Guyana: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Guyana feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 48 written places.
Caribbean in temperament rather than South American; a good long chat is a pastime, not a delay.
✓ Considered polite
- Say good morning or good afternoon before asking anything at all
- Settle in for a gyaff - the long unhurried chat is how friendships start
- Dress smartly if invited to church; Sundays are taken seriously
- Tip around 10% in restaurants unless a service charge is already on the bill
✗ Better avoided
- Refuse food or drink at someone's home without a warm excuse
- Rush a conversation or cut off a story mid-flow
- Arrive empty-handed when invited to a home - a small contribution is welcome
- Wear beachwear in town - Georgetown dresses properly
Worth knowing
- The Guyanese dollar is the currency, with US dollars accepted for larger bills in Georgetown
- Outside the capital most businesses are cash-only
- Rum shops double as village social hubs and Banks is the national beer
- The Georgetown seawall fills with families, food carts and music on Sunday evenings
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.