilian Teal, White-tailed Hawk, Double-striped Thick-knee, and Bearded Tachuri. We will also pass the Amerindian communities of St. Ignatius and Shulinab, where the traditional homes and lifestyles of Amerindian Guyana are on display and remind us just how different their lives are. We will meet one of our local guides who has been studying the rare and localized Red Siskin, a bird only discovered in Guyana in 2000 and one of the holy grails of South American ornithology.

Red Siskin will be our target southeast of Lethem (photo John Christian).

Apart from the magnificent Red Siskin we will look for Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin and Sharp-tailed Ibis – both are most-wanted species, so our efforts will be concentrated on seeing these special birds, although many other species will be seen while searching for these targets. In the surrounding areas we could also find Little Chachalaca, Black-collared Hawk, Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Plain-crested Elaenia, Pale-tipped Inezia, Brown-crested and Vermilion Flycatchers, White-naped Xenopsaris, Burnished Buff Tanager, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Glittering-throated Emerald, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Hooded Tanager, and Flavescent Warbler. We will enjoy a delightful lunch at Dadanawa Ranch before making our way back across the savanna to Manari Ranch.

Overnight: Manari Ranch, Lethem

Day 13. Takutu and Ireng Rivers excursion, flight to Georgetown

Another early morning start will see us leaving our delightful base to access the dry scrub and savanna alongside the Takutu and Ireng Rivers. Once again, our 4×4 vehicles will come into play as we must get to an area where two highly restricted and poorly known species occur, namely Hoary-throated Spinetail, and Rio Branco Antbird. We will explore wetlands as well as the dry desert for a variety of species such as Pinnated Bittern, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Masked Duck, Maguari Stork, Double-striped Thick-knee, South American Snipe, Pied-billed and Least Grebes, Crested Bobwhite, Pearl and White-tailed Kites, Savanna Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, Brown-throated Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, Pale-legged Hornero, Fork-tailed Palm Swift, Sooty-capped Hermit, White-tailed Goldenthroat, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-bellied Piculet, Black-crested and Barred Antshrikes, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Yellow-olive and Ochre-lored Flatbills, Vermilion, Short-crested, and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Yellowish Pipit, and Orange-backed Troupial. With two exceptionally rare birds hopefully under our belts, we will return to our lodge for lunch. After lunch we will head to the Lethem Airport to board our flight to Georgetown.

Overnight: Georgetown

Day 14. Georgetown, your international flight home.

Today you will be escorted to the international airport to connect with your flight home.

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes must use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

GUYANA GENERAL INFORMATION

Guyana possesses an impressive country list of 788 bird species with a significant number of these species being endemics, or near-endemics shared with neighboring northwest Brazil, Suriname, and French Guyana. Our set departure tour is focused on finding many of these endemics and specials, while also uncovering the exciting wildlife and untouched landscapes of this remote country. We are also able to put together custom and private Guyana birding tours. Some of the exceptional birds we hope to find on our bird tours of Guyana include Capuchinbird, Black and Crestless Curassows, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Red Siskin, Sun Parakeet, Black Nunbird, Crimson Fruitcrow, Spotted Antpitta, Harpy Eagle, Red-fan Parrot, Guianan Trogon, Guianan Toucanet, Guianan Red Cotinga, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Pompadour Cotinga, Red-and-black Grosbeak, and many more!

ARRIVAL INFORMATION

Our tour will start in the city of Georgetown, at Georgetown Guyana Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) which can be reached by flights from most major airports from the US (New York and Miami) and UK (with a connection in Barbados). You may wish to consult your travel agent to book the most convenient flight, but please contact us if you need any guidance. Your tour leader will be waiting for you at Georgetown Airport with the Birding Ecotours logo displayed, and will then transfer you to your hotel. Please remember to keep your luggage tags, as they are required to exit the terminal at the Georgetown Airport. Please be aware that most international flights arrive in Georgetown around midnight. For this reason, many participants prefer to arrive a day earlier than the official tour starting date.

When filling out the customs declaration form, or when asked for the address you are staying at, please use the hotel address below:

Cara Lodge, 294 Quamina St, Georgetown, Guyana. Telephone: +592 225 5301

PASSPORT AND VISAS

To enter Guyana, you will need a valid passport that will not expire within 90 days of your arrival in Guyana. However, some international flights require a passport that is valid for at least six months from your departure to Guyana. It would be best to follow the latter to be on the safe side. Visas are not required for citizens of the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. Citizens of any other country should check with their local Guyana consulate about any requirements needed to enter Guyana.

It is always a good idea to make a copy of your passport and keep it somewhere separate from your actual passport. Having a spare copy will make securing a new passport easier in case you should lose your passport while on tour.

