Skeldon

If you would like to experience a vacation where you can literally get away from it all, try Skeldon, a small town located in the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. The region is most notable for being the only one in the country to include features of all four of its geographic regions – forested highland, coastal plain, intermediate savannah and hilly and sandy clay area. Skeldon’s major industry is sugar production, and the Guyana Sugar Corporation, the country’s main sugar processor, maintains a factory there.

The area has a laid-back ambiance but there is very little in the way of entertainment or nightlife. There are no large theaters and restaurants, and the cinemas screen mainly Indian films. There are up to six available TV channels, which mostly screen either local programming or pirated American or Indian films, many of which have very graphic sexual or violent content. The bars are mainly for men, where the customers play cards or dominoes while downing beer, rum and vodka. The electricity supply is also rather erratic, and power interruptions are a way of life.

There is a beach, no. 63, located some 10 miles from the town of Covington, which is a popular gathering place on weekends and public holidays for tourists and locals. The beach can become rather boisterous after a while, and it is quite common for men to begin dancing which each other (which is acceptable here). Transport around the area is mainly through the local mini-buses (known as tapirs).

For tourists willing to endure the rustic lifestyle, however, the area has a surprisingly high standard of living. There is an abundance of fresh food available, which means people are generally very healthy, and the chance of contracting malaria is very rare.