During
colonial days there were three Guyanas: Dutch, British and French. Now two of them are
independent, third one act as department of France. They lie in the region of tropical
forests, huge rivers and savannas. Limited amount of tourists is visiting this area – it
is still travel well off the beaten track. Infrastructure and transportation are lousy:
Main roads are built along the coast, few roads heading to the interior are in bad
condition. Rivers offer alternative access to the interior, but connections are not
scheduled (except those to Bartica) and mostly based on a charter – you are always forced
to form the group wishing to keep the cost low. Small turbo-prop planes are another
alternative means of transport but rather expensive. Airfields except in capital cities
are too small for jet airplanes.
FRENCH GUIANA
Since it is treated as a part of France
there are inexpensive flights from Paris to Cayenne: 290 USD each way with AOM Minerve. It
is probably at the moment the last expensive way from Europe to South America, especially
interesting if you do not plan to fly back to Europe the same way. From Guyane you can
enter Brazil via Saint Georges de l’Oyapock but so far they didn’t finish the road
from the capital to Saint Georges: to get there you must take domestic flight (300 FRF one
way) or a boat sailing once per month. On arrival to Cayenne airport nobody asked me to
show onward ticket.
Cayenne is disappointing. I
expected to see well-developed capital of the province. In fact it is small, provincial
town. But there are few places worth to see: view of the town and the river from the top
of the hill with remains of Fort Ceperou. There is nice city hall and interesting colonial
administrative buildings around Herder Square. On Place des Palmistes – full of
distinguished palm trees there are food stalls in the evening. City museum nearby is also
worth to see. They charge 15 FRF for the entry and you can see there butterfly collection,
some Amerindian artifacts and paintings showing scenes from the penal colony era.
Kourou: In the morning it is easy to
catch “taxi colectiff” to Kourou from Rive Droite – it costs 50 FRF. Kourou itself is
divided into two distant and different parts: new one consists of dozens of new villas
inhabited by French working at the Space Center. There are organized tours to Space
Center, but weekdays only. You will be probably interested to see the old village –
located at the mouth of the river with some Caribbean-style houses and jetty on the river.
Boats to Iles du Salut are sailing from here every morning at 8.30. They charge 190 FRF
for round-trip voyage to Ile Royale. (Return at 5 pm), sea is usually rough.
Devil’s
Island: after one-hour sail by motorized catamaran you will land on Ile Royale. There
are three islands one by one separated only by 200-meters wide, rough channels: Royal, the
largest – in the middle, St Joseph with small beach (there is landing place – local boat
can take you there) and Devil’s Island on the left where they kept political prisoners
in the past. Devil’s Island is inaccessible due to rocky shores, currents and rough sea.
That’s why they used primitive cableway over the channel to provide all supplies. So in
fact tourist can see Devil’s Island from the distance of 200 meters only.
they kept up to 2000 crime prisoners. There are remains of barracks, chapel, lighthouse
and prison hospital. In the former guard’s mess they have restaurant and hotel (charging
300 FRF per night) and small gift shop. Backpackers can sling hammocks in former barrack
paying 60 FRF. There is convenient path along the coast heading around the island – it
takes about 45 minutes to make complete circle.
Saint
Laurent du Maroni: There is only one bus per day from Cayenne to St Laurent via Kourou
at 5 am. But it does not operate on weekends. I went there from Kourou by hitchhiking –
the road is excellent but traffic, especially in the afternoons is weak. Hotel Star in
Saint Laurent offers probably the cheapest accommodation – 180 FRF for single with a/c and
shower. The main attraction of the town is abandoned Camp de la Transportation – where
French kept prisoners on arrival from France -before sending them to different penal
colonies.
Main gate to the camp is open day and night. But if you want to see
cells and shackles in the “Reclusion quarter” hidden behind high wall you need to join
foot excursion departing from tourist office – just 100 m from the main gate of the camp,
on the riverside. They charge 15 FRF.
It is possible to rent dugout (16 meters
long, capacity: 12) and to visit different places along the Maroni River – for half day
they charge 150 FRF per person (minimum 4) and for full day 240 FRF (minimum 5).
SURINAME
visa in one day in Amsterdam – they charged 75 NGL for single entry visa. On arrival
in Albina nobody asked me to exchange money. I got one-week permit that can be extended in
the capital. Country is poor and dirty. Albina – tiny border village, there is
really no reason to stop there unless you plan to take a dugout to Galibi Indian Reserve.
Frequent minibuses depart when full from the immigration post at the jetty to capital city
of Paramaribo. They charge 2000 SRG (about 5 USD) for the trip. Minibuses are tight – do
not sleep there unless you can loose your possessions.
In
Paramaribo you can find dozens of colonial houses but many of them are run-down. I
stayed in Fanna Guesthouse, Prinsessestraat 31 – it is friendly and safe place and they
charge only 6 USD for basic single room (no fan, no bath attached). All tourist-oriented
institutions accept payments in USD, so there is no reason to change lot of money.
In Paramaribo unexpectedly there is couple
nice buildings: Presidential Palace, mosque, synagogue, Fort Zelandia now is open Tue-Sun
but mornings only on weekends.
Imposing wooden cathedral of St Peter and Paul is closed for
restoration. At the moment they also restore few nice colonial houses around the fort
planing to establish there souvenir shops and other tourist-dedicated institutions.
