Rewa, Rainforest and Kaieteur Explorer

8 Days

Experience the majestic kaieteur Falls, deep rainforest immersion and fascinating Machusi culture

About this trip

An adventure that includes a visit to Kaieteur Falls, the highest single-drop waterfall in the world by volume. Then head deep into the Iwokrama forest and explore the canopy from the walkway through the tree-tops. Stay at the Atta Rainforest Lodge with forest trails and hummingbird garden. Experience the Machusi culture at Rewa and with indigenous guide climb mountains, explore the rivers and ponds and see amazing tropical wildlife.

Activities & Highlights

  • Kaieteur Falls
  • Trail walks
  • Riverboat trips
  • Wildlife spotting
  • Bird watching
  • Indigenous Culture
  • Mountain hikes
  • Victoria Amazonica
  • Goliath Birdeating Spider
  • Arapaima conservation
  • Community-owned and operated lodges
  • Culinary tour
  • Iwokrama Canopy Walkway
  • Hummingbird garden
  • Guianan Cock-of-the-rock
  • Remote jungle lodge

Itinerary

Pickup and transfer from the airport to Cara Lodge.

Take a flight over the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers and hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to land at Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Kaieteur Falls which was first seen by a European on April 29, 1870, is situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. The water of Kaieteur, one of the worlds natural wonders, flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge – a drop of 741 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls. There are no other falls in the world with the magnitude of the sheer drop existing at Kaieteur. Amerindian legend of the Patamona tribe has it that Kai, one of the tribe’s chiefs (after whom the falls is named), committed self-sacrifice by canoeing himself over the falls. It was believed this would encourage the Great Spirit Makonaima to save the tribe from being destroyed by the savage Caribishi.

Kaieteur supports a unique microenvironment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden Frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guianan Cock-of-the-rock nesting close by. The lucky visitor may also see the famous flights of the Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved by the centuries of water, hidden behind the eternal curtain of falling water.

Overnight at Cara Lodge. Breakfast and snack included.

An optional Birding in the Botanical Gardens and dinner at Aagmans Indian Restaurant is available on this day. There is also the option to upgrade your Kaieteur Falls experience to include a private guide, the addition of visiting Orinduik Falls or both. Add these your tour at checkout.

Flight for over hundreds of miles of tropical rainforest to land at Fair View Airstrip and transfer Atta Rainforest Lodge and Iwokrama Canopy Walkway along the trail that is one of the best places to see the elusive Jaguar. No promises, but many have been lucky! This road is the only north-south access in Guyana and links the country to Brazil. Even so, traffic is only very occasional and wildlife is often seen along the road, such as Agouti, Tayra, Tapir and Black Curassow. The journey concludes at the Atta Rainforest Lodge home of the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway. The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway is situated near the southern boundary of the Iwokrama Reserve. The walkway has four suspension bridges leading to three platforms, the highest of which is over 30 metres above the ground, and these allow great looks at a range of canopy species, many of which you would struggle to see well from the forest floor.

Another area where we will want to spend some time is the clearing around the lodge, as this is one of the best places to see another of Guyana’s “must-see” birds, the Crimson Fruitcrow. This species is seen here on a reasonably regular basis, as it often comes to feed in some of the nearby trees. The clearing is also a reliable site for Black Curassow as there is a family party which has become habituated to people and regularly passes through the clearing.

Atta Rainforest Lodge is 500 metres from the base of the Canopy Walkway, offering comfortable private-room accommodation with ensuite bathrooms, delicious home-cooked meals and traditional Amerindian hospitality. The main building is open-sided with views across the gardens to the towering forest on all sides and houses the bar, dining area and kitchen. The gardens have a wonderful collection of Heliconia flowers that attracts numerous hummingbird species.