MEDICAL AND TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE

As referenced in our standard Terms and Conditions, we strongly recommend that you purchase a comprehensive trip cancellation insurance to protect against unexpected events that might cause delays and interruptions to travel. This insurance should also cover illness, medical issues, accidents, repatriation, loss of luggage or any valuable items, etc.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Please make sure you are suitably covered with comprehensive medical insurance in the instance of any emergency while on any of our Guyana birding tours. Without insurance, the cost of medical care is likely to be very high. As detailed in Birding Ecotours’ general Terms and Conditions, when signing up for this tour, we require you to notify us of any medical conditions that we should be aware of. The sort of things we should know about include, but are not to be limited to, any walking/mobility issues, diabetes, epilepsy, food and medicinal allergies, heart conditions, and long-term illnesses etc.

Some of the places we travel to are very remote and will not have many nearby medical facilities. In the case of medical treatment being required, this might necessitate flying back to the capital – the costs for these arrangements can be expensive (requiring extra flights etc.).

HEALTH

Please consult your local travel clinic or doctor regarding vaccine requirements before your tour to Guyana. We recommend doing this about two months prior to the tour start date so that any vaccine courses can be completed in time. There are no vaccination requirements to enter Guyana, although some are recommended. Yellow fever vaccination proof may be required if you come from a country with a proven risk of yellow fever.  Please refer to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website here for further information on vaccines and how to stay healthy in Guyana.

Everyone visiting Guyana should be up to date with standard vaccinations and boosters, like Diphtheria-Tetanus-Polio and yellow fever. Most people should be vaccinated for Hepatitis A, Polio, Tetanus, and Typhoid. Some people should be vaccinated for Cholera, Hepatitis B, and Rabies.

Malaria is low-risk throughout most of Guyana. Other insects can cause Dengue (especially during the rainy months), Zika, Chikungunya, and Leishmaniasis, which are recorded in the country, and although not very common, are all worth being aware of. Insect repellent with a high DEET content is highly recommended for most of the areas we visit in Guyana (DEET works against both ticks and mosquitoes).

Most people visiting Guyana do not experience any problems at all. But we of course strongly recommend you take note of the advice given by the CDC, a travel clinic, or your family doctor.

Again, please let us know about any medical conditions you may have, such as diabetes, asthma, allergies, heart conditions, or knee problems, also including phobias or anything you think we should know about in order to take care of you so that you can have an enjoyable and stress-free trip.

INSECTS

Mosquitoes and other insects are present throughout the trip. We recommend that you wear loose-fitting long pants and long-sleeved shirts and keep insect repellent handy. Spraying your feet, socks, shoes, and the lower portion of your pants with insect repellent will help reduce chigger bites. Chiggers are burrowing mites that are frequently encountered in southern USA, although residents of the UK and other countries may not be familiar with them. They are relatively harmless but can be a real nuisance and are abundant in the cattle pastures of Guyana. Spraying your trousers, socks, shoes, and waistline with a repellent containing Deet (N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) is a good deterrent. Applying anti-itch cream is about all you can do for them once the redness and itching begins, although a swim in saltwater may also calm these effects. 

SAFETY IN THE BUSH

While in the field remember that, although rarely encountered, there may be venomous snakes around, not to mention numerous ants, wasps, and bees etc.

Do not walk in sandals into the forest or secondary growth, especially at night, and take a flashlight along at night if you cannot easily see where you are stepping. We strongly recommend you do not walk away from the group or walk off forest trails.

It is strongly recommended to not walk by yourself at Atta and Iwokrama, especially at night, or at dawn or dusk, as Jaguars and Pumas (which are not easy to spot) are more active at those times.

FOOD AND WATER

We normally have all our meals at the lodges and hotels where we stay. If you have any dietary requirements or food allergies, please let us know when you book the tour, so we can advise whether it will be suitable for you and make sure we can notify the people who will be preparing meals ahead of time.

Guyana is not a gourmet destination and most of the meals are “homemade dishes” which include meat (beef, chicken or pork), rice, manioc or cassava and vegetables. In the city people can choose international food, but in the more rural and remote locations of Guyana where we spend most of the time, the food is simple but still tasty and unpretentious. There is a strong Indian influence in Guyana cuisine.

Tap water is not safe to drink in Guyana. Please only drink bottled water and filtered water provided by the lodges or by your tour guide. We provide all bottled water in the vehicle, however the more expensive bottled water in restaurants and in your rooms, is for your own account, but all lodges provide water containers that are safe to drink from. Please bring a reusable water bottle to help us reduce the amount of plastic waste generated during the tour.

Drinks, including soft drinks, fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, and beer are not included in the tour price. Please note that some lodges and restaurants might charge you a fee if you open your own bottle of wine, if it is not purchased in the restaurant.

