Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo is Guyana's largest and most southerly region — Region 9 on the national map — a vast, thinly-peopled expanse of open savannah, gallery forest and isolated mountain ranges pressed against the Brazilian border. This is the Rupununi, a name that for most Guyanese is shorthand for the deep interior: golden grasslands stitched with palm-lined creeks, termite mounds taller than a person, and horizons broken only by the blue silhouette of the Kanuku and Pakaraima foothills. The Takutu and Essequibo rivers that give the region its name bound and drain it, the Takutu marking the frontier with Brazil's Roraima state.

It is a place defined by space and remoteness. The administrative and commercial hub, Lethem, sits on the Takutu opposite the Brazilian town of Bonfim, but beyond it the region scatters into small Indigenous (largely Macushi and Wapishana) villages, working cattle ranches, and community-run eco-lodges. Wildlife is the headline draw — giant anteaters, giant river otters, black caiman, jaguar, and the harpies and other birds that make the Rupununi one of South America's premier birding frontiers.

For the traveller, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo is Guyana at its wildest and most rewarding: hard to reach, light on infrastructure, and unforgettable. It rewards those who come for nature, ranch life and genuine community tourism rather than comfort or convenience.

The dry season — roughly mid-September to mid-April — is the prime window. With low water and firm trails, this is when the savannah is most navigable, wildlife concentrates around shrinking water sources, and overland travel from the coast is most reliable. February to April is especially good for spotting caiman, otters and anteaters.

The single most important date on the regional calendar is the Rupununi Rodeo, held in Lethem over the Easter weekend each year — the largest event in the interior, drawing vaqueros (cowboys) from ranches across Region 9 and Brazil.

The wet season (roughly May to August) floods large stretches of savannah, can cut the unpaved road to the coast, and makes some lodges accessible only by boat or air — though it also brings dramatic green landscapes and is when jaguars sometimes move onto the higher roads in search of dry ground.

Distances here are large and roads are largely unpaved, so plan around 4x4 vehicles, charter flights and small boats rather than scheduled public transport.

• By air: The quickest link to the rest of the country is the daily-ish charter flight between Lethem and Georgetown (operators such as Trans Guyana Airways fly the route into Lethem's airstrip). This is the standard way in and out for time-pressed visitors.
• By road from the coast: The long overland route is the Georgetown–Linden–Lethem road through the Iwokrama forest — a rough, mostly laterite trip typically done by 4x4 or interior minibus over many hours (often overnight). It is scenic but demanding and weather-dependent.
• Within the region: Getting between Lethem, the outlying villages (Karasabai, Aishalton, Yupukari and others) and the ranches generally means hired 4x4 transport, lodge-arranged transfers, or boats on the Rupununi and its creeks. There is no rail. Self-driving requires a capable vehicle, fuel planning and local advice.
• Cross-border: The Takutu River Bridge connects Lethem to Bonfim, Brazil, making the region a recognised overland gateway to/from Roraima — clear immigration formalities on both sides.

• Lethem — the regional capital and gateway: border town on the Takutu opposite Bonfim (Brazil), base for the Rupununi savannah, the Kanuku and Moco Moco mountains and falls, and host of the Easter Rupununi Rodeo.

Food in the Rupununi leans on ranch and Indigenous traditions rather than the Indo- and Afro-Caribbean dishes of the coast. Beef is a staple here in cattle country — grilled, stewed, or sun-dried — and freshwater fish from the rivers features heavily. Look for cassava in all its forms: cassava bread, the savoury pepperpot-style stews, and especially farine (toasted cassava granules) and cassareep, the dark cassava reduction central to Amerindian cooking. Tuma pot, a traditional Amerindian boil-up of fish or meat with peppers, is a regional signature.

Because Lethem sits on the Brazilian border, Brazilian influences appear too — grilled meats, and goods crossing from Bonfim. Dining is mostly at small local eateries, ranch tables and lodge kitchens rather than formal restaurants; meals at community lodges are often home-cooked and built around the day's catch or hunt.

Vegetarians and travellers with dietary restrictions should plan ahead and communicate in advance — choice is limited and meals at remote lodges are usually set rather than à la carte.

The region is predominantly Amerindian, principally Macushi in the north and Wapishana in the south, and that heritage shapes daily life, language, craft and food. Traditional crafts include intricate cassava-processing implements, basketry and weaving, balata (rubber) figurines, and hammock-making.

• Rupununi Rodeo (Easter weekend) — the defining annual event: bull-riding, bronco events, livestock shows and the gathering of ranching families from across Region 9 and the Brazilian frontier. Centred on Lethem.
• Amerindian Heritage Month (September) — celebrated nationally but with deep meaning here, with cultural events, traditional sport, music and food in Indigenous communities.

• Rupununi savannah wildlife safari — open-vehicle and walking trips across the grasslands in search of giant anteaters, savannah birds, and — with luck and timing — jaguar; the Rupununi is among the best places in South America for the giant anteater.
• Giant river otters and black caiman on the Rupununi River — boat trips and conservation-linked stays (the region is closely associated with caiman research and community wildlife monitoring) to see otters, caiman, and river birdlife.
• Working cattle-ranch stay — overnight on a traditional Rupununi ranch for vaquero life, horseback riding across the savannah, and big-sky nights; an experience unique to this region in Guyana.
• Kanuku Mountains — a National Protected Area of exceptional biodiversity rising from the savannah near Lethem, with rich birding and forest wildlife.
• The Rupununi Rodeo — for those visiting at Easter, the rodeo itself is a bucket-list cultural spectacle and the social high point of the interior year.