Untrodden and unexplored, Guyana bridges the gap between the tropical wilds of the Amazon in Brazil and the highlands that run along the brow of the Caribbean, from Suriname to Venezuela. The capital at Georgetown is its best introduction. It’s a place where layer upon layer of colonial history meet: Dutch frontispieces; half-timbered English cathedrals; Francophone food stores. Break away from the city though, and you’ll soon see why this hitherto unpopular section of the Americas is now rising on the eco tourism charts. Yes sir, follow the meandering channels of the Essequibo River, which pierce deep into the jungles and mountains of the south here, while everything from soaring tepui mountains (some of the oldest geological hills on the planet in fact) to jaguar jungles emerge to claim the plains. Kaieteur National Park is the undisputed piece de resistance, and there are plenty of Guyana tour guides offering excursions out to see its tabletop waterfall crashing through the wilds.