Guyana Highlands Trekking Adventure
8
Days
Deep in the highlands is the indigenous community of Paruima, the only Arecuna settlement in Guyana, which offers a challenging but thrilling adventure trek up to about 4000 feet through rainforest into a highland savannah, along the way visiting three spectacular waterfalls: Uchi Falls, Kamarang Falls and Panacema Falls.
You will sleep in hammock camps, swim in rivers rarely visited and float downriver through some of the most pristine rainforests in Guyana.
Paruima only has a population of about 500, with nearly half still speaking their native language, living in a mix of modern and traditional thatched-roofed homes.
It is largely a farming and hunter-gatherer community with skilled bush-knowledgeable villagers. The Arecuna are known for their unique basket weaving skills, wood skin canoes and hunting techniques, including blowpipes and their unusual diet of Tuma, Kachiri (a fermented drink) and savannah termites.
You will spend time learning about the way of life in the community and listening to stories from the local hunters and guides as you embark on this physical and cultural adventure.
23 miles of hiking, 8 miles of rafting, 3 waterfalls, ascending to 4500 feet.
If you are looking for another tour, check this out.
Tour Highlights
- Uchi Falls
- Panacema Falls
- Kamarang Falls
- Rafting
- Highland Savannahs and Tepuis
- Aracuna Culture
- Hiking
- Highland Termites
- Indigenous Community-owned and operated tourism product
Itinerary
Day 1 – Saturday: Arrival in Guyana & Welcome to Georgetown ⌄
Pickup and transfer from Cheddi Jagan International Airport to Georgetown and your selected hotel.
Cara Lodge was built in the 1840s. It has a long and romantic history and was the home of the first Lord Mayor of Georgetown. Over the years, the property has been visited by many dignitaries, including King Edward VIII, who stayed at the house in 1923. Other dignitaries have included President Jimmy Carter, HRH King Charles III and Mick Jagger. This magnificent wooden colonial home turned hotel offers the tradition and nostalgia of a bygone era.
Overnight at Cara Lodge. (Check in time 1400hrs, Check out time 12midday)
Day 2 – Sunday: Fly to Paruima Village – Gateway to the Highlands ⌄
Pickup and transfer to Eugene F. Correia International Airport.
Board an aircraft and fly over the tropical rainforest into the indigenous community of Paruima, located in the highland region of Guyana.
Paruima is an Arecuna community with a population of about 500 persons, of which about 45% still speak their native language. The community is made up of a combination of modern and traditional thatched-roofed homes and has a strong Christian faith, which is a result of English protestant missionaries converting the Arecuna at the end of the nineteenth century.
It is largely a farming and hunter-gatherer community with skilled and bush knowledgeable villagers. Arecuna are known for their unique basket weaving skills, wood skin canoes, hunting technique, including the use of blowpipes and their unusual diet of Tuma, Kachiri - a fermented drink and savannah termites. You will spend the rest of the afternoon learning about the way of life in the community and listening to stories from the local hunters.
After dinner, you will meet with your lead guide to discuss the next day’s plans and activities.
Overnight at Paruima village Guesthouse.
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Day 3 – Monday: Trek to Forest Creek Camp ⌄
After an early breakfast, you will set out on the first leg of your journey, a 7.5-mile hike ascending to about 2000 feet to the top of a plateau, continuing to your first campsite. This hike begins with a steep climb to the top of the plateau, followed by moderately flat terrain through primary rainforest for the rest of the day's journey.
The region is unique for its tepuis, flat-top mountains, which are the remains of mighty sandstone plateaus that once stretched across the entire area when it was joined to Africa in the supercontinent Pangea. With time, the plateaus were eroded, leaving only the tepuis as giant monuments to their existence. There are hundreds of tepuis, of which only a few have been thoroughly explored; many of them are hidden by dense cloud cover for days at a time. Much of the plant and animal life atop the tepuis has evolved in isolation and is unique and endemic.
As night falls and the jungle comes alive, you will have the opportunity to explore the array of unique bugs, spiders and other nocturnal critters with your guide.
Overnight at Forest Creek Camp in a basic tarp-covered hammock camp.
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Day 4 – Tuesday: Across the Highlands to Kamarang Falls ⌄
Highland savannah trek along the plateau and through cloud forest to Kamarang Falls. A trek of 9.5 miles / 15.1 km and ascending 346 feet / 0.1 km.
