The Guianas - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 653

home-cooked food in the savannah (meals are included).
The place is a constant hub of activity, with knowledgeable
Fernando to talk to and a lively learning centre for the
local chi ldren n ext door (bo ok don ations very welcome).
Doubles US $85 , hammocks US $30

By minibus Various minibus companies from George-
town arrive and depart from different places around
town. Guy Braz is probably the most convenient one, as its
o ce is the most central (10min walk from the airstrip).
Buses for Georgetown leave between 5pm and 7pm and
reach their destination at around noon-2pm. The journey
takes around 18hr because, aside from the paved stretch
between Georgetown and Linden, the rest of the “high-
way” is unpaved and rutted, and since the car ferry at
Kurupukari runs only between 6am and 6pm, the mini-
buses break their journey near the ferry dock. Most
passengers end up sleeping in the cramped bus.
Tourist information Your one essential contact in
Lethem is Shirley Melville, usually found either in the craft
shop next to the airstrip or in the grocery store next door.
She produces maps of Lethem and has started her own
tour company, so she'll either be able to personally assist
you in your onward travels, or will at least point you in the
right direction.

LETHEM AND AROUND
With its wide dirt streets, unhurried pace of
life and an everybody-knows-everybody-else
feel, LETHEM is a great little place to linger
en route to Brazil or Venezuela and a good
base from which to launch your exploration
of the southern Rupununi Savannah . Moco
Moco and Kumu Falls (30min drive each)
are both great for swimming and it's
possible to arrange horseriding near the
Kumu Mountains at the village of Shulinab
(1hr 30min drive). There's easy access to the
village of Nappi , 30km away - a great place
for wildlife watching - and you can live out
your cowboy fantasy at the remote
Dadanawa Ranch.
Lethem really comes alive during Easter
weekend, when cowboys from all around
(including the Brazilian vaqueros ) gather
in town for bull-riding, calf-roping and
stallion-taming competitions (book
accommodation weeks in advance).

7

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Betty's Snackette & Creole Corner The lovely Betty
cooks up a roti storm at her little cook shop on the corner.
Portions are generous, the curries are great and there are
fruit juices, snack and pastries if you're not looking for
a full-on meal (meals G$600-800). Sun-Fri.
Dadanawa Ranch T 0044 7961 521 951 (UK number),
W rupununitrails.com. Situated against the dramatic
backdrop of the Kanuku Mountains, this is the largest
and most isolated ranch in Guyana, a 3hr drive southeast
of Lethem. You're treated like family by Sandy, Duane
and their team of workers and guides, and the ranch is
a good base to help cowboys work the cattle, as well
as for trekking, horseriding, nature w alks, bird watching,
swimming and fishing. Meals included. US $120
Maipaima Eco-Lodge W wildrupununi.com. Surrounded
by pristine rainforest and located at the foot of the Kanuku
Mountains, 10km south of Nappi village, this lovely spot
consists of traditional wood-and-thatch buildings on stilts
and a central benab for dining. There's limited electricity
and the rustic setting is perfect for wildlife-watching:

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Four airlines fly between Lethem and
Georgetown (up to 4 departures daily; 2hr), and all four
o ces are located next to the airstrip. TGA and Roraima
airlines will stop at Annai and Karanambu on request.
Ticket prices (one-way) vary between US$98 and US$125.
Confirm departure time the day before and check in two
hours before the flight. Flying is sometimes the only
mode of travel between Georgetown and Lethem during
the rainy season, when sections of the main “highway”
become impassable for days.

CROSSING INTO BRAZIL
To get from Lethem to the Brazilian town of Bonfim, cross the Takutu River Bridge about 1.5km
north of Lethem either on foot or by taxi. Pick-ups from the airstrip to the crossing cost around
G$1200. Guyanese immigration formalities should be completed either at the airstrip
when there are flights, or at the Lethem immigration o ce. Get your passport stamped on the
Brazilian side of the border before you make your way to Bonfim, from where there are buses
to Boa Vista, some 150km away, with connections to Manaus (Brazil) and Caracas (Venezuela).
There is a GBTI bank in Lethem (Lot 121; Mon-Fri 8am-1pm), which offers foreign exchange.
Moneychangers on the Lethem side of the river will also change Guyanese dollars for
Brazilian reais and vice versa. Make sure that you have enough reais to get you to Bonfim,
if not Boa Vista.