Experience the best of Lethem

Lethem stands in the Rupununi, the open savannah of southern Guyana, beside the Takutu River, which forms the border with Brazil. The town has a small airstrip, a bridge to the Brazilian town of Bonfim across the water, and a scattering of low houses, shops and guesthouses. The land around is grassland dotted with termite mounds and clumps of trees, with ranches that run cattle and a long tradition of cowboys, called vaqueros.

The Kanuku Mountains rise to the north, a block of forest rich in birds, and the savannah is home to giant anteaters, black caiman and, in the rivers, giant otters. Makushi and Wapishana communities live in villages across the grassland. Further north, the road runs through the Iwokrama rainforest reserve on its long way to Georgetown.

Beef from the ranches, cassava bread, farine, a toasted cassava meal, and pepperpot, a stew darkened with cassareep, are typical foods. An Easter-weekend rodeo draws vaqueros and crowds from across the region. The savannah is greenest during the rains in the middle of the year and golden and dusty for much of the rest.