Coffee and tea are commonly found across the country but are usually not of the taste/standard familiar in the West, so if you have preferences for hot drinks, it would be worth bringing your own supply with you. Note that getting fresh milk is not possible on most of the tour, but powdered milk or UHT should be possible in most places.

CURRENCY AND MONEY

Guyana uses the Guyanese dollar (G$) with notes representing G$20, G$50, G$100, G$500, G$1,000, and G$5,000. The exchange rate of the Guyanese dollar to the American dollar is roughly 1 USD = 200 GYD (September 2023).

We recommend carrying US dollars, although please do not bring US dollar bills that are damaged in any way (broken tips and edges, ink marks, pieces of tape, etc.). Most institutions and people do not accept US dollars that show this kind of damage. We recommend you bring US dollars or draw cash at the airport ATMs, as we cannot spend precious birding time looking for financial institutions to make these transactions.

Your holiday is an almost-all-inclusive tour, so you only need money to cover personal expenses such as drinks, laundry service, internet access, bar expenses, souvenirs and gifts you want to take home, or any non-mandatory gratuities you would like to give to any person who you think has provided exceptional service.

ATM MACHINES

ATMs are only available at the international airport when you arrive in the country. Please take note that several international flights land in Georgetown late in the evening when exchange houses are closed and it might be difficult to exchange money later in the tour. Most of the lodges accept US$, and credit cards are only accepted in the city hotels, but the lodges in the remote countryside accept cash only.

ELECTRICITY

Guyana uses 240V and the plugs are ITA Type A/B. Adaptors are needed for overseas appliances unless you come from the Unites States. A surge protector is strongly recommended, as is a universal adaptor, to help charge your electrical devices.

Due to high humidity in the Guianan rainforests, we advise you to keep your electronics in original cases with tiny bags of silica.

CRIME AND SAFETY

Rural Guyana is safe for most of the tour, but Georgetown has a reputation for street crime. We ask you to take special care of your belongings.

A few simple security measures that are important to remember: do not leave the hotel on your own, do not arrive at the airport displaying your optics and other valuables such as expensive watches, do not use mobile phones in crowded areas, and keep a copy of your passport. If you arrive late in Guyana at the beginning of the tour, phone us and we will do our best to send someone to pick you up at the airport and/or organize a taxi for you. Please do not take any taxis outside the airport.

ACCOMMODATION

We always try to include the best accommodation available on our tours to give our clients the best experience possible. The accommodation we use are considered comfortable, but not luxurious. Guyana is remote and underdeveloped and there are limited options for ecotourism accommodation. The lodges we use provide the best birding and wildlife experiences, and in most cases the lodges provide basic amenities which include private rooms with private bathrooms. Electricity is generally uninterrupted unless there are unscheduled blackouts. There will be air conditioning in the capital, and elsewhere rooms will have fans. Hot showers are not available in the lodges which is usually not a problem after spending the day in temperatures that reach 91°F (33°C).

Most (but not all) remote lodges have Wi-fi available, but this may be charged as an extra cost.

The price of our tour is per person sharing a twin bedroom. Most of our clients, even some couples, prefer to have their own bed to sleep better after long days out birding. The standard matrimonial or double bed in Latin America is the normal double bed size, which might be too small for some people. Bedrooms with queen/king-size beds are not available on this tour.

Do not keep food in your room, unless it is necessary, such as if you are diabetic, and then please ensure you store any snacks in appropriate plastic containers. The smell of food might attract vermin near your room. It is better to leave your snacks with the kitchen staff or in our vehicle. All rooms have mosquito nets.

LAUNDRY

Most of the lodges offer laundry facilities which are not included in the tour price, for those wanting to travel light.

CLOTHING

Long pants and long-sleeved shirts are best to deter any insects and to provide protection against minor scratches from vegetation. Modern, lightweight outdoor clothes are very comfortable and dry quickly. A lightweight fleece will keep you warm on early morning boat trips which can be chilly. Shorts and T-shirts are also useful.

Light-weight hiking boots will be invaluable, preferably waterproof Gore-Tex boots. Rubber boots are always an option, and some lodges may provide these if available. Sandals are useful around lodges and beaches but should not be worn on the forest trails.

As for wet weather gear, an umbrella or poncho, whichever you feel is more practical, will both work well. Rain suits can be quite uncomfortable in the lowlands, where it is hot and humid, and even though we run our trips in the “dry” season, please note that Guyana can experience rain at any time of year.

WHAT TO BRING: OTHER ITEMS

Do not forget: Binoculars, camera, field guide, flashlight (torch – e.g. headtorch), spare batteries, power bank, converter plugs, plug adaptors, chargers, prescription drugs (please bring the generic names for these drugs with you), toiletries, prescription glasses (and a spare pair), insect repellent, sunscreen, sunglasses, alarm clock, money pouch, hiking poles/walking sticks, suggested medical kit (see here), and daypacks.

