Mileage Run Discussion - [FARE GONE] DL: MSP/ATL/others to Georgetown, Guyana $398

Can get it to around 4.4 cpm from MSP routing through DTW, ATL, BOS and ATL, CVG. Late August into at least late November. Bookable at DL.com and elsewhere. Not bad these days.

wow also cheap from Canada(ex YVR) for $507 AI. Anything under 5CPM is crazy from Canada

Same day turns available on a weekend, and add extra stop for $10 ex-ATL.

$310 from NYC

Can get it to around 4.4 cpm from MSP routing through DTW, ATL, BOS and ATL, CVG. Late August into at least late November. Bookable at DL.com and elsewhere. Not bad these days.

Edit: Mistake!

Thanks OP! It's about $495 from SAN. I'd noticed it around $800 a few weeks ago and was wishing I had a VDB voucher to cut down the price. For $500 I had to bite for a week in October. Anyone been to Guyana on vacation before? Quick research shows a good bit of eco-tourism opportunities. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Thanks OP! It's about $495 from SAN. I'd noticed it around $800 a few weeks ago and was wishing I had a VDB voucher to cut down the price. For $500 I had to bite for a week in October. Anyone been to Guyana on vacation before? Quick research shows a good bit of eco-tourism opportunities. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

I thought the falls tours at http://www.airguyana.biz/ looked interesting, though not much less expensive than the flights there. I'm going in November (thanks to a VDB voucher); care to be a Guyana Pig?

$485 from SLC. SLC-BOS-JFK-GEO for 10288 (4.71cpm) or SLC-ATL-JFK-GEO for 9777 (4.96cpm).

Not bad from a hub!

I would go if I could find anything of intrest anyone find a reason to go?

Fare comes up as : 4TH LEVEL INSTANT PURCHASE FARES ? what is that

I would go if I could find anything of intrest anyone find a reason to go?


From http://wikitravel.org/en/Georgetown_(Guyana)

"Movie star Pauly Shore has a party mansion called the Class Act after his 1992 movie of the same name. The mansion is situated on the outskirts of town in a former mangrove that was drained in order to build the property. During January and Febuary when Pauly is in residence, there are many "invite only" parties to attend with B-list semi-celebrities like Matt Dillon, Carrot Top and Seth Green."

Other than that, maybe waterfalls, jungle, the highlands or an alternative entry to northern South America?

I grabbed one of these, too: $399 from FLL, through JFK, for 7212 MQMs. Going in September for 2 days. Any ideas on things to do there?

Bruce

$310 from NYC

What days??

I thought the falls tours at http://www.airguyana.biz/ looked interesting, though not much less expensive than the flights there. I'm going in November (thanks to a VDB voucher); care to be a Guyana Pig?

I've been called worse...

I was interested in going to Jonestown but apparently it's been abandoned and returned to the jungle.

The waterfall does look interesting, yeah the tour is $$$ but don't know that there's any cheaper way to do it.

Also looks like Suriname is a 3 hour bus / van ride from Georgetown. If things get boring in Guyana I suppose I could see what's across the border although looks like a visa is required for US citizens.

What days??

07-10SEP is $311 from JFK. Pretty much any Thu/Fri to Mon in SEP comes up as $311 on ita. Don't know if you want to stay a longer or shorter period of time but you should be able to find something in your range.

ya saw that, but B-list ehhh.

From http://wikitravel.org/en/Georgetown_(Guyana)

"Movie star Pauly Shore has a party mansion called the Class Act after his 1992 movie of the same name. The mansion is situated on the outskirts of town in a former mangrove that was drained in order to build the property. During January and Febuary when Pauly is in residence, there are many "invite only" parties to attend with B-list semi-celebrities like Matt Dillon, Carrot Top and Seth Green."

Other than that, maybe waterfalls, jungle, the highlands or an alternative entry to northern South America?

Not bad! Wish I knew more about constructing these runs.

ITA only gives me simple 1-stop trips. They run about 5.5cpm ex-ATL.

I want to do one of these but am a bit lost on adding in extra stops.

Is their a guide to piecing these together?

I am looking to do the 1 hour turn around on a Saturday-Sunday.

Foo

One suggestion - get over to your health district, get shots and spray your clothes with a long acting repellant. After you bite, they bite and they bite in daylight and in the city as well as in the outback and river areas.:cool:

Thanks OP! It's about $495 from SAN. I'd noticed it around $800 a few weeks ago and was wishing I had a VDB voucher to cut down the price. For $500 I had to bite for a week in October. Anyone been to Guyana on vacation before? Quick research shows a good bit of eco-tourism opportunities. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Reason to go? It runs up your countries visited count for The Travelers Century Club and is a bit of a novelty. Some colonial remnants, some cultural anomalies. Tourism is increasing.

I would go if I could find anything of interest anyone find a reason to go?

Fare comes up as : 4TH LEVEL INSTANT PURCHASE FARES ? what is that

I might Pig Out for a short weekend boomerang trip. Been on the todo list to finish off the continent and I've got all the shots.:cool:

I thought the falls tours at http://www.airguyana.biz/ looked interesting, though not much less expensive than the flights there. I'm going in November (thanks to a VDB voucher); care to be a Guyana Pig?

Whats the max anyone has been able to get out from ATL? I've been able to get about 7900 miles routing BHM-ATL-JFK-GEO-JFK-IAD-ATL-BHM for $405

wow also cheap from Canada(ex YVR) for $507 AI. Anything under 5CPM is crazy from Canada

+1

Am quite tempted for a weekend escape and GEO would be an interesting destination I've never been to. Hmmm...

