Mount Roraima Trekking Tour

Arrive in Guyana and transfer to Georgetown.

Overnight at Cara Lodge, a 150-year-old heritage building which has been converted into a beautiful small hotel.

Georgetown the chief port, capital and largest city of Guyana is situated on the right Bank of the Demerara River Estuary.

It was chosen as a site for a fort to guard the early Dutch settlements of the Demerara River. The city of Georgetown was designed largely by the Dutch and is laid out in a rectangular pattern with wide tree lined avenues and irrigation canals that criss cross the city.

Most of the buildings in the city are wooden with unique architecture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

During your visit to Georgetown there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed: the most famous being St. George’s Cathedral. The Cathedral is one of the world’s tallest free standing wooden buildings and was consecrated on 1892. The foundation stone was laid on November 23, 1890 and the building was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield. The story of the cathedral is told on the interior on tablets and memorials of a historical and sentimental nature: it is the tale of the history of Guyana in general and of the Diocese in particular.

At the beginning of the Avenue of the Republic stands the Public Library housed in the Carnegie Building. Other historic buildings along this promenade are the Town Hall, a splendid example of Gothic architecture, and further along are the Victoria Law Courts and St. Andrews Kirk. St. Andrew’s is the oldest surviving structure of any church in Guyana.

The famous Stabroek Market, once described as a “bizarre bazaar”, contains every conceivable item from house hold goods and gold jewellery to fresh meat and vegetables brought to town on the river daily. The clock tower can be seen for miles around and is a famous landmark.

No trip to Georgetown would be complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens and zoo. The Botanical Gardens houses one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean and are laid out with ponds, canals, kissing bridges and bandstand. Over 100 species of Guyanese wildlife can be observed at the Zoo including a wide variety of tropical fishes and birds.

The National Museum which contains a broad selection of our animal life and heritage should not be missed, nor the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, which explains Amerindian history and life style.

We depart Georgetown at 07.00 and make our way to town of Linden.

From Linden it is a 5-hour dusty trip on the Mabura hill road, where you will enter the Konawaruk Mountains. Sightings of Cursow, deer and jaguars are frequent on this road.

We reach Mahdia, where you change vehicle to an open back 4×4 for a one hour trail drive to Pamela landing on the Potaro River.

The real adventure begins with a 2-hour boat trip and walking up the Potaro River to the Amatuk Falls where water rushes over rocks creating natural Jacuzzis.

Overnight at Camp Amatuk.

Today you leave by boat and continue upstream from the fall. The river now enters the Kaieteur Gorge and steep mountains rise up on either side to heights of 610m/2,000ft – many of their bare rock faces look like ancient temples. We finally reach our next campsite at the Waratuk Fall where we camp for the night.

Arrive in Guyana and transfer to Georgetown. Overnight at Cara Lodge, a 150-year-old heritage building which has been converted into a beautiful small hotel.

After an early breakfast, we begin the last leg of the journey.

An 8-hour hike through beautiful rainforest will take you from the Waratuk Fall to Tukiet, at the bottom of the impressive Kaieteur Falls, where we overnight. At this is fabulous campsite you can cool of in the Potaro River and at the same time take in the spectacular view of the gorge.

From Tukeit you ascend the mountain to the top of Kaieteur fall – a 4 hour hike. The ascent winds it way up the mountain through changing vegetation as the altitude rises. You will pass cool mountain streams where it is impossible to continue without a dip.

The final stage of the climb is known as ‘OH MY GOD’ because of its steep trail. But on reaching the top all is forgotten as you catch your glimpse of the mighty Kaieteur. At dusk thousand of swifts gather the sky like dark clouds then plunge into the water of the fall to their nesting site on the rock face behind the fall.

Tonight we sleep at Kaieteur Guest House.

The early morning mist of Kaieteur gives way to a fantastic view of the falls from Johnson View. The golden frog can easily be seen in the giant Bromeliads in this area. On the plane to Georgetown you get a final, spectacular aerial view of Kaieteur Falls, the gorge and the awe-inspiring expanse of rainforest and rivers below you.

Transfer from airport to Georgetown and overnight at Cara Lodge.

We fly from Georgetown to Lethem and then cross border to Bon Fim in Brazil to catch the bus to Boa Vista.

