The Guianas - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 649

Shanta's 225 New Market St. Besides curries, this great
corner joint serves excellent dhal puri with a range of tasty
fillings, meat and vegetable stews, samosas and more.
Meals around G$1200. Daily 11am-10pm.

Ì TREAT YOURSELF
Maharaja Palace 207 Sheriff St T 225
5301. This three-storey restaurant, aglow
with neon, does Chinese food and sushi
too, but it's the Indian dishes that steal the
show. You can't go wrong with the likes of
fragrant, beautifully flavoured tandoori
specials or the curries (mains from G$2500
but big enough for two).

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
The bars and clubs are mostly concentrated along Sheriff
and Main streets. The real action in the clubs starts around
midnight on weekends.
Buddy's Niteclub 137 Sheriff St T 231 7260. A multi-
storey hotspot attracting a young crowd with “Shooter
Fridays”: a melange of hip-hop, r'n'b, chutney (the music
style, not the condiment) and reggae. Bring your confi-
dence. Free entry before 10.30pm. Thurs-Sat.
The Loft Nightclub 110 Third St. Spacious venue offering
a mix of dance, soca and reggae. The bar is well stocked and
tasty snacks are on the menu. Wed-Sat.
Ì Night Cap 8 Pere St, Kitty T 231 8644. An enchanting
garden bedecked with Christmas lights, nestling inside the
walls of the Russian embassy. Swing in a hammock, lounge
on the patio, or sit in the wi-fi-enabled a/c cool of the café.
Order peanut butter frappes and espresso margaritas, accom-
panied by inventive wraps and sandwiches. Daily 5-11pm.

Ì Brazil Churrascaria 208 Alexander St, Lacytown
T 231 1268. Meat is what these guys do best, so the
carnivorously inclined will enjoy skewers of expertly
seasoned grilled meats, steak and more. Mains G$1000.
Daily noon-10pm.
Coalpot 125 Carmichael St T 225 8556. Here you can
enjoy metagee , pepperpot and Creole dishes such as red
snapper steamed in banana leaf - with a great view of the
cathedral to complement your meal. Mains from G$800.
Daily 11am-3pm & 6-11pm.
German's 8 New Market, at Mundy St T 227 0079. Busy
lunchtime restaurant famed for its legendary cow-heel
soup (G$1000) and Creole dishes. Located in a sketchy part
of town, so take a taxi. Daily 11.30am-3pm & 6-11pm.
Maggie's Snackette 224 New Market St. Busy eatery with
delicious cakes, pastries, black pudding and souse (G$200-
400) plus lunch specials (G$1100). Around 10am-10pm.
Oasis Café 125 Carmichael St T 226 9916, W oasiscafegy
.com. Georgetown's answer to Starbucks, only much nicer,
this is an air-conditioned, erm, oasis where expats and
locals alike linger over the iced caramel lattes (G$650),
salads and inventive lunchtime mains (from G$2000). Free
wi-fi. Mon-Sat 9am-5pm (also open for dinner on Fri).

7

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange Bank of Nova Scotia, at 104
Carmichael St, also Robb St at Av of the Republic. There are
also ATMs at Pegasus Hotel, Seawall Rd and Courtyard Mall,
Robb St. Ask about the cambio nearest to your lodgings.
Embassies and Consulates Brazil, 308 Church St
( T 225 7970); Canada, High at Young St ( T 227 2081);
Suriname, 171 Peter Rose St at Crown St ( T 226 7844); UK,
44 Main St ( T 226 5881); US, Young St at Duke St ( T 226
3938); Venezuela, 296 Thomas St ( T 226 1543).

KAIETEUR FALLS
Almost five times the height of Niagara Falls and twice the height of Victoria Falls, 226m Kaieteur
Falls are in a cavernous gorge surrounded by the dense rainforest of the Kaieteur National
Park . Their isolation and pristine surroundings make them one of the world's most appealing
waterfalls and Guyana's biggest natural attraction: seeing them from above is heart-stopping.
Operators (see p.654) offer flights to Kaieteur Falls in twelve-seater planes, combined with
visits to the smaller Orinduik or Marshall Falls. A day-trip usually involves a brief guided tour of
the three viewpoints from which you can admire the sight of 30,000 gallons of water crashing
down into the valley below (with the more intrepid visitors crawling to the cliff edge to watch
the rainbows play on the water spray). Your guide will point out interesting animal life, such as
the tiny golden frogs, the toxins from which are used in Haitian voodoo ceremonies.
Alternatively you can take a five-day/four-night overland journey involving a 4WD drive, boat
trip and a fairly strenuous hike, with rustic accommodation thrown in along the way. If you
want to visit independently, the only overnight accommodation is a rustic lodge near the
falls (G$4000/person), booked through Air Services Ltd ( W aslgy.com). You will be rewarded
with views of the falls at dusk and dawn without the crowds. Air Services Ltd, together with
Roraima Airways ( W roraimaairways.com), are responsible for flights to the falls. Day-trips from
Georgetown (including flight from Ogle, park entrance fees and lunch) start from US$195;
it's easiest to arrange a trip on a weekend when there are plenty of people to fill up flights.