Do US citizens need visa for Guyana and if yes what is the cost?
I also see a fare of $ 405 from clt-atl-bos-JFK-geg and return same way

Theres nothing to do there guys. Just cause its cheap isnt a good reason to go. Use that for a trip to SJU or something else.

Theres nothing to do there guys. Just cause its cheap isnt a good reason to go. Use that for a trip to SJU or something else.

+1 to that. I was ready to book but researched it a bit. The tripadviser page is basically non existent.

So, I'm spending 2 whole days there. Even if I'm bored, I'll survive. Every city has something to do for a short time.

Bruce

I just did bwi-jfk-geo-atl-jfk-cvg-rdu-bwi for $385 (7838 miles) over columbus day weekend.

I did a trip to the Guianas a few years ago, here is the trip report: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/700081-most-dangerous-city-trip-through-guianas.html

07-10SEP is $311 from JFK. Pretty much any Thu/Fri to Mon in SEP comes up as $311 on ita. Don't know if you want to stay a longer or shorter period of time but you should be able to find something in your range.

I was hoping for shorter turnaround. No more than 1 day in Geo

.....

There's little reason to visit GEO unless as a base camp for eco-tours. If you're going to do this, douse yourself with DEET before leaving the plane and be prepared for a few hot, miserable hours in the decrepit terminal. You will probably need to pay the departure tax as well, it's $20US.

Oh and don't forget your shots and anti-malarial pills. Really not worth it.

Why no I am NOT looking forward to my next business trip to GEO, why do you ask?

From BOI $485 for 9600 miles

Theres nothing to do there guys. Just cause its cheap isnt a good reason to go. Use that for a trip to SJU or something else.

yeah, and btter cpm too! 4cpm from BOI 1 day returns august and fall

I found this recent USA Today article regarding the nascent tourism industry in Guyana. It has a few links which may provide useful for those planning on staying for more than a day or two.

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/story/2012-06-22/Guyana-blazes-a-new-trail-to-tourism/55754264/1

Just like in Hauteboy's report, if you down there already, got to visit Kaieteur Falls. I was there 2 weeks ago. Simply fantastic. I am all for MR, but every country has some redeeming features to stick around for a day or two.

For malaria, if you qualify for doxycycline, it's around $12 for 60 days supply from Walmart or was the last time I picked up my Rx. It is one of the drugs in their generics program. Side effects for me much more tolerable than Lariam. Sounds like a fascinating trip!

The more I'm reading, the more I'm tempted...800 bird species and not a huge area of ground that needs to be covered to find them. Just don't know if I can get it together in time to do this though.

Anyone been to Guyana on vacation before?
I went a couple years ago Labor Day. The Kaiteur Falls trip was the highlight (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2010/09/a-day-trip-to-kaieteur-falls-guyana/). The city itself doesn't offer much in the way of tourist amenities. I think I have the phone number of my taxi driver still. He was reliable and didn't try to fleece me.

http://gallery.millerworks.net/Travel/Guyana-2010/IMGP4608/1012998282_zq5Sw-M-1.jpg

A few more bits of my trip report from that weekend:

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2010/09/around-town-in-georgetown-guyana/
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2010/09/shopping-at-stabroek-market-in-georgetown-guyana/

.....

I went a couple years ago Labor Day. The Kaiteur Falls trip was the highlight (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2010/09/a-day-trip-to-kaieteur-falls-guyana/). The city itself doesn't offer much in the way of tourist amenities. I think I have the phone number of my taxi driver still. He was reliable and didn't try to fleece me.
How easy/difficult is it to get on to a Kaiteur falls trip with a short weekend in-country? Obviously no guarantees, but what's your feel for the odds?

As the adventurous sort, what about renting a car to get to Kaiteur Falls?



How easy/difficult is it to get on to a Kaiteur falls trip with a short weekend in-country? Obviously no guarantees, but what's your feel for the odds?

An expensive drug like Malarone is not an option for a mileage run/budget trip, which is what most of the posters are looking at. Also, doxycycline cannot be "over"prescribed if it is being used for an essential purpose such as the prevention of serious disease/malaria. It is being correctly prescribed. Ask your doctor. Mine said...doxycycline. Agree that Lariam is a dangerous drug with psychoactive effects; it should be taken off the market if my experience with it was any guide. A drug that you stop taking because it plays on your mind is useless as any kind of prevention.

Down here on the ground, where travel medications aren't covered by insurance, many Americans on a budget will decide to either take doxycycline or they will take no preventative at all. I know what I will do if I am able to take this trip.


I'm not big on taking an antibiotic as an anti-malarial drug - mainly because of the length of time it's prescribed for. Antibiotics are overprescribed as it is. I've taken Malarone for each of my trips in malaria prone regions. Avoid Lariam unless your interested in nightmares from hell.

Unfortunately, it's an English speaking country which I'm pretty sure means "drive on the left." Also the roads are said to be bad. I would much rather hire a guide or a driver. This is the main thing holding me back, as I'm not sure how easy it would be for me to arrange for this in advance. If I was confident that I could easily get someone pretty reliable, I would want to stay a week or more and hunt up some of these rare birds like Cock of the Rock.

As the adventurous sort, what about renting a car to get to Kaiteur Falls?

Unfortunately, it's an English speaking country which I'm pretty sure means "drive on the left." Also the roads are said to be bad. I would much rather hire a guide or a driver. This is the main thing holding me back, as I'm not sure how easy it would be for me to arrange for this in advance. If I was confident that I could easily get someone pretty reliable, I would want to stay a week or more and hunt up some of these rare birds like Cock of the Rock.
Drive on the left is fine, but everything I see seems to indicate that the falls are not necessarily road-accessible, and typical land access is a multi-day trek.

