Guyana’s largest river is the Essequibo at 1014 kilometres, rising in the Acari Mountains near Brazil. It flows through the forest and savannah into the Atlantic Ocean. On one of its many tributaries, the Potaro River, the magnificent Kaieteur Falls can be found. Kaieteur Falls is the largest single-drop waterfall in the world. The Potaro River plummets down 226 metres in a single drop at the falls! With an average of 23,400 cubic feet of water pouring over the edge every second, Kaieteur Falls is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. According to a Patamona Indian legend, Kaieteur Falls was named after Kai, a chief (Toshao) who saved his people by paddling over the falls in an act of self-sacrifice to Makonaima, the great spirit.
All I can say is that facts and figures aside, you must visit the falls if you come to Guyana! We first heard about the falls from a hiker we met in Trinidad who had hiked there. We were intrigued! I researched and soon discovered that the hiking option would be almost impossible as the overnight guest house at the Kaieteur National Park is closed for renovation. We visited Kaieteur in April 2022, and the word on the ground was that the guest house would re-open around December 2022. Trekking would have been our preferred option, but you need to set aside a whole week to do this. So instead, we looked into flying there! Ok, it’s expensive, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I can honestly say it is worth it. We used Evergreen Adventures, and they were excellent. Evergreen only had the Kaieteur/Orinduik tour available for our dates – again, worth it – 2 falls in one day! Now the tricky part – the plane only takes off if there are 12 confirmed bookings. If anyone cancels or they don’t get the full quota, the plane won’t go. Luckily that didn’t happen to us, and the flight went ahead as planned. However, you can imagine how frustrating it would be if you’d travelled to Georgetown from the interior or another country, only to find out the trip wasn’t going ahead!
We arrived at Ogle airport at 9 am for a 10 am departure. The tour company will have given you a list of things to bring. The plane is a 12 seater, single-engine Cessna and the fleet looks very well maintained, and the whole operation is quite slick. I include a list of the operators below:
http://www.evergreenadventuresgy.com
Hiking Option :
The pilot will fly past the falls, banking for the best views and passing on both sides, so everyone gets a good look at the spectacle below. The heart might miss a beat or two when you stare down at Kaieteur; it’s a moving experience! Once you land, your guide will give you a briefing at the orientation centre explaining the area’s history, geology, and wildlife you’re likely to see. On the trek down to the falls, you’ll learn that the rocks you’re walking on are around 2 billion years old. Also, the story about the first European to see the waterfall is incredible. British geologist Charles Barrington Brown was appointed to investigate mineral deposits in the area. Over six years, he travelled some 3500 kilometres by foot and some 13,000 kilometres along rivers. He crossed nearly all the rivers of Guyana, recording multiple beautiful landmarks, but his most famous discovery was Kaieteur. On 23rd April 1870, Brown and six local men heard a waterfall in the distance but had no idea exactly where it was located. The next day they came across mist, which they assumed was coming from the rain. They kept beating their way through the jungle until they came to a precipice around the falls and what must be one of the most genuinely spectacular sights on the globe! Like Brown, we could hear the falls a long time before we got to them!
tomandbuntytrails 
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