Sign up for the Guyana, South America Weekly Newsletter Absolutely Free!

Guyana, South America Homepage Form 2

My Trip to Kaieteur Falls by Channel Stoby

Be sure to like our Facebook Page: Guyana, South America for more!

First Published: 18th of August, 2021 by Patrick Carpen.

Last updated: August 11, 2023 at 15:09 pm

In this article, American-born Channel Stoby mesmerizes us with the fascinating story of her trip to the Kaieteur Falls in Region 8, Guyana, South America. This story is a sequel to her earlier story published a few days before, “American-born, Channel Stoby, Shares Her Experience Visiting Guyana.

On Channel’s first ever trip to Guyana, she visited one of Guyana’s most alluring wonders: the Kaieteur Falls of Region 8, Guyana, South America. She mentions that she was always afraid of small planes, but she took the chance for the first time to fly in one to the Kaieteur Falls. This story of a Trip to the Kaieteur Falls by Channel Stoby is one of the most beautiful stories of its kind that I’ve read – and its beauty is accentuated by the fact that it is narrated by a foreigner who visited Guyana for the first time.

To be honest, I had never heard of Kaieteur Falls until my husband mentioned it. I remember him telling me that Guyana has over 300 waterfalls and that Guyana is home to the world’s highest single drop waterfall. I almost didn’t believe him. He had to show me pictures online of Kaieteur. He also gave me a lesson on how to pronounce it.

As we were planning our Guyana trip, he asked me if I was down to going. After seeing pictures of the falls, I immediately said “of course!” Then my husband added the big “but,” and I had to ask, “but what?” My husband proceeded to say, “but we have to get on a small plane.”

Then my excitement changed to fear. I have a huge fear of small planes. I just don’t trust them. My husband did say we could get to Kaieteur by land but it would take a few days. As the months passed and we kept adding to our list of places to visit in Guyana, my husband kept putting in plugins for Kaieteur Falls. I told him I will add it to the bottom of the list, but that doesn’t mean we are going. 

Finally, we were on our Guyana trip which also meant it was time to start booking our excursions. I came to the realization that I was finally in Guyana and that this (trip to Kaieteur) is a trip that I know not many will ever have the opportunity to make, so I should also do things that I know many people wouldn’t have the opportunity to do. I also, in the back of my mind, knew how much my husband wanted to go to the falls because he had been trying to convince me for months about it. I finally agreed that we can go to Kaieteur Falls even though I knew I would have to face my fear of small planes. I had plenty of time to get my mind right before that excursion. We planned that particular excursion toward the end of our trip. 

Fast forward, the day was finally here…our Kaieteur Falls tour! I had butterflies in my stomach from the moment I woke up. We took a taxi to Ogle airport. We checked in. It was a smooth process. We were placed in a separate room for just Kaieteur passengers to wait for the plane. The plan was to have us fly out ahead of schedule, but then the weather changed those plans. We waited for about an hour and left at our “actual planned time.” Before boarding the plane, my husband and I were able to take a picture in front of the plane. I needed proof to show my family that I had gotten on a small plane.

It was such a beautiful day. The weather was definitely on our side. It was bright, sunny, and hot.  Once we were on the plane and buckled in, I grabbed on tightly to my husband, closed my eyes, and said a little prayer. As we were flying in the air, we could see the beautiful Essequibo River. I remember my husband even pointing out Bartica to me. I still couldn’t believe we were on our way to the majestic Kaieteur Falls, a dream come true for my husband. The flight honestly wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be. It was smooth, and we literally were in the air for 55 mins.

The time flew by because I was distracted looking out my window down on beautiful Guyana. Before landing, our pilot circled around the falls so we could see it from a top view. It was amazing! This made me even more eager to finally see it in person and not just in pictures. 

Once we landed at Kaieteur National Park, our tour guide met us right as we stepped off the plane. He allowed us to take a quick bathroom break and grab a bottle of cold water (provided), then it was time to hit the trail. Our tour guide told us that we would get to see the beautiful falls from 3 different viewing points. Along the trail, our tour guide talked about different things. It took us 15 minutes to reach the first viewing point. Once we arrived, the tour guide stepped aside and let us enjoy the beautiful falls. My husband had the biggest smile on his face because he had finally arrived!

I couldn’t even wrap my mind around what I was looking at. It was so gorgeous, big, majestic, and I kept saying “Wow! This is God’s creation.”

You could look down below and spot a rainbow. It was absolutely breathtaking! We took a few pictures. Then we walked some more to our next viewing point. We even got to swing in the jungle like Tarzan. Each viewing point takes you closer and closer to the waterfall. And at our last viewing point, we were able to spend most of our time.

My husband and I even laid down on our stomach to look down below. It was beyond beautiful. I felt at peace, and I felt connected to nature. All my fears and anxiety about coming here went away. I felt grateful to have experienced this all with my soulmate. As we walked back to our plane, I was very proud of myself for defeating my fears. It was well worth it.

We were on land for a total of 2 hours once the plane landed. Before boarding the plane again, we were given the opportunity to eat a cheese sandwich and grab more bottled water (all were provided). On our way back to Ogle airport, I took the opportunity to take more videos of Kaieteur Falls from the moment we took off. My family, friends, and colleagues loved all my photos and videos. They were mesmerized at what they were looking at. I told them pictures just don’t do it justice. They have to be there in person.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x