An expensive drug like Malarone is not an option for a mileage run/budget trip

Malarone went generic in the U.S. about three months ago...it's quite inexpensive now.

Malarone went generic in the U.S. about three months ago...it's quite inexpensive now.Wow, I missed that, thanks !
I have had friends cancel trips when they found out
the malarone was going to be a few $100.

As the adventurous sort, what about renting a car to get to Kaiteur Falls?

There aren't any roads to Kaieteur. It's fly or hike in only.

There aren't any roads to Kaieteur. It's fly or hike in only.

From the world of waterfalls site:

the logistics of visiting Kaieteur Falls is very nontrivial.

As mentioned in the main page, the falls has largely escaped commercialism and development. So while this is a blessing for nature lovers, it also makes it rather difficult to visit. While there are a handful of ways to view the falls, we're going to cover the most popular option, which is the day trip to and from Georgetown since that was the way we experienced the falls. Other options involve multi-day tours that are more eco-friendlier but they demand more physical fitness, schedule flexibility, money, and time.

A typical day trip to Kaieteur Falls involves lots of flying (in typically a small propeller plane). That's because there's an airstrip near the top of the falls. The flight time from Georgetown to the top of the falls is about an hour. The tour company should be able to pick you up from your accommodation (as they did for us) typically at around 8am. Once at the airstrip, you'll spend between 90 minutes to 2 hours viewing the falls while doing some light walking with a native Amerindian guide. A picnic lunch, which should be included as part of the tour, follows the time spent at the falls.

Included in the day tour is also Orinduik Falls though sometimes they nix this waterfall in favor of some other site if the river is too flooded to safely swim or soak. The flying time from Kaieteur Falls to the airstrip by Orinduik Falls is about a half hour.

The tour will spend another hour or so at this waterfall to allow for some swimming and photography. By the time this part of the tour is over, you'll be flying back to Georgetown, which is said to be 90 minutes (though I swear it felt longer than that!).

Barring unforseen circumstances, you should be back at your accommodation by around 5-6pm.

How easy/difficult is it to get on to a Kaiteur falls trip with a short weekend in-country? Obviously no guarantees, but what's your feel for the odds?
I did it on a short weekend, but it is a bit of a risk. I tried to call a few places before I got there and getting in on a day trip wasn't possible in advance, mostly because they didn't call me back. Ultimately I walked in to the Pegasus Hotel (http://www.pegasushotelguyana.com/) when I got in the morning I arrived and leveraged the travel agent there. I pretty much begged them to find me a seat on either of the following two days and they managed to make it work out. You might try calling them in advance (they weren't one of the ones I tried; I didn't know about them until I got there) and see if they can help. I have no recollection of the name of the agency; I might be able to track it down though calling the front desk is probably easier.
As the adventurous sort, what about renting a car to get to Kaiteur Falls?There aren't any roads to Kaieteur. It's fly or hike in only.

:-:

Also, FWIW, I skipped out on the malarone for the few days I was there. Dunno if that was smart or not, but it is what I did.

And what I plan to do, considering the small risk.

Bruce

I was considering doing one of these trips until I realized that DL JFK-GEO is operated with a BizElite configured 752, so no EUA's. With the horrible 1am departure time, I will pass on this trip for this reason alone.

I was considering doing one of these trips until I realized that DL JFK-GEO is operated with a BizElite configured 752, so no EUA's. With the horrible 1am departure time, I will pass on this trip for this reason alone.

Almost certain you're eligible and mine is showing upgrade requested. Check again.

If i can find a nice Sat/Sun turn out of MSP ill book it, so far having problems getting anything other then monday returns

Drive on the left is fine, but everything I see seems to indicate that the falls are not necessarily road-accessible, and typical land access is a multi-day trek.

I would absolutely NOT attempt to drive in this country. Roads are bad, drivers are horrible, there are frequent collisions and the police are not going to be your friend. Right-hand drive car would be the least of my concerns.

Oh, thanks, I didn't know about the generic Malarone either. However, honestly, since I know for certain that doxycycline for me doesn't cause any mental issues or serious side effects, I think I will stick with what I know. I don't know if the risk is low in Georgetown. I wish I had known that the risk was low in Bolivia, the first time I traveled there...it's always good to avoid unnecessary drugs, of course.

WOWSERS! When did this guy go? He's holding a golden frog. Thought it was extinct by this time of century! I may not be able to give this trip a pass...C/mon, guys!!! I'm supposed to be trying to save money here, not spend it. :-)


From the world of waterfalls site:

the logistics of visiting Kaieteur Falls is very nontrivial.

As mentioned in the main page, the falls has largely escaped commercialism and development. So while this is a blessing for nature lovers, it also makes it rather difficult to visit. While there are a handful of ways to view the falls, we're going to cover the most popular option, which is the day trip to and from Georgetown since that was the way we experienced the falls. Other options involve multi-day tours that are more eco-friendlier but they demand more physical fitness, schedule flexibility, money, and time.

A typical day trip to Kaieteur Falls involves lots of flying (in typically a small propeller plane). That's because there's an airstrip near the top of the falls. The flight time from Georgetown to the top of the falls is about an hour. The tour company should be able to pick you up from your accommodation (as they did for us) typically at around 8am. Once at the airstrip, you'll spend between 90 minutes to 2 hours viewing the falls while doing some light walking with a native Amerindian guide. A picnic lunch, which should be included as part of the tour, follows the time spent at the falls.

Included in the day tour is also Orinduik Falls though sometimes they nix this waterfall in favor of some other site if the river is too flooded to safely swim or soak. The flying time from Kaieteur Falls to the airstrip by Orinduik Falls is about a half hour.

