Destination: The Amazon & Rupununi Savannah
Essence of the trip:
Take on a truly epic adventure which takes you deep to a rarely visited corner of the earth. From Guyana’s deep, mist-shrouded uncharted jungle and mighty thundering waterfalls to its rolling savannahs; traverse this mysterious land by foot, dug-out canoe, 4×4 and horseback whilst learning vital survival skills and living with the Amerindians and Vaquero cowboys, which few have ever encountered.
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The experience of soaring in a light aircraft over the rainforest canopy and dropping over the edge of the thundering Kaieteur Falls – the world’s largest and most spectacular single drop waterfall – in the heart of the jungle.
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A rare chance to join the Vaquero cowboys on horseback as they race across the rolling savannahs, following their hunting tracks whilst rounding up the cattle.
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The opportunity to camp in the heart of the Amazonian jungle, live and learn survival techniques from the Amerindians, surrounded by the most exotic and endangered creatures in the world.
Details:
Flying into the Amazon jungle you will arrive in the heart of Amerindian territory, to the remote village of Surama. This ancient tribal setting is where Amerindian people have lived for hundreds of years, passing down generations of jungle skills, folklore stories and the ability to survive in the remote Amazon rainforest.
Here you will be briefed for the intrepid two week journey will be accompanied by ex SAS and ex military experts. You will be taught jungle survival skills in a challenging Amazon environment – your expert guides will instruct you in how to forage for food, what plants to avoid and how to hunt using traditional bows and arrows. There is no better place, or mentors, to guide you in the art of self preservation. You will need to accurately apply these vital insights throughout your time in the jungle.
The next morning journey into the lush Guyanan rainforest, home to some of the world’s largest species of rainforest animal – the elusive Jaguar and Giant Otters and Harpy Eagle – begins. The sheer remote, intrepid nature of this experience will enable you to encounter extraordinary wildlife usually witnessed only by wildlife explorers.
Initially on foot and then by boat, forging a path through this jungle wilderness is your challenge. For the next three nights you will sleep in natural shelters at a jungle base camp – the sounds of the jungle at night are utterly bewitching. There are very few opportunities in life to be truly enveloped in the pure sound of nature, and the sense of calm that brings; this is unquestionably one of them.
On day seven you will head back to Surama and settle back into lively village life whilst you de-kit and prepare to embark on the next phase of the trip. In the morning, swap dense jungle for Guyana’s dramatic Amazonian plains and journey to a remote Vaquero ranch in the isolated southern Rupununi savannahs of South West Guyana, by 4×4. Here you will be staying on the traditional ranch, sleeping as the cowboys do, in an authentic Barracon (bunkhouse). Resting in a hammock, sheltered by a palm thatched roof is a unique taste of Vaquero ranch life.
Spending time with the Vaqueros is a truly memorable experience. By day you will be cattle ranching on horseback, galloping alongside your hosts on the rolling expanses of the savannah. This is not an experience created for your benefit; you will be taking part in an activity vital for the Vaqueros. Camping at night and free form the dense jungle canopy, you will glimpse the clearest, awe-inspiring night skies.
On day eleven you’ll take a 4×4, followed by a boat trip to spend a night at Yupukari Village at the Caiman house Research project base. This base is literally in the middle of nowhere beside the Rupununi River. Here you’ll see passing caiman and the elusive anaconda and giant otters that congregate here below the giant lilies that tile the water’s surface. This is your last night in the jungle.
The following day it is time to leave Yupukari and fly to Georgetown for the final part of the trip. Jumping into a light air-craft, you will fly up over the jungle, skimming the canopy hiding remote areas, visited in previous days, towards the mighty Kaieteur Falls. Five times higher than Niagara, Kaieteur Falls is the world’s largest single drop waterfall. To fly above and then drop over these falls is a heart-stopping experience and one that will live long in the memory. Touching down on a remote airstrip at the top of the waterfall to explore the upper reaches of the falls; the sheer power of the cascading water is awe-inspiring. There are many unforgettable moments in this trip and the last day is no exception, ending this epic adventure on an absolute high.
If you are interested in taking this trip and would like to discuss it in more detail with our team of experts get in touch here or call us on 0207 426 9899 (UK) or 1-888 341 9663 (US) to start planning your trip.