“We’ll be entering Guyana through Lethem, then driving to Georgetown. From there we will go to Paramaribo.
- I don’t think there are any paved roads from Lethem to Guyana, which is unfortunate, and if it rains – mud is even worse to drive on than snow, you will sliding and getting stuck. Think of that area as a jungle, the natural rainforest with no development.
- I’m thinking that from the Kaieteur, there must be some kind of a paved road, but I’m not sure; I think it depends on luck going through there, and after 6pm there’s no point in driving if don’t know the area. But that is the route the the Kaieteur Falls.
- Another option is to head north of Venezuela and maybe to Trinidad and from there drive onto a ship that’s going to the Essequibo River in Guyana, and from there, the roads are good and can drive to Georgetown.
Lethem is a town in Guyana (Western Guyana) that borders Brazil, where there’s a yearly Easter Rodeo, which means he’s coming in from northwestern Brazil. During the long Easter weekend, the Brazilians come up to Guyana in Lethem to compete with the Guyanese cowboys and cowgirls. The general name for this area in Guyana is called the Rupununi Savannah; this is the heart of the rainforest. When he hit’s Lethem, tell him to get out his camera and take lots of pictures. It is one of the most pristine area on the planet. Tell him to get a Go Pro or a HD Ghost (like my camera) and put it on his engine hood and video tape everything.
I’m also assuming before even getting to Guyana, that he’s coming through Columbia first, then Venezuela and from Venezuela into northwestern Brazil, and then to Guyana.
- take some long thick rope, incase they get stuck, trucks passing by can help pull them out.
In Lethem, he will be passing through some American Indian villages. There are about 10 times on the way. One of the tribes in the area is called the Macushi (Makushi). He will see the worlds largest cattle ranch (some say it’s now the 2nd largest, but some say it’s still the largest) called the Dadanawa cattle ranch. The natives there are the cowboys that goes to work in their cattle ranch. In Lethem, there’s a big shopping Plaza, which many Brazilians and Venezuelans enters Guyana to go shopping.
(Unfortunately, I do not have any relatives in this area, as this area is not very populated and it’s most Amerindian tribes ). I WILL FIND OUT FROM MY RELATIVES IF THEY KNOW ANY ONE IN THE RUPUNUNI AREA THAT CAN ASSIST; however I know there are places to stay over before hitting Georgetown (Georgetown is in Demerara). Demerara came from the words Rio DeMirara (The wonderful river) (Rio meaning River).
The Kaieteur falls is farther north but not too far. There are many waterfalls to see. At the Kaieteur falls there’s a resort to stay. He must see Kaieteur Falls; you don’t want to miss that if you’re already in the area; it’s a must – but I’m not sure what the roads are like. There are no railings at the falls; it’s all natural. You want to capture that on video and them put these videos on youtube. The Kaieteur Falls is probably the most powerful waterfalls on the planet, based on volume of water plunging over. There are other falls like the Orinduik Falls not too far from Kaieteur falls, but it’s the Kaieteur Falls he would want to see.
It sounds to me like he’ll be spending at least 2 days in this area before hitting Georgetown. I’m assuming they’ll spend 2 days in Georgetown because of the travel through the Rupununi. From Georgetown, they would head east towards Berbice which is the county they would pass through before crossing the river into Suriname (Dutch Guiana). I think the drive is about 6 hours from Georgetown to the ferry in Berbice to cross the river to cross over to Suriname. (Make sure they have papers to enter Dutch and French Guiana) .
I do not believe he’ll be able to drive to Arooka creek from there, as Arooka creek is farther north, and I don’t know if the roads are good.
I will find out more on this, and where they can stay over in Lethem and in that area before getting into Georgetown. I will definitely contact my relatives to assist them, (How many people are travelling?)
Take mosquito repellant, and aside from short pants, also take light long sleeves shirt and long pants as there are lots of mosquitoes after dark.
I will keep you posted as I find out more.
IN THE MEAN TIME…
There are many videos on this on the internet. Below are some videos to show what kind of vehicle he needs for this area. Do not drive a car. Watch the videos below to see some of the areas are all rocky. Email Guyana to get advice on the best route to the falls and to Georgetown.
In Georgetown there’s Stabroek (dutch) market, shopping malls, lots of nightclubs, also a Brazilian area. Beware of thieves.
2016 Guyana Pakaraima Mountain Safari
Pakaraima Mountain Safari 2014
South Rupununi Savannah Safari 2014
Guyana Info