American-born Channel Stoby first visited Guyana in 2021 with her Guyanese born husband. After returning, she shared stories of her experiences here with this publication. She came back again in 2023. And guess what! She’s shared yet another inspiring story. Thank you Chanel Stoby, for helping to promote the Guyana Tourism Industry to people both in Guyana and abroad. We really appreciate it!
-Editor
Guess what Guyana? I am back! My name is Chanel Stoby. I’m an American born married to a Guyanese born. My first trip to Guyana was not too long ago. During the summer of 2021, my husband took our two boys and I on a whirlwind trip around his native country.
When I returned to the States, I was talking about our trip for months. My family and friends were amazed with the stories and pictures from our adventures. Now fast forward to a year and half, and my family and I are back again. This trip was extra special for us. We added another new addition to our crew, a 7 month old baby girl, and we were in Guyana to surprise my mother-in law for her birthday. This trip, my husband and I got to explore more of Guyana and created epic memories with our entire family.
Our first adventure led us to New Amsterdam, Berbice. Along the way, we stopped at the cutest little cottage located in a village called Now or Never. The cottage grounds are perfect for anyone looking to take good photos with cute scenery in the background. I also saw with my own eyes the infamous “Dutch Man Tree” that has the road split in two. I was told about the supposed legend surrounding that tree. Whether it is true or not, I was warned not to take a picture of that tree – which is perhaps why I am still alive to share my adventures!
While in Berbice, we enjoyed a nice cookout with our family and friends. The men played cricket and the children had enough space to run wild and be free. We ended our Berbice trip with Chinese food in the bag from Sue Brothers. I heard it is a must when visiting Berbice. I was well pleased with the amount of food that had fit in the bag.
During the week, our entire family went on an Essequibo River Island tour. Let me just tell you, we had a blast! We also took all the little kids with us and they also enjoyed every moment of it. We booked our tour through Old Fort Tours. Our stops included Fort Zeelandia, Bartica, Kyk-Over-Al, Baracara Falls, and the last stop was Aruwai to eat lunch and swim.
The resort was beautiful and clean, and the food was delicious. The children enjoyed the spacious pool of course. We all agreed that the next time we return, we must book an overnight stay. I would highly recommend this tour because you get to learn a little bit of Guyana’s history from a tour guide and see beautiful scenery along the way. And it was very kid friendly. Baracara Falls was definitely a highlight and alluring to see in person. There’s no way you can visit Guyana and not see a waterfall. It is definitely a must.
This trip we wanted to take advantage and visit places we could not before because of covid. Therefore we took our children to the Guyana zoo and to the National Park to feed the Manatees. Being from the USA, my children are used to seeing tigers and lions at the zoo. They thought it was pretty cool to see a jaguar and puma for the first time. I was amazed to see the harpy eagle. Its wingspan is incredible! My favorite activity to do in Guyana was feed the Manatees because that’s something we cannot easily do in the States and certainly not for free! We took a nice stroll through the botanical gardens and enjoyed lunch at Fireside Grill.
On a random weekday our family used Expat Families in Guyana for a guided tour through downtown Georgetown. We began with breakfast at the Pegasus Hotel, walked through main Street, visited the National Museum, the Hibiscus Plaza for souvenir shopping, and we stopped at Creme Select for a tasty treat.
During my entire stay in Guyana, we took advantage of drinking all natural fruit juices such as cherry juice and passionfruit juice. A lot of the food we eat and drink in the USA is far from all natural. All the fruits and vegetables during our visit to Bourda Market were vibrant and bountiful. I greatly enjoyed eating all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Guyanese food has so much flavor. I was hooked on doubles and pholourie. I also couldn’t get enough fried rice and I had soup several times from Germans.
Our last hurrah with our family was at a hidden gem located off the Linden Soesdyke highway called Netsurf Nature Park. While there, we had a nice family cookout, took a nature walk and we all enjoyed a nice swim in the creek. It was a kickback and chill kind of vibe. A lovely way to end our trip.
I once again had a fantastic vacation and was bummed when it was time to return home. There’s something about Guyana that always leaves me wanting more. I like to tell people if you love the great outdoors and nature, then you will appreciate all the beauty Guyana has to offer. I keep a list on my phone of all the things I want to do the next time I return for a visit. I am on a mission to visit every region in Guyana. I have yet to visit regions one and nine. I hope to reach those regions soon enough. Until next time Guyana…
