A friendly mining town south of Georgetown, Bartica is the base for exploring surrounding gold and diamond fields, roughing it by foot and truck to Kaieteur Falls, and trekking into the interior. The swimming is good and the local market colorful and lively.

At the junction of the Mazuruni and Cuyuni rivers is Kyuk-Over-Al, a ruined Dutch fortress dating from 1616. From here, take a ferry to Marshall Falls, which is a good place for bathing and observing riverine wildlife.

The Rupununi Savanna, in the country's southwest, is a vast area of grassland, termite mounds, forested hills and a skein of freshwater creeks - perfect for swimming (watch out for the stingrays though). Wild animals abound, but they're retiring and rarely seen. Also of interest are a number of fascinating Amerindian villages, and a few cattle ranches once belonging to 19th-century Scottish settlers. Permits are required to visit the Rupununi; tour operators can do the paperwork for you or you can apply several months in advance to Guyana's Ministry of Home Affairs.