Planning for your journey to Guyana

INSURANCE

The purchase of trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. Ron Allicock Birding Tours (RABT) cannot accept liability for airline cancellations or delays or penalties incurred by the purchase of non-refundable airline tickets or other expenses incurred by tour participants in preparing for this tour.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

You are responsible for arranging your flights to and from Georgetown. It is always good to arrive in good time for a rest before early morning departure on day two. So, plan to arrive in Georgetown in good time.

INTERNAL FLIGHTS IN GUYANA & BAGGAGE ALLOWANCES

Please be advised all customers must provide us with body weights of passengers booked to travel on tour in Guyana for all internal flights. Failure to provide us with this information or the incorrect information can cause delays to flights and inconvenience to other passengers and in some cases either passengers and/or luggage being taken off the flight. To ensure a tour that is enjoyable and hassle free, it is imperative that passengers provide us with this information. We appreciate some people are sensitive about providing their body weights, but all customers and their baggage are weighed at check-in. This is a procedure by the airline to ensure that the weight of the load is within the payload limit for the aircraft, and neither they nor Ron Allicock Birding Tours (RABT) will compromise on safety. All passengers are subject to removal of themselves or luggage from the flight if they are over the weight they provided and/or over the baggage allowance. Passengers are advised to provide a body weight with clothing similar to that which they would expect to travel in on the flight. Ron Allicock Birding Tours (RABT) cannot be held responsible for any passenger denied boarding or luggage not transported if they are over the weight provided. Again, weights supplied are provided to the airline in advance to ensure the flight is within the allowable payload.

REQUIREMENTS TO BOOK YOUR TRIP

Please be advised that all tour participants must provide us with the following information upon confirming you booking.

  1. Your Name in full as is on your passport
  2. Passport numbers
  3. Date of expiry
  4. Date of Birth
  5. Sex (M or F)
  6. Nationality
  7. Rooming preference
  8. Dietary preference
  9. Health Status – Medication, allergies etc.
  10. Body weight
  11. Any other special request

PACKING

Please ensure that you pack wisely and do not bring anything that is unnecessary on the tour. You will be weighed for before the charter flights inclusive of your day pack, binoculars, camera equipment and scopes etc. A total of 25kg for main luggage and a 5kg carry on day pack is permitted. Your main luggage will be collected from the hotel on the afternoon before your charter flight and will be transferred by vehicle to Iwokrama River Lodge where it will arrive before your arrival the following day. The return flight is on a bigger aircraft so your luggage will return on the same flight but please note that there are no overhead lockers on the flight for this sector so your hand luggage must be kept to a minimal and held on your lap in the plane.

IMMIGRATION & VISAS

Please consult the Government of Guyana’s visa entry requirements page to determine your visa needs.

Please treat immigration checks as international standards e.g. no liquid, bug spray, cream etc. etc.

WEIGHT LIMITS ON INTERNAL FLIGHTS

Your body weight includes your camera, binoculars, and scope. You stand on the scale with you day kit.

WATER

There is a problem with plastic bottles at the lodges, so we encourage you to please walk with your water bottle to be refilled at the lodges with clean filtered water. We try as much as possible to avoid taking too much plastic bottles with us. However, bottle water is provided on extended day trips along with some, diet coke, soda drinks and juice. Water will always be available for you on the tour

WEATHER

100% humidity so a small umbrella and a poncho is recommended, and for your equipment, please bring protective gears for them. You will never be cold in Guyana, no need to bring cold clothing.

CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR

Light material clothing that can dry quickly, long sleeve, shirt and trousers for trail walks and tour activities. No brightly colored clothing, you must bring clothing that blends with the forest. Ankle height hiking boots and sneakers, with socks, willies are optional but not necessary depending on the time of year as well.

ELECTRICITY

All our lodges are equipped with solar power, with the standard USA outlets, however, when not using please switch off your lights or unplug your equipment from the electrical outlet to save the batteries.

TRAIL WALKS

For extended period of tour activities, we recommend that you bring a 3 legged stool for you to sit on, because our tour excursions include standing for long hours, to avoid that you can bring your own stool.

BIRD CHECKLISTS

We will provide you with an electronic copy of our bird checklist, the list includes birds we have seen on previous tours. If you are a keep lister, please print and bring your own copy of the checklist. We normally do the checklist at the end of the day before dinner.

PLAYBACK DEVICES

Playback is used at minimal on our tours, we only use it when it is absolutely necessary. We work hard so that our company is ethical and conservation minded, in this regards we maintain wildlife ethics and support conservation efforts. Our guides are well trained and will be able to make decisions as to when playback is necessary, especially for the more difficult birds, such as Antwrens, Antshrikes, Antpitta, etc.

GUIDES AT LODGES

Apart from our tour leader, you will have a designated tour guide at every eco lodge that you visit. These guides are well trained in conducting a guided tour and we ask that you use their service to your advantage.