Holidays in Guyana with my dog
How to organize your vacation in Guyana with your dog? What are the important tips to have when going on vacation to Guyana with your dog? In this article, Claire tells you about her trip to Guyana with her dog!
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Today, I suggest a holiday destination to test with your dog, totally new and heavenly! Guyana. As I've never been there with Musher, I'm going to let Looping and Claire speak, who have just returned from two wonderful stays in Guyana. Still all tanned, they tell you about their long journeys down to the smallest detail… Fasten your seatbelts and have a good trip with Claire and her dog.
Looping, border collie
My name is Claire, I am 25 years old and I am a nurse. I got a job at the new hospital center in western Guyana until August of this year. For 6 months, I have been married to the love of my life; the man who gave me Looping; 3 years ago now.
Looping is a 3 year old blue and white border collie. he is a very nice dog, a little shy with strangers but very exuberant with the people he loves. He loves herding horses. He has a thing for stuffed unicorns. He is sporty but really likes his little comfort!
The border collie are dogs that need to be stimulated intellectually and physically. They are very intelligent and just waiting to learn. They are also very good family dogs if they have their activity dose. And what's more, it's a very practical little model for travelling! Best for traveling Guyana therefore !
Other than that, we practice the canicross and cani mountain bike for 2 years together in competition. Looping always goes on adventures with us. Thanks to EmmèneTonChien.com it is more reassuring to organize the holidays. We have been to London, to the Ile de Ré, to the mountains… with him. Our motto is: “Never without our Loop!! “
With my job as a nurse, I always have the afternoon or morning free. So, I have time for my dog. Before Guyana we lived in Touraine, near Chenonceau and Chambord; my two favorite castles to go for sports or just for a walk.
Looping also loves going for walks with his friend Ness, a 13-year-old Selle Français. He doesn't let go when they're together.
Going to Guyana with your dog
My brother and his wife lived for a year in Guyana and they asked me to come with them. A professional opportunity presented itself to me and we decided to leave everything to go to Guyana. Before launching forever, we chose to test the country for 1 months.
I took my dog to the vet about 12 months before we left for Guyana, to see what steps to take. In the end, there was nothing special. The dog just needs to have a passport and up-to-date vaccinations. Nothing is compulsory but it is highly recommended. It is necessary to provide a special anti-flea treatment for the tropics and a small treatment to relax the dog without sedate him so that his plane trip goes well.
To make my dog travel by plane, I put a thick carpet in his transport container as well as 2 stuffed animals, a t-shirt from my husband and his bowl of water. After 10 hours of travel with our dog, we arrived in Guyana and picked up our baby at the airport. Good to know: in Roissy airport, it is possible to walk with the dog on a leash without any problem but not in the airport of Cayenne in Guyana.
The acclimatization of my dog in Guyana
The first 4-5 days my dog was a little hot in Guyana. We only took it out in the morning and evening. He took advantage of the ventilation during the day. He lost all his winter hair because yes he left France with temperatures of -1° whereas when he arrived in Guyana, it was 30°. After 4-5 brushings, it was noticeably more comfortable.
For his diet, unfortunately, I had to change everything… Looping took semi-moist croquettes that are difficult to find in Guyana. I had to change brands and adapt to what I found there.
The stages of the trip to Guyana with my dog
The locals are not very dog-friendly because in their culture the “dagous” (dog in BoushiNengué) were used to capture slaves who had fled on the maroni. Slavery has only been abolished for 200 years, so it is still firmly rooted in our customs.
A few years ago, it was not uncommon to come across packs of wild dogs in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. The new generations are more “open” and the expansion of employment, education, security and medical services have something to do with it. The jobs are mostly occupied by metropolitans who very often come with their dogs from France.
I met a lot of metropolitans with their dogs in Guyana. They are always super happy to meet other metropolitans with dogs.
We visited Cayenne, Chief town of Guyana, sadly famous, because of the penal colony of which there are still some vestiges to this day. Cayenne is a fascinating and unique place that is hard to leave once you set foot there.
The city is characterized by its magnificent old houses of the Creole type which are found especially in the city center. Cayenne, although launched on the path of modernism, has managed to preserve its traditional aspect through the monuments and historical sites present in the city.
