Linden & the Highway: Practical Travel Guide

Where to base yourself

Mackenzie

The east-bank centre, with banks, shops and the town’s main hotels and guesthouses. The most convenient place to stay.

Highway creek resorts

Rustic resorts on black-water creeks between Soesdyke and Linden, some with cabins. Good for a quiet night in the forest close to Georgetown and the international airport.

Rockstone

A community guesthouse and riverside camps used by fishing and birding visitors.

Food & drink

Linden’s food is everyday Guyanese: cook-up, fried fish and bannock-like bakes, curry and roti, and barbecue at roadside stands in the evening. Fresh river fish is the thing to order at Rockstone. Creek resorts serve meals at weekends and may need notice on other days — take a picnic to be safe.

Tips: saving money and staying safe

• Travel the highway in daylight; it has a poor safety record after dark.
• Combine Linden with a creek swim to make a full, varied day out.
• Bring cash: cards are rarely accepted.
• Use a local driver for the blue lakes rather than exploring sandy tracks alone.
• If you are continuing south, stock up here on water, snacks and fuel.
• Linden has occasionally seen road protests; check the news before setting out.

Sample plans

Day trip from Georgetown

• Leave by 8 am; drive the highway with a stop at a creek viewpoint.
• Linden: the bauxite works, the museum and the Christianburg waterwheel.
• A blue lake around midday; lunch in Mackenzie.
• Afternoon swim at a highway creek on the way back.

Overnight with Rockstone

• Day 1: as above, staying in Linden.
• Day 2: early drive to Rockstone; boat to Gluck Island for lilies and birds; fish lunch; return to Georgetown.

Where to stay: Linden & the Highway