New Amsterdam, Berbice & the Corentyne: Practical Travel Guide

Where to base yourself

New Amsterdam

A few simple hotels and guesthouses in the centre, with restaurants and banks close by. The most interesting place to stay.

Rose Hall and the central Corentyne

Small business hotels along the main road, useful for a look at village life.

Corriverton and Skeldon

Functional hotels used by travellers taking the early ferry. Lively on market days.

Food & drink

Berbice is the place for Indo-Guyanese cooking: seven-curry served on a water-lily leaf at Hindu functions, dhal puri, pholourie, duck curry — the subject of cooking competitions — and fresh shrimp and fish from the coast. Roadside stalls sell coconut water, sugar-cane juice and seasonal fruit. Hotels serve straightforward meals; rum shops are the social centre of every village.

Tips: saving money and staying safe

• Carry Guyanese dollars in cash; change a little for Suriname at the border or in Corriverton.
• Sleep in Corriverton the night before the ferry rather than leaving Georgetown at 3 am.
• Keep your passport, yellow fever certificate and Suriname entry paperwork to hand.
• Do not use the informal “backtrack” boats — you will not be legally stamped in.
• Dress modestly and remove shoes when visiting temples and mosques.
• Take normal care after dark, as in any coastal town.

Sample plans

One night on the way to Suriname

• Morning minibus from Georgetown; midday in New Amsterdam.
• Afternoon along the Corentyne with a stop at Port Mourant and No. 63 Beach.
• Night in Corriverton.
• Morning ferry from Moleson Creek.

Two days

• Day 1: pre-dawn hoatzin trip on the Mahaica River; on to New Amsterdam for the afternoon and night.
• Day 2: Canje River by boat; the Corentyne villages; return to Georgetown or continue to the border.

Where to stay: New Amsterdam, Berbice & the Corentyne