We have partnered with specialist tour agency Journey Latin America to bring you a guide to Guyana – an increasingly popular destination in South America.

Guyana isn’t Latin: it sits alone on the continent of South America as an ex-British colony, sharing a Caribbean flavour where English is the first language and cricket the national sport. Culturally it’s a remarkable and unique melting pot of Afro-Caribbean, Amerindian, European, Brazilian and Asian influences: in the capital, Georgetown, a Hindu temple may sit happily next to a jerk-chicken fast food outlet while reggae music thunders from the bar across the road.

The country is composed of vast areas covered by virgin rainforest, savannah and ancient tablelands over one of which spill the stunning Kaieteur Falls. Deep in the almost untrodden interior there is magnificent jungle scenery and a plethora of wildlife unrivalled on the continent. Jaguars, giant otters, tapirs and over 800 bird species roam undisturbed.

This is true wilderness. It isn’t easy to get around. The Caribbean coastline is a steamy, stretch of muddy mangrove forest, through which a paved coast road runs eastwards from Georgetown towards Suriname; there are just a few dirt roads heading inland. Travel is by river, dirt road or by light plane.

Fly over Kaieteur Falls

Soar over a remote and inaccessible waterfall in a propeller plane, landing nearby to peer over the edge as a huge volume of water plunges over a vertical cliff.

Kaieteur Falls ranks as one of the world’s most impressive waterfalls, as much for its awe-inspiring location as for the sheer volume and force of water that plummets over its 250m drop. Situated deep in the inaccessible heartlands of Guyana, the falls occupy an incredible sandstone amphitheatre where the land seems to simply collapse from under the gushing Potaro river.

Other than walking for days, the only way to reach this staggeringly remote natural wonder is by propeller plane, landing at a tiny airstrip near the waterfall. You’ll arrive in a pristine natural environment brimming with bromeliads and golden frogs, where with the deafening roar of the falls filling your ears you can stand or lie on the edge of a natural rock platform overlooking Kaieteur. It’s an incredible experience made all the more powerful by the lack of human impact – the view is one of untarnished natural beauty, completely unchanged in the century and a half since it was discovered by the outside world.

On the way back you’ll also touch down at the dramatically different Orinduik Falls, where a river cascades down a staircase of jasper. It’s an ideal spot for a swim before taking to the skies once again for a last chance to admire the landscape of table mountains and savannahs laid out beneath you.

Hike in the Iwokrama Rainforest

Get a bird’s-eye view of the jungle from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and climb Turtle Mountain to look out across the surrounding wilderness.

One of only four rainforests in the world to be considered pristine, the untouched wilderness of Iwokrama is a paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers. It is also home to a 30m-high canopy walkway offering an unparalleled vantage point over Guyana’s lush forested interior. Walking along suspended bridges in between platforms of varying heights, you can spot wildlife that would be invisible from the forest floor.

For another impressive perspective, we’ll take you on a guided nature hike to the top of Turtle Mountain, a 2 hour ascent that affords breathtaking views over the forest canopy.

Hike to a Harpy eagles nest

Seek out the rare harpy eagle at a nesting site and visit a Cock-of-the-Rock lek to see the vibrantly coloured male’s mating display.

The settlement of Surama is set in grassland surrounded by forest-clad hills. The people are mainly from the Macushi tribe and still observe many of the traditional practices of their ancestors.

This area is a habitat for the elusive harpy eagle, a highly prized sighting for any bird watcher. An hour-long hike leads to a nest where, from a distance that will not disturb the birds, you can observe fluffy chicks and adults with their impressive crown of feathers.

We’ll also visit a Cock-of-the-Rock lek – the name for the chosen place where a male performs his mating display to attract the duller brown female. With bold reddish-orange plumage and a wonderful fan-shaped crest rising up like a headdress, the male Cock-of-the-Rock is a spectacular sight.