Trek the Remote Rainforest and High Plateau of Guyana

Welcome to Georgetown, South America's only capital city with English as its official language. Your host will arrange a private transfer to pick you up from the airport and transfer to the hotel. Meet your guide and fellow travel companions this evening and rest up before the adventure really begins tomorrow!

Get ready for a day you'll never forget as the adventure deep into Guyana's virgin rainforest habitat begins. Fly over swathes of tropical rainforest to arrive at the indigenous Arecuna community of Paruima, population of 500 residents, located in the highland region of Guyana close to the southwest border with Venezuela. A farming and hunting community very skilled at handcrafts, residents are English speaking but many still speak their native language as well. Spend the afternoon learning about the way of life in Paruima, their strong Christian faith, and listen to stories from the welcoming community. After dinner, you'll meet with your lead local guide to discuss the next day's plans before bedding down for the night in guesthouses.

Trekking boots on and bags packed for the wilderness adventure ahead, you'll wave goodbye to Paruima Village and set out into the wild. The trek begins with a steep climb to the top of a plateau followed by moderately flat terrain traversing through primary rainforest for the rest of the journey. The region is unique for its tepuis, flat-top mountains which are the eroded remains of mighty sandstone plateaus that once stretched across the entire area when it was joined to Africa in the supercontinent Pangea. Of the hundreds of tepuis, only a handful have been explored, with much of the plant and animal life atop evolving in isolation from the jungle below. As night falls and the jungle comes alive, learn all about the surrounding insects and wildlife from your guide! Your plateau camp is a wild camping set-up, as hammocks are set up below a tarp cover.

Help take down the hammock camp after breakfast and get set for the second leg of the journey. Today's spectacular hiking route first involves trekking through more rainforest terrain, home to many wild animals including Jaguars, Peccaries, Foxes and other large mammals. The trail then emerges to reveal a vast, wide-open, highland savanna, complete with amazing views of distant Tepuis. Arriving at the next camping site, you'll be able to spend the rest of the day scouting out the Kamarang Falls area and enjoying a relaxing swim in the picturesque setting of the calm river that sits above the waterfall, gazing out at the rolling savannah mountains.

The many plateaus and tepuis in this region of Guyana create an abundance of spectacular waterfalls in close vicinity. These natural wonders are beautiful landmarks amidst the sea of open highland savannahs, eerie tepuis and dense patches of rainforest, and act as markers along your trekking route. From Kamarang Falls you'll trek towards Uchi Falls, close to the Venezuela border. The route takes you past an area of termite mounds where your guide will demonstrate how to catch and preserve this protein-packed delicacy of the Arecuna people, a custom that has been practised for many generations. There are several stream crossings today, but the trail is mostly flat. Listen out for the roaring sound of Uchi Falls as you approach, and bask in the unique privilege of being in such a remote natural destination, where very few non-indigenous people outside of the Arecuna tribe have stepped foot before.

Spend the rest of the afternoon hiking to the top of Uchi Falls with exceptional views of its gorge and surrounding rainforests. Tonight's accommodation is a simple mountain hut with basic amenities including a bed, mosquito nets and blankets, situated on a high plateau overlooking Uchi Falls and the surrounding savanna.

After a good night's rest in the wilderness of Uchi Plateau, this morning you'll go even deeper into the wilds of Guyana as part of yet another truly remarkable day of adventure exploration. The journey begins with a hike across highland savanna to a clifftop viewpoint overlooking the vast dense rainforest. From here you'll descend a steep path for an hour to the junction where the Kamarang and Uchi rivers converge, and then follow a bush trail upstream to be greated by the epic sight of Uchi Falls.

Board inflatable rafts with local river guides who will navigate a route to take you about 12 km downstream. Depending on the water level at the time of visiting, this route can be calm or rough. If the water is too high then the route can become impassable in some sections, in which case you'll have to get out and trek, helping to carry the rafts downstream. There is one waterfall along the route called Paracema Falls that you always need to trek around. A short walk brings you back full circle to the welcoming sight of Paruima Village, for a relaxing evening reflecting upon the incredible experience of the last 5 days.

Say goodbye to your new friends from Paruima community and hop on a boat for a river transfer to Kamarang Village from where you'll fly back direct to Georgetown. Hit the town this evening to enjoy Georgetown's nightlife and toast to an incredible week in the wilderness with your travel companions. Georgetown’s promenade sea wall comes alive at weekends as residents enjoy the Atlantic sea breeze with open-air entertainment. The strip becomes a hive of pop-up cocktail bars and street food vendors with Caribbean party music blaring out from all angles.

Your host will provide a group transfer to the airport today for those departing. Any travellers wishing to extend their stay with additional nights in Georgetown have the option to request these via the host - see Optional Extras for price per night.