The Rupununi Savannah

The Rupununi, a vast and remote region of savannah spreading across Guyana's southwest toward the Brazilian border, is one of South America's great wildlife frontiers, a sweeping mosaic of golden grasslands, wetlands, gallery forests and rivers. Sparsely populated by Amerindian communities and cattle ranches, it teems with extraordinary wildlife: giant anteaters and giant river otters, black caiman, capybara, jaguars, and the arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fish on earth. Staying at community-run eco-lodges and working ranches, visitors explore this wild, uncrowded frontier by boat, horse and foot in search of its remarkable creatures.

What you actually see

• The giant anteaters - the iconic anteaters of the savannah.
• The giant river otters - the otters of the rivers and lakes.
• The arapaima - the giant freshwater fish of the wetlands.
• The ranches and villages - the Amerindian communities and cattle ranches.

When to go

September to April, the drier season, is best for wildlife viewing and travel, when animals concentrate and the tracks are passable; the wet season floods the savannah, transforming the landscape but hampering access. The region is reached by a rough overland journey or by light aircraft, and explored from remote lodges.

Honest expectations

The Rupununi is genuinely remote and undeveloped, reached by rough roads or small planes and explored from simple community-run lodges and ranches, so it is a wild frontier adventure rather than a comfortable safari, and wildlife takes patience and local guides to find. For the reward of a vast, uncrowded wilderness of extraordinary creatures and warm Amerindian hospitality, though, far from any tourist trail, it is unforgettable.

Nearby

The Iwokrama rainforest to the north and the town of Lethem are the gateways.