Guyana
 Guyana | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Language: | English, recognised regional languages: Guyanese Creole, Akawaio, Macushi, Wai-Wai, Arawak, Cariban |
| Capital: | Georgetown |
| Population: | 858,863 |
| Currency: | Guyanese dollar (GYD) |
| Hitchability: | <rating country='gy' /> |
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| <map lat='4.8' lng='-59' zoom='5' view='0' float='right'/> | |
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Guyana is an English speaking country in South America. Hitching in Guyana is very easy, it is a country where few people own cars, and a lot get around by bus or by hiking. The road system is poorly developed so if you travel any distance, especially away from the coast, you will probably get to see it's remarkable dirt tracks. A lot of buses (small, Volkswagen combi-size buses) travel all around the country, and they are used to stopping anywhere for anyone if they drive past. So this means that is you are on the side of the road somewhere all the buses are bound to stop and try to convince you to come on board (note how fast prices drop if you keep saying no, and to get them to understand you really have to say no a few times!) and it also means that if you are having problems hiking from where you are, a bus will probably be along soon to take you a bit farther down to a better spot (and they are pretty cheep).
The country didn't have excellent diplomatic relations with Venezuela in the past and as the main point of discord was a large amount of territory ceded to Guyana and later disputed by Venezuela - no road exists between the two countries. To go from one country to the other by road you have to make a 340km journey through Brazil via Boa Vista. This might mean that you need to get a visa for Brazil. Guyanese/Brazilian border - Guyanaese town is Lethem (pronounced Latham) / Brazilian town is Bonfim. Brazilian/Venezuelan border - Brazilian town is Pacaraima / Venezuelan town is ?
Google / Openstreetmaps both show the roads
Cities
Georgetown (capital)
hitchhikernick- I visited in June 2024. Tried hitching from airport (OGL) but during ride the driver informed me he was a taxi and wanted 30usd, i said i had no money and he said there is no hitching in Guyana, you will get robbed and assaulted. he then let me out of the car when i told him i literally had no money on me. i walked from the conference centre to town via the main highway then the seawall. to head to Suriname, I got a bus from Stabroek market to Mahaica for 300GYD, then started hitching from there. i got all the way to the border in 4 lifts over 2 chilled days (easily 1 day if i started in the morning). be wary of mosquitos if you venture off road to camp like i did, mosquito repellent highly recommended. i camped near OGL airport, in fields outside Vreed en Hoop, opposite National Park in Georgetown behind some bushes, Port Mourant near the river 200 meters from the road on the coast side, Springlands opposite side from coast in bushes and in Molsen creek just south of the ferry terminal. Never felt nervous/threatened, but did get warnings from locals when in Port Mourant trying to hitch at night.
Got given some curry, a Guinness and some cash. asked a few places if i could pitch tent but they said no (security guards everywhere) so that is why i went to the bushes. if you need tent go to Chinese shop in Vreed en Hoop (opposite KFC) and get one for 25usd, worth it for the mosquitoes and rain showers. Average waiting time 30mins.
in august 2024 for 10 days, i hitched from lethem to Mabura, after waiting 7 hours from 4am, after a night camping in the security checkpoint outpost. then i waited another 7 hours trying to get to Mahdia and started walking to the river crossing (25km away) where i camped and got a lift with tanker next morning. then i started walking to pamela landing from Mahdia, where i was picked up by first car, and the passenger was getting picked up by boat to Amatuk and gave me a free boat ride. then i got super lucky and managed to bump into two guys in Amatuk, going up to tukeit and hitched a ride with them, where afterwards i hiked to kaieteur falls. i could not get a flight from here, but managed to hitch another boat, the next day, to Chenapowu village, where i successfully hitched a free cargo flight to Mahdia. from there a couple of easy rides on quadbikes to river crossing where i camped, then next morning on back of landcruiser to Mabura, followed by 5 hour wait for a truck to take me to Lethem (the china town of guyana). i got food, drink and money offered to me on this trip. what i thought would easily cost me over 100usd (to see Kaieteur Falls), ended up costing 30usd 😁
