Over the years, I heard a few people talk about travel to Guyana (or Guiana in French). However, I only know one or two people who have ever been to the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana). The first two are independent countries, and Guiana is an overseas department of France. When I found a tour that would visit all three overland, I was very interested to book it! Additionally, after some initial research, I found that it would not be easy to travel between the countries without a tour.
Travel to Guyana from London is not easy nor direct. I flew to Barbados then on to Georgetown. Luckily, this meant that I landed at the airport close to the city. Georgetown was an interesting city to explore, with its mix of colonial architecture, ocean views, and parks. My favourite park was the National Park of Guyana, with rescued manatees living in the pond. Of course, a must-see place is Kaieteur falls, one of the largest and most powerful single drop waterfalls in the world. I’d also recommend the early morning start to see the national birds, Hoatzin, on the Mahaica river. Some other sites that we didn’t have time to visit during the short stay were the Jonestown site, Iwokrama Rainforest, Fort Zeelandia or a cricket match at Providence Stadium. I guess that means I’ll have to go back!
In addition to all of the sights, I enjoyed trying the different foods. The cuisine is a mix including South American, Caribbean and Indian foods. Since it was Christmas, we were able to find the local specialty called pepper pot. It’s a meat stew with lots of pepper that is served with bread or rice. Additionally, there were many fried pastries, savoury or sweet. I’ve since tried to make some of these back at home and the challenging part is getting the ingredients.
Highlights
- Georgetown, the capital and a colonial city. Visit the rescue manatees
- Kaieteur Falls – one of the largest and most powerful single-drop waterfalls
- Demerara river
- Mahaica River Tours especially to see the beautiful national bird, Hoatzin, river otters, caiman, and other birds
- Cricket match at Providence Stadium
- Delicious local foods with influences from the Caribbean, India, China and more. If you are there near Christmas, then try the pepper pot dish
- Iwokrama Rainforest
- Fort Zeelandia, 8th-century Dutch fort on Fort Island in the Essequibo River
- Sloth Island
- Jonestown Site – infamous site of the tragic mass murder-suicide
- Cross into Suriname by ferry
Before you go
- Republic of Guyana was a British colony before becoming independent in 1966
- The official language is English, although there are many indigenous languages
- Culture is strongly influenced by the Caribbean and it’s HQ for CARICOM
- Weather is equatorial and tropical, and there are rainy and dry seasons
- USD and local currency (Guyanese dollars) are accepted in most places. Many places do not accept credit cards. If they do, it’s Visa or Mastercard
- Malaria is a risk so recommend anti-malarial medication
- Guyana is a yellow fever region, carry your vaccination card
- There are two international airports in Georgetown so check your tickets
Transport
- I visited the Guyanas with Penguin Travel, and they arranged the transport via our amazing guide Cherry-Ann from Ride Along Guyana
- There are two airports in Georgetown! One is Eugene F. Correia International Airport, close to the city centre. The other is larger and for longer-haul flights, Cheddi Jagan International Airport
- Getting around the city, we had a mini bus. There are taxis, but not many and our guide didn’t recommend them
- To get to Kaieteur Falls, you need to take a charter flight or book a tour. Expect a small propeller plane
Accommodation
- In Georgetown, we stayed at Kanuku Suites Hotel & Apartments. It is a basic, but comfortable accommodation between the city centre and the local Eugene F. Correia International Airport to the east. Air-conditioning worked reasonably well. Each room had a fridge. The breakfast was good and they even packed us breakfasts to go when we were leaving early
- As usual I recommend checking reviews on Google Reviews or using AirBnB
Currency
The official currency of Guyana is the Guyanese Dollar (GYD). As of January 2026, one British pound is about 285 Guyanese dollars. USD are also widely accepted.
I recommend to check the currency conversion just before you leave as this fluctuates
Food
The cuisine is a mix including South American, Caribbean and Indian foods. I tried the Indian food in Georgetown, and it seemed pretty authentic. However, the most authentic Indian food we had was for breakfast after the Mahaica river cruise. The owners prepared roti, local mackerel, potato curry and aubergine. Wonderful food and with a river view!
Since it was Christmas, we were able to find the local specialty called pepper pot. It’s a meat stew, usually beef or pork, with lots of pepper that is served with bread or rice. In general, curries and stews seemed popular like curried chicken.
The savoury fried dough called pholourie is made with split pea flour and we tried it served with a tasty mango salsa. One of the sweet fried pastries we ate had a pineapple filling and that was also delicious.
In the supermarket, the local snacks included a lot of plantain and cassava crisps, peanuts, tamarind and other local ingredients. Fresh tropical fruits were also available including mango, pineapple and bananas.
I will write about more specific restaurants in the Georgetown post.
FAQs
Q: Do I need a tour guide?
A: Yes, it is better to have a tour guide, and preferably a tour group especially for the local transport
Q: Do people speak English?
A: Yes, everyone speaks English
Q: Can I travel solo?
A: Yes and no. You can travel there on your own, but you will likely have to join a group to be able to travel by bus or small plane to places of interest
Q: How easy is it to send postcards?
A: It was difficult to find postcards, and even at the local market I was only able to find two. Getting stamps was slightly easier, as the post office had a separate area selling stamps. Luckily, I did not need to wait in the huge queue of people waiting for other services including pension. See Sending Postcards from Abroad for details on cost and the time it took to reach the USA.
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