Canoe the Kanuku
Last Eden
The Experience
Remoteness ● ● ● Comfort ● ◌ ◌ Physical challenge ● ● ●
Ride and canoe through pristine rainforest
Experience the best of the wilderness of Guyana in this adventurous journey from the plains of the savannah to the wild meandering rivers of the Kanuku Mountains: a 600,000ha protected zone home to 70% of Guyana’s mammals and 50% of its bird life. Before entering the jungle, spend time at a traditional family-owned ranch at the frontiers of the wild. Learn to ride, crack a whip and learn about ranch life in this immersive experience.
Our most adventurous journey yet.
Immerse yourself in the two most important ecosystems of Guyana: the savannah and the jungle.
Learn to ride and work alongside cowboys at a working ranch before departing on a 4-day canoeing expedition through the remote Kanuku Mountains. Drift and paddle downstream, feel connected to nature like never before, spot rare species, fish for meals and camp in new locations every night.
Arrive at our exclusive and remote wilderness camp where you’ll enjoy the relative comforts in this stunning location surrounded by mora mora forest and be guided by an indigenous group who have cared for the forest for centuries.
This is an opportunity to immerse yourself in one of the world’s largest pristine rainforests. Supported by our expert local guides, you will have the chance to see all the rainforest has to offer including an enormous array of species, including monkeys, giant river otters, tapir, caiman, giant anteaters and a plethora of endemic bird life.
For those who want to focus on the plethora of wildlife the rainforest has to offer, but don’t want to canoe, take a look at our Last Eden - Rainforest Giants expedition. These focus more purely on wildlife encounters and you’ll spend more time at our exclusive rainforest camp deep in the mountains.
Itinerary
Round up cattle with Guyanese cowboys before paddling deep into the Kanuku Mountains
Day 01
Arrivals
Arrive in Georgetown and settle into your hotel. Explore the city right on your doorstep or relax ahead of your adventure. We’ll meet as a team for dinner and discuss the expedition ahead of us. Airport transfers to your hotel will be provided and you will be able to check into your room from around 2pm.
Day 02
Star gazing over the savannah
In the morning we’ll take a flight deep into the jungle's interior to Lethem where you’ll get your first taste of the true vastness of the jungles of Guyana. We’ll be transferred to the southern Rupununi by road where you’ll settle into a traditional family owned cattle ranch. Here you’ll get a taste of Amerindian culture in this frontier community nestled deep in the vast savannah ecosystem.
Once you’ve settled in, we’ll spend the evening star gazing with a local expert and learn about the ancient and unique landscape surrounding us. We’ll have dinner on the family verandah and learn first hand what it’s like to be a cowboy in this wild place.
Day 03
Becoming a cowboy
Spend the day out in the savannah bush tracking wildlife such as giant anteaters with expert guides. Highly specialised and with some of the most unique adaptations in the world, these creatures search the vast savannah plains searching exclusively for ants. Their poor eyesight means we’re able to get up close without disturbing their natural behaviour.
Your local guides will teach you all they know about traditional tools, medicine, food and bush craft. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet tame capybaras as part of a local re-wilding initiative before jumping on horseback to help our hosts round up their cattle in the late afternoon. You’ll be taught all you need to know to be a cowboy, including how to crack a bullwhip and lassoing basics.
After a day out in the savannah, you’ll retire to the comforts of your private cabin where you’ll enjoy sundowners and dinner together once again.
Days 04 - 07
Journey through the Kanuku
Today you’ll embark on a 4-day canoeing expedition through the centre of the Kanuku Mountains, one of the most ecologically diverse spots on the planet with over 600,000ha of protected wilderness. Holding over 50% of Guyana’s bird life and 70% of its mammals, it is a true Eden for wildlife and you’ll be journeying through some of its remotest reaches.
On your journey you’ll move between unique camp site locations selected for their beauty and biodiversity. At each location you’ll have the opportunity to venture deeper into the surrounding jungle by foot, swim in pristine rivers and plunge pools, and fish for food. There are no vehicles here, just you and the pristine jungle environment around us.