At the Brazilian border town La Linea your tour leader is waiting for you and accompanies you on the way to the gold mining town of Santa Elena de Uairen (Venezuelan border town with Brazil). It’s an approximately 20 minute ride from the Brazilian border.

Overnight at Camp Yakoo.

We drive to Canaima National Park, which is inhabited by indigenous people of the Pemon tribe. The Canaima National Park is with 30,000 sq. km. the seventh largest National Park in the world. Visit the Jasper waterfalls, where you will be able to appreciate the different tones of colour of this semi-precious rock.

We continue to Paritepuy de Roraima, a small indigenous community of the Pemon Indians, where we will meet our camp porters for the trek. We begin our trek across rolling grassland of the savannah.

After crossing several streams, such as the Tek River and the Kukunan River, we reach the Kukunan campsite and can enjoy a fantastic view of the stark face of Roraima ahead and Kukunana Tepuy to its left. The Kukunan Falls, second tallest in the world (640m/2,100ft), should be clearly visible, too, and we can see the pinnacle of rock next to Roraima.

Overnight at Kukunan Campsite.

On this 5-hour trek we cross rising savannah to the base of the mountain to camp in a meadow alive with multi-coloured birds and fireflies at night.

The Roraima wall is extremely impressive here as it rises 914m/3,000ft directly in front of the campsite, with the quartz in the rock glittering in the late afternoon sun.

This fascinating campsite is considered as being one of the best campsites in the world.

In the morning we set off along the route that leads diagonally across the face of the Roraima wall (5 hrs, 3km). The narrow trail winds through montane rainforests and crosses small streams where hummingbirds, orchids and brightly coloured flowers are abundant.

Higher up, the vegetation changes to pre-historic tree ferns and the trail leads under a waterfall descending from the cliff edge hundreds of feet above. After 4 -5 hours we arrive at the entrance to the summit, guarded by massive grey rocks.

Here we can look back for an incredible view. We visit the Valley of Crystals, the river-valley of the Arobopo River shaped like an amphitheatre around which are grouped large dark rounded stone columns. The river itself runs over a bed of crystals and crystal fragments. The northern point of Mount Roraima offers us stunning views from various points on the edge.

Overnight on Roraima.

We explore Roraima’s summit trekking a long circular route to the triple border point, where Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil meet (9 hours).

We walk through strange rock formations, surprisingly lush valleys and places where the ground is covered with sparkling quartz crystals. There are rock pools everywhere and you may be lucky enough to see the strange black toads, unique to Mount Roraima.

The plant life is bizarre, as over half the species are unique to Tepuys or to Roraima alone, including several species of orchids and carnivorous plants. We also visit the Oil Bird cave (Guacharo bird).

Overnight on Roraima.

In the morning there is still time to explore some more before we descend to the base and continue to the campsite at Tek River, where we overnight (8 hours).

We complete the 4-hour return to Paratepuy and our driver with welcomed fresh supplies of beer, soft drinks and a large lunch.

We say goodbye to our camp porters and set off to Santa Elena de Uairen where we return Camp Yakoo.

Transfer to the Brazilian border town La Linea and from there we continue to Lethem, Guyana. Overnight at Savannah Inn.

Fly from Lethem to Georgetown. Transfer to airport for departing international flight.

Guyana is the only English-speaking country on the South American continent and has a Caribbean feel. 

It is a destination for the nature lover looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination with many attractions. Guyana offers pristine rainforest, abundant wildlife, jaguars and the mighty Kaieteur Falls.

Start your adventure in the melting pot that is the country’s capital – Georgetown. Here Hindu, Muslim and Christian cultures blend in harmony.

Head off to visit the breathtaking Kaieteur Falls – the  world’s highest single-drop waterfall.

Then the interior beckons. Jungle and Savannah await. With luck you might spot the Cock o’ the rock or a harpy eagle.

Bigger mammals such as the ant eater might surprise you or if incredibly lucky the mighty jaguar. Travel by road or river and stay in rustic but comfortable lodges – all with an authentic Guyanese welcome.

Guyana will be an unforgettable adventure.  

Guyana has five natural habitats to discover, the most famous of which is is its dense rain forest.

This ‘jungle’ is also known as the Forested Highland Region and is in the south of the country, and is very sparsely populated.

