Backyard Café

Guyana

　　This unique cultural experience is quickly becoming a phenomenon in Georgetown, with anyone interested in Guyanese cooking heading to eat in Delven Adam's backyard. He serves an extraordinarily varied and creative feast, informed by years of working in restaurants in the US before he headed back to his native Guyana....

Shanta's

Guyana

　　For more than a half century, simple Shanta's has been filling Georgetown's bellies with the best roti, curries and chokas (roasted vegetables) this side of India. It's unbelievably inexpensive considering how delicious the food is. Try everything. ...

Aagman Indian Restaurant

Guyana

　　The best Indian food in town is rather a way from downtown, but it's well worth the trip by cab. The menu is huge and takes in all the classics, including tandoori dishes, vegetarian options and scores of curries. The attractive dining room is decked out like an Indian fantasy...

Shell Beach

Guyana

　　This is one of the least developed areas of the entire South American coastline; the only human additions are in the form of temporary fishing huts and small Amerindian settlements. The beach here has sadly been all but washed away in recent years as coastal erosion is a huge problem....

Orinduik Falls

Guyana

　　Often added as a second stop on a day trip to Kaieteur Falls, Orinduik is a collection of far smaller waterfalls cascading over several levels where you can bathe and swim. A nearby airstrip allows for easy access from Kaieteur before returning to Georgetown. ...

Marshall Falls

Guyana

　　These lovely fast-flowing cascades, deep in the jungle, are wonderfully interactive; you can clamber under them, swim in various pools, take massage-showers as the golden-brown water thumps your back or just chill in a natural 'Jacuzzi'. The falls are a 1½ hour boat trip from Bartica, followed by a 30-minute...

Canopy Walkway

Guyana

　　Iwokrama's Canopy Walkway, 60km east of the river crossing and the Iwokrama River Lodge, is a series of walkways 30m above the forest floor, connecting several platforms that offer bird's-eye views of native greenheart trees, high-dwelling red howler monkeys and lots of birds. Dawn and late afternoon are the best...

Kaieteur Falls

Guyana

　　You may have been to Salto Ángel or Iguazú Falls, seen Niagara or not even be particularly interested in waterfalls, but it doesn't matter: go to Kaieteur Falls. Watching 1140 metric tons of water shooting over a 250m cliff (the world's highest single-drop falls) in the middle of an ancient...

Sambadromo Carnaval

Paraguay

　　The Sambadromo (Carnival parade ground) is along Av Costanera, which is Encarnación's main strip for nightlife. Outside of Carnival season it is used for other events. ...

Museo del Barro

Paraguay

　　Everyone's favorite, Museo del Barro displays everything from modern paintings to pre-Columbian and indigenous crafts, to political caricatures of prominent Paraguayans. ...

Chaco Lodge

Paraguay

　　Chaco Lodge is a forest reserve around a large salt lake famous for its flamingos. It is one of the last in the area to dry out, and is accessible only during dry weather. It's a great place to camp. Norbert Epp, the owner can arrange private trips. ...

Casa de la Independencia

Paraguay

　　The Casa de la Independencia dates from 1772 and is where Paraguay became the first country on the continent to declare its independence in 1811. Rooms are decked out in period furniture and displays contain items belonging to significant figures in the bloodless revolution. ...

Panteón de los Héroes

Paraguay

　　Asunción's most instantly recognizable building, the imposing Panteón de los Héroes protects the remains of Mariscal Francisco Solano López and other key figures from Paraguay's historical conflicts. There is a regular changing of the guard with all the usual pomp and ceremony. ...

Museo Jesuítica de Santa Fe

Paraguay

　　A must-see for those interested in Jesuit history, housing fine examples of religious carving. The indigenous carvers were taught their trade by a Jesuit master who carved a miniature template, which was then copied full size by the students. The museum holds examples of both, glorious in their imperfections. ...

Trinidad

Paraguay

　　A visually striking red-sandstone structure with an ornate style incorporating Roman arches, and strongly featuring the passion-flower motif, signature of the Italian architect Juan Prímoli. Founded in 1706, Guaraní people continued to inhabit the site after the expulsion of the Jesuits, until the collapse of the church dome was taken...

Yaguarón Church

Paraguay

　　This 18th-century Franciscan church is a landmark of colonial architecture that is not to be missed. The simple design of the exterior, with its separate wooden bell tower, belies the extraordinary beauty of the painted and carved interior, a masterpiece of religious art and one of the most ornate churches...

