Lethem is about 550 km from Georgetown by road. A flight takes an hour and a half; the overland journey takes a night and often most of the next day.
Routes at a glance
| From | How | Time | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown (Ogle) | Scheduled flight to Lethem | about 1½ hours | roughly US$150–250 one way |
| Georgetown (Ogle) | Flight to Karanambu or Annai on request | 1¼–1½ hours | similar to Lethem |
| Georgetown | Overnight minibus or bus via Linden | 12–18 hours; longer in the rains | roughly US$60–100 |
| Georgetown | Private 4x4, usually with a stop at Iwokrama | 2 days | high; best shared |
| Boa Vista, Brazil | Bus or shared taxi to Bonfim, then taxi over the bridge | 2–2½ hours | modest |
| Annai | 4x4 or boat to Karanambu, Yupukari or Rewa | 2–4 hours | by arrangement with the lodge |
Times and prices are approximate and change with season, fuel costs and road conditions — confirm schedules and fares with the airline, bus company or your operator.
By air
Two or three small airlines fly between Ogle and Lethem, usually daily. Aircraft carry around a dozen passengers, the baggage allowance is small, and flights can call at Annai or Karanambu when booked. Seats go quickly around Easter, Christmas and school holidays. In Lethem the airstrip is in the middle of town.
By road from Georgetown
Minibuses and a few larger buses leave Georgetown in the evening, drive the paved highway to Linden and then the unpaved trail through Mabura Hill and Iwokrama, cross the Essequibo at Kurupukari and emerge on to the savannah near Annai the next morning, reaching Lethem around midday if all goes well. Police checkpoints record passports. The ride is hard and dusty or muddy by season; sections are being paved in stages.
From Brazil
Buses and shared taxis link Boa Vista with Bonfim. Get stamped out at the Brazilian federal police post, cross the bridge by taxi, and enter Guyana at the Lethem immigration office. Have your yellow fever certificate with you, and check opening hours — the posts close at night.
Getting around the Rupununi
Between lodges you travel by 4x4, boat or light aircraft, organised by the lodges. Savannah tracks are fast when dry and impassable in places when flooded, when boats take over. In Lethem there are taxis and motorbike hire; pickups and minibuses serve the larger villages irregularly. Distances are long and fuel is costly, so transfers are a significant part of any budget.
