Amazon Adventure

Rochambeau International Airport, Guyane (French Guiana); Transfer to Cayenne: Overnight Best Western Amazonia or Equivalent.

After breakfast, we will do a City tour of Cayenne. The City is by foot and covers all the historical sites and places of interests. Return to the Hotel for check out. Travel by Private vehicle 56 kms to Kourou, on a small peninsula overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Kourou River. This small city of modern apartment blocks once existed solely to serve the mainland and offshore penal colonies. Now it seems to exist solely to serve the Centre Spatial Guyanais (Guyanese Space Centre), a satellite construction facility and launch pad that employs thousands of people. A few beaches suitable for sunbathing line the easternmost part of town, but Kourou is mostly a way station for visiting the Space Centre and catching a boat to the Îles du Salut. This afternoon tour the Space Center Museum subject to availability and permission). In your free time, head to Le Vieux Bourg (Old Town), a great strip for eating and drinking and to explore the nearby marine turtle inhabited Atlantic Coastline; Overnight Hotel Atlantic or Similar (B).

After breakfast, journey by ferry to Ile Du Salut Royale. Visit to Devils Island depends on the tide and permission. However, you will be able to see it from the Auberge. Devil’s Island was made famous by Henri Charriere’s book Papillon. You will visit the ruins of the penal settlement at île Royale and learn about the Dreyfus Affair. Weather permitting, sail to île Joseph where most prisoners were kept. Return to your hotel in the afternoon. Overnight Hotel Atlantic (B).

After breakfast, travel 200 kms by vehicle to St Laurent Du Maroni and by motor boat or ferry across the Du Maroni River onto Albina and continue by vehicle another 168 kms to Paramaribo; Overnight Eco Resort Inn or Equivalent (B).

After breakfast, we take you on a tour of the inner city of Paramaribo. Experience the most prominent historic buildings and their unique architecture, UNESCO heritage sites, such as the Independence Square, Palm Garden, Fort Zeelandia and the waterfront. We will also visit the local market, where the Maroons (Descendants of Slaves) offer for sale, crafts, hand-made jewelry, locally grown fruits and a variety of natural herbs (local medicine) spices etc. After the city tour, we will visit the historical coffee plantation Frederiksdorp. On our way there, you can enjoy the river with beautiful views and spot Pink belly dolphins. After sunset, we will drive back to the hotel in Paramaribo. Overnight Eco Resort Inn or Equivalent (B).

After breakfast, transfer to Zoorgenhoop International Airport for your flight at 08.30 hrs arriving EF Correia Airport at 08.30 hrs (Guyana Time). Check into Hotel and continue to tour the City of Georgetown. Experience Guyana’s Historic Landmarks, Colonial Architecture dating back to the Seventeenth Century, and its pluralistic, ethnically, racially and religiously diverse peoples, referred to as the “Melting Pot” of the Caribbean. After the City tour, return to your hotel. At 11.30 hrs, return to the EF Correia Airport for a one hour flight to Kaieteur Falls, World’s Largest Single Drop Water Falls, Kaieteur is nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls and considered the Crown Jewel of Guyana. Here we undertake a two-Hours Guided Tour of the various vantage points and hope to find White-chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirling over the gorge, and the astonishingly colorful Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock; Return the Georgetown; Overnight Cara Lodge or Similar (B).

This morning we fly from EF Correia Airport to Iwokrama, an incredible region of rainforest with a breathtaking diversity of species. Iwokrama offers one of the best opportunities to see Jaguar in the wild. This afternoon is free to explore the trails with a ranger, and later we take a night boat trip to look for Caiman and other nocturnal creatures. Overnight at Iwokrama River Lodge. (BLD).

After breakfast, you will leave the river lodge for the journey to Turtle Mountain, and an exhilarating climb up the mountain to its summit at 935ft (approx. 360m). It takes 1 3/4hrs to walk up the mountain, but the effort is more than worth it for the breathtaking views over the forest canopy when you get there and chances of Green Aracari, White Bellbird or a fly-by of one of five types of Eagles. This trail is also a great location for seeing Black Spider Monkey and Red Howler Monkey and if we are very lucky even a Jaguar. This pristine forest offers huge buttress trees and the endemic Greenheart, a highly sought after hardwood. Return to the River Lodge for lunch. After lunch, we will transfer you by boat to Adventure Guianas Piraiba Lodge, which is situated on the Eastern Bank of the Essequibo River, deep into the Jungles of Guyana. This evening we would do a bit of fishing whilst observing the several species of macaws, toucans etc returning to their habitats to sleep. After dark, we’ll set out on the river, in hopes of finding the Black Caiman or another of its four species, and listen for night birds such as Spectacled Owl, White-winged Potoo, Rufous Potoo, Long-tailed Potoo, Zigzag Heron or Blackish Night Jar and one or another of the four species of caiman -Overnight Piraiba Lodge (BLD).

Our day starts with a dawn wildlife walk, and afterwards we will transfer to a 4WD vehicle to travel along one of the best trails for seeing Jaguar. Sightings cannot be guaranteed but if you are very lucky you may see one of Guyana’s most elusive creatures. We then head to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, 35 metres up into the canopy, for a different perspective of the forest. Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge. (BLD).