The majority (around 90%) of Guyana’s population lives in a marshy plain on the Atlantic coast, known as the low coastal plain.

Most of the country’s mineral deposits (bauxite, gold, diamonds) are found a little further inshore in that is called the white sand belt.

The south west of the country gives way to a desert savannah which then becomes an interior savannah.

From here, the grasslands and mountains of the interior highlands start to rise towards the borders with Brazil and Venezuela.

This is the largest of Guyana’s geographical areas and consists a series of plateaus, flat-topped mountains, and savannahs.

The Pakaraima Mountains dominate the western part of the interior highlands and include Mount Roraima, Guyana’s highest peak at 2,772m (9,094 ft) on the Venezuelan border.

The largest expanse of grassland, the Rupununi Savannah, covers about 15,000 square kilometres in southern Guyana.

Guyana has three large rivers, the Essequibo at 1,010km(628 miles), the Courantyne River (which forms a natural border with Suriname) at 724kms (450 miles), and the Berbice – 595kms (370 miles).

Guyana is a hot and humid country. February and March are prime times to visit, along with Aug-Jan. Read our guide to Guyana’s weather for more.

The mean shade temperature is 27°C, while maximum is 31°C and the minimum is 24°C. The heat is greatly tempered by cooling breezes from the sea.

There are two wet seasons in the north of the country, from May to June, and from December to January.

The south and the Rupununi region receive one wet season from May to July.

All wet seasons may extend into months either side.

Rainfall averages 2,300 mm a year in Georgetown.

Good kit is vital for every trip.

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Overview

Guyana is a hot and humid country.

Take sunscreen, sun glasses and a hat to Guyana.

It can rain at any time, so always have a poncho/waterproof jacket handy.

Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.

Passenger/s traveling on internal flights in Guyana are allowed a free baggage allowance of 20lbs/9.1KG exceeding this weight passenger/s will incur a cost of GY$150.00 (price subject to change) equivalent to US$ 0.77cents per pound. Please note that additional baggage allowance is subject to availability and cannot be confirmed until day/time of check-in by the airline.  We can book excess weight on your behalf but it is subject to being within the payload of the aircraft and at the discretion of the airline. We understand you may want more than 20lbs/9.1KG of baggage and wish to have guaranteed excess baggage/weight and so an alternative is to pre-book an extra seat on the flight which will afford you 175lbs/79.4KG for you to use individually or for your group. 

Below is a more detailed guide.

Detailed kit list

• Good binoculars.
• Camera and film / memory cards (take at least twice the amount you think you will need!).
• Tight-weave, light weight long trousers.
• Quick dry socks.
• Rain suit or long poncho (100% waterproof – test before you leave home).
• Long-sleeved tight-weave shirts.
• T-shirts.
• Water bottle (2 litres approx.) & purification tablets.
• Sun cream (high factor, min. 30+) and lip salve.
• A broad-brimmed hat that will not come off on windy boat-rides.
• Shorts.
• A warm jumper – it can feel cold on some boat journeys.
• Sunglasses with UV filter.
• A pair of trainers/teva sandals.
• Ankle high hiking boots.
• Insect repellent.
• The original and a photocopy of your passport.
• Yellow fever inoculation certificate.
• A large, bright head torch, spare batteries and bulb.
• Cash (small denomination bills, USD or GBP sterling) for souvenirs at the lodge, alcoholic beverages, etc.
• Daypack (at least 30 litres). Comfortable and with waterproof lining or cover.
• Personal first-aid kit to include: painkillers, plasters (band-aids), moleskin, antibiotic cream, general antibiotics (ask your GP), after-bite (tiger balm), anti-diarrhoea tablets, throat lozenges, re-hydration salts & personal medication.
• Towel & wash-kit.
• Wet Wipes/antiseptic hand-wash cream.
• Head-lamp (plus spare bulb and batteries).
• Penknife.
• Travel alarm clock.
• Plastic bags – ‘Zip-loc’ & tough bin liners.
• Book, e-book, mp3 player/ipod or other to help pass the time.
• Extra snacks i.e. cereal bars or favourite chocolate bars.