Our tour leader will have a communal telescope for use during the tour, The communal scope will allow everyone opportunities to look at birds briefly on a rotation basis. If you like to “digi-scope/phone-scope”, or you would like to take prolonged scope views of the birds, please bring your own scope to do so, as the communal scope will be for everyone to look at the birds and not for photography.

Some additional items to remember to bring include important travel documents, passport, cash (or ATM/credit cards to draw money), proof of vaccinations, and your travel or health insurance cards – photocopies of all can be carried by the tour leader in case of emergency.

Bringing a couple of differently colored pens along with a 12-inch (30 centimeter) ruler can make the checklist session easier to follow.

Please refer to the tour-specific documents for further information of items to bring on the individual tours. Additional details on what to bring on a birding tour can be seen on our informative blog post here.

PACE, DIFFICULTY AND STYLE

Guyana is ‘old-school’ birding with no bird feeders, lighting bug traps or water pools where we might normally (in other neotropical countries) spend time waiting for birds to come eat/drink. We must rather look for birds in their natural habitat. It involves walking along forest trails and along some dirt roads looking for as many birds as we can find. Several forest birds can be difficult to see, but with the help of knowledgeable guides we will do our best to show you them, even the most secretive species, however photography of some of the more skulking species is not guaranteed and is not the priority of this tour.

We will walk an estimated three and a half miles (five kilometers) per day and in most cases, trails are rough with uneven terrain. Participants should be fit and able to do this without difficulty, including being able to climb 120 steps (up and down) to reach the canopy walkways and suspension bridges to reach canopy platforms located 80 feet (25 meters) above the forest floor. Please take note of this in case you suffer from vertigo.

We will have daily predawn starts, and will be out birding and driving in the morning with a short break after lunch and then continue birding in the afternoon. Midday breaks will not be possible when changing accommodations. We will take a few boat trips to explore rivers during the trip, and we will deal with bad roads and some long drives in the remote countryside. Participants should be fit and have enough stamina to deal with these conditions.

We ask you to please be patient and understand that Guyana is a developing country that is relatively new to the ecotourism industry with a very small number of businesses and a couple of local communities running the entire industry. Some issues that can be experienced include unscheduled blackouts at the accommodation, mechanical problems with some vehicles, flight delays, or some birding hotspots that may have disappeared due to a natural fire or deforestation. Birding Ecotours will do its best to fix any potential issues and provide the fastest solution to any unforeseen challenges that may occur.

There are no high elevation locations on this trip, therefore altitude sickness should not be a problem, as we will be birding in a lowland country.

WEATHER

The weather will be hot and humid reaching 91-95°F (33-35°C) throughout the trip. Although we run our Guyana birding tours during the dry season, there is still a chance of rain on this tour.

PLANES AND LOCAL FLIGHTS

Depending on the size of our fixed groups, or for private tours, we will take small single- engine passenger planes or twin-engine propeller planes. Please note that sometimes weather can cause flights in rural Guyana to be postponed, and delays on arrival and departure may occur.

We will fly from Georgetown to the Kaieteur Falls and to Surama Eco-Lodge on a charter flight (as described above). The ground fixers will ask for your individual body weight before we board the plane. To return to Georgetown from Letham we will take a commercial flight where there are luggage restrictions – any extra fees from this are not included in the tour price.

TOUR VEHICLES & SEAT ROTATION

For our Guyana birding tour we will mostly use a large van, to ensure each participant has their own window, unless the group is very small in which case, we will use a smaller van. Either way, at Birding Ecotours we follow a seat rotation policy on all set departure tours. This will ensure everybody has equal opportunities throughout the tour. Unfortunately, motion sickness will not excuse you from our seat rotation policy and thus if you are prone to motion sickness, you should ensure you bring the necessary medication. We also require that you are fit and flexible enough to maneuver yourself to the back of the vehicle. Tour participants should also be mindful of the extra equipment they bring into the general seating area of the vehicle (rather than the luggage section) and should ensure they do not clog up the general thoroughfare or extra seats with camera equipment, tripods, etc. from a comfort and health and safety point of view.

BOOKS

Sadly, to date, Guyana lacks a proper bird field guide. We recommend the following books to help you during your birding trip to Guyana:

Birds of Venezuela – David Ascanio (2021), Helm Edition.

Birds of Northern South America: An Identification Guide, Vol: 2 – Robin Restall (2007), Helm Edition.

Guyana: Bradt Travel Guide – Kirk Smock (2018). Bradt Travel Guides.

Guyana Travel Guide: An ultimate travel guide to Guyana – Annie Priest (2023), Independently published.

Download Guyana General Information