Guyana
Travel Destination – Guyana
Guyana sits on the northeastern coast of South America, bordered by Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. Its vast interior of rainforest, wetlands and savannah supports exceptional biodiversity and remains relatively undeveloped for tourism.
Kaieteur Falls is Guyana’s defining landmark, dropping 226 metres in a single cascade through the surrounding rainforest. The Iwokrama Rainforest and southern Rupununi savannahs offer rich wildlife experiences, while community lodges provide opportunities to experience Indigenous culture and conservation. Georgetown features colourful markets, historic wooden buildings and a distinctive coastal setting below sea level.
Healthcare is available at private facilities in Georgetown but is limited outside the capital. Serious illness or injury in the interior may require medical evacuation, making comprehensive travel insurance essential.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
A travel medicine appointment at least four to six weeks before departure is strongly recommended for all Australian travellers to Guyana. The consultation allows your doctor to review vaccination history, recommend appropriate immunisations and prescribe malaria medication tailored to your specific itinerary. Guyana's interior, where most of the wildlife and adventure tourism is concentrated, carries a high malaria risk, and the health preparation required differs significantly from a Georgetown-only stay.
All prescription medications should be sourced in Australia before departure, including malaria prevention. Follow your doctor's instructions, as some antimalarial medications need to be started before you leave. Medical facilities are limited outside of Georgetown. Serious medical events in the interior require evacuation, which is expensive and can take time to arrange. Comprehensive travel insurance explicitly covering medical evacuation is recommended for anyone visiting Guyana's interior.
Insect avoidance
Malaria is a significant year-round health risk in Guyana. Both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are present, with P. falciparum accounting for a substantial share of infections, particularly in the highest-risk interior regions. Malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquitoes feed predominantly from dusk to dawn. Dengue, chikungunya , and Zika are also present, spread by daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes. Protection must therefore be maintained throughout both day and night.
Insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin applied to all exposed skin should be reapplied consistently throughout the day and evening. Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and closed footwear reduces exposed skin at all times. Some interior lodges at Iwokrama, Rupununi, and Kaieteur typically supply permethrin-treated bed nets, but carrying your own may be required if this cannot be confirmed for your accomodation. Treating outer clothing and gear with permethrin before travel adds further protection for those spending extended time in rainforest environments. Sandflies transmitting leishmaniasis are also present in forested areas, and fine-mesh or permethrin-treated nets provide better protection against these than standard nets.
Food and water hygiene
Guyanese cuisine reflects the country's diverse African, Indian, Amerindian, Chinese, Portuguese and European influences, with highlights including pepperpot, cook-up rice, curries, roti and freshly caught river fish.
A moderate risk of gastroenteritis and gastrointestinal illness exists throughout the country, including in some established accommodation. In Georgetown, bottled water from sealed containers should be used for drinking and teeth brushing, and ice should only be consumed from verified sources. In the interior, reputable lodges generally provide purified water, but this should be confirmed. Washing hands with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet, or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser when facilities are unavailable, is one of the most effective preventive habits. Freshly prepared, hot food is the safest choice, while pre-prepared food or food left at room temperature should be avoided. Choose fruit that can be peeled, and peel it yourself immediately before eating to avoid contamination from the skin or handling.
Rabies prevention
Rabies occurs in Guyana and can be carried by dogs, bats and other mammals.
Avoid contact with unfamiliar animals throughout your trip, and never touch or handle bats. Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is particularly worth discussing with a travel doctor if you plan to travel into Guyana’s rainforest or savannahs, stay for an extended period, work with animals, or undertake activities such as camping, hiking or caving that may increase contact with bats or wildlife. Having the vaccine before departure, makes preventive therapy much easier to arrange if you need it.
The infection is almost always fatal once symptoms develop. So any bite, scratch or contact between animal saliva and broken skin requires immediate, thorough washing with soap and running water, followed by prompt medical assessment, regardless of whether you have been vaccinated. Timely preventive therapy is highly effective.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Guyana?
