The Potaro region in Guyana is best known for being home to the Potaro River, where the world-famous Kaieteur Falls are located. The Kaieteur Falls are a magnet for tourists wanting to immerse themselves in the area’s rich flora and fauna. While it is often mistakenly referred to as having the tallest single drop, it is still taller than other more renowned waterfalls, such as the Niagara Falls and the Victoria Falls. One distinction it can honestly claim, however, is that of being one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, with an average volume of 23,400 cubic feet per second.
The Falls are located within the Kaieteur National Park, which in turn lies inside one of the biggest and most diverse rainforests in the world. Covering 30,000 square miles, it is bordered by the Amazon River on the south, the Atlantic to the east and the Sierra de Chiribiquete Mountains at its western end.
Tourists who would like to experience getting to Kaieteur Falls the way the first European settlers to Guyana did can opt to take a three to five-day overland trek from the town of Mahdia. The trek ends at the base of the waterfall, from where tourists can climb to the top. Once there, they can stay overnight at the Kaieteur Guest House, where they can lounge at the veranda and enjoy a magnificent view of the falls, watch the flight of swifts first thing in the morning, and view the unequalled and unique phenomenon of the night fog, a rectangular cloud that extends horizontally only over the upper part of the Potaro River.