During all of this exploration you'll learn from your passionate local guides who will expertly locate once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. Having grown up in these forests and on it’s rivers, they will teach you everything you could want to know, from medicinal plants to survival techniques to line fishing for dinner. This is truly a back to the wild expedition.
No experience of canoeing or camping in the jungle is required and you’ll learn everything you need from your expert local guides. Though a mindset for adventure and exploration is a must.
Day 08
Reaching Eden
Today we’ll arrive at our exclusive jungle camp nestled deep in the Kanuku mountains. Hidden in a stunning mora mora forest overlooking a beautiful waterfall, you’ll be very well catered for by our fully trained team of Katoka guides and hospitality staff as you sleep in hammocks under traditional hut structures and have access to some of the best wild swimming in the world.
There is no vehicle access here so we will travel predominantly by motor-powered canoes. They are comfortably fitted with seating so we can silently drift down the regions beautiful rivers
The camp has all the basic comforts required, including a private shower, private changing space, 2 dry toilets and a communal area next to an idyllic jungle stream.
Days 09 – 11
Learning to live in the jungle
You'll spend two full days in our jungle camp experiencing all the jungle has to offer.
Each day we'll drift down local river networks and witness an array of wildlife. Guests typically see several new species every day, with some guests lucky enough to see some of the rarest in the world: tapir, wild capybara, giant river otters and occasionally jaguars and ocelots.
Our camp currently has a resident breeding pair of Harpy Eagles, one of the biggest and most impressive eagles in the world. As of 2026 they are breeding once again which means your chance of having excellent encounters with this species is now very high.
Alongside the plethora of wildlife we’ll encounter, you will also have the opportunity to explore the jungle on foot by day and by night. Hikes of varying lengths and challenge are plentiful. Trek to peaks of surrounding mountains for spectacular views, delve into caves home to whip-scorpions or join a night walk to reveal another layer of the rainforest’s secrets.
Swim in pristine waters, experience incredible wildlife encounters, hike to mountain tops, learn survival techniques, fish for you dinner, relax around the campfire with regional rum: it’s all possible here in our exclusive jungle camp.
Day 12
Returning to the savannah
It’s time to depart the jungle and return to the savannah. You will leave having seen an extraordinary part of the world with a feeling of deep connection and understanding of the rainforests best kept secrets.
On arriving in Yupukuri, enjoy sun downers, reconnect with friends and family by wifi, and enjoy the relative luxuries of the lodge as we prepare for our return to Georgetown and onward travel.
Day 13
Farewells
After a trip to remember, you’ll be transferred back to Lethem by 4x4 in the morning and return to Georgetown via a commercial flight. Dinner and overnight in a hotel is provided, with most guests returning home the following day.
Dates & Pricing
Enjoy a small group experience of no more than 8 guests
£6,450 per person
20 September -2 October 2026
Payment in other currencies available at checkout.
If you would prefer to adjust the payment plan option please be in touch - we can amend this to suit you.
Please note our payment platform charges a service fee of 1.5% for paying by card. To avoid this charge select payment by ‘Bank Account’.
The price excludes flights, travel insurance, personal expenses, tips for staff and any costs outside the expedition dates.
Minimum number of guests: 4, max 8.
FAQS
If you have any further questions, please contact us
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This truly is a wildlife haven like nowhere else on the planet. Previous trips have seen jaguar, ocelots, giant river otters, tapirs swim by within meters of our boat, as well as a huge diversity of bird life.
Specific specie sightings are never guaranteed, but you'll see a whole host of jungle wildlife here. Everyday our eco-guides will show you everything the jungle has to offer, either by boat or hikes into the jungle. Our expert guides will identify wildlife from harpy eagles to mammals and the smallest insects as we explore.
You can see our previous wildlife trip reports from our Rainforest Giant departures here for more detail on previous sightings.
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You will be in a comfortable hotel in Georgetown’s on arrival with all the expected amenities. In the savannah we will stay in a private cabin at a local ranch, again will all the expected amenities of private shower rooms and delicious meals in a communal space.
During our expedition by canoe, you’ll be sleeping in hammocks and moving between camping locations each day. You will be well cared for by our expert team of guides, but expect a back to basics experience.