Yellow Fever
+
Yellow fever transmission risk is present in Guyana, and vaccination is recommended for all travellers aged nine months and over. The vaccine must be received at a registered yellow fever vaccination centre at least ten days before arrival and provides lifelong immunity in the majority of recipients. Confirm your itinerary and individual suitability with a doctor before vaccine administration.
Hepatitis A
+
Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection acquired through contaminated food or water, producing fatigue, nausea, and jaundice ranging from mild to prolonged illness.
Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all previously unvaccinated travellers to Guyana, as the risk of exposure applies across all settings including Georgetown and interior lodges. Two doses provide lasting protection, and many Australians have not completed the course.
Typhoid
+
Typhoid fever is a bacterial illness caused by Salmonella Typhi in contaminated food or water, producing sustained fever, headache, and abdominal discomfort that can progress to serious complications without treatment. Vaccination is recommended for most travellers, particularly those eating beyond well-managed resort kitchens, sampling local food from markets, staying with friends or relatives, or spending extended time in the country. Food and water hygiene remains important alongside vaccination throughout the trip.
Rabies
+
Rabies occurs in Guyana and can be carried by dogs, bats and other mammals.
Avoid contact with unfamiliar animals throughout your trip, and never touch or handle bats. Pre-exposure rabies vaccination is particularly worth discussing with a travel doctor if you plan to travel into Guyana’s rainforest or savannahs, stay for an extended period, work with animals, or undertake activities such as camping, hiking or caving that may increase contact with bats or wildlife. Having the vaccine before departure, makes preventive therapy much easier to arrange if you need it.
The infection is almost always fatal once symptoms develop. So any bite, scratch or contact between animal saliva and broken skin requires immediate, thorough washing with soap and running water, followed by prompt medical assessment, regardless of whether you have been vaccinated. Timely preventive therapy is highly effective.
Mpox
+
Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a viral infection that can cause a rash or sores, often accompanied by fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. It spreads mainly through close physical contact with an infected person, including contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids or contaminated materials. Sexual contact is an important route of transmission, although infection can occur through other forms of prolonged close contact.
Most people recover from mpox within a few weeks, although more severe illness can occur, particularly in people with weakened immune systems. Travellers with increased exposure risk should discuss mpox vaccination with a travel doctor before travelling to Guyana.
Measles
+
The measles virus is highly contagious and spreads through the air. It can cause serious complications, including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. Measles continues to circulate internationally, with cases and outbreaks occurring in many countries. All Australian travellers born in 1966 or later should have two documented doses of a measles-containing vaccine before departure.
Routine vaccinations
+
Routine vaccinations provide important protection for travellers to Guyana, particularly those spending time in crowded settings, travelling through remote areas or undertaking outdoor activities where access to healthcare may be limited. Ensure standard immunisations are up to date, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), hepatitis B, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. A tetanus booster is worthwhile if more than ten years have elapsed since the last dose, particularly for travellers undertaking interior jungle trekking, camping or wildlife activities where cuts and other minor injuries are more likely and medical access may be limited.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all travellers aged six months and over, as influenza can circulate year-round and exposure may occur during international travel, including in airports, flights and crowded accommodation. COVID-19 vaccination should be current in line with Australian public health guidance, including booster doses for people aged 65 and over or with relevant underlying health conditions.
Check your Australian Immunisation Register records before departure and discuss any missing or overdue vaccines with a travel doctor. Some vaccines require multiple doses or time to provide full protection, so allow several weeks for travel preparation where possible.
Guyana
Other health risks in Guyana
Malaria
+
Malaria is a risk in Guyana, and antimalarial medication is recommended for most travellers venturing outside the capital. Malaria risk due to both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax is high throughout the year in all parts of the interior, with lower risk in Georgetown and the coast. This means the malaria risk for a Georgetown-only itinerary differs substantially from a trip that includes Kaieteur, Iwokrama, or the Rupununi.
A travel doctor will prescribe the most appropriate antimalarial based on individual health history and the specific regions being visited, with chloroquine resistance established in Guyana. Fill the prescription before you leave and take enough for the entire length of your trip. Malaria is always a serious disease and may be a deadly illness. Any fever developing during travel or within four weeks of returning home requires immediate medical attention with full travel history disclosed.
