Arial view of the Iwokrama River Lodge

You will leave early from Georgetown via your choice of transportation to the Iwokrama River Lodge. Options include a 4×4 vehicle for an 8 hour adventurous drive to the River Lodge through a historic mining town into dense rainforest. Alternatively you can travel through one of the local Guyana airlines, which will provide unparalleled views of the rainforest on your hour flight to the Iwokrama Forest. Arrive just in time to relax before lunch and get settled in to your room.

After lunch explore one of the nearby wildlife trails near the River Lodge with an experienced Iwokrama Guide. You will see the mora, soft wallaba and wamara trees and may be able to view the screaming piha, the grey chinned hermit, gray antbird, chestnut woodpecker, the gray-winged trumpeter, and the black-necked aracari.

After dinner, join us for a cruise on the Essequibo River through the black of night, maybe lit only by a pale moon. Your guide shines the spotlight and there it is… the red-eye glare of the black caimanMelanosuchus niger! Frequently and closely seen lying on the river banks, the world’s largest alligator grows to 6 metres (20 ft.) long. A boat ride at night may also introduce you to other nocturnal creatures such as tree boasCorallus caninus, pacasCuniculus paca, nightjarsHydropsalis climacocerca, and hyla tree frogstree frogs (hylidae). Overnight at the Iwokrama River Lodge.

Turtle Mountain in the Iwokrama Forest

A trip to Iwokrama is not complete without a hike to the summit of Turtle Mountain for a stunning view of the jungle vista. After breakfast, the journey starts with a peaceful and scenic half hour boat ride where you arrive at the base of the mountain. The trek to the 290m Turtle Mountain summit is mildly challenging and takes about 1 1⁄2 – 2 hours but the breathtaking views are more than worth the effort. Turtle Mountain provides a gorgeous view of the top of the rainforest canopy.

Along the way harpy eagleHarpia harpyja has been seen and you may also see the greater yellow-headed vultureCathartes melambrotus, king vultureSarcoramphus papa, gray-headed kiteLeptodon cayanensis, double-toothed kiteHarpagus bidentatus, plumbeous kiteIctinia plumbea and black-faced hawkLeucopternis melanops. The trails may reveal little chachalacaOrtalis motmot, marail guanPenelope marail, black currassowCrax alector, squirrel cuckooPiaya cayana, black-bellied cuckooPiaya melanogaster, blue-crowned motmotMomotus momota, collared puffbirdBucco capensis, pygmy antwrenMyrmotherula brachyura, and many more! You may also be rewarded with sightings of red howler monkey, wedge-capped capuchinsCebus olivaceus and black spider monkeysAteles paniscus.

Exploring nature at the Turtle Mountain Camp

After your hike you can spend the rest of your day and evening exploring the network of trails around the Turtle Mountain Camp with your experienced guide. The area offer excellent opportunities for viewing squirrel and howler monkeys, peccaries, arapaima, and occasionally giant river otters.

You will spend the night at the Turtle Mountain Camp, a comprehensive facility for visitors who wish to stay in the heart of the rainforest. The camp is located at the foot of Turtle Mountain near Paddle Rock Creek, a refuge for brazilian tapirs, occasional peccaries, agoutis, and pacas. Overnight at the Turtle Mountain Camp.

Amerindian petroglyphs near Kurupukari Falls

After breakfast at the Turtle Mountain Camp visit the Kurupukari Falls to see the Amerindian petroglyphs. These stunning works of art are estimated to be over 6,000 years old and are best seen during low-water season, then visit the small Amerindian community of Fair View.

Fair View Village is a small Amerindian settlement which lies a few kilometers upriver from the Iwokrama field station and is the only community located within the Iwokrama Forest. The hospitable residents of Fairview will gladly share their traditional Makushi culture and history with their guests.

The Iwokrama Canopy Walkway

After a refreshing lunch in the Fred Allicock Building you will depart for Iwokrama’s Famous Canopy Walkway. The 154 metre (505 ft.) state-of-the-art Iwokrama Canopy Walkway offers a totally unique experience in the region and envelopes you in the jungle’s mid-level canopy through a series of suspension bridges and decks from heights of up to 30 metres (98 ft.). Here you’ll have the chance to see birds like the green aracariPteroglossus viridis, scarlet macawAra macao, Guianan toucanetteSelenidera culik or channel-bill toucanRamphastos vitellinus. Red howler monkeysAlouatta macconnelli may also be observed. Check out the epiphytes such orchids and bromeliads, and look for the amazing parasitic ficusFicus benjamina plant as it engulfs another tree. There is also the greenheart treehlorocardium rodiei, the Waramadan tree (endemic in Guyana only to the Iwokrama Forest) and the poisonous Aromata treeClathrotropis brachypetala!

As you return late afternoon to the River Lodge, you may catch a glimpse of the elusive jaguarPanthera onca, South America’s largest cat. Spend a relaxing evening enjoying dinner overlooking the scenic vistas of the Essequibo River. Overnight at the Iwokrama River Lodge.

Sunrise at Indian Island

At dawn you can take an early morning boat trip round Indian House Island. Keep an eye out for the butterflies, snakes and macaws as they come out to have “breakfast” on the edge of the island. This early morning trip also gives you a chance to hear the dawn songs of the five species of tinamou, marbled wood-quail, band-rumped swift, white- banded and black-collared swallows, and many more!

After breakfast you will leave the River Lodge and have the option to either depart heading north for your journey back to Georgetown, or to visit other interesting tourist sites in the Rupununi area.