One of the real interests of Cayenne is its magnificent market called the Central Market. It opens its doors on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday mornings. The population generally goes there to buy fresh local products. People also come here to eat on site, as for the many visitors, they find souvenirs and presents of all kinds to take with them.
Cayenne is also: the local Museum of Guyana (Franconia Museum) and the Museum of Guyanese cultures. Afterwards, you can take a short break at the ocean. It offers a few dog-friendly beaches near the city center.
Also discover the Rorota hike. It's a wonderful little nature break. Seven kilometers in the forest on marked and maintained trails. We were able to come across small monkeys there.
You can also visit Kourou in Guyana. It is the launch site of the ARIANE rocket in particular. You can visit the space museum. Dogs are forbidden but they can wait in the shade. That's what we did and we took turns monitoring Looping. If you're lucky you might see a rocket take off...
From Kourou there are also islands of salvation.
To discover the Iles du Salut, La Société Promaritime Guyane will take you to Ile Royale in a 98-seater motor catamaran. And it's free for dogs, great!
The Iles du Salut form a group of 3 islands located 8 miles (15 km) off Kourou. The main island is called Royale, the second Île Saint-Joseph and the third Île du Diable. We only did Isle Royale.
Saint Laurent du Maroni is a colorful city especially during the carnival period. SLM is known in particular for its Transportation camp. Closed in 1953, it can be visited with a guide. I recommend it is a place steeped in history.
The Wednesday and Saturday morning local market is great. I go there every time with Looping, at first the boushi were very afraid of it but now it wanders around quietly.
I also invite you to visit Leprous Island, as its name suggests, it welcomed lepers during the penal colony. It's a small island 10 minutes by canoe from SLM, it's adorable and quiet, to see 🙂
Then you can discover Crique Crevette, a series of small waterfalls in the middle of the forest. The golden water is beautiful. After shrimp creek, discover: Serpent Creek, The shepherdess and the grizzly will welcome you to their home for a drink and you can access the creek they maintain, a magical place.
Terre Rouge is also to be seen, it is an Amerindian village, with access to the river. Is there a tree where we can dive? It's awesome. We were made very welcome.
The dog-friendly addresses of Claire and her dog in Guyana
In Cayenne, you can stay in the “gentilhommières” a very dog-friendly apartment/hotel, with a small interior courtyard and above all 10m from a very nice little beach. The canoes are not really authorized for dogs but if you plan the morning for an afternoon trip and the dog is discreet, it is not a problem to take him. It was banned at the Tipik Créole (Saint Laurent restaurant) but allowed on the terrace.
The little anecdote of Claire and her dog in Guyana
For now, one of my favorite moments was in the Salvation Islands, Looping to discover the monkeys. Several groups of small monkeys came down from the trees to come and see the dog really close, less than a meter away.
Looping has always been nimble in the trees but since we are in Guyana, it naturally climbs the trees above the creeks. He loves more than anything to bathe in the creeks.
Claire's last advice for going with her dog to Guyana
Do not apprehend the critters. Frankly, there are not that many mosquitoes. There are no more than in mainland France. And I haven't come across a single spider in 3 months. We only came across one snake and it was tiny. So don't panic 🙂 However, you have to treat your dog well against fleas. Every day, We must inspect the paws and brush it. Watch for wounds because in a tropical climate wounds can quickly evolve… You must rinse your dog after he has bathed and above all not let him wander anywhere.
The people are nice and helpful, you shouldn't come with preconceptions, however, as in all cities, there are places to avoid in the evening after 22 p.m., but otherwise you don't risk anything during the day. Guyana is a truly exotic trip. Kourou and Cayenne are highly urbanized, however Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is much less so. Tourism in SLM is not very developed and that's not so bad! You can enjoy the beaches and coves quietly. Most of the time we are even alone. Grand Santi Maripasoula et Saul are only accessible by canoe so they are less urbanized villages but it's Wow, magnificent!
What an expedition too W'ouf! So, did CLaire and Looping make you want to travel with your dog to Guyana? Musher and I wouldn't be totally against it… 🙂 but even if Claire hasn't come across any spiders yet, I'm too phobic to risk it… If you're still looking for destinations for your next vacation with your dog , also discover: Traveling with your dog in Canada, Visiting Bosnia with your dog, Go on holiday in Poland with your dog
Like Claire and Looping, share the Addresses Too W'ouf that you have tested with the entire Wouafer's community!