Gastroenteritis
+
Gastroenteritis is one of the most commonly reported health problem among visitors to Guyana, typically caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites in contaminated food or water. A moderate risk exists throughout the country, increasing for itineraries that involve remote areas, basic accommodation, or eating local market or street food.
Symptoms of diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting usually appear within one to three days of exposure. Oral rehydration is the primary treatment for uncomplicated cases. Medical assessment should be sought if symptoms are severe, persistent, contain blood, or are accompanied by fever, noting that healthcare access outside Georgetown may be limited.
Dengue and chikungunya
+
Dengue is present across Guyana and is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes active during daylight hours, causing sudden high fever, severe headache, and significant muscle and joint pain, with some cases progressing to more serious illness. Chikungunya has re-emerged in Guyana. It is caused by day-biting mosquitoes and produces a comparable acute presentation to dengue. With chikungunya, joint pain that can persist for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. No specific antiviral treatment exists for either condition. Consistent insect protection throughout the day is the primary available defence against both.
Zika virus
+
Zika is present in Guyana, transmitted by daytime-biting Aedes mosquitoes. Most people infected experience mild or no symptoms, but Zika virus poses a serious risk during pregnancy due to its association with microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities. Sexual transmission from a returning traveller who experienced no symptoms during travel has also been documented. Pregnant travellers or those planning to conceive should seek specialist advice before visiting Guyana. Returning travellers should follow current Australian health guidance on preventing sexual transmission after travel to a Zika-risk area.
Leishmaniasis
+
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection transmitted through the bites of infected sandflies present in forested and rural areas of Guyana. The cutaneous form, causing persistent skin sores at the bite site, is the most commonly encountered type in travellers. There is no preventive vaccine or medication. Protection relies on insect bite avoidance measures, including applying insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved clothing in forested areas during evening hours, and using fine-mesh permethrin-treated nets. Any persistent skin sore developing after travel to Guyana should be assessed by a doctor with travel history provided.
Tuberculosis
+
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial lung infection spread through the air when an infected person coughs or speaks nearby, primarily causing persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. The risk to most short-stay tourists with limited community contact is relatively low. Those spending extended periods in the country, working in healthcare or community settings, or in close and sustained contact with local populations should discuss TB screening with their doctor before and after travel. A cough that does not resolve after returning from Guyana should be assessed by a general practitioner with travel history disclosed.
Non-infectious conditions
Crime and unrest
+
Violent crime is a risk in Guyana, particularly in Georgetown and after dark. Use registered taxis arranged through your accommodation and avoid travelling at night. Petty crime, ATM and card fraud can also occur. Demonstrations may become violent without warning, so avoid protests and public gatherings.
Check the Australian Government's Smartraveller website for current advice before and during travel.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
+
Road travel in Guyana can be hazardous. Risks can arise due to varying road quality and vehicle maintenance. Fatal road accidents are common, and minibuses are involved in a disproportionate share of serious crashes. Registered taxis from reputable companies or arranged through accommodation are the safer transport option in Georgetown. Night driving on any route should be avoided.
Access to Kaieteur Falls is by charter flight from Ogle Airport, and travellers should use licensed, reputable air charter operators. All interior wildlife and jungle excursions should be arranged exclusively through established, licensed tour operators with experienced local guides. Remote interior settings such as Iwokrama and the Rupununi are accessed by road, river, and small aircraft, and appropriate preparation including personal medical kits, emergency supplies, and clear communication with a trusted contact about planned routes and return times is important for any interior itinerary.
Deep vein thrombosis
+
Flights from Australia to Guyana require at least one connecting hub, commonly in North America or the Caribbean, with total journey times commonly exceeding twenty hours. Extended immobility during these flights can raise the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), where clots form in the deep leg veins due to slowed blood flow.
Moving around the cabin regularly, performing seated exercises including ankle rotations and calf raises, and maintaining adequate hydration throughout the journey all help reduce the risk of DVT. Travellers with predisposing factors including prior clotting events, recent surgery, pregnancy, hormonal contraceptive use, or significant overweight should discuss whether compression stockings are appropriate with a travel doctor before departure.