The Guianas Travel info.
Deep, malarial jungles protected the region from getting too much European interest early on – most of the first settlers died of tropical diseases. Today, this gives these countries a trump card they have yet to fully exploit: some of the purest tropical rainforests on the planet, ideal for the most adventurous sort of ecotourism. Lack of tourist infrastructure makes traveling in any of the Guianas challenging and expensive yet incredibly rewarding. French Guiana, which is technically France, is the most tidy and organized of the three countries, with a colorful and spicy capital (Cayenne) and some unique attractions such as the old penal settlement of Îles du Salut. The potholes increase as you travel west through kaleidoscopic Suriname and its vibrant colonial capital Paramaribo; by the time you reach Guyana you’ll have lost track of the last time you had a hot shower. But if you survive the Conradian wilds of the Coastal Plain and the Interior, rest assured that you’re in for a rip-roaring time in fun-loving Georgetown!