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Georgetown City Tour

Georgetown the chief port, capital and largest city of Guyana is situated on the right Bank of the Demerara River Estuary. It was chosen as a site for a fort to guard the early Dutch settlements of the Demerara River. The city of Georgetown was designed largely by the Dutch and is laid out in a rectangular pattern with wide tree lined avenues and irrigation canals that criss-cross the city. Most of the buildings in the city are wooden with unique architecture dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. For the most part the buildings have Demerara shutters and designed fretwork which trim eaves and windows. Main Street Georgetown provides several excellent examples of old colonial homes, a prime example of which is the State House, built in 1852. The State House is set in large gardens and is painted green and white and has hosted many visiting dignitaries. During your visit to Georgetown there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed: the most famous being St. George's Cathedral. The Cathedral is one of the world's tallest free standing wooden buildings and was consecrated on 1892. The foundation stone was laid on November 23, 1890 and the building was designed by Sir Arthur Bloomfield. The story of the cathedral is told on the interior on tablets and memorials of a historical and sentimental nature: it is the tale of the history of Guyana in general and of the Diocese in particular. At the beginning of the Avenue of the Republic stands the Public Library housed in the Carnigie Building. Other historic buildings along this promenade are the Town Hall, a splendid example of Gothic architecture, and further along are the Victoria Law Courts and St. Andrews Kirk. St. Andrew's is the oldest surviving structure of any church in Guyana.

The Famous Stabroek Market, once described as a "bizarre bazaar", contains every conceivable item from house hold goods and gold jewellery to fresh meat and vegetables brought to town on the river daily. The clock tower can be seen for miles around and is a famous landmark.

No trip to Georgetown would be complete without a visit to the Botanical Gardens and zoo. The Botanical Gardens houses one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean and are laid out with ponds, canals, kissing bridges and bandstand. Over 100 species of Guyanese wildlife can be observed at the Zoo including a wide variety of tropical fishes and birds. The National Museum which contains a broad selection of our animal life and heritage should not be missed, nor the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, which explains Amerindian history and life style. The Demerara Harbour Bridge is the longest floating bridge in the world and connects the east and west banks of the Demerara River.

Rate includes: Transport, Local Guide, all entrance fees, refreshments and fruits.

 Seawalls

The most famous stretch of seawall in Guyana is the Georgetown Seawall. Seawall is the name given to the wall of concrete built along the foreshore with the sea in Guyana, mostly in Demerara. It is part of the battle against the Atlantic Ocean. Earth walls are called sea-dams.


 Light house

The Lighthouse was built in 1830 (station established 1817). The Active focal plane is 31.5 m (103 ft); flashes every 60 sec, red or white depending on direction. It has a 30 m (98 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white vertical stripes. The lighthouse is a principal tourist attraction in Georgetown, the nation's capital. Located at the end of Water Street, marking the east side of the mouth of the Demerara River.

 Umana Yana

The structure called the Umana Yana is located in Kingston, Georgetown. It was built close to the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown's largest hotel, in 1972. It is a 55-foot high cone-shaped benab (or shelter) constructed by Amerindians of the Wai Wai tribe from thatched allibanna and manicole palm leaves, and wallaba posts lashed together with mukru, turu and nabbi vines. No nails were used. It was specially constructed to serve as a V.I.P. lounge and recreation spot during the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference held in Georgetown in August 1972. The Umana Yana shelters an area of approximately 460 square meters. Umana Yana is an Amerindian expression for "meeting place of the people."

 Red house

The Red House or Kamana Court was once the official residence of the Colonial Secretaries and prior to that was occupied and owned by Sir Eustace Woolford, a former speaker of the legislature. Dr. Cheddi Jagan lived there whilst he was the Premier of British Guiana. The Red House may be described as a serviceable structure of good proportions rather than as elegant. It is covered with wooden shingles on all sides. Located on High Street, it is famous for its bright red wallaba shingles and it is a 19th century, 3-storey colonial style building. It appropriately houses The Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

 Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology

The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology is a museum of anthropology in Georgetown, Guyana and claims to be the oldest such museum in the English-speaking Caribbean region. It was established in 1974, but not opened to the public until 1982. It is housed in an elegant wooden building named in honor of an Englishman, who laid the foundation of our research into Amerindian Life and folklore. The building, which was once the residence of Duncan Hutson, an eminent Barrister and legislator, now houses an interesting collection of artifacts and relics of Amerindian culture.

 State House

Government House, Now "State House", located in Georgetown, was the official residence of the Governor of British Guiana, now Guyana.

State House, the official residence of the President of Guyana; formerly known as Government House dates back to 1858. It was the residence of the Governor General and in 1970, the country's first president, Arthur Chung, resided there. Former presidents Forbes Burnham and Hugh Desmond Hoyte resided instead in Castellani House, which now houses the National Art Gallery. In 1992, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, after being elected president, moved into State House and since then it has served as the official residence of the President of Guyana. This building is a collection of additions but there are a few distinctive characteristics such as the Georgian six-paned windows and the "Demerara windows."

National Museum

The National Museum was first established in 1844 but this was soon destroyed by a fire in 1864 . A new museum was soon constructed and managed by The Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society before the Government of British Guiana assumed control in 1936. This museum was also destroyed by fire in 1945.

 Parliament Building

Guyana's Parliament Building, designed by Joseph Hadfield, was built on a foundation of greenheart logs. The foundation stone was laid in 1829 and, in April 1834, the structure, stuccoed to resemble stone blocks, was completed.

The Parliament Building is an excellent example of 19th century Renaissance architecture and is one of two domed buildings in Georgetown. Within its compound are two cannon that were used in the Crimean War and a statue of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, OBE (1884-1958) who is regarded as the father of Trade Unionism in Guyana.

 Botanical Gardens

The Government purchased 184 acres of the old coffee estate Vlissingen from Joseph Bourda for the purpose of establishing a Botanic Garden and station.

A loan of $50,000.00 was raised for the purpose of laying out the gardens and to purchase the site. At first a board of directors was appointed to advice on the proceedings but this board was soon dissolved in 1893 and the supervision devolved on the superintendent. Housed in these gardens are a the Seven Ponds Monument and the Mausoleum a tribute to the nation's heroes. Sir David Rose, Governor General of British Guiana and former president Mr. Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham are amongst those buried there. The Kissing Bridge is another noteworthy feature of the Botanical Gardens.

 

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  • R 8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, Guyana
  • Tel: (592)-225-9648
  • Fax:(592)-225-9646
  • Email: ral@roraimaairways.com
  • Canada - Telefax: 905-785-1507

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