No place in South America offers the best of both worlds – beautiful landscapes and cultures – like Guyana. The first thing locals will tell you, jokingly, upon arrival is Guyana is not to be confused with the West African country Ghana.
Guyana is a Caribbean country bordering Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil. It’s one of the smallest countries in South America, but it has a distinct culture that makes it stand out.
Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, just north of the Equator, Guyana is South America’s only English-speaking country. It boasts a beautiful fusion of African, Asian, Caribbean, Indian, Indigenous, and European influences. Afro-Guyanese are one of the largest ethnic groups in Guyana. In 2012, they made up more than 30 percent of the population.
During your visit to Guyana, these Black-owned businesses will be perfect for exploring Afro-Guyanese culture.
Fresh Restaurant
Michelle Howard is the co-owner of Fresh, an Afro-Guyanese restaurant in the Kingston area. She joined her husband and another friend in creating this restaurant concept during the height of the pandemic.
“I was looking for purpose during the pandemic after moving from Canada,” Howard tells Travel Noire. “Covid really weighed heavily on me mentally. My husband pointed out that he believed I lacked creativity and encouraged me to do more, especially because I was cooking more and taking pride in it.”
The space opened at the end of 2023 as a love letter from Howard and the other owners to Guyana. Once inside, Howard wants people to slow down and take in Guyana’s welcoming spirit and the incredible food. Howard creates dishes she describes as international flavors with local ingredients from scratch.
The artwork in the restaurant comes from the Indigenous community and is available for purchase.
Herdmanston Lodge Hotel
Located in Queenstown, Georgetown, Herdmanston Lodge Hotel is a boutique hotel that prides itself on excellent guest service. It’s one of only a few hotels that has maintained Guyana’s distinctive colonial architecture. Beyond the distinctive and captivating architecture, the hotel has beautiful and spacious gardens.
Guests staying at the Herdmanston are just a seven-minute walk from the National Park, the Seawall overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and the world-renowned Bourda Cricket Ground. Meetings can be held in conference rooms on-site, and there’s an impressive range of local and international breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices.
Georgetown Market and City Tour With Backyard Café Owner Delven Adams
The market tour hosted by Delven Adams is a highlight for experiencing Afro-Guyanese culture. This is a two-part experience with Adams, who owns the award-winning restaurant Backyard Café.
Adams guides travelers through local shops and markets in Georgetown for what feels like a farm-to-table experience. He brings the spices, vegetables, and fruit to life as he walks you down the stalls to pick up the ingredients for the lunch he prepares later in the day.
The lunch takes place in Adams’ home, right in his backyard – hence the restaurant’s name. Even with the high-profile people who have visited Adams’ backyard to dine, he treats everyone as family and takes pride in inviting people to his home to eat.
Wilderness Explorers
While the tour company isn’t Afro-Guyanese-owned, it has a team of local guides who identify as Afro-Guyanese. The guides take visitors on a breathtaking experience.
One of Wildneress Explorers’ tour highlights is a day trip to Kaieteur Falls. Plummeting 741 feet, Kaieteur Falls is the longest single-drop waterfall in the world. It’s a top attraction in Guyana, providing one of the world’s most impressive sites. Local guides take hikers on an adventurous journey through the park, showing off different views of the falls and the microenvironment it supports.
Lucky visitors can witness rainbows across the gorge and an up-close view of the beautifully colored orange “Cock-of-the-rock” bird and other stunning wildlife.