Experience the dawn chorus from the canopy walkway, and visit an area renowned for sightings of one of Guyana’s most intriguing birds, the Cock of the Rock. We then continue to the Amerindian village of Surama, where a local guide will give us a tour of the forest and the village, with an opportunity to visit some of the houses, and the local school. This afternoon walk through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River for a canoe trip, hoping to spot Giant River Otters, Tapir and Spider Monkeys amongst other wildlife. Overnight in the basic accommodation at Surama Eco Lodge. (BLD).

After breakfast we travel by 4WD vehicle to the Rupunini River, and take a boat to Karanambu Lodge (depending on the water levels or continue by vehicle to Karanambu Lodge which was established by the late Diane McTurk. In the late afternoon we take a boat out on the river to look for Giant River Otters and other species. As dusk falls we continue by boat to the ponds to see the giant Amazonia Regis water lily which blooms at this time of day. On the boat ride back a spotlight will be used to search for Black Caiman and other night animals. Overnight at Karanambu Lodge. (BLD).

This morning travel out to an area of rolling grassland which is home to a population of Giant Anteaters There is a good chance of seeing some of these remarkable looking creatures. Mid-morning transfer by vehicle to Town of Lethem on the Guyana/Brazil. Free afternoon the self-explore this small township, and prepare for the next leg of travels. Overnight at Hotel Toucanna. (BL).

This morning continue across the Takutu River Bridge to Bon Fim, Brazil, before continuation to Boa Vista and onto Santa Elena (Brazil/Venezuela Border). Our bilingual Guide would brief you on the activities to follow; Overnight Hotel Anaconda or Similar (B).

This morning we continue by vehicle to Ciudad Bolivar the town from which you fly to the Canaima National Park and Angel Falls. Transit time 10 hours. Overnight Hotel Laja City or Equivalent (BL).

Between 07:00 and 8:00 hrs we fly from Cuidad Bolilvar to the Canaima National Park. During our flight we will have astonishing views of the Tepuis , jungle, savannahs, and meandering rivers in the region. On arrival we will be greeted by the Local guide at Canaima Village who will eventually take us to our Lodge. In the Lodge the Local guide will explain the program for the day. After lunch between 2 and 2.30 pm we will go for our first adventure trip to the Lagoon of Canaima and other water falls in the area. We recommend that you equip yourself with plastic bags to protect your cameras, documents, and other crucial stuff, a pair of socks for walking behind the curtain of the falls. You should also carry your rain gear if you don’t want to get wet, this is because the boats will give a frontal view of the different waterfalls, and will also take you as close as possible to them, in this way, permitting the sprays of water to eventually wet you. The rest of the afternoon is spent on the beautiful beaches with perfect panoramic views of your surroundings-Overnight Kavak Jungle (BLD).

Immediately after breakfast we walk 20 minutes to the port to start our boat trip in motorized CURIARAS (Dugouts made out of a huge tree trunk) up the Carrao River. After navigating for 15 minutes we will stop in MAYUPA to hike for 30 minutes to the other side of the port,whilst our boat navigate through the rapids. We then continue by boat, and will stop at the Pozo de Felicidad (Happiness pool),to have a swim and to enjoy our box lunches. We continue 2 hours up river until we meet the junction of the Carrao and the Churun rivers, from where we will navigate for another 2 hours to the Isla Ratoncito. Here we will start our trek for 1 hour through the rain forest to the view point of Angel Falls. After taking pictures of this wonderful place, we will descend to the natural swimming pool 500 meters away from the drop of the waterfall. We finally return to our camp to sleep in the jungle lodge in hammocks. From this camp there are awesome views of the Angel falls. A beautiful sunrise can be experienced from this Lodge; Overnight Kavak Jungle Lodge (BLD).

After breakfast we return to Canaima Village to get ready for our return flight to Ciudad Bolivar. There are opportunities to buy local handicraft and maybe last chances of swimming in the Caniama lagoon before we fly out; Overnight La ja City Hotel (BL).

This morning we return to Boa Vista, and spend the day relaxing at your hotel or self- explore Boa Vista. In the evening between 18.00 hrs and 20.00 hrs depart by public bus, fully air-conditioned, fitted with toilets for the 758 kms drive to Manaus, in the Amazonas (B).

Arriving sometime around 08.00 hrs, we check into Hotel for some much needed rest. Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas, on the banks of the Negro River in northern Brazil, is a major departure point for the surrounding Amazon Rainforest. This afternoon we will visit the Port, main market, before returning to our Hotel. Overnight Manaus Hotel.

After breakfast, a short walk to the Port. East of the city, the dark Negro River runs side by side with the brown, muddy Solimões River in a phenomenon called the Meeting of the Waters, which converge to form the Amazon River. Experience the mighty Amazon and the native- Amazona Caboclos. These "Caboclos" maintain a traditional lifestyle and they are proud people who are happy to share their way of living. Here our guide will also explain about local farming techniques. Travel back to Manaus and Overnight (BL).