Trek the Remote Rainforest and High Plateau of Guyana
Venture where few have ever stepped foot before, on a pioneering exploration deep within South America's last remaining pristine habitat
Duration
7 nights
Annual Leave
5 days off work
Group Size
Up to 10 people
Season
Aug-Apr
Location
Guyana
Meeting Point
Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana
Classic Accommodation
Hotel · Guesthouse · Wild camping · Rainforest Hut
Customer Reviews
This trip is brand new
Difficulty
Moderate
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What's it like?
Trek a remote Arecuna tribe trail, traversing jungle and savannahs through unexplored habitats as part of a new sustainable tourism project, owned and led by the Paruima Community
Arrive to Uchi Falls after 5 days of trekking and marvel at the breathtaking feat of nature hidden in the dense rainforest before rafting out downstream to Paruima
Home to approx. 4% of known animal species and 2.4% of known plant species, learn about Guyana's incredible biodiversity and rainforest conservation strategies
Day 1
Welcome to Guyana!
Welcome to Georgetown, South America's only capital city with English as its official language. Your host will arrange a private transfer to pick you up from the airport and transfer to the hotel. Meet your guide and fellow travel companions this evening and rest up before the adventure really begins tomorrow!
Day 2
Fly to Paruima Village
Get ready for a day you'll never forget as the adventure deep into Guyana's virgin rainforest habitat begins. Fly over swathes of tropical rainforest to arrive at the indigenous Arecuna community of Paruima, population of 500 residents, located in the highland region of Guyana close to the southwest border with Venezuela. A farming and hunting community very skilled at handcrafts, residents are English speaking but many still speak their native language as well. Spend the afternoon learning about the way of life in Paruima, their strong Christian faith, and listen to stories from the welcoming community. After dinner, you'll meet with your lead local guide to discuss the next day's plans before bedding down for the night in guesthouses.
Day 3
Highlands Plateau
Hiking
Trekking boots on and bags packed for the wilderness adventure ahead, you'll wave goodbye to Paruima Village and set out into the wild. The trek begins with a steep climb to the top of a plateau followed by moderately flat terrain traversing through primary rainforest for the rest of the journey. The region is unique for its tepuis, flat-top mountains which are the eroded remains of mighty sandstone plateaus that once stretched across the entire area when it was joined to Africa in the supercontinent Pangea. Of the hundreds of tepuis, only a handful have been explored, with much of the plant and animal life atop evolving in isolation from the jungle below. As night falls and the jungle comes alive, learn all about the surrounding insects and wildlife from your guide! Your plateau camp is a wild camping set-up, as hammocks are set up below a tarp cover.
Day 4
Savanna to Kamarang Falls
Hiking
Help take down the hammock camp after breakfast and get set for the second leg of the journey. Today's spectacular hiking route first involves trekking through more rainforest terrain, home to many wild animals including Jaguars, Peccaries, Foxes and other large mammals. The trail then emerges to reveal a vast, wide-open, highland savanna, complete with amazing views of distant Tepuis. Arriving at the next camping site, you'll be able to spend the rest of the day scouting out the Kamarang Falls area and enjoying a relaxing swim in the picturesque setting of the calm river that sits above the waterfall, gazing out at the rolling savannah mountains.
Day 5
To Uchi Plateau
Hiking
The many plateaus and tepuis in this region of Guyana create an abundance of spectacular waterfalls in close vicinity. These natural wonders are beautiful landmarks amidst the sea of open highland savannahs, eerie tepuis and dense patches of rainforest, and act as markers along your trekking route. From Kamarang Falls you'll trek towards Uchi Falls, close to the Venezuela border. The route takes you past an area of termite mounds where your guide will demonstrate how to catch and preserve this protein-packed delicacy of the Arecuna people, a custom that has been practised for many generations. There are several stream crossings today, but the trail is mostly flat. Listen out for the roaring sound of Uchi Falls as you approach, and bask in the unique privilege of being in such a remote natural destination, where very few non-indigenous people outside of the Arecuna tribe have stepped foot before.
