Guyana Deep Wilderness Expedition

An early charter flight from Ogle Airport on the scheduled day service to Kaieteur Falls, approximately 50 minutes over unbroken rainforest. The aircraft makes a low pass over the gorge before landing on the plateau airstrip. At 226 metres, Kaieteur carries five times the volume of Niagara in a single unbroken freefall into the Potaro Gorge.

A guided walk through the bromeliad savanna visits three viewpoints over approximately three hours. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock males display near the falls, and the endemic Golden Rocket Frog lives exclusively inside the giant bromeliads on the plateau rim. Return to Georgetown by late afternoon. Evening dinner at the Backyard Cafe, Chef Delven Adams's celebrated Guyanese fusion restaurant.

Early transfer to Ogle Airport for the scheduled Trans Guyana Airways flight to Lethem, approximately one hour. The flight crosses the full breadth of Guyana's interior, from the coastal lowlands over hundreds of kilometres of unbroken rainforest before the savanna opens below on approach to Lethem.

On landing, a private 4x4 meets the group for the three-hour drive northeast to Karanambu Lodge. Crested Caracara, Savanna Hawk, and Buff-necked Ibis are regular from the vehicle. Arrival in time for the afternoon boat trip on the Rupununi River. An evening boat trip almost always encounters Giant River Otters. The Victoria Amazonica excursion at dusk: giant lily pads open their flowers releasing a pineapple scent over the oxbow lake.

Pre-dawn drive onto the Karanambu grasslands targeting Giant Anteater at first light. Karanambu's savanna is one of Guyana's most consistent sites for this species. Short grass provides clear sightlines and the animals are active before the heat builds. Jabiru Stork nests on the scattered palms.

The mid-morning boat trip delivers Giant River Otter family groups at close range, Arapaima surfacing regularly to breathe, and the Crane Pond waterbird roost concentrating herons, ibis, and storks. An evening nocturnal boat trip spotlights Black Caiman by eye-shine along the river banks. Tree Boas on overhanging branches, sleeping birds, and Tapir at the water's edge.

Morning drive from Karanambu to Caiman House Field Station in the village of Yupukari on the Rupununi River. Caiman House is a non-profit field station and community eco-lodge founded in partnership with the Makushi village of Yupukari. Afternoon orientation with a walk along the Rupununi checking known caiman basking sites and turtle nesting beaches. A village tour takes in the projects Caiman House supports in the community, including the literacy library and the Wabbani local craft initiative.

The signature experience is the Creatures of the Night boat survey. Guests accompany the research team on a nocturnal river trip to locate, capture, measure, tag, and release Black Caiman as part of an ongoing long-term population study. The survey involves spotlight work from a boat, wading in the river shallows, and hands-on contact with animals under researcher supervision.

Departure from Caiman House by boat, heading south along the Rupununi River then turning up the Mapari tributary into the Kanuku Mountains. The four-hour journey narrows progressively as the forest closes in from both banks. The last evidence of human settlement disappears at the mouth of the Mapari. The water clears and the forest becomes total.

Arrival at Mapari Wilderness Camp before dark: a hammock camp at the foot of the Kanuku Mountains, overlooking a small waterfall and a natural bathing pool. A Harpy Eagle nest sits in a giant Silk-cotton tree three minutes' walk from the riverbank. Dinner around the campfire and a first night in the hammocks with the forest pressing in on all sides.

Pre-dawn river drift in the clear water as the forest wakes up, followed by the short walk to the Harpy Eagle nest in the Silk-cotton tree. Guides monitor the nest and know the adult birds' morning patterns. When a chick is present, return visits to feed are predictable. This is one of the most accessible Harpy Eagle nest sites in the Guiana Shield.

Morning birding along the forest trails above camp produces mixed canopy flocks working through the lower Kanuku foothills. Sunbittern works the clear-water shallows. Ringed and Amazon Kingfishers hunt the pool below the waterfall. The natural bathing pool at the base of the waterfall is a genuine highlight after a morning on the trails.

A longer forest walk into the Kanuku foothills with indigenous guides who know trails that see no other visitors. The Kanuku Mountains hold 620 or more bird species and 150 or more mammal species in a protected area that sees almost no tourism. Black Spider Monkey and Red Howler are regular in the canopy. King Vulture soars over the ridgelines.

An afternoon river drift in the clear Mapari watching the canopy pass overhead while the current moves the boat downstream. The clarity of the water allows easy identification of fish species below the boat, including stingrays visible on the river bed in the shallower sections.

A deliberately unstructured day at Mapari. Guides are available for walks, river drifts, or fishing at any time but the schedule is driven by what guests want. For serious birders this means extended time on specific trails. For photographers it means returning to locations identified in earlier days.

Fishing in the clear Mapari pools is available: the fish diversity in this river system is exceptional and the clarity makes spotting and targeting specific species possible. A final night hike before the boat-out tomorrow. Pack bags tonight as Day 10 is an early departure.

A final pre-dawn session at the Harpy Eagle nest before breaking camp and beginning the boat journey out. The downstream trip on the Mapari and then the Rupununi takes approximately four hours and produces different species from the upstream journey as the river widens and the savanna begins to open.

From the Rupununi the route heads south through Wapishana territory into the South Rupununi. Arrival at Wichabai Ranch by early evening. Four guest houses with mountain and lake views, meals from the ranch garden, and an entirely different experience: capybaras in the lake, the Kanuku Mountains as a backdrop, and the sounds of the South Rupununi savanna at night.

Pre-dawn drive with the South Rupununi Conservation Society's Giant Anteater research team. Wichabai participates in an active monitoring program: GPS-tagged individuals are located using telemetry equipment. Guests accompany researchers in the field for the most scientific Giant Anteater experience available anywhere in Guyana.

The afternoon is the Ancient Landscapes Day Trip: a two-hour drive through savanna and over rivers to the Indigenous village of Rupunau, guided by a qualified geologist. The route visits ancient petroglyphs at a river crossing, with opportunities to taste local wines, swim in clear-water streams, and learn about the geological and anthropological history of the region. Dry season conditions allow the option to climb the spectacular Wiiwiitau Mountain. Lunch, transport, guides, and village fees included.

A morning walk to the Kanuku forest edge adds mountain forest species not found in the open grassland. The South Rupununi is Guyana's best jaguar habitat outside of Iwokrama. Wichabai's guides track cats by spoor and camera trap along the forest edge and creek corridors.

An evening sunset drive on the savanna with the Kanuku Mountains turning colour behind the grass flats. Night safari by vehicle targets Giant Armadillo, Crab-eating Fox, and Ocelot. The sky over Wichabai at night has no light pollution for hours in any direction.

A final pre-dawn anteater search before breakfast and the three-hour drive north to Lethem. The scheduled Trans Guyana Airways flight from Lethem to Georgetown Ogle Airport departs mid-morning, arriving in approximately one hour. Transfer to Cara Lodge for a final night in Georgetown.

Transfer to Cheddi Jagan International Airport for onward international flights. If time allows before departure, the Georgetown Botanical Gardens hold Blood-colored Woodpecker, Red-shouldered Macaw, and West Indian Manatees in the canal.