Hidden Guianas guided tour

Planet

The three Guianas form part of the Guyana Shield, a region with one of the planet's highest biodiversity. Many species here are endemic. Guyana and Suriname have approx. 85-90% primary rainforest and have one of the best track records for Amazon forest protection on the continent. Forest protection is partly due to the sparse population and strong legislation to protect indigenous people's land rights. Keeping land within the hands of its indigenous guardians deters threats like mining and illegal logging at a local level.

The Mangrove Heritage Trail is a great example of an important conservation project. Locals have been involved in restoring mangroves in order to protect the coastline and improve seawall defence to protect food security, lands and lives.
Volunteers have been trained in mangrove ecology, seed propagation and planting, and alternative livelihoods such as candle-making and honey from the local bees and the trail itself, allowing visitors to see this community-run mangrove reserve first-hand.

People

Community-led and community-owned tourism provides important employment and income.
Coming as tourists to Guyana brings multiple socio-economic benefits to the community, allowing people to stay on their own land without having to strip it of all its natural resources. Tourism has increased awareness of local cultural heritage, and the local culture group at Surama has gone on to win awards in Guyana.

Tourism at the community lodges provides meaningful, paid and empowering employment and keeps people in the village. The people of Surama, through tourism, have put young people through higher education, saved enough money to build a community airstrip and have village transport. Surama’s residents, especially the children, are personally invested in the preservation of the biological diversity that surrounds the village, leading visitors on hikes to nearby active Harpy Eagle nests, enforcing a ban on wildlife trapping, protecting groves of endangered bullet, letter, greenheart and warden trees, and introducing tourists and researchers to vast arrays of rainforest flora with time-honoured medicinal properties.

Visits to the school are welcome and are a genuine exchange of stories and songs between visitors and the school children. It is a rewarding and genuine experience for all involved!

Iwokrama is a million-acre rainforest reserve where ecotourism, sustainable forestry and scientific research all take place to test the concept of a truly sustainable rainforest. Iwokrama is the home to Iwokrama River Lodge, Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and Atta Rainforest Lodge, where clients can feel truly immersed in the rainforest experience. Conservation, ecotourism and economic balance in Iwokrama are mutually reinforcing and offer visitors an exceptional natural experience.

Danpaati is a community-run lodge and home to Saramaccans who still live according to ancient African traditions. It provides employment to local people, and tourism here has helped the management to develop several cultural projects that have contributed to the development of the local population, such as a media library for children, a literacy project and developing awareness around the waste.