Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism in Guyana

Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Guyana.

Practical Information

Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.

Travel Alert Status: Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Time Difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Climate: Guyana's climate is typical of most tropical countries. Humidity ranges from an average low of 68% in October to 77% in May, and an average high of 79% in October to 86% in May through August. The average annual mean (AAM) is 73% in the afternoons and 83% in the mornings. Minimum temperatures in Georgetown, on the coast, range between 22-26°C (71-80°F) year around, with an AAM low of 75. Maximum temperatures range between 28-32°C (83-90°F), year around, with an AAM high of 86. The sea breezes (east-northeast trade winds) significantly mitigate the heat on the coast. The coastal area typically has two wet seasons: May to mid-August, when about 40% of the total annual precipitation falls, and December to mid-January, which receive another 20%. However, occasional rain may fall at any time of the year. Georgetown and the coast average 90 inches of rainfall annually; in the interior, 60-150 inches occur.
Ethnic Groups: East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and mixed 7%
National Holiday: Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Geographic Coordinates: 5 00 N, 59 00 W
Location: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Suriname and Venezuela
Airports: 49

Health and Safety

Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical care in Guyana does not meet U.S. standards. Care is available for minor medical conditions, although quality is very inconsistent. Emergency care and hospitalization for major medical illnesses or surgery are very limited, due to a lack of appropriately trained specialists, below standard in-hospital care, and poor sanitation. There are very few ambulances in Guyana. Ambulance service is limited to transportation without any medical care and is frequently not available for emergencies. An MRI (linked to the United States for interpretation) has been installed and is operational, but results may take up to 4 days. It is located on the compound of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, immediately behind the Embassy on Parade Street. In the event of an emergency, the number for an ambulance is 913, but this number is not always operational and an ambulance may not be available. You are advised to bring prescription medicine sufficient for your length of stay and should be aware that Guyana's humid climate may affect some medicines. Some prescription medicines (mainly generic rather than name-brand) are available. Special attention should be paid to HIV/AIDS in Guyana. In addition to elevated infection rates among high-risk populations, such as commercial sex workers, and mobile populations such as miners or loggers, data from the World Health Organization estimate that Guyana has among the highest prevalence rates in Latin America and the Caribbean. Insect borne illnesses are common and include malaria, dengue, Leishmaniasis, and Chagas disease.
Accessibility: While in Guyana, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. The constitution mandates the state to take measures to protect persons with disabilities but there is no law that mandates provision of access for such persons. There is also a lack of appropriate infrastructure that provides access to both public and private facilities.

Disease Risk

Degree of Risk: Very high
Food and Waterborne Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: dengue fever and malaria

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