Culture & Heritage

If there is one thing that stands out about Guyanese, it is that we love coming together and enjoying celebrations. Many festivals and events showcase the country’s colourful ethnic diversity.  These events come alive through road parades and processions, street jams and parties. So, mark your calendars and plan your trip around one of these exciting events. You will not be disappointed. 

In a world where travel is becoming more mainstream and many destinations have lost the authenticity that attracted travellers in the first place, Guyana stands out. This, along with the fact that the country remains largely undeveloped, means that you will discover pristine ecosystems with amazing wildlife and birding experiences. This didn’t happen by accident. Nine Indigenous Peoples call Guyana home. They’ve been stewards of the country’s megadiversity for millennia.  

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Guyana Indigenous Peoples are known for their warm hospitality. They are proud to share their traditions and knowledge with guests of their community-led and owned ecolodges. Doing so helps them preserve their heritage and way of life while providing economic benefits to the  host community as a whole. Your experience will be fulfilling, transformational and have positive benefits that directly impact the lives of the people you visit. 

Abundantly fertile and blessed with year-round tropical weather, Guyana is rich in local foods and known for its exotic fruits, fresh vegetables and grains, free-range chicken and beef, and diversity of fish species. 

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Guyana is a melting pot of culture, and you can truly see that in the local cuisine. Traditional Guyanese cuisine is inspired by the Indigenous Peoples, who have always lived off of the abundance of the land. Other influences stem from East Indians, Africans, and Chinese, colonial occupiers like the British and Dutch, and the neighbouring Caribbean nations. 

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The heritage of Guyana is a combination of great local architecture, colonial remnants, history, modern political movements, and the living culture of its diverse population. The net result is that the built heritage of Guyana is a riveting hook for travellers. The wooden churches with stained glass features, museums with Demerara windows, Dutch sluice and canal engineering in Georgetown and a number of other historical structures in the country offer a window into the country’s past and present.

The National Trust of Guyana is the leading organisation responsible for the preservation and restoration of the colonial buildings and historical sites found throughout Guyana. 

Looking for a great local handicraft souvenir from Guyana? Head straight to Hibiscus Plaza, the street market in the heart of the city. Cosy shops packed with hand-made leather, cane, balata and cloth goods are great for those on a bargain hunt. Curios, bags, containers, jewellery and even the typical South American cloth hammocks are some of the best souvenirs from Guyana.