When we reach our remote jungle camp you’ll have access to private showers, toilets and changing spaces. Many choose instead to bathe in our nearby plunge pool every evening to cool off – it’s a wonderful way of getting close to the nature surrounding us.
You will be sleeping in hammocks for the duration of the jungle component of the expedition. These are housed under a boxed mosquito net and are very comfortable to sleep in.
Temperatures are generally high in the day, cooling off at night and many guests will need to wear a light jumper in the evening. Traditionally we wouldn’t expect rain during the dry season months when our expeditions depart, but this is increasingly not the case with climate change. This means you should expect some rainfall during your expedition with us.
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You can take a look at the full expedition kit list here.
We’re always happy to provide further advice and recommendations.
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Our cooks are very well trained and cook delicious food every day, whether it's caught from the river or foraged - every day is different and fresh. Expect tasty BBQ fish, stews of beef and chicken, local veggies, juice, beer, and regional rum.
If you have dietary preferences these can be catered for, just talk to us. Please note vegans can be catered for, but you will generally have a lack of variety both in our jungle camps and Georgetown.
Nonetheless, whatever your preferences, you’ll be well fed!
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Many of our guests travel with us solo and often find they meet wonderful like-minded people on our trips.
More often than not you will have your own room, but this may change depending on the makeup of our group. For example, if we have 8 individuals, it is likely some will need to share twin rooms at our ranch. However, everyone will get an individual hammock and 'bed space' in our jungle camp.
There is no single-person supplement for this trip and we ask that solo-travellers remain flexible in case sharing is required.
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We have included some guidance on what photography equipment you might want to bring on our kit list. You can find that here.
You're free to bring a drone on our expedition, however, we do have strict controls on flying drones near wildlife.
We do not permit guests to fly drones near wildlife, including both predators and prey. You are free to fly drones for landscape photography purposes but note take off must be approved by the Expedition Leader.
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You should arrive in Georgetown on Day 01. You are free to arrive anytime and an airport transfer will be arranged for you. You will be able to check into your hotel by around 2pm. Early check-ins and additional nights will be at the expense of the guest and arranged directly with the hotel.
You can depart any time after 11pm on the last day of the expedition (Day 13). However, a single night in a hotel is provided for you in Georgetown, so most people will fly the following morning in case of delays. An airport transfer will be provided for you to the airport.
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You are required to have travel insurance covering you for the duration of the expedition and for all the activities you will be undertaking. This includes trekking/hiking, as well as helicopter medical evacuation.
You will be asked to provide your insurance information closer to departure.
We strongly recommend that you take out cancellation and curtailment insurance as part of your cover as soon as you have booked one of our expeditions to protect against cancellations.
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Tips for local staff are completely at your discretion. All our staff are paid fairly for their work. Tips are welcomed in Guyanese Dollar and USD.
Giving tips at the end of your trip is a wonderful way of showing your gratitude for their hard work. If you plan to give tips, we can provide guidance on this, just get in touch.
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You don't need to be super fit to join our expeditions.
You will need to be robust and adventurous enough to sleep in hammocks, move camp site every day for sections of the expedition, as well as be comfortable getting in and out of a low-lying boat. There will be optional hikes of varying lengths and challenge throughout the trip, but you should be able to walk short distances of around 2km unaided even if you choose to skip these optional hikes.
Due to the trip's remoteness, you will need to be free of any medical concerns that require regular medical attention.
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You will be offline for the majority of the trip.
You will have wifi in your hotel in Georgetown, but it may be slow. During our river expedition and at our main jungle base camp there is no wifi or mobile signal.
We will hold a method of emergency communication for the duration of the expedition. This is strictly for emergency use only.
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Guyana offers free visas for most passports. However, you must check the requirements yourself before departure.
Please ensure you also check vaccination information carefully before departure as these can be subject to change.
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We advise all our guests to contact your local GP or travel health centre as vaccine requirements and malarial risk can vary over time.
On average about 50% of our guests choose to take antimalarials for the duration of the trip. As we are not healthcare professionals, we cannot give detailed advice.