GUYANASurroundedbyBrazil,Venezuela,SurinameandtheAtlanticOcean,GuyanaremainsaSouthAmericansecretwhisperedbypioneeringnatureenthusiastsandadventuretravelers.AsmallEnglish‐speakingcountryblanketedbypristinerainforestsandpopulatedbyprimordialbiodiversity,Guyanaisawild,tangledmessofnature.Findbirdsandwildlifeinapatchoftheworld’slastremainingundisturbedandunexploredrainforest.StayinanAmerindiancommunityandenjoyatime‐honoredwayoflife.Visitintimatefamily‐andcommunity‐runlodgesinthe5,000square‐mileRupununiSavannahs.OrganizationslikeConservationInternational,TheNatureConservancy,andtheSmithsonianInstitutionuseGuyanaastheirprivatescientificplayground–visittofindoutwhy.KaieteurNationalParkandKaieteurFallsIsolatedinthePakaraimaMountains,KaieteurNationalParkishometofascinatingmicroenvironmentssustainedbyKaieteurFalls,whereeverysecond30,000gallonsofwaterflowovera741‐footsheerdrop400feetwide.Walkatoponeoftheworld’soldestslabsofrockinsearchofbrightorangeGuiananCock‐of‐the‐Rock,primevalTerrestrialTankBromeliads,endemicGoldenDartFrogs,carnivorousplants,iridescentBlueMorphoButterflies,andhundredsofswiftsthatroostbehindthefalls.IwokramaInternationalCentreforRainforestConservationandDevelopmentAtIwokramaRiverLodgeandResearchCentre–thehubofthismillion‐acrerainforestlaboratoryforscientificresearch,ecotourism,andsustainabletropicalforestmanagement–spotJaguarsandHarpyEagles,staywithAmerindianguidesandscientistsstudyingtheforestforwaystohelpmitigateclimatechange,climbTurtleMountaintowatchmonkeysandmacawsfromabove,andscourtheriverforsnakesandBlackCaiman.VisitFairViewvillagetostudypetroglyphs,processcassava,andtourabutterflyfarm,thenovernightattheAttaRainforestLodgeandwalkthroughthetreetopsattheCanopyWalkway.KaranambuLodgeLongfamedforownerDianeMcTurk’sorphanedGiantRiverOtterrehabilitationprogram,KaranambuLodgeislookingtomaketheir125squaremilesofpristinewetlandsthehubofresearchintheRupununi.In1997,theKaranambuTrustestablishedtheranchasanaturereserveandresearchcenterfocusedonconservingthearea’shabitats,floraandfauna,includingGiantRiverOtters,GiantAnteaters,BlackCaiman,giantVictoriaamazonicawaterlilies,Arapaima,and300birdspecies.KaranambuisnowplanningaSirDavidAttenboroughResearchStationtostudyclimate,biodiversity,water,ecosystemservices,andtheimpactofeffectiveresourcemanagementonlocalAmerindianpopulations.DadanawaRanchDadanawaisamulti‐facetedcattleranchintheSouthRupununiwhereyoucanspenddayspursuingAnaconda,Jaguar,HarpyEagle,GoliathBird‐eatingTarantulas,andGuiananCock‐of‐the‐Rock,ormountahorseandchasecattlewithbarefootAmerindiancowboys.LongusedasabaseforscientificandconservationinstitutionsstudyingtheRupununi,Dadanawaisworkingtoestablishajaguarconservationunit.TheranchiscurrentlyhometotheSouthRupununiConservationSociety,whichisworkingtoprotecttheendangeredRedSiskinandtheGiantRiverTurtle.

SuramaVillageandEco‐LodgeTheEducationalTravelCommunity’s2009ResponsibleTourismShowcaseHonoree,SuramaVillageconsistsoffivesquaremilesofsavannahsurroundedbyjungle‐coveredmountains.StayatatraditionalEco‐LodgeorahammockcampontheBurroBurroRiverwithastaffofnaturalists,birdingexperts,musicians,andcraftspeople.ExploreMakushicultureandhistory,visitaHarpyEaglenest,campontopofthePakaraimaMountains,takeajunglesurvivalcourse,paddletherainforest’sremoterivers,ortakeavillagetourtovisitSurama’ssuccessfulcommunitydevelopmentprojects.YupukariVillageandCaimanHouseFieldStationTheCaimanHouseFieldStationrunsfourcommunity‐runparticipatoryenvironmentalmonitoringprojectsthatarethebackboneoftourisminYupukarivillage.Jointhenocturnalcaimancrewandcapturetheworld’slargestalligatorsfordatacollection;helpidentifyimportantbirdareas;digpittrapstostudyherpsandamphibians;andnameandtagrainforesttrees.Tourismsupportsnewcommunitydevelopmentprojectsthatareshowcasedonthevillagetour,includingaguesthouse,classroomlibraries,aninternetandcomputer‐equippedpubliclibrary,andanonprofithomefurnishingsenterprise.RewaVillageandEco‐LodgeTheRewaEco‐LodgegivesintrepidtravelersandresearchersaccesstosomeofGuyana’smostremotewilderness.TheRewaRiverisrenownedforitsmammalpopulations,includingJaguar,Ocelot,Tapir,Capybara,GiantArmadillo,Peccariesandsevendifferentmonkeyspecies.InitswatersGiantRiverOtters,BlackandSpectacledCaiman,GiantRiverTurtles,andArapaima,theworld’slargestscaledfreshwaterfish,allthrive.JoinMakushilocalsintheircommunityastheysharetheirtraditionallifestyleandcuratetheirhome’samazingbiodiversity,andrevealhowecotourismwillpreservethemforfuturegenerations.NappiVillageandMaipaimaEco‐LodgeNappivillagecradlesthefoothillsoftheKanukuMountains–arangeConservationInternationalcallsoneofthelastremainingpristineAmazonianhabitats–anditsMaipaimaEco‐Lodge,builtinpartnershipwiththeU.S.organizationFosterParrotsLtd.,sitsamongst250squaremilesofprotectedrainforest.Fromthelodge,trekthelargelyunexploredmountainsteemingwithRed‐bellied,Scarlet,Red‐and‐green,andBlue‐and‐yellowMacaws,GiantAnteaters,manyprimates,Jaguars,andhiddenwaterfalls.Inthevillage,skilledcraftspeopledemonstratetheartofcarvingfigurinesfrombalata,anaturaltreeresin.