Guyana

5 – 22 February 2025

Guyana

5 – 22 February 2025

Price: 70,700 SEK per person (excluding airfare)
Single room supplement: 4,500 SEK

Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock / Spotted Puffbird / Capuchinbird/ Pompadour Cotinga / Sun Parakeet / Red Siskin / Potooer

The unexplored South America

Guyana truly offers something special—a South American country with an Atlantic coastline and a variety of exciting and relatively unexplored environments. It’s a country that not many have traveled to, despite the fact that Swedish adventurer Jan Lindblad was here as early as the 1960s, wrestling with anacondas and filming cock-of-the-rock birds. The Guyanan Cock-of-the-rock is one of the country’s many emblematic birds, making Guyana a tempting destination along with the chance to see the Harpy Eagle and around 70 endemic bird species. We will take boat excursions on three rivers, visit the mighty Kaieteur Falls, and during our tour of the country, we will also meet the indigenous people. Our local operator is renowned for organizing the best birding trips in Guyana and employs some of the country’s best bird guides. We will stay in lodges that are owned and operated by the indigenous people.

Have a look at one of our trip reports!

Species

If you want to see Guyana’s so-called ”Shield endemics,” such as the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Spotted Puffbird, and the bizarre Capuchinbird, this is the trip for you. There is an impressive array of striking and rare birds, including Pompadour Cotinga with its unique wine-red coloring, Red and Black Grosbeak, Guianan Red Cotinga, Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo, Crimson Fruitcrow, Crested Doradito, Bearded Tachuri, White-naped Xenopsaris, Rio Branco Antbird, and Rose-breasted Chat, to name a few. We will make specific excursions to see particularly endangered species like the Sun Parakeet and the Red Siskin.

Potoos are a unique highlight in Guyana, where you have the chance to see all five species, with the most sought-after being Rufous Potoo, Long-tailed Potoo, and White-winged Potoo. Guyana is also home to numerous woodpeckers; Blood-colored Woodpecker and Cream-colored Woodpecker are two of the most special. Classic South American or Northern South American species that can also be seen in Guyana include the Scarlet Ibis, Hoatzin, Grey-winged Trumpeter, and, with some luck, Harpy Eagle.

There are many antbirds, with two of the most special being the White-plumed Antbird and Ferruginous-backed Antbird.

As a visitor in Guyana, you also have the chance to see the Giant Anteater and Anaconda.

For whom?

This is a birdwatching trip for the adventurous. There are quite a few early mornings, and sometimes evening excursions are made at dusk. However, all of these are short and comfortable, conducted by vehicle and not on foot. Three domestic flights in small propeller planes are included, as well as at least three boat trips on three different rivers. Despite this, it is a comfortable journey with consistently good accommodations, food, and hospitality. Guyana is a warm country, and we travel during the dry season when it doesn’t rain much. Guyana is not ideal for photographers, as there are not many bird feeders or hides. However, Guyana offers many special birds and animals to see, and for those who have their camera ready, there are always photo opportunities, of course.

Environments

Guyana is a very flat country without any real mountain ranges. The northern part of the country is dominated by rainforest, with rock formations known as tepuis rising from the landscape, but only a few hundred meters at most. One of the most spectacular places in the country is Kaieteur National Park with its world-famous waterfall; the entire gorge is as impressive as the falls themselves. You have to fly by propeller plane to get here, and despite being the country’s largest single tourist attraction, we are often the only group here.

The southern part of the country is in sharp contrast, consisting of a drier, open landscape dominated by grass and shrubland. Much of it is grazing land, but there are also plenty of wetlands and a very rich birdlife. Deep in the Rupununi area, there is a unique, broken terrain with low mountains and sparse tree cover, home to the endangered Red Siskin and Sun Parakeet.

The only densely populated part of the country is the Atlantic coast, with the capital, Georgetown, which is also full of birds. The coast has shallow mudflats that can attract large numbers of shorebirds and other birds. River mouths and similar wetland environments offer specialties such as the Rufous Crab Hawk and the Blood-colored Woodpecker.

Traveling and route

The infrastructure in Guyana is not very developed. There is basically only one road that connects the northern and southern parts of the country. To avoid wasting time on lengthy drives, we fly domestically from Georgetown to Kaieteur and then onward to Surama. Once in the southern part, we travel by bus and sometimes by 4-wheel drive jeeps. The trip covers the established bird lodges in the country, meaning we only cover a certain portion of it. There is undoubtedly much nature left to discover in eastern and western Guyana, for example, that we won’t have time to see on this trip. Nevertheless, the diversity is so considerable that you need 16 days to experience most of what this route offers.

Local guides

We work with a local guide who leads us through the country for the entire trip. At most lodges, we also have additional guides who are experts on where to see the local birds. Guyana is known for having very dedicated and skilled bird guides.

Season and time

The winter months are the best time to visit Guyana. Whether it’s before or after New Year can make a difference; we have traveled both in November and in January-February. It’s somewhat drier earlier in the year, which can concentrate waterfowl more and make anacondas and giant anteaters easier to spot. November sees more water in wetlands and lakes, as well as along the roads, with more flowering trees starting the nesting season for hummingbirds. The same goes for several other bird species. White Bellbirds call more in November-December than after New Year when they become quieter and harder to detect. Woodpeckers, however, don’t seem to start nesting until January and become easier to spot then, as do fruit-eating birds like Cotingas when more fruits ripen, which is more often towards the end of winter. That being said, the differences aren’t huge, and anytime during the winter months is well worth a visit, with a majority of target species visible.

Food and accommodation

The lodges range from luxurious bungalows to smaller, somewhat simpler lodges, but all are fantastically located with nature and birds just outside the window, and the food is always delicious. Beer is available at all lodges, while wine is typically only found in Georgetown. In Georgetown, we usually stay at the stylish Cara Lodge Hotel, which has a pleasant patio and restaurant. Typically, we stay here on the first and last nights of the trip. Wifi is now available at most lodges, possibly only in certain areas such as the reception or lounge.

Practical information

When: February 5 – 22, 2025

Price: 70,700 SEK per person (excluding airfare)

Single room supplement: 4,500 SEK

Note: We reserve the right to increase the price if local costs or currency changes justify it. Minor adjustments to the start and end times of the trip may also be necessary at times.

We naturally offer to book the flight ticket for you. It’s important to us that we all travel on the same flight.

What’s included: Full board in double rooms at hotels, Swedish (English speaking) tour leader, local guide throughout the trip, all transportation, all necessary entrance fees to nature reserves and parks.

Not included: Airfare, transfer to the airport, insurance (Note! European Health Insurance Card is not valid here. Participants are required to have regular travel insurance covering accidents and illnesses.), alcohol, souvenirs, and other personal expenses, tips for local guide/driver.

Vaccination: Hepatitis A&B (Twinrix), tetanus, Yellow fever, bring malaria tablets.

Minimum number of participants: 6

Maximum number of participants: 12

Registration fee:
Once you have registered, we will send you an invoice for 5000 SEK as a registration fee, guaranteeing you a spot on the trip.