The tour will spend another hour or so at this waterfall to allow for some swimming and photography. By the time this part of the tour is over, you'll be flying back to Georgetown, which is said to be 90 minutes (though I swear it felt longer than that!).

Barring unforseen circumstances, you should be back at your accommodation by around 5-6pm.

crazy deal! i got tickets out of PIT for $379!

Oh, thanks, I didn't know about the generic Malarone either. However, honestly, since I know for certain that doxycycline for me doesn't cause any mental issues or serious side effects, I think I will stick with what I know. I don't know if the risk is low in Georgetown. I wish I had known that the risk was low in Bolivia, the first time I traveled there...it's always good to avoid unnecessary drugs, of course.

Malarone is generally not known for the mental issues - you're thinking of Lariam. Almost everyone I've talked to (and I have hundreds of coworkers who take it semi-regularly) report tolerating it quite well.

Grrrrr, I have no need for DL miles but the fare is a steal....and I should think I could find a way to get to Suriname on the same trip....anyone have a minimum recommended time if I want to get to the falls too?

I've been able to get it to 4.87 cpm routing BHM-ATL-JFK-GEO-JFK-BOS-ATL-BHM for $405 on a few weekends in September. Has anyone been able to find better routings from the ATL area?

Ugh. I just read the State Department entry for Guyana, and it really cooled my jets. If it's really true that it's common for drugs to be planted on travelers, then it pretty much disqualifies the country from a mileage run or, maybe, any other type of visit at all. I know there is one person in this thread who goes there for business. Is this really a problem or just one of those State Department scare stories?

...Is this really a problem or just one of those State Department scare stories?Yes, of course it is. The State Department is the ultimate "boy who cried wolf." If you read all of their warnings, you would never leave the United States.

Bruce

Has anyone visited Mount Roraima from Georgetown? I'd really like to check it out if possible. I'll be there for 5 days.

Yes, of course it is. The State Department is the ultimate "boy who cried wolf." If you read all of their warnings, you would never leave the United States.

+1

There's certainly instances of it, but if the State Dept wrote briefs on Washington DC, can you imagine what they'd have to write?

"This city was once ruled by a major who was caught doing cocaine with a hooker in a hotel room. Most residents, however, believe he was set up, and after time in prison he returned to the City Board. This is also America's murder capital, and a center of the crack cocaine trade."

Skrinkwrap the checked luggage or just do carryon.:cool:

Ugh. I just read the State Department entry for Guyana, and it really cooled my jets. If it's really true that it's common for drugs to be planted on travelers, then it pretty much disqualifies the country from a mileage run or, maybe, any other type of visit at all. I know there is one person in this thread who goes there for business. Is this really a problem or just one of those State Department scare stories?

Wait. OK. There are "certainly" instances of bad guys planting drugs on tourists? "Certainly?" So the State Department is actually telling the truth here? In New Orleans (and I assume D.C.) nobody is planting their drugs on somebody else because they figure they'd never see the drugs in question again.

Look, some state department scare stories are easily identifiable as such. For instance, Bolivia, there is nothing scary about it and crime is virtually non-existent, so they really have to dig up something that happened years ago. You read it and chuckle because you know the U.S. gov't hates the Bolivian gov't and vice versa, so they're just digging for something nasty to say. But when I read that drugs are being planted on people in Guyana and then response is well "certainly" it happens...that's more than a scare story.



+1

There's certainly instances of it, but if the State Dept wrote briefs on Washington DC, can you imagine what they'd have to write?

"This city was once ruled by a major who was caught doing cocaine with a hooker in a hotel room. Most residents, however, believe he was set up, and after time in prison he returned to the City Board. This is also America's murder capital, and a center of the crack cocaine trade."

Well, I would do carryon anyway, but presumably if this is happening, then they are pretty expert at separating you from your carryon when you go through security. Since I would be a solo traveler, I would not have another person to keep an eye on things. The hand is quicker than the eye, and presumably the people doing this are professionals...so I think I'm gonna pass on this one unless I find someone else who wants to tag along.

I'm sure getting picky this year. Maybe I'm a bit burned out from traveling.


Skrinkwrap the checked luggage or just do carryon.:cool:

I've actually been intrigued by this area for awhile, checking fares periodically. Hope I can work out the timing to grab this fare.

For those of you who want more in-depth information about the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana), read "Wild Coast: Travels on South America's Untamed Coast" by John Gimlette. It's not a guidebook but great travel writing.

Re malaria prevention: Isn't the most important factor what drug is most effective in a given location?

OAK/SJC $477+ 10,200+ EQMs

There aren't any roads to Kaieteur. It's fly or hike in only.

As an avid backpacker (outdoor variety) I would actually be game to hike this. Reading online looks like one can get there from Georgetown in 3 days and then fly back. Any thoughts on safety?

:D Very cool. Thanks OP
Guyana has been on my list for a while.

I'm on board Sept. 12 outbound and back on the 17th from SAN.

Looks like I have 5 hours in JFK on the outbound.

Anyone going out on the 12th able to guest me in to the Delta lounge?

As an avid backpacker (outdoor variety) I would actually be game to hike this. Reading online looks like one can get there from Georgetown in 3 days and then fly back. Any thoughts on safety?

Getting a one-way flight would likely be a challenge. Good luck.

There are not "one way" flights to Kaiteuer. I was going to try to fly there Georgetown on a Saturday and come back the next day. I contacted 3 tour companies and all of them required me to buy two R/T tickets.

Getting a one-way flight would likely be a challenge. Good luck.

