Adults Only Tours Group Tours Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience 14 Days/13 Nights

The forest around the lodge offers good birding, but the main attraction is the canopy walkway, from which you can see birds that would be difficult to see from the forest floor. Among the highlights are several species of parakeet, Caica parrot, Guianan puffbird, waved and golden-collared woodpeckers and three species of antwren. If the trees are in fruit, you may see rare dusky purple-tuft and purple-breasted cotinga. 

The clearing around the lodge is one of the best places to spot the ‘must-see’ crimson fruitcrow, which often feeds in the nearby trees. A family group of black curassow regularly passes through and, with luck, you should be able to add this usually timid bird to your list.

Welcome the dawn chorus from the canopy walkway and witness the activity as short-tailed nighthawks settle for the day, swifts take to the sky, white-throated and channel-billed toucans yodel, and barred-forest falcons call. After breakfast drive into the forest to seek out Guianian cock-of-the-rock and hear about the uses of jungle plants, then continue to the Amerindian village of Surama, set on a small patch savannah surrounded by rainforest-clad hills. 

Surama’s inhabitants are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still observe many traditional practices. After settling in, you visit the school, medical centre, church and some village houses. A short trail walk will show you the forest through the eyes of your indigenous guides, and you’ll learn about medicinal plants and their uses. Later, a night walk reveals the mystery of the forest after dark. 

Accommodation: Surama Eco-lodge, 2-nights

Rise before dawn to walk across the savannah and climb Surama Mountain in the cool morning air – the best time for birdlife. After breakfast at a lookout with fine views across to the Pakaraima Mountains, return to the village. A five-kilometre afternoon walk takes you across the savannah and through rainforest to the Burro Burro River, where your guides paddle you in canoes to see giant river otters, tapir, tira, and spider monkeys, before returning to the village for sunset.  

This morning you can join the birding walk through the rainforest in search of birds and other wildlife. Alternatively, you can relax around the lodge.

Following breakfast, transfer by road in four-wheel drive Bedford truck to the village of Annai which is situated at the foot of the Pakaraima Mountains where the rainforest meets the savannah. Arriving in Annai for lunch, there will be an opportunity to explore the grounds of our accommodation in Annai. Learn more about what happens at this unique property before relaxing. There is a swimming pool at your lodge, so you can take the chance to enjoy a swim as well if you wish.

Accommodation: Rock View Lodge, 1-night

This morning we enjoy a birding walk along the Panorama Trail in the Pakaraima Mountains and also hope to see some poison dart frogs out on the trail as well. After breakfast back at the lodge, you drive to the banks of the Rupununi River. Jabiru stork and toco toucan are often seen on this stretch of road, along with red howler and spider monkeys. From Ginep Landing you take a boat on the Rupununi, where – depending on the water level – may see giant otters, as several family groups live along this stretch of river. Your destination, Karanambu Lodge, is the former home of Diane McTurk, who was known for her work rehabilitating orphaned giant river otters. 

In the afternoon you head out by boat to look for otters in the wild and see giant Victoria regia waterlilies bloom at dusk. On the way back your guide will use a spotlight to find nocturnal wildlife. 

Accommodation: Karanambu Ranch, 2-nights

The whole day is dedicated to wildlife watching and birding, exploring the varied habitats around Karanambu by boat and Land Rover. In the morning, you head for the savannah to spot giant anteater and there a good chances of seeing these unique mammals. When it comes to birds the grassland species that can be seen include double-striped thick-knees, bi-coloured wren and bearded tachuri, while patches of forest are home to ferruginous pygmy owl, violaceous trogon, blue ground-dove and great antshrike. The river has wood stork, white faced and black-bellied whistling doves and stripe-backed bittern, and as you move around you may see least grebe, South American snipe, rufous-throated sapphire, yellow tyrannulet, cliff flycatcher and ruddy-breasted seedeater. 

This morning venture out onto the savannah in search of giant anteater. Then, after breakfast, transfer by boat to Caiman House Field Station in the Amerindian village of Yupukari, keeping an eye out for giant river otters, black caiman (which can reach more than four metres in length) and arapaima, and birding as you go.

Accommodation: Caiman House, 1-night

After breakfast, transfer to the town of Lethem, from where you catch a scheduled flight back to Georgetown, taking you over hundreds of miles of broken rainforest as well as the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers. Once in Georgetown, you will have an afternoon tour of the city.

Accommodation: Cara Lodge, 1-night