Lethem

Lethem sits on the Takutu river facing the Brazilian town of Bonfim, and a bridge links them, which makes it the main land crossing between the two countries and gives the town a mixed character with Portuguese as common as English in the shops. It is the administrative centre for the Rupununi and the base for everything in the savannah. The Rupununi Rodeo at Easter, run by the ranching families of the region, is the biggest annual event in the interior.

What you'll find

• The Easter rodeo - the Rupununi Rodeo, the interior's largest annual gathering.
• The border bridge - the Takutu crossing linking Guyana and Brazil.
• The savannah - open Rupununi grassland running north and east.
• The mixed town - Brazilian and Guyanese trade and languages side by side.

When to go

September to April is the dry season, when the overland road is passable and the savannah is dry. Easter is rodeo week and accommodation fills months ahead. The wet season from May to August floods large areas.

Before you go

The overland road from Georgetown takes fifteen hours or more and is genuinely rough; most visitors fly. Accommodation is limited and expensive at rodeo time. There is little to see in the town itself outside the event.

Nearby

Kumu and Moco Moco falls are east, in the foothills of the Kanuku mountains.

Key facts