There are not "one way" flights to Kaiteuer. I was going to try to fly there Georgetown on a Saturday and come back the next day. I contacted 3 tour companies and all of them required me to buy two R/T tickets.

Who have you talked to? I've only gotten responses from one, and their one to two word e-mails don't inspire confidence.

Who have you talked to? I've only gotten responses from one, and their one to two word e-mails don't inspire confidence.

Evergreen Adventures, Dagron Tours, & Wonderland Tours. All 3 seem reputable.

I fly to GEO a few times a year.

Flights are always surprisingly inexpensive from JFK...I think last time I flew F for under $1100.

Georgetown isn't the best city for a visit however.

45min - 1hr ride into the city from the airport, horrifically slow customs and boarding, and sometimes, the locals feel it is there right to sit anywhere on the plane, including F, whether they paid for it or not, and the FAs can't do anything about it.

Reason to go? It runs up your countries visited count for The Travelers Century Club and is a bit of a novelty. Some colonial remnants, some cultural anomalies. Tourism is increasing.


Exactly. Do the 3 Guyanas by bus, taxi and motorized dugout canoe. Along the Atlantic coast, the trade winds keep it around 85 F.

Have been tempted and pondering this for a few days; hoping it sticks around long enough for me to figure it out and book. Sounds like an awesome, off the beaten path adventure destination that usually would be too expensive/complicated for me to visit. Don't value Delta miles but I would do this for a nice long (3-5 nights) weekend getaway. Anybody interested in coordinating some sort of hiking/jungle/falls/adventure excursion for few days in Sept or Oct shoot me a PM.

Exactly. Do the 3 Guyanas by bus, taxi and motorized dugout canoe. Along the Atlantic coast, the trade winds keep it around 85 F.This can be a fun adventure but it is also not particularly easy.

There are not "one way" flights to Kaiteuer. I was going to try to fly there Georgetown on a Saturday and come back the next day. I contacted 3 tour companies and all of them required me to buy two R/T tickets.
Indeed...a challenging situation. ;)

There are several malaria drugs that are effective in Guyana so the MOST important thing is which drug you can tolerate, that you will actually take. I think we've already established that there is no one in the thread that can tolerate Lariam.


I've actually been intrigued by this area for awhile, checking fares periodically. Hope I can work out the timing to grab this fare.

For those of you who want more in-depth information about the Guyanas (Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana), read "Wild Coast: Travels on South America's Untamed Coast" by John Gimlette. It's not a guidebook but great travel writing.

Re malaria prevention: Isn't the most important factor what drug is most effective in a given location?

the fare expired tonight. 320 USD form NYC is sooo good. I am still struggling to get on or not.

On my flight to Kaiteuer, 1 person got off and plans to fly back later (1 to 5 days), since the flights only operate when mostly full.

This person was a local (but still a tourist). So such overnight stays are possible, but your return flight date/availability may be limited. If the plane can fit 13, but they fly where there are 9 people, then you can hitch a ride back without an issue. But if the flight is full going out, you are not getting on that plane.

There are not "one way" flights to Kaiteuer. I was going to try to fly there Georgetown on a Saturday and come back the next day. I contacted 3 tour companies and all of them required me to buy two R/T tickets.

Booked. Arriving Oct 11, Departing Oct 15.

Eh. I'll probably regret not going, but I'm going to let it pass me by. Some friends were talking about doing Guyana in the future, and this might be something better done, for me, with other birders. Even if it's (a lot) more expensive that way.

Seems to be up about $70 from NYC now

price dropped by $56 dollars!

9/20 - 10/1 nyc-geo

those are the sample departure and return dates .. still working on delta.com for $342..

in for 12/6 to 12/10. Will be there for 3 fulls days: Friday, Sat and Sunday. Hope there's enough to do for a 3-day trip?

There is no visa requirement for US citizen visiting Guyana however there is a $4500 (about $23 US dollar) departure tax paid in Guyana. The airport is located about 45 mins away from the city of Georgetown where hotels can range from $40 to $180. There is a hotel located about 15 mins away ( Buddy's International) and cost about $90 to $110. If you are there for the weekend check out the night life on sharif street. Guyana is a English speaking country with a west Indian twist. The exchange rate is $200 Guyana dollar to $1 US dollar. There is a great restaurant on the ocean front ( Salena's).

in for 12/6 to 12/10. Will be there for 3 fulls days: Friday, Sat and Sunday. Hope there's enough to do for a 3-day trip?

Assuming you manage to get to Kaituer Falls for one of the three days, barely.

Assuming you manage to get to Kaituer Falls for one of the three days, barely.

Not so sure about this. Depending on what you like there is quite a bit. I booked a 4 day trip and am now wishing I had done a week.

Booked one for Nov 1 - Nov 5 and definately planning to see the falls.

I'm in for Nov 8-12. PM me if you are interested in a trip to the falls, maybe we can get a group rate.

Rapell down Kaieteur Falls:
http://www.epictomato.com/world-firsts-guyana/

has anyone had any luck finding a decent price out of msp?

has anyone had any luck finding a decent price out of msp?

Sorry to say but I think that you missed the boat on this one...the best that I can see out of MSP now is $586. The Delta fare rules had a ticketing date of July 16th for the sale-priced GEO flights. I'm flying INL-GEO for $380. Usually out of Northern Minnesota you can't even fly to MSP for that.

There are still seats for $342-380 for JFK-GEO-JFK. I just booked in September. I have to go to the east coast then anyway, so the add-on to Guyana is a good deal as a short vacation/MR.

Any hotel booking deals out there? It sounds like the Pegasus and the Sleepin Inn hotel are the best options. I can't use my hotels.com credits to book and there are no major chains there to use points.