Gran Roque

Venezuela

　　Gran Roque is the main island and population center, and exudes a distinct Caribbean feel. The sandy streets of the fishing village are lined with single-story, brightly painted concrete houses and the waterfront is packed with fishing boats and visiting yachts - all covered by a vast army of pelicans....

Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada

Venezuela

　　The most popular high-mountain trekking area is the Sierra Nevada national park, which has all of Venezuela's highest peaks, including Pico Bolívar (5007m/16,427ft), Pico Humboldt (4942m/16,214ft) and Pico Bonpland (4883m/16,020ft). Climbing these peaks shouldn't be attempted without a guide, unless you have climbing experience. Guided trips are offered by most...

Salto Ángel (Angel Falls)

Venezuela

　　Thundering Angel Falls is the world's highest waterfall and Venezuela's number-one tourist attraction. Its total height is 979m (3211ft), of which the uninterrupted drop is 807m (2646ft), about 16 times the height of Niagara Falls. The cascade spills off the heart-shaped Auyantepui, one of the largest of the tepuis (sandstone-capped...

Museo de la Revolución Industrial

Uruguay

　　Possibly the words 'tour an old meat extraction plant' don't appear on your list of must-dos for Uruguay, but Museo de la Revolución Industrial highlights a major part of the country's history, when the British beef barons moved in and started the Uruguayan beef industry in earnest. ...

Parque Nacional Manu

Peru

　　This vast national park in the Amazon Basin covers almost 20,000 sq km and is one of the best places in South America to see a stunning variety of tropical wildlife. Progressive in its emphasis on preservation, Unesco declared Manu a Biosphere Reserve in 1977 and a World Natural Heritage...

Islas Ballestas

Peru

　　Grandiosely nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Galápagos,’ the Islas Ballestas make for a memorable excursion. The only way to get here is on a boat tour, offered by many tour agencies, touts and hotels. Tours leave at 8am, 10am and noon from the Marina Turística de Paracas. The 8am tour usually...

Reserva Nacional de Paracas

Peru

　　This vast desert reserve occupies most of the Península de Paracas and houses remote beaches backed by dramatic arid landscapes and plenty of wonderful wildlife. In front of the Centro de Interpretación near the park entrance there is a lookout from which it's possible to spot Chilean flamingos in the...

Huacas del Sol y de la Luna

Peru

　　If there's one must-see archaeological site in the region, this is it. The Temples of the Sun and the Moon, attributed to the Moche period, are more than 700 years older than Chan Chan, yet parts of the complex are remarkably well preserved. Located on the south bank of the...

Isla Amantaní

Peru

　　Of the small remote islands dotted around Lake Titicaca, Isla Amantaní is the least visited. Its population is just 4000, is a few kilometers north of the smaller Isla Taquile and many tours day trip through the region without continuing to Amantaní. Still, a stay here is unforgettable, and it's well worth...

Caral

Peru

　　Before metal or ceramic was invented and well before the Maya and Inca cultures ruled, there was Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas. Having dominated Peru’s coast from 3000-1800 BCE, Caral (also referred to as Norte Chico) would leave behind a massive complex, less than 130 miles from Peru’s...

Chavín de Huántar

Peru

　　In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most sophisticated early civilizations, and a Unesco World Heritage Site to boot. 　　Most visitors zip by on a day trip, ignoring...

Laguna Parón

Peru

　　The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca — a snowcapped range of the Andes in west central Peru — and a gorgeous natural reservoir, Laguna Paron is a unique destination for hikers, rock climbers and nature enthusiasts. 　　Located within the Huascaran National Park and 62 miles north of the hiking...

Kuélap

Peru

　　Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the Amazonas region. Overlooking the lush Utcubamba Valley, situated at 3000m (9842ft) above sea level, this remote pre-Inca site is spread over 15 acres, making it...

Tapichalaca Reserve

Ecuador

　　The small Tapichalaca Reserve, 75km south of Vilcabamba, protects one of Ecuador’s most rare and endangered birds, the jocotoco antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), which has fewer than 20 known breeding pairs. Some of the birds have been habituated to eating grubs put out by the caretaker, however, so a sighting is...

Parque Nacional Cajas

Ecuador

　　Only 30km west of Cuenca, Parque Nacional Cajas encompasses 2854 sq km of golden moor-like páramo (high-altitude grassland) dotted with hundreds of chilly lakes that shine like jewels against a bleak, rough countryside. ...