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Before dawn we will head to the canopy walkway where we can birdwatch easily and from this tree top vantage you can sometimes see Red Howler and Black Spider Monkeys. The walkway has four suspension bridges leading to three platforms, the highest of which is over 30 metres above the ground, and these will allow great looks at a range of canopy species, many of which you would struggle to see well from the forest floor. The walkway is also an excellent place to look for various species of cotinga including the poorly known and range-restricted Dusky Purpletuft and if there are any suitable fruiting trees nearby, you stand a good chance of seeing this bird, as well as the more widespread Purple-breasted Cotinga. Apart from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway itself you can enjoy wildlife and birdwatching walks on the trails around the area. For those interested in botany many of the trails have the key tree species marked. Many bird species, stunning insects, noisy amphibians, and playful primates make the surrounding forest their home. Deer, Tapir and Agouti are also regular visitors to the lodge. Serious birders will want to search the undergrowth for the rarely seen Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo.

As darkness falls on the canopy walkway, you may see the White-winged Potoo. Night walks are also possible and something interesting or new always seems to pop on to the scene along the trans-national road near the lodge.

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Before dawn, we will head to the canopy walkway where we can birdwatch easily and from this treetop vantage, you can sometimes see Red Howler and Black Spider Monkeys. Return to the lodge for breakfast before departure. Transfer by vehicle through the Iwokrama rainforest to Corkwood where there is a comparatively short trail to hopefully see the amazingly brilliant Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. This trail is through interesting and pristine rainforest and the guides can explain how the plants are used for medicine and other purposes. Later journey by boat along the Rupununi River, with opportunities to see wild Giant River Otters and Black Caiman, until you reach the Rewa River and the Indigenous community of Rewa. The village is located where the Rewa River runs into the Rupununi River and the surrounding area is rainforest, mountains and oxbow lakes and teeming with wildlife birds and fish. The community is predominately Macushi with a few families of the Wapashana and Patamona tribes and villagers practice subsistence farming, fishing and hunting.

The Rewa Eco-lodge is situated on the riverbank overlooking the Rewa River with views down river to the Rupununi River. Along the riverbank tables and benches offer a relaxing location to enjoy the river and accommodation sweeps back across lawns towards the forest. Simple cabins with private bathrooms feature verandas with hammocks and meals are served al fresco or in the communal benab.

Later this afternoon take a short boat ride from the for a ten-minute walk to a lovely oxbow lake. The magical setting is enhanced with a wooden deck stretching out over the pond, allowing close-up views of the Victoria Amazonica, the world’s largest waterlily and the national flower of Guyana. The leaves that float on the water grow up to 3 metres in diameter with a submerged stalk of 7 to 8 metres. The flowers which bloom at dusk are white on the first night. By the third night, they change colour to pink and also change to a male flower. The golden colours across the pond at dusk combined with birds coming into roost provide a lovely nature experience.

Overnight at Rewa Eco-lodge. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.

Enjoy breakfast at dawn overlooking the Rewa River. Then head out by boat to begin a hike up Awarmie Mountain. The climb is steep in a few sections but in general not too difficult. Along the way, you may see lots of birds and perhaps good close up views of Black Spider Monkeys. There is good birding along the trail with White Bellbirds calling both from the scrubby woodland at the beginning of the trail and again from the forests far below you when reaching the summit. Other species you may see include Ornate Hawk-eagle, Black Curassow, Red-fan Parrot, Guianan Puffbird, Todd’s Antwren, Spotted Tanager and Bay-headed Tanager. The area also has a high density of macaws including Scarlet, Blue-and-yellow and Red-and-Green Macaws.

There is a small plateau on the top of the mountain and in one direction, there are uninterrupted views back to the Rupununi River, some patches of savannah and across to the distant Kanuku Mountains. In the other direction, there is a near-vertical drop of at least 200m and the view is across great swathes of undisturbed forest to the distant Iwokrama Mountain and much closer, Makarapan Mountain, estimated to be two-thousand million years old.

This afternoon take a boat up the Rewa River and then a 15-minute hike through the rainforest to Grass Pond. This pond is about 3kms long and is a beautiful setting with Victoria Amazonica and has a good population of Arapaima, the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world. During your visit, you could fish for Peacock Bass or search for Brown Capuchin monkey and Capybara. Birds likely to be seen include Limpkin, Wattled Jacana, Black-collared Hawk, Green Kingfisher and Guianan Puffbird. As dusk settles, watch the flower of the Victoria Amazonica bloom.