Is the best option to use hotelcashclub.com for a $50 gift card for $25 and use that at Expedia?

Hey there,

I stayed at the Cara Lodge for a week back in October 2010 and it was great. Smaller, but very well kept, with a courtyard bar and a fantastic restaurant. Wi-fi and wired internet, and a dedicated cab company so you always got the same driver. Also very good, central location. Can't recall what the rate was but their website is http://www.carahotels.com/guyana_lodge/index.php

If your looking for a few recommendations for nightlife, I'd suggest the Dutch Bottle http://www.dutchbottle.com/ for a restaurant and Jerries http://www.jerriesguyana.comfor Karaoke night!

Hey there,

I stayed at the Cara Lodge for a week back in October 2010 and it was great. Smaller, but very well kept, with a courtyard bar and a fantastic restaurant. Wi-fi and wired internet, and a dedicated cab company so you always got the same driver. Also very good, central location. Can't recall what the rate was but their website is http://www.carahotels.com/guyana_lodge/index.php

If your looking for a few recommendations for nightlife, I'd suggest the Dutch Bottle http://www.dutchbottle.com/ for a restaurant and Jerries http://www.jerriesguyana.comfor Karaoke night!

I'm glad to hear that recommendation. I've been thinking about Cara Lodge, Roraima Duke Lodge, or Herdmanston Lodge. Any other recommendations? I'm only going to be there for four days. More interested in daytime exploration than nightlife.

Does anyone know the likelihood of medallion upgrades on JFK-GEO and back?

I'm glad to hear that recommendation. I've been thinking about Cara Lodge, Roraima Duke Lodge, or Herdmanston Lodge. Any other recommendations? I'm only going to be there for four days. More interested in daytime exploration than nightlife.

I'll be there in a few days and can let you know my thoughts on Herdmanston next week if you remember to hit me up.

I'll be there in a few days and can let you know my thoughts on Herdmanston next week if you remember to hit me up.

Thanks! I'll contact you next week.

I was considering doing one of these trips until I realized that DL JFK-GEO is operated with a BizElite configured 752, so no EUA's. With the horrible 1am departure time, I will pass on this trip for this reason alone.

Despite the fact that the JFK-GEO 752 does seem to be BE configured, my booking is showing upgrade eligibility for medallions. Does anyone have recent experience to verify the configuration and upgrade eligibility?

I'm glad to hear that recommendation. I've been thinking about Cara Lodge, Roraima Duke Lodge, or Herdmanston Lodge. Any other recommendations? I'm only going to be there for four days. More interested in daytime exploration than nightlife.

I stayed at the Herdmanston Lodge for a week last September. It is more like Grandma's Giant Rooming House than an actual hotel. It is clean and in a safe neighborhood, and the attractive grounds are secured. However the rooms are nothing special. Mine had ice-cold AC that did a good job of humidity relief unlike some systems in tropical countries that cool but leave the room a clammy damp cave. The bed was OK but kind of hard and the pillows were squashy and uncomfortable.

They will have a tasty buffet breakfast but there is no scheduled meal service otherwise. Instead, you go to the kitchen or front desk and tell them what you want, and they will make it for you. Bottled water* and cold beer are also available at pretty much any time. Staff are fabulously friendly. Your bed will have a mosquito net and I suggest you use it. I was only bitten once in a week. Maybe they find my blood unpleasant or something... Power in GEO is flaky and the lodge lost power on my first day for a few hours, but stayed on afterwards. There was a nice LCD TV in my room to my surprise. Not much on, but it worked fine connected to my iPad for watching movies. Bring things to keep yourself entertained as there is little to do at night and you don't want to be walking around by yourself anyway. There isn't much around the Lodge as it's in a residential neighborhood. Have them call you a taxi if you want to go out to dinner. The Lodge has free wi-fi which worked pretty well most of the time.

As I was in GEO for work I can't help you with daytime activities. I can say that I was very happy to leave :D

*do NOT drink the tap water and I wouldn't even use it for brushing your teeth. Keep your mouth shut while bathing. You DO know about the recommended vaccines, right? An anti-malarial is not a bad idea either. Malarone is now generic and has the least-objectionable side effects. Malaria is more of a concern in the interior but it's still a risk in GEO.

As a search indicates this deal is over I'll push this thread into MR Discussion.

tcook052
MR Forum Moderator

I stayed at the Herdmanston Lodge for a week last September. It is more like Grandma's Giant Rooming House than an actual hotel. It is clean and in a safe neighborhood, and the attractive grounds are secured. However the rooms are nothing special. Mine had ice-cold AC that did a good job of humidity relief unlike some systems in tropical countries that cool but leave the room a clammy damp cave. The bed was OK but kind of hard and the pillows were squashy and uncomfortable.

They will have a tasty buffet breakfast but there is no scheduled meal service otherwise. Instead, you go to the kitchen or front desk and tell them what you want, and they will make it for you. Bottled water* and cold beer are also available at pretty much any time. Staff are fabulously friendly. Your bed will have a mosquito net and I suggest you use it. I was only bitten once in a week. Maybe they find my blood unpleasant or something... Power in GEO is flaky and the lodge lost power on my first day for a few hours, but stayed on afterwards. There was a nice LCD TV in my room to my surprise. Not much on, but it worked fine connected to my iPad for watching movies. Bring things to keep yourself entertained as there is little to do at night and you don't want to be walking around by yourself anyway. There isn't much around the Lodge as it's in a residential neighborhood. Have them call you a taxi if you want to go out to dinner. The Lodge has free wi-fi which worked pretty well most of the time.

