The Kaieteur Falls is located on Guyana’s Potaro River, in the Amazon forest. It is claimed to be the world’s highest single-drop falls, with an average of about 180,000 gallons of water shooting over an 800-foot cliff every second.
This flow rate also makes the Kaieteur Falls one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
First Reported Sighting of Kaieteur Falls
Here is a report on the first sighting of the Kaieteur Falls by Europeans according to WikiPedia:
“On April 24, 1870, Charles Barrington Brown, one of two British geologists appointed government surveyors to the colony of British Guiana (now known as Guyana), became the first European to see Kaieteur Falls. The other surveyor was James Sawkins. Brown and James Sawkins arrived in Georgetown in 1867 and did some of their mapping and preparation of geological reports together, some in separate expeditions, but Sawkins had taken a break from his work when Brown came upon Kaieteur…According to a Patamona Indian legend, Kaieteur Falls was named for Kai, a chief, or Toshao who acted to save his people by paddling over the falls in an act of self-sacrifice to Makonaima, the great spirit.”
Getting to the World’s Highest Single-Drop Waterfall
Kaieteur Falls is located amongst the Amazon Rainforest in Guyana, and access by land isn’t viable. Hence, the only way you can reach the Falls is by air.
Trips can either be booked in advance, or locally in Georgetown. You will be required to take at least two flights in a small plane to visit the Falls.
A day trip will usually involve flights in a small plane, and you will pass over masses of dense jungle and looping rivers.
It takes about a 1-hour trip from Georgetown to the Kaieteur Falls airstrip.
And from the airstrip, you can travel on foot to several viewing points.
Tourism in Guyana
Destination Guyana offers a range of amazing experience for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and eco-tourists.
The motto of the Guyana Tourism Authority is “South America Undiscovered”.
Visa Free Guyana
The Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana offers visa exemptions to the residents of many countries. You can find a list of those countries for which a visa isn’t required by visiting the following web page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Guyana