Fish-eating bats, black caimans and giant ant eaters – Guyana is blessed with some of the world's most captivating wildlife species. The South American country, sandwiched between Surinam (Dutch Guyana) and French Guyana, serves up nature like nothing you've ever seen. This is your anti-Dubai, the true back-to-nature experience to end all nature experiences.
It's where you can easily imagine Sir David Attenborough narrating from its savannahs and wetlands, and with 80 per cent of the country covered in rainforest, it's a playground for discerning wildlife travellers. Thanks to British Airways introducing this wild land as an exciting new route from London earlier this year, anyone who is opting for one incredible holiday over a few shorter holidays per year to reduce their carbon footprint, would do well to consider Guyana, a country virtually untouched by tourism.
The little-known corner of South America is the only English-speaking country on the continent. It's the first time Guyana has had a direct connection to the UK and Europe, with British Airways flying intrepid travellers from London Gatwick to Guyana's capital Georgetown after a brief stop in St Lucia.
Our adventure started in Rupununi, the south-west Guyanese region with a river bearing the same name. If Guyana is South America's last wilderness, Rupununi is its beating heart. Here, taking care of the environment runs through the blood of the indigenous people, known as Amerindians, you will truly feel at one with the natural world, and you are never too far from a giant otter, spider monkey, or arapaima.
Karanambu Lodge, which has been visited by David Attenborough, Gerald Durrell and Mick Jagger, is the place to book for a transformative stay. A settlement on the banks of the Rupununi River, this is where giants roam and you can search for giant ant eaters, black caimans (the world's largest caiman), giant otters, Victoria amazonica (one of the world's largest water lilies) and capybara (the world's largest rodent).
The accommodation consists of a series of thatched, brick cabins, with hammocks on the verandas. Mango trees provide shade from the sun, chickens roam free and you'll feel a million miles from urban life. Much more than a place to rest your head, Karanambu is an experience in itself. Guests here have delicious homemade meals consisting of the likes of eddo with aubergine stew, freshly caught fish, salad made from mangoes plucked from the trees at the lodge. And when it comes to washing it down, Karanambu's famous rum punch (which counts Mick Jagger as a fan) does the job nicely.
Owner Melanie McTurk lives and breathes the place and will tell you everything you need to know about life in Rupununi, the challenges the locals face due to climate change and how the community is educating local children to preserve their precious environment. We heard a wealth of stories during our time, including how the unusual population of buffalo is thanks to the British, who had the idea of introducing the animals for meat. This didn't quite go to plan as they later went feral and there are now 2,000 wild buffalos in the area.
The activities around Karanambu are likely to stay with you forever. A huge part of staying here is listening to the experiences of the staff, who are locals, and you will also want to get out and about to witness the wild surroundings for yourself. A boat trip along the Rupununi River is the best way to spot wildlife and get your bearings.
Head out on a guided excursion at sunset, the perfect time to visit the serene lily ponds, one of the highlights of Karanambu and why Mick Jagger chose to visit. These magnificent giant lilies' flowers open at dusk in a 20-minute ritual. They remain open all night and close in the morning when the sun is shining. The amazonica is one of the few flowers in the world that produces heat for beetles to climb in and have a warm place to stay at night. Hearing about the plants is a joy, especially for those interested in Guyana's outstanding flora.
Determined to see giant anteaters, we climbed into three Jeeps with the staff at Karanambu, where we would admire the beautiful creature in the most responsible way, from afar. One of the Karanambu's staff members set off early on horseback to locate one of the solitary creatures, before giving us the green light to walk quietly close enough to witness its behaviour, while keeping a safe distance so the anteater wasn't disturbed.
Wildlife walks from the lodge to spot giant otters, Harpy Eagles and brown capuchins are another must-do while here. If you're extremely lucky, you might see an elusive jaguar during your time at Karanambu, however these sightings are rare. As with all natural and wildlife experiences, the longer you spend here, the higher your chances of ticking Guyana's amazing wildlife off your list. Two or three nights is recommended if you're hoping to see black caimans, giant anteaters, giant otters, capybara and some of the 600 bird species found here.
After immersing yourself in the intimate and rewarding experience that is Karanambu Lodge, you can catch a small plane to visit Guyana's most popular tourist attraction: Kaieteur Falls, aka the world's largest single drop waterfall. For such a well-known site, won't find overtourism here and, incredibly, the falls receive only 8,000 visitors per year - the same number Machu Picchu has in a day! Walking around the Kaieteur National Park, before we reached its mighty falls, we were fortunate to see the rare and unusual Cock-of-the-Rock, a bright orange bird with a crescent-shaped hairstyle.
As you will fly in and out of Guyana's capital city with British Airways, it's worth discovering the delights of Georgetown. A trip to the Guyana Botanical Gardens offers unexpected sightings of toucans, blood-coloured woodpeckers, red-and-green macaws, orange-winged parrots, snail kites and other remarkable birds - all in a capital city. It helped that our tour operator, Wilderness Explorers, sent a bird-watching specialists to give us an informative tour.
Around Georgetown, there is colonial architecture to explore, as well as the chance to learn more about local indigenous history and lifestyles at the National Museum and Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology. A highlight is taking in the lively and colourful atmosphere of the Bourda and Stabroek Markets. Here, you'll see the abundance of fruit and vegetables that grow in Guyana, including mamey (a cross between apricot and mango), wiri wiri peppers (a staple in Guyanese cooking), karela (also known as bitter melon) and more, as well as the freshly caught fish (snook, red snapper, trout, Banga Mary).
To taste the flavours of Guyana's incredible food, one of the best experiences is dining at popular chef Delven Adams' restaurant Backyard Cafe, where you can feast on traditional Guyanese dishes, from exotic salads to delicious curries.
And if you wish to end your journey through Guyana with a few days of relaxation, British Airways' flights back to the UK stop in St Lucia, so you can unwind on the Caribbean island's heavenly beaches, without the extra miles.
British Airways flies to Guyana, with a one-hour and 30-minute stop in St Lucia, from £498 return.
Wilderness Explorers are experts in nature and adventure travel in Guyana and can tailor your experiences on the ground. They can organise hotel stays, domestic flights, tours and bespoke activities, while bringing you the best of Amerindian culture along the way.
Roshina is a contributing editor to Hearst UK. She was previously Senior Travel Editor, where she covered titles including Country Living, Red, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar and Good Housekeeping.
When she's not scoping out the next destinations we should explore (Uzbekistan, the Austrian Alps, Tbilisi), she loves revisiting old favourites (Mauritius, the Dolomites, Istanbul) and spending summer in the mountains - especially when hiking or wrapped in a spa robe.