As I was in GEO for work I can't help you with daytime activities. I can say that I was very happy to leave :D

*do NOT drink the tap water and I wouldn't even use it for brushing your teeth. Keep your mouth shut while bathing. You DO know about the recommended vaccines, right? An anti-malarial is not a bad idea either. Malarone is now generic and has the least-objectionable side effects. Malaria is more of a concern in the interior but it's still a risk in GEO.

Thanks for this helpful information. I'm only going to be there four days (a short visit/MR) but have been to a travel clinic (also to cover Sri Lanka later this year). Getting yellow fever and typhoid immunizations and will take anti-malaria med, probably doxycycline (I developed abdominal pain when taking Malarone a few years ago).

I had a great time in Guyana.This discount fare made for an excellent journey.THANK YOU!
Guyana is not for the inexperienced traveler however.
Kaieteur Falls is unreal.The place is untouched and not screwed up by heavy tourism. The rainforest is pristine. A friend and I stayed
2 nights at Iwokrama and had a terrific time on nature hikes and boat rides
on the Essequibo River. There are few places left on this planet that can be seen in their original condition. Guyana does offer that.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm heading there early December and would love any extra details you could provide....how did you get to Kaieteur Falls? Where did you stay in Iwokrama? Did you use a tour guide?

The more details the better :)

Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback. I'm heading there early December and would love any extra details you could provide....how did you get to Kaieteur Falls? Where did you stay in Iwokrama? Did you use a tour guide?

The more details the better :)

Thanks!

I booked the Falls trip via Evergreen Tours. http://www.evergreenadventuresgy.com/index.html
and booked directly with Iwokrama and included forest walks,boat trips, and canopy tours with the package. http://www.iwokrama.org/wp/?page_id=198
I was 4 days total in country.
Note of Caution: Customer service, follow ups,paying w/ CC and all the particulars are major pains with both these operators. I had a travel agent friend work on this for me and I am still working on mending our relationship ;).
While in GEO we stayed at the El Dorado Inn.~$100 for 2 queen beds on the 3rd floor.
Tips:
1) When flying to Kaietuer or Iwokrama promptly ask if you can sit in the co-pilot seat for the best views. Board early at least, for a window seat.
2) Ask for a second fan from another cabin so you can have your own fan blowing on you at night in Iwokrama. The heat and humidity is INSANE!
3)DON"T let the taxi drivers rip you off ! Downtown to Ogle airport =$5 US per cab (not per person). $20 downtown to the Int'l airport. USD accepted most everywhere.
4) Get a fat stack of Guyanese 20 dollar bills to take home(nice picture of Kaieteur Falls on the front) - Your cost .10 each. Clean and uncirculateds can be found at banks or major stores. Go home and pass them out like you are Frank Sinatra.
5) Stay safe.

We depart GEO for home (IAD) tomorrow. We've been here in Guyana since early Friday morning. It's been an amazing trip!

A little about our planning and the resultant trip...

Normally I like to plan out my itineraries to the nth degree, with everything well researched so I am confident that I haven't missed anything. Guyana made that impossible! We initially planned 1 day (Fri) in Georgetown to wander around and sightsee on foot, a half day to Kaiteur Falls on Sat and then that afternoon till the next day's afternoon (Sun) at Arrowpoint Lodge. We planned to then head back to Georgetown late Sunday to relax before our early morning departure on Monday. And i'd picked out all the restaurants I wanted to try and our hotel in Georgetown. So much for the planning...

In reality, I couldn't get ANY of the tour companies I initially tried to respond to my email inquiries for the waterfall excursion. When I finally bit the bullet and called them, they all told me the same thing- they wouldn't be able to confirm a spot for us until the day before b/c they need a minimum number of people to justify taking the plane out to the falls. So we thought about just staying in Georgetown for the whole weekend but that was not our first choice. Some last minute research a few days before our trip led us to Baganara Island Resort and it looked absolutely lovely, so we booked it for Saturday night through their owners (Evergreen tours). The woman who handled our reservations and last minute details on transportation was wonderful- Diane.

So Friday we arrive early morning (before 7 am) and took the taxi- $20 - downtown to our hotel - the Herdmanston Lodge. The gentleman on duty was nice enough to let us crash in a spare room to nap/shower since our room was not going to be ready until standard check-in time. The Lodge is in a safe neighborhood, right across from the embassy of Brazil. A few blocks from a pizza hut and kfc for those craving american fast food fyi. And easy access to downtown Georgetown on foot. Which is how we chose to explore when we got out of bed later that afternoon. We made our way to German's for their famous cow heel soup (sadly, they were out so we had jerk chicken instead) and then wandered the city, hitting all the historic sites. We did dinner at New Thriving Chinese - also downtown- and it was decent.

Saturday morning we lounged around Herdmanston until it was time to head to Baganara. They offer direct speedboat access to their lodge for a ridiculous sum, you can take the plane in (also pricey), or you can take the cheap route like we did and get there in 3 hops- a $25 taxi to Parika from Georgetown, a $25 speedboat to Bartica from Parika (DO NOT SIT IN THE FRONT OF THE BOAT!! We made the mistake of doing so and with the speed of the boat and the rough water...omg...felt like the most violent painful sex EVER.), and a $35 speedboat to Baganara from Bartica. We arrive at the Island late afternoon and were greeted by Kurt, the manager, with fresh squeezed lime drinks and coconut cakes in hand for us. Yum! He is so nice. Turns out we were the only guests at the Resort so we had THE WHOLE ISLAND and the help staff to ourselves. Excellent. We felt like royalty! Dinner was delicious, and we passed the evening relaxing in the hammocks and watching the sun set.