From Paramaribo you can take an excursion to
Nieuw Amsterdam (public bus for USD 0,25 to Leonsberg on Suriname River and then
boat for 1 USD) but the fortress and church there are in poor condition, and I do not
recommend this tour.
day trips to the interior, charging 50 USD per person (lunch and refreshments inclusive).
The most popular will take you by minibus to Saramacca River and then after about 1-hour
trip by boat you will reach village Santigron inhabited by Bush Negros. They perform for
tourist some music and dancing, there is also a chance to see woodcarvings. In the village
there is cottage with hammocks where you can spend a night.
If
you have just a day, limited budget and want to see countryside take a public bus from
ferry terminal to Benharddorp (75 SRG). It is the country: and you have
there a chance to see how the people live, what do they grow and what do they eat.
During the day you can go to the distant (45
km) airport by yellow public bus – it will cost you 200 SRG (USD 0,50) but for early
departures everybody is calling minibus (3000 SRG) – they will take you from the hotel.
GUYANA
There were no money exchange facilities in
the airport but there was announcement at the exit, that minibus fare to the town is 500
GYD. (1 USD=142 GYD). If you will arrive at the day time and not in a hurry you can find
local minibus no. 42 for 120 GYD. Georgetown
is nicest of three Guyana capital cities. There are pretty colonial houses along the Main
street, Disneyland-like City Hall and St George Cathedral to see. Promenade Gardens in the
city center are small but full of flowers. Botanical gardens are on the outskirts of the
town, run-down but still worth to see. Entry is free.
Georgetown Tourist Office is now located at
the corner of Camp and South Road.
I stayed in
centrally located Rima Guest House. It is clean, safe and worth to recommend. They provide
mosquito nets, fan and towels. Rate for bed in double or triple room with communal bath is
10 USD. They can keep your luggage stored if you are going to the interior.
City minibuses have their terminal in front
of Starbroek Market. Local people cautioned me against muggers in the market area so I did
not go in. There is alternative place to buy fruits and grocery: much safer open-air
Bourda Market. Guyana is probably the cheapest place to buy the rum – big bottle costs
around 2,5 USD.
enjoy the rum, but rum is not the main attraction of Guyana.
Kaieteur Fall is principal tourist attraction of Guyana. It is one
of most impressive waterfalls in the world. Single drop, 250 meters high and 80 to 120
meters wide depending on season. Angel is four times higher but not as wide as Kaieteur.
The fall is hidden in the jungle, far from human settlements and land access is very
difficult. Tour agencies in Georgetown like Shell Beach Adventures organize 4-days
overland expeditions to the fall. It is real adventure; be prepared for heat, humidity and
fighting with mosquitoes… Typical program looks like that:
truck to Meckdeci Camp. Day two: truck to Kangaruma. Day
three: boat to Amatuk, then 3 hours hike and second boat to Tukiet. After
that you have to climb 3 hours to the edge of the canyon. On the day four return by air to
Georgetown. Typical price for that tour is 640 USD per person, although if you decide to
take budget version it could be 480 USD. They provide transportation, food and hammock.
Season starts in February. For lonely traveler there is extra problem: you must wait for
the party of 3 or more…
to fly to the fall by small plane from Georgetown Ogle airport (15 min from city center).
They charge 160 USD for circle flight GEO-Kaieteur-Orinduik-GEO inclusive National Park
entry fee .Flight over the lush green, carpet-like jungle is very impressive. There is
only small thatched shelter at the Kaieteur airstrip. Flight takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
Before landing there is wonderful aerial view of the fall – keep you camera ready. Runway
is paved. After 10 minutes walk you will reach small Government resthouse. There is
kitchen and common room that can accommodate around 20 people. After another 10 minutes
you will come to the canyon rim just at the fall. View is magnificent, but in early
morning it was misty there so it is worth to wait an hour or so for better pictures. Then
you have three another viewpoints to visit. They are located on the edge of the canyon and
marked II, III and Johnson on my map.
our flight to spectacular Orinduik Falls on the Ireng River, which form
the border with Brazil. The river crosses the savanna. Falls are much lower – only 10 to
20 meters high, but very picturesque. It is possible to swim in the natural pool below the
fall. Take your mosquito repellent with you! Direct return flight to GEO takes 1,5 hour.
Bartica
is small and safe town on the conjunction of Mazuruni and Essequibo rivers- worth to
see. Going there you must take from Georgetown minibus no. 34 to Parika. (140 GYD). On the
way you will cross pontoon bridge on Demerara river – longest in the world (about 2 km).
From Parika there is ferry to Bartica three times a week, early morning (210 GYD – 5
hours). There are also speedboats waiting always (700 GYD -5 quarters). It is better to
take ferry on the way back (at 6 am – sharp) when it works as banana boat – taking load of
fruits and vegetables from riverside villages.
In Bartica we stay there at very basic Pink
House. It is inexpensive but primitive (no fan, no running water, no nets). They charge
200 GYD per bed. There is small market – worth to stroll around in the morning – later
on only few stalls are open.
It is possible to make trips by speedboat
from Bartica: For 3000 GYD per boat they will take you to Kyk-over-al., for 7000 GYD to
Marshall Falls, for 8000 GYD to both of them. Remains of Kyk-over-al lie on small river
island some 15 minutes from Bartica by boat. They will take you there, but there is
nothing to see except one archway made of brick and huge mango tree. And it is not worth
20 USD per boat charged for the trip.
There is 1500 GYD tax on departure from
Georgetown airport.
Wojciech Dąbrowski©