Kaieteur Falls, Guyana

For several weeks before this trip, I’d been struggling to book a trip to Kaieteur Falls, Guyana.  I wasn’t completely thrilled with the communication I was getting from the agencies I was in touch with, and I also had American Express Concierge and my hotel in Guyana working on it.  In the end, Wonderland Tours informed me they had a tour on the Sunday I got in leaving at 9am (remember I landed at 1:30am, in the hotel and bed just before 3) so this looked to be the best option.

On top of it, it was a tour to not just Kaieteur Falls, but to Orinduik Falls as well.  Sounded like a great deal.  This post is going to be mostly pictures, but just wanted to share a few details for people considering a similar trip.  In the end, Wonderland came to my hotel just before the tour started to get me to sign the credit card receipt.  They’d charged my card a week before, so they obviously just wanted a signature.  When I got picked up at the hotel, it was by one of the other tour companies I’d been looking at – Evergreen Adventures.  It seems they bundle people to get a trip together, so you might consider the lowest-price option.  That said, service and booking from Wonderland was great, so take that for what it’s worth.

I’d read online that Wonderland’s trips depart from Cheddi Jagan International Airport – the international airport 30+ minutes out of town that I’d arrived at the night before and that they used Roraima Airlines.  Well, Evergreen picked me up at my hotel, we only drove 10 minutes to Ogle Airport (near town) and flew with Trans Guyana Airways.  So again, I think with any company you’re taking some chances since they bundle.  That said, every aspect of my trip went perfectly.

Now, onto the trip!  Check-in at Ogle was painless, a quick run through the metal detector, and we were waiting in the tiny departure lounge.  Soon, it was time to board our Cessna Grand Caravan.

Georgetown, Guyana, Ogle Airport (OGL) to Kaieteur Falls, Guyana (KAI)
Departure 10:30, Arrival 11:15, Flight Time approximately 45 minutes
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, Registration 8R-GAB
Seat “1A” Directly behind the pilot

Flight was actually quite smooth! A few pictures right after takeoff:

Another few pictures as we approached Kaieteur Falls:

Landing in Kaieteur Falls, a video:

A few shots upon disembarking in Kaieteur Falls:

Views of Kaieteur Falls from the distant viewpoint:

Few more shots of Kaieteur Falls from up close:

Soon it was time to have lunch back at the Kaieteur Falls Lodge. The tour company had packed a feast, and there was chicken, fish, curries, dal, rice, juice, and lots more. It was a fantastic lunch considering we had to haul it (ice packs and all) from Georgetown with us. Took about a 30-40 minute break to eat, then it was back on the plane for the flight to Orinduik Falls!