For Sunday, it turns out Diane knew we were trying to get to the Falls and at the same time a local group from Bartica was also wanting to go to the Falls (they had been planning a trip for 20 years and decided THIS weekend was the weekend to go) so she asked them to take the boat over to Baganara Sunday morning so we could all go together from Baganara. It worked out great! The plane came from Georgetown to pick us all up at Baganara, took us to the falls for a guided tour (AMAZING) and then took us back to Baganara for the rest of the afternoon where we did more hammock lounging, swimming, and chatting with our new East Indian plane mates (the folks from Bartica). I was sad to say goodbye to Baganara this evening.

Key takeaways:
1. Very difficult to get Kaiteur falls trip arranged before you get here. Be flexible and willing to change the day you plan to go to ensure you get to see the Falls WHICH YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS.
2. The people of Guyana are hands down the friendliest people we have ever met anywhere in any country. Every person we met was generous and sincere and very willing to reach out and make a new connection. We found the East Indian folks to be the most generous (always wanting to share their food and hospitality and wanting to take pictures together).
3. Guyana has a trash problem. Depending on who you talk to, the causes are numerous, but solutions are slow in coming. People just throw their trash wherever they feel and the cities are negligent at regular trash collection, which only compounds the problem. This, in our mind, is probably the main deterrent to a strong tourism industry.
4. The mosquito problem is way overrated - at least in Georgetown and along the Essequibo river. I am normally eaten alive by mosquitos and i didn't get bitten once here in GEO proper or at Baganara or the falls. i did have deet 30% product on me, and did make sure to take precautions (long sleeves, yellow fever vaccine, anti-malaria pills, etc) but really, we never even saw any mosquitos and none of the areas we were at required nets. For the previous person who stayed at Herdmanston- really i'm not sure what the story is but we stayed in 3 different rooms here and there were no nets needed nor offered. We did hear that if you are going deep into Guyana's interior-especially in the southern region- that mosquitos ARE a problem there.
5. NEVER SIT IN THE FRONT OF A SPEEDBOAT.
6. Most everyplace accepts US or GUY dollars.
7. Many (most) places take credit card (Mc/V) and without slapping on a surcharge.

I spent four days in GEO in September, traveling on my own. All great advice above. I had some real misgivings the first day. Georgetown is a once-beautiful city now pretty run down, dirty, and --- as mentioned above --- filled with litter. It is a graphic example of the negative effect of plastic in our world.

However, as I explored the city on foot the place grew on me. It feels like the setting of a Paul Theroux or Somerset Maugham novel.

I also stayed at the Herdmanston Lodge and was really pleased with it. Really helpful staff, beautiful and secure grounds, good food, especially the curries. I also liked New Thriving Chinese and the Oasis Cafe. The latter is not open for dinner but is a great spot for coffee and/or lunch, with good food and a mixture of expats and locals. It's an easy spot to strike up a conversation.

The National Museum has a lot of rather ratty looking stuffed wildlife and, in the far corners of the museum, a wonderful (and air conditioned!) display of old maps of Guyana. I also liked Promenade Gardens, which were cleaner and prettier than the Botanical Gardens.

I had made no prior arrangements for the trip to Kaieteur Falls and didn't make up my mind until Saturday morning to try for a Sunday tour (the safety statistics of small planes unnerve me). The hotel was really helpful about this, checking around until they found a tour that was going there and to another falls. I then went to the travel agency (Wonderland Tours) and paid for the tour. In the course of conversation I mentioned that I was going to walk around the Botanical Gardens. An hour later, as I was leaving the gardens, a guy from the travel agency pulled up beside me. He had driven around and tracked me down to tell me the tour I had signed up for had been cancelled but there was a different one I could join!

The tour I ended up on was to Kaieteur Falls with a late lunch at Baganara, the small island resort that FlirtatiousFlyer describes above. That whole day was thrilling, the high point of my visit. The flight over immense jungle wilderness, the walk and views of the falls, and the idyllic island stop were memorable. I even discovered that the guide for the trip was a birder, as am I. He walked around Baganara with me, each of us with binoculars, spotting and identifying birds. The other tour members on the 12-passenger plane were another bonus of the trip. They were mostly Guyanese Americans, returning to Guyana for a visit; I ended up having dinner with a few of them in Georgetown that evening.

There are a lot of safety warnings about Georgetown. I heeded the advice about not walking around at night. Otherwise I never felt unsafe exploring the city as a 70 year old woman traveling alone. As FlirtatiousFlyer says, people were friendly, warm, and helpful.

Go with a flexible attitude and a sense of adventure and you will have a great time! I'd like to return, see more of the interior, and then visit Suriname.

Thanks for all the great tips CarmenOM, FlirtatiousFlyer & Goofy Foot! This has helped a ton in planning.

Definitely reviving a dead thread here but wanted to report back on our first Mileage Run and first trip to Guyana.

We wrote a series of blog posts about our trip if anyone is interested, the index can be found here: http://www.weekendblitz.com/series/guyana/

I'm thinking it should be pretty helpful if you're planning a trip to Guyana.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice posted here, it was truly an amazing trip!

-Jeffrey

Hats off to you for the report! My gf and I went to Guyana last November and had a great time. If there is one problem with visiting Guyana though, it is the absolute lack of information about visiting. This country gets very few tourists but has a lot to offer.

Definitely reviving a dead thread here but wanted to report back on our first Mileage Run and first trip to Guyana.

We wrote a series of blog posts about our trip if anyone is interested, the index can be found here: http://www.weekendblitz.com/series/guyana/

I'm thinking it should be pretty helpful if you're planning a trip to Guyana.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice posted here, it was truly an amazing trip!

-Jeffrey