Spend the rest of the afternoon hiking to the top of Uchi Falls with exceptional views of its gorge and surrounding rainforests. Tonight's accommodation is a simple mountain hut with basic amenities including a bed, mosquito nets and blankets, situated on a high plateau overlooking Uchi Falls and the surrounding savanna.
Day 6
Uchi Gorge and raft back to Pariuma Village
Hiking
After a good night's rest in the wilderness of Uchi Plateau, this morning you'll go even deeper into the wilds of Guyana as part of yet another truly remarkable day of adventure exploration. The journey begins with a hike across highland savanna to a clifftop viewpoint overlooking the vast dense rainforest. From here you'll descend a steep path for an hour to the junction where the Kamarang and Uchi rivers converge, and then follow a bush trail upstream to be greated by the epic sight of Uchi Falls.
Board inflatable rafts with local river guides who will navigate a route to take you about 12 km downstream. Depending on the water level at the time of visiting, this route can be calm or rough. If the water is too high then the route can become impassable in some sections, in which case you'll have to get out and trek, helping to carry the rafts downstream. There is one waterfall along the route called Paracema Falls that you always need to trek around. A short walk brings you back full circle to the welcoming sight of Paruima Village, for a relaxing evening reflecting upon the incredible experience of the last 5 days.
Day 7
Boat to Kamarang Village & Fly to Georgetown
Say goodbye to your new friends from Paruima community and hop on a boat for a river transfer to Kamarang Village from where you'll fly back direct to Georgetown. Hit the town this evening to enjoy Georgetown's nightlife and toast to an incredible week in the wilderness with your travel companions. Georgetown’s promenade sea wall comes alive at weekends as residents enjoy the Atlantic sea breeze with open-air entertainment. The strip becomes a hive of pop-up cocktail bars and street food vendors with Caribbean party music blaring out from all angles.
Day 8
End Georgetown
Your host will provide a group transfer to the airport today for those departing. Any travellers wishing to extend their stay with additional nights in Georgetown have the option to request these via the host - see Optional Extras for price per night.
Included
Guides
Expert, local, English-speaking guides
Accommodation
2 nights in hotels, 3 nights in hammock camps, 2 nights in guesthouses
Meals
x breakfasts, x lunches, x dinners
Transfers
Airport transfers and everything in between
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Tips for your guides
Some meals as described
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3 – Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 8
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
The typical cuisine in Guyana is a fusion of African, Amerindian, Indian, and European influences. It is known for its flavourful dishes, incorporating ingredients such as cassava, plantains, curry, and roti.
In Paruima Village and during the trek you'll get to sample traditional Arecuna foods throughout. Breakfasts typically consist of fresh fruit, porridge, honey, and eggs. A picnic lunch is usually made hot in the mornings and is usually some kind of grain or rice with curry, salad and fruit juice. In the evenings, dinner is made fresh at the camps and you can expect variations of BBQ chicken, stew, corn, curry.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for - please just request on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Paruima Village Guesthouses
You'll spend 2 nights in Paruima Village at either end of the trek. Here you'll be welcomed into the community as some of the first-ever international visitors to this remote corner of the country. Accommodation is within various small properties in the village, offering twin share or single rooms with basic furnishing and outhouse bathrooms.
Hammock Camps & Cabin during the trek
For 2 nights during the most remote part of the trek, you'll pitch camp at established clearings along the route, setting up hammocks either under a large tarp or under existing wooden roofed structures.
At Uchi Falls you'll stay in a modest hut/cabin with basic amenities, including beds, blankets and mosquito nets.
Hotel in Georgetown
Your base in Georgetown will be Cara Lodge, a historical colonial property dating back to the 1840s. Rooming is twin-share with en suite bathrooms.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport
Anytime on Day 1
Ends
Georgetown Cheddi Jagan International Airport
Day 8
Transfers
Your host will pick you up from the airport upon arrival and drive you to the start hotel in Georgetown. At the end of the trip, there will be one group transfer to the international airport.
Arrival and departure transfers are only included in the main price if you arrive on Day 1 and depart on Day 8. If you would like a private transfer outside of these times, this can be arranged with your host for an extra cost - please see optional extras for the price.
Travel options
Indirect flights from London and other European travel hubs to Georgetown in Guyana (GEO) are available, usually with connections in Bridgetown (BGI), Port of Spain (POS) or Miami (MIA). Direct flights are available most days from New York and Toronto.