After breakfast, you will deconstruct your hammock camp and begin the second leg of your journey. Today you will embark on a 4.7-mile hike through the rainforest before emerging into vast open highland savannahs surrounded by Tepuis in the distance.
During your hike, you may come across wild animal tracks, including Jaguars, Peccaries, Foxes and other large mammals which call these forests home. Upon arriving at your destination, you will have to cross the Kamarang River at the top of the Kamarang Falls to reach your campsite.
You will spend the remainder of the day setting up your hammock camp and scouting out the Kamarang falls area. Overnight in a hammock camp at Kamarang Falls.
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Day 5 – Wednesday: Trek to Uchi Falls Plateau ⌄
Trek across the highland savannahs to Uchi Falls plateau (4.4 miles / 7,081 meters)
The many plateaus and tepuis in this region of Guyana allow for many spectacular waterfalls in close vicinity of each other. These form the main attraction to a backdrop of open highland savannahs dotted with patches of bush islands and tepuis rising in the distance.
After breakfast, you will pack up camp and begin your 4.4-mile journey across the highland savannah to Uchi Falls. There are some hilly forested areas and streams to wade through but this leg of the journey is flatter than the days before.
The hike takes you through a few termite mounds where your guide will demonstrate how to catch and preserve this protein-packed delicacy of the Arecuna people. This is a custom that has been practised for generations. From many areas along the path, you will be able to see both the Kamarang and Uchi Falls in the distance, with the constant roaring sound that they produce in the background. The scene is quite surreal, being the only non-indigenous person in this vast, remote landscape with an incredible backdrop of Tepuis all around. Venezuela is a short walk in the distance.
Tonight, you will be accommodated in a simple shack with basic amenities including a bed, nets and blankets situated on the Uchi Plateau overlooking the Uchi Falls and surrounding savannahs. You will spend the rest of the afternoon hiking to the top of the Uchi Falls with exceptional views of its gorge and surrounding rainforests, and overnight at Uchi Falls Campsite.
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Day 6 – Thursday: Explore Uchi Falls & Raft Back to Paruima ⌄
Descend into the Uchi Gorge for exceptional views of the base of the waterfall (3.6 miles of hiking), then float downriver back to Paruima, portaging along the way.
After a good night's rest, you will begin your 4-mile journey to the bottom of the gorge of Uchi Falls to an area that has only been visited by a handful of individuals. Your journey begins with a hike on the highland savannah, where it ends at a cliff overlooking the vast dense rainforest. From here, you will descend a steep path for about one hour to the junction where the Kamarang and Uchi rivers converge. From here, you will follow a bush trail with your guide upstream to Uchi Falls. This area is damp and wet from the constant mist produced by the waterfalls.
Return to the Kamarang Uchi junction, where you will board inflatable rafts with your guides, who will navigate a route about 8 miles downstream. This route can be calm or very rough depending on the level of the water at that time. If the water is too high, this route becomes impassable. The route includes some areas that are too dangerous to pass and will require portaging. One such area is at the Paracema Falls, which is located about 4 miles from the village of Paruima. This is a smaller but more powerful waterfall since it is fueled by both Uchi and Kamarang.
After a short hike, you will arrive back in the village of Paruima.
Overnight at Paruima village Guesthouse
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Day 7 – Friday: Return to Georgetown ⌄
Today, say good bye to your guides as you join the scheduled flight to Eugene F. Correia International Airport.
Pickup and transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport to Georgetown.
Overnight at Cara Lodge. (Check in time 1400hrs, Check out time 1200hrs midday)
Breakfast+Lunch
Day 8 – Saturday: Departure ⌄
Pickup and transfer to Cheddi Jagan International Airport for your departing flight.
Breakfast
Inclusions
Cost Includes
- Included
- Airport transfers
- Double or twin accommodation
- Meals as listed
- All road & river transfers in Paruima
- Internal flights
- Activities as described
- Local guides
- Value Added Tax
- Hammocks
- Mosquito nets
Cost Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks
- International flights
- Visas
- Items of personal nature
Terms & Conditions
Essential Information
AIRLINE FUEL SURCHARGE NOTICE:
Please be advised that due to rising fuel costs linked to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, airlines are frequently adjusting their pricing. While we strive to maintain our quoted rates, we reserve the right to apply a fuel surcharge if airline costs increase prior to your departure. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate these external market fluctuations.