Overnight at Rewa Eco-lodge. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included.

After breakfast say goodbye to staff and newfound friends and board boat for travel along the Rupununi River to Kwatamang Landing where you will continue by road to the airstrip for your return flight to Georgetown.

Transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport to Cara Lodge. Overnight at Cara Lodge. Breakfast included.

An optional dinner at Back Yard Café is available on this day. Add this to your tour at checkout.

Day 08 :
Depart

Pickup and transfer to the airport for your departing flight. Breakfast included.

Inclusion

Included

  • Airport transfers
  • Double or twin accommodation
  • Meals as listed
  • Snacks
  • Water
  • All road & river transfers
  • Internal flights
  • Activities as described
  • Expert local guides
  • Value Added Tax
  • Kaieteur National Park Fee

Not Included

  • Items of personal nature
  • International flights
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Departure tax
  • Visas

Terms & Conditions

AUTHORITY ON TOUR
At all times the decision of the company or its representative will be final on all matters likely to endanger the safety, well being and enjoyment of the tour. Clients must at all times strictly comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange and drug regulations of all countries visited. Should the client fail to comply with the above or commit any illegal act when on tour or, if in the company’s opinion, the client behaviour causes or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may terminate that client’s travel arrangements without any liability on the company’s part.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
The client must be in possession of a valid passport (valid 6 months past the return date), visa (where necessary), permits and certificates including vaccinations certificates, insurance policies required for the journey – the client accepts the responsibility of obtaining these. Any information or advice given by the company on visas, vaccinations, clothing, special equipment, baggage, climate, etc. is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of the company.

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 change 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.

LOCAL CULTURE
Many of the areas to be visited are remote and cultures of the people most likely different from what you are accustomed to. These communities welcome visitors under the conditions that their customs, habits and rituals are respected at all times. Wilderness Explorers will endeavour to provide appropriate guidance to visitors as to correct behaviour whilst in these communities. The company reserves the right to cancel a visitor’s tour, at any time, should their behaviour be inappropriate and offensive to the local communities.

ACCEPTANCE OF RISK & RESPONSIBILITY
Nature and adventure travel is by character, an activity that requires travelling in areas that are often remote and the terrain difficult. Whilst every precaution is taken to ensure the comfort and safety of our customers, these trips do have elements of risk. By taking part in this tour you acknowledge that there are inherent risks and that you are fully aware of the conditions of travel, accommodation and activities offered. You accept that Wilderness Explorers, its staff and sub-contractors cannot be held liable for any accident, illness or similar occurrence. You hereby accept all such risk and release the company from all claims and causes of action arising from any injuries or damages resulting from these inherent risks.

FORCE MAJEURE
The company will do its best to minimise the effects of matters outside its control but cannot accept liability of these matters which include political disputes, industrial action, refusal of visas, border closures, unforeseeable climatic events, epidemics and pandemics, delayed or cancelled flights etc. Wilderness Explorers may change, modify, rebook or cancel a trip for defined force majeure events

TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is the client’s responsibility to obtain adequate personal travel insurance. This insurance should, at a minimum, cover personal accident, medical expenses and repatriation expenses. It is recommended that the coverage extends to include loss of effects, curtailment, cancellation and all other expenses which might arise as a result of loss, damage, injury, delay or inconvenience occurring to the client.

PAYMENT
All rates are quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated. Rates are correct at the time of publishing, but are subject to change without notice. Due to fluctuating world fuel prices, internal airfares cannot be guaranteed and the rate is therefore subject to change. Every effort will be made to maintain the quoted rate. A deposit of 20% is required to confirm any booking and balance of payment is due 30 days before commencement of the trip.

CANCELLATION BY THE CLIENT
Any cancellation by the client must be in writing and acknowledged by Wilderness Explorers. The date on which the correspondence is received will determine the loss of any monies applicable.

• Cancelled more than 90 days before arrival – full refund, less any money transfer fees.
• Cancelled 60 to 90 days before arrival – 5% administration fee.
• Cancelled 41 to 59 days before arrival – 20%
• Cancelled 31 to 40 days before arrival – 50%.
• Cancelled 2 to 30 days before arrival or no show – 100%.