Direct flights are available with British Airways from London, but only on Mondays and Thursdays. You may wish to purchase extra pre and post-nights in Georgetown in order to extend your stay and coincide with them. Although direct, the plane touches down on the Caribbean island of St Lucia in both directions.
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What's included?
- Hammock, mosquito net and blanket for overnights on trek
- Rafting equipment
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Main luagge: softshell duffel bag or large rucksack
- Daypack / Backpack large enough for the 4 day trek
- Waterproof liners / drybags
CLOTHES
- Waterproof Hiking boots (worn-in)
- Waterproof jacket
- Waterproof trousers
- Waterproof gaiters (optional)
- Breathable wicking layers
- Fleece jacket or similar
- Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts
- T-shirts
- Underwear & socks
- Swimwear
- Sunglasses
- Sunhat
- Clothes to sleep in
- Sandals / flip flops
SLEEPING
- Lightweight sheet or sleeping bag liner to sleep in (optional)
- Mosquito net (optional)
OTHER
- Universal travel plug adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel Insurance documents
- Ear plugs
- Insect repellant
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Toilet kit (toilet paper, biodegradable bags)
- Quick-dry towel
- Alcohol hand sanitiser
- Headtorch or torch
- Reusable water bottle with filter x1 ltr
- Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
- Water purification tablets/treatment system
No optional extras are available for this trip.
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 347kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
The trip is graded as Moderate based on the walking stats, however it is important to understand that there are a number of contributing factors that potentially make this a challenging adventure, outside of comfort zones for many travellers. Whilst the trekking distances and elevations do not seem overly challenging in isolation, the multi-day trekking experience from Paruima Village to Uchi Falls is a uniquely wild and remote experience that requires a good level of fitness and stamina, along with an open-minded sense of trepidation. Those with a willingness to embrace nature and the elements in a remote and very different environment will no doubt find it to be an extremely rewarding and memorable experience.
The trek follows an established walking trail that the region's indigenous Arecuna tribe use to connect villages situated in Guyana and Venezuela (although you will not reach the border). Due to the habitat and climate, the trail can quickly become overgrown and/or wet, meaning the local guides will have to cut through the thick vegetation at times, and it is normal to encounter heavy mud underfoot in some sections of the jungle. A hot and humid climate adds to the intensity of the trek.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. You will be accompanied by one guide representative from the host's team throughout, and in addition, have several local guides and porters from the Paruima community involved for the trekking portion of the trip, depending on group size.
You'll have access to drinking water in Georgetown and Paruima Village. During the remote trekking, you'll replenish your own water supplies from streams and rivers along the route, and should bring your own water filtration device i.e. either a filter bottle or purification tablets. See [here] (https://www.muchbetteradventures.com/magazine/7-of-the-best-water-filters-for-adventurers-a-guide/) for the MBA guide to water filters.
Guyana's dry season stretches from August to April and is characterised by less rainfall and lower humidity making it the best time of year to visit. You should expect hot temperatures, usually stable throughout this time of year, averaging between 27 to 32°C during the daytime. Humidity will vary greatly depending on the microclimates that you'll be trekking in, from low-lying dense rainforest, to open high plains.
Yes, you can leave excess luggage at the hotel in Georgetown should you wish to. There is also the option to leave items in Paruima Village on Day 3 to then pick up on Day 6.
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
During the trekking days you will have to carry all of your personal belongings, and it is recommended to pack as lightly as possible. A 35-40 Litre capacity backpack should be sufficient for the trek. You can leave excess items in Georgetown or in Paruima Village. All food and camping equipment will be portered for you by members of the local support team.
As internal flights are required in order to access the remote location featured on this trip, should external factors cause alterations to what is possible, then the ordering of the itinerary and/or the exact number of days spent in each location mentioned in the itinerary may have to change. The local host would endeavour to ensure that any replacement activities are of a similar style. Should the internal flights have to be replaced by overland vehicle journeys for reasons outside of our control then this would result in some long road journeys.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.
Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. See here for more info about the local teams we partner with.
TRIP DEPARTURE DATES
Go private and split the bill with ease.
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