Note: Passenger/s traveling on internal flights in Guyana are allowed a free baggage allowance of 20lbs/9.1KG exceeding this weight passenger/s will incur a cost of GY$300.00 (price subject to change) equivalent to US$ 2.00 per pound. Please note that additional baggage allowance is subject to availability and cannot be confirmed until day/time of check-in by the airline. We can book excess weight on your behalf but it is subject to being within the payload of the aircraft and at the discretion of the airline. Contact us for more information.
**Your itinerary includes a US$5.00 per person voluntary guest contribution to the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana’s (THAG) Tourism Development Fund, which supports industry-wide improvements through capacity building, marketing and product development to make Guyana a world-class destination. By contributing, you directly support the people, places, and experiences that make Guyana a special place to visit. While this is included in your total, it is entirely voluntary, and you may choose to opt out.
Packing List:
Clothing
· Long lightweight, fast-drying trousers for hiking (2 maximum)
· Long sleeve lightweight, fast-drying shirts for hiking (2 maximum) Short sleeves work as well but long sleeves protect you from bugs in the forest and the sun in the Savannahs
· Comfortable clothing for nights at the camps.
· A hat and sunglasses for when you are out in the Savannah
Footwear
· Flip-flops or sandals for nights at the camps.
· Comfortable, breathable hiking booths (or rubber booths) for hiking
· Long socks (2 pairs)
Luggage
· Comfortable backpacks for hiking (waterproof is HIGHLY recommended)
· Smaller day pack for exploring campsite and activities
- Hiking Poles
Other
· Flashlight or headlamp with batteries
· Water bottle preferably one with a built-in filter or water purification tablets
· Lip balm
· High protein bars or snacks or gummies
· A raincoat is recommended
Shared Items (Items you only need one of for the group)
· Sunscreen
· Bug sprays
· Antifungal Foot powder
DISCLAIMERS
FLIGHTS: Price and schedule of all domestic flights are subject to change by the airline.
BODY WEIGHTS: Please be advised all tour operators and customers must provide us with body weights of passengers booked to travel on tour to Guyana for all internal flights. Failure to provide us with this information or the incorrect information can cause delays to flights and inconvenience to other passengers and in some cases either passengers and/or luggage being taken off the flight. To ensure a holiday that is enjoyable and hassle free, it is imperative that passengers provide us with this information. We appreciate some people are sensitive about providing their body weights, but all customers and their baggage are weighed at check-in. This is procedure by the airline so as to ensure that the weight of the load is within the payload limit for the aircraft, and neither they nor Wilderness Explorers will compromise on safety. All passengers are subject to removal of themselves or luggage from the flight if over the weight they provided and/or over the baggage allowance. Passengers are advised to provide a body weight with clothing similar to that which they would expect to travel in on the flight. Wilderness Explorers cannot be held responsible for any passenger denied boarding or luggage not transported if they are over the weight provided. Weights supplied are provided to the airline in advance to ensure the flight is within the allowable payload.
A WORD ON VISAS: The requirement for a visa can change at any time and without notice. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the necessary visa for each country. We recommend you check the visa requirements for each country included in your itinerary. We are happy to provide advice on current requirements and even assistance in obtaining a visa on arrival or tourist cards. If you are unsure of requirements please contact us for assistance.
CONDITION RESTRAINTS: You have selected a tour that is, in part, in remote areas. This adds to the adventure and opportunity to enjoy a true nature experience. However, due to the nature of the terrain, weather, road conditions, and other elements beyond our control, some elements of tours may have to be altered. Times of some activities may need to be changed or even cancelled due to the conditions. If an activity is cancelled it will be replaced with an alternative activity that is more appropriate for the conditions. Advance notice will be given for any changes where possible, although at times changes may be made whilst the tour is in progress.
WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: With any trip involving wildlife it is impossible to guarantee a sighting, but each trip is designed around known habitats. Wilderness Explorers will make every effort to ensure a sighting, but cannot be held responsible if no sighting is made due to the wildlife itself, weather, or any other elements beyond our control.
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