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

Ecuador

　　The centerpiece of Ecuador's most popular national park is the snowcapped and downright picture-perfect Volcán Cotopaxi. At 5897m, it's Ecuador's second-highest peak. Around the volcano you'll find outstanding hiking opportunities and wildlife such as the Andean condor, white-tailed deer, little red brocket deer and wily colpeo (Andean fox). 　　Within the...

Jamu Lodge

Ecuador

　　Squirrel monkeys cavort above the walkways at highly rated Jamu lodge, where the jungle feels close at hand. Dugout-canoe trips, walks through swamps knee-deep in mud to spot the likes of anacondas and pink river dolphins, swims in lagoons and memorable nighttime excursions all contribute to a vivid wilderness experience....

Laguna Quilotoa

Ecuador

　　About 14km north of Zumbahua, the famous volcanic-crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa is a gasp-inducing sight. A lookout on the precipitous crater rim offers stunning views of the mirror-green lake 400m below (it glows phosphorescent green near some of the rocky edges) and the snowcapped peaks of Cotopaxi and Iliniza...

Parque Nacional Sangay

Ecuador

　　This 2710-sq-km national park contains three of Ecuador’s most magnificent volcanoes – the mightily active Sangay, the remittently active Tungurahua and the extinct El Altar. Because the park ranges from glaciated mountain tops to tropical rainforests, it offers flora, fauna and terrain of immense diversity. The two official park entrances...

Parque Nacional Yasuní

Ecuador

　　Yasuní is Ecuador’s biggest mainland park at 9820 sq km, boasting all manner of terrain from marshes to rivers to tropical rainforest. A Unesco Biosphere Reserve, it has more than 600 bird species (including harpy eagles) as well as jaguars, pumas and tapirs. ...

Parque Nacional Machalilla

Ecuador

　　Preserving isolated beaches, coral formations, two offshore islands, tropical dry forest, coastal cloud forest, archaeological sites and 200 sq km of ocean, Ecuador's only coastal national park is a marvelous and unique destination. Within its nature-rich, strange-looking forest are more than 200 species of birds, including coastal parrots and parakeets,...

Ingapirca

Ecuador

　　Ecuador’s best-preserved archaeological site, Ingapirca, with its semi-intact temple, grazing llamas and open fields, is definitely worth a stopover if you are headed this way. The ruins were originally used by the Cañari people as an observatory. The strategic site was later taken over and developed by the Inca during...

Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo

Ecuador

　　Volcán Chimborazo and Volcán Carihuairazo are both within the Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo. It is called a ‘fauna-production reserve’ because it is home to hundreds of vicuña (a wild relative of the llama). Once hunted to extinction, they were donated by Chile and Bolivia in the 1980s. Now...

Reserva de Producción Faunística Cuyabeno

Ecuador

　　This beautiful reserve is a unique flooded rainforest covering 6034 sq km around Río Cuyabeno. Seasonally inundated with water, the flooded forest provides a home to diverse aquatic species and birdlife. Macrolobium and ceiba treetops thrust out from the underwater forest, creating a stunning visual effect. The blackwater rivers, rich...

Podocarpus National Park

Ecuador

　　This national park fills in much of the triangle between Loja, Zamora and Vilcabamba, as well as a huge swath to the southeast. Because altitude ranges so greatly within the park borders – from around 900m in the lowland sector to over 3600m in the highland sector – Podocarpus has...

Volcán Alcedo

Ecuador

　　The summit of this volcano (1097m) is famous for its 7km-wide caldera and steaming fumaroles. Hundreds of giant tortoises can be seen here, especially from June to December, and juvenile hawks soar on thermal updrafts. The view is fantastic. Permits are required to hike this long, steep and waterless trail...

El Chato Tortoise Reserve

Ecuador

　　South of Santa Rosa is El Chato Tortoise Reserve, where you can observe giant tortoises in the wild. When these virtually catatonic, prehistoric-looking beasts extend their accordion-like necks to feed, it’s an impressive sight. The reserve is also a good place to look for short-eared owls, Darwin’s finches, yellow warblers,...

León Dormido

Ecuador

　　About an hour’s boat ride northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is León Dormido (Kicker Rock), so named because of its resemblance to a sleeping lion. León Dormido is an imposing, vertical, sheer-walled tuff cone that has been eroded in half; smaller boats can sail between the two rocks. Because there’s...

Parque Arqueológico

Colombia

　　Scattered across the hills around the little town of San Andrés de Pisimbalá, Tierradentro's Parque Arqueológico includes four tomb sites, an above-ground statuary and two museums. Tickets for the Parque Arqueológico are inside the museum complex, a 25-minute walk from the town. You're given a 'passport,' valid for two consecutive...