Miscellaneous others

• Money belt.
• Passport.
• U.S. dollars / GBP sterling cash, mixed-denomination notes, undamaged and unmarked.
• ATM cash/credit card.
• Any inoculation certificates.
• Personal & medical insurance certificates.
• Presents e.g. Postcards from home.
• Comfortable clothes for travel, smart clothes for Georgetown

The Gran Sabana

The Gran Sabana is a grassy savannah-like plateau with an elevation of 900-1,200m. Millions of years of erosion have made this location one of the world’s richest areas for gold and diamond mining. Abounding in natural wonders such as waterfalls, rapids and tropical rainforest, the plentiful wildlife makes the Sabana a naturalist and birdwatcher’s paradise.

Recently tourism, and especially eco-tourism, has made La Gran Sabana the first choice for travellers seeking adventure in the remote areas of its unique geography.

Above the Sabana loom the tepuys, or “Table Mountains” of which Mount Roraima is the most famous. The tepuys are estimated to be over 1,700 million years old. On the tepuys’ lunar-like surface are many plants and animals found no where else on earth. The Auyantepuy, located in Canaima National Park, features the Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall.

Mount Roraima

Mount Roraima is one of the most acclaimed sights in South America. For hundreds of years the mile high flat topped mountain has been inspiring the tales and rumours concerning what actually exists on its summit above the clouds.

In the late sixteenth century, Sir Walter Raleigh first visited the area around Roraima, searching for a civilisation that would make England as rich as the Aztecs had made Spain. He never found one, but he did return home with what were deemed by his peers as wild and outlandish stories about a Crystal Mountain. In his treaties “The Discoveries of the large Rich and Beautiful Empire of Guiana”, Raleigh likened the mountains to “a high church tower. “A large river leaps down from above without touching the mountain’s wall in its descent, as it goes out toward the air and reaches the bottom with a roar and clamour that would be produced by one thousand giant bells striking one another. I believe there does not exist a bigger and more marvelous waterfall in the world,” he said.

Roraima has also made an impression on western literature and thought, influencing such men as Charles Darwin and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. After the publication of Darwin’s “Origin of Species” there was great public interest in “missing links” and “relic species” preserved by isolation. Roraima’s mysterious summit was an excellent possibility for an area at evolutionary standstill and the last place on earth where dinosaurs could exist. Conan Doyle, fascinated by the descriptions of explorers such as Im Thurm, wrote in 1912 what is considered to be one of the best science fiction novels ever written “The Lost World.”

Andean Trails has 25 years of experience of putting together the best South America holidays.

We pay a fee to the CAA for every licensable passenger we book since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.

We also offer ATOL (Civil Aviation Authority) protected holidays to give our customers peace of mind when booking and travelling.

When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package from Andean Trails Ltd you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 6275.

You can read more about ATOL, who is covered and what protections you have if not ATOL-covered, on our ATOL page.

What is ATOL?

The CAA’s ATOL scheme offers protection to your money and your holiday if you book with us. Not everybody is covered (see ‘Who is covered?’ for more), as you must purchase an ‘air package holiday’ with Andean Trails to be protected.

And  ‘air package holiday’ is defined as including a flight and some ground services (hotel, transfer, trek etc). This is also known as an ‘ATOL-protected holiday’.

Who is covered?

To be covered by ATOL, you must book a flight and some ground services with us and be from the UK. If you are from the UK and only book ground services and no flights, you are not covered by ATOL (see below for more on how non-ATOL clients are covered).

If you are outside the UK and buy flights with us, you will be ATOL protected IF any of the flights booked with Andean Trails touches/stops in the UK at any point during your holiday package booked with us.

If you buy your flights elsewhere, please check with that agent if you are ATOL protected. Be careful with online flight purchases and make sure you know what protection you have, if any, before paying for flights.

Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking.

For land only holidays not involving any air travel, in accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992”, all UK passengers booking with Andean Trails Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all money paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Andean Trails.

I’m not ATOL covered, what protection do I have?

If you are not ATOL covered, any payments you make to us go to a Trust account.

We can only access this money once your tour has been completed, meaning that if anything happens to Andean Trails Limited while you are on holiday, then your money is secure and you can either complete the trip or be able to make it home.

If you pay for your holiday with a credit card, some offer payment protection – please check with your cardholder.

You also should have cancellation protection written into your insurance (which we recommend you have at the time of booking) in case you need to cancel.