RESPONSIBILITY
All services are organised by Wilderness Explorers. Notice is hereby given that all arrangements made on behalf of customers are made by the organisers on the sole condition that the organisers shall not be held responsible for any injury, death, accident, delay, loss, damage or irregularity which may be occasioned through acts of any company and /or persons engaged in carrying out the arrangements and Wilderness Explorers acts as an agent for transport companies, hotels and other contractors and shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, delay or irregularity that may occur, including, but not limited to, any defect in a vehicle or any other form of conveying a traveller, acts of God, detention, delays or expenses arising from quarantine, strike, riots, theft, force majeure, civil disturbance, government restrictions or regulation, accident by aircraft, boat, bicycle, motor vehicle or any other form of transport or in any hotel, resort, ranch, guest house, camp or other forms of accommodation.

SEVERABILITY
In the event that any term or condition contained herein is unenforceable or void by operation of law or as being against public policy or for any other reason then such term or condition shall be deemed to be severed from this Agreement or amend accordingly only to such extent necessary to allow all remaining terms and conditions to survive and continue as binding.

Essential Information

AIRLINES
American Airlines
British Airways
Caribbean Airlines
Copa Airlines
Inter-Caribbean Airlines
Jet Blue Airlines
Suriname Airways

VISA
The following countries do not need a visa: Commonwealth countries, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. Visa requirements should be checked as requirements can change at any time.

Wilderness Explorers can assist in obtaining permission for a visa on arrival at an additional fee. However, the granting of visas remains at the discretions of the Ministry of Citizenship.

YOUR SAFETY
Our number one priority is your safety and welfare. We always get the question is Guyana safe? Like any big city, Georgetown has areas that are to be avoided by visitors. But we only use hotels that have good standards and are safe. Most of the time in Georgetown you will be accompanied by our experienced guides and drivers who live in the city. During your free time if you want to visit a bar or restaurant in the evening we recommend a taxi, which is inexpensive. Your hotel will be happy to call one for you.

Once out of Georgetown and into what we call the interior, it is a different scenario. You will be in areas with small villages where everyone greets you with a smile and you will be perfectly safe. Some lodges don’t even have locks on the doors as there is no need. There will always be an experienced guide close by to accompany you on your excursions and bring the rainforest and savannah to life and share their knowledge and experience.

Generally, you will find the Guyanese people extremely friendly and only too willing to help you enjoy their country.

VACCINATIONS
Malaria – Many of the areas you visit in Guyana’s interior will have no malaria. However, it is recommended to take malaria Prophylactics as a precaution on some trips. Please consult your physician before your departure. All beds in the interior have mosquito nets, and on camping trips, hammocks with specially fitted mosquito nets are provided. It is advisable to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and long trousers at night. The mosquitoes are often more prevalent at dusk and dawn.

Yellow Fever – A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers coming from or transiting from a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission. Vaccination must be undertaken at least 10 days before travel to, or through Suriname. Suriname recognizes the Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is valid for life starting 10 days after vaccination. Children over 1 year of age are required to have a vaccination certificate. Travellers should carry their vaccination card (Yellow Fever) with them at all times.

CLOTHING
In the interior wear casual, comfortable clothing. A shirt with a collar helps protect you from the sun, and a hat and sunglasses are vital. During the day shorts and shirt are fine. In the evening you would want long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves. There is no need to dress up in the interior. You can leave any travel or city clothes in your city hotel or with our office when you are travelling around the interior.

Footwear – Comfortable walking shoes or boots and sandals.

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Rewa, Rainforest and Kaieteur Explorer

Tour Facts

  • 8 Days / 7 Nights
  • Persons with a good fitness level who enjoy hiking, adventure, wildlife, nature and pristine environments.
  • 2
  • 12
  • 6 Years
  • English
  • Transportation on this journey includes cars, minibus, light aircraft, 4x4 vehicles and boats.
  • Guests are accommodated in a mix of a heritage house hotel and rainforest lodges
  • The tour includes 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners