Category: Green

Is Guyana Safe?

by Anil Polat | Sep 14, 2023 | Green, Security | 0

Summarizing the security situation of an entire country is a broad question that requires a nuanced answer and Guyana is no different. It is however true that Guyana has a bad safety reputation and for a long time didn’t see many tourists. With the current boom in oil, discovered just a few years ago, Guyana is seeing many more visitors than ever, perhaps including you.

Here’s a look at how safe Guyana is and what it’s like traveling there from a security perspective.

Let’s Talk Cities

Most tourists to Guyana are going to be flying in through the capital city Georgetown. A sleepy city that can be tough to navigate if you’re on your own. The strong year round sun makes wandering an obstacle not to mention the few touristic sites that are in the city aren’t very close to one another. A car is going to be your primary mode of transportation but the taxis (most of which don’t have meters) are their own type of adventure.

It’s much easier to get transportation as well as spend a few days in Guyana being shown around by a local guide when you are in Georgetown. The capital is a 1 to 3 day stop that will satiate most travelers and a guide (roughly $60 a day but you will have to negotiate) will be able to maximize your time there.

Georgetown has a fairly high crime rate but using a guide helps reduce your chances of being a target. You’ll be able to visit some of the markets, popular food places, and use your phone and camera with an extra set of eyes who knows the territory.

Jungle And Beyond

Leaving Georgetown and the other larger cities in Guyana, which is mostly rain forest, is another but calmer story. In places like Kaieteur Falls, which is just a 45 minute small plan ride toward the interior, there’s fewer people and much less crime. In the Amazon, the sun, heat, and dehydration are your biggest dangers but nothing a prepared traveler can’t handle.

In the jungle the common dangers of the city, robbery, mugging, and pick-pocketing, are not considered major threats.

Adjusting Your Style

Back to the cities, some solid advice is not to wear jewelry, flash any valuables (a good guide will let you when you can break out the fancy camera), and know where you’re going. Avoid wandering down streets or areas you are not familiar with and always check with your plans and route with your hotel or accommodation.

There is a lot of see in Guyana – especially in the Amazon – but seeing parts of Georgetown with a bit of help is not as daunting as the statistics might suggest.

How To Spend 3 Days In Guyana

by Anil Polat | Aug 17, 2023 | Advice, Green, Lodging | 0

Located in the north part of South America, Guyana is a country that isn’t the easiest place to plan. There isn’t a lot of current information online, things change on the ground rapidly, and tourism is barely an industry here. You might be interested in visiting the rain forest, 85% of Guyana is blessed by it, wanting to travel to unique destinations, or coming on a business trip as part of the ongoing oil boom.

No matter what your objectives, here is your introduction to Guyana.

Accommodation Expectation

Lodging in Guyana is relatively expensive, especially in the capital city of Georgetown. Rates hover around $100, often regardless of the quality, though there are good places to stay if you book early. In general, the few big chains in Guyana, like Marriott, overcharge obscenely. Your better off looking at local accommodation like the El Dorado, which has large rooms, classic design, and is centrally located. Also in Georgetown is Fireside Suites, more of an apartment style rental, with some of the best staff and service you’ll find anywhere.

Outside of Georgetown, accommodation in the jungle is less prevalent but there are good options at reasonable rates with more being built in expectation of more tourists.

Starting In Georgetown

Small but bustling Georgetown is a city you can efficiently get a feel for in a couple of days. Start by eating at Shanta’s Puri Shop for the classic any-time-of-the-day snack, roti. That flattened and fried lentil patty filled with curried chickpeas and optional meats is a Guyanese classic and Shanta’s is considered one of the best places to enjoy local dishes. You can then head to the Bourda Market (a guide is recommended) to catch a flavor of daily life, then grab a meal at Bettencourt. Known for its creole home foods, Bettencourt is an excellent spot for a large lunch of cookup – flavored rice with meat or fish, washed down with a coconut water.

Additionally you can head to the National Park and hand feed wild manatees (free) and visit Aagman for some of the best Indian food in the Americas. Oasis is an option for breakfast as well if you’re in the mood for a more European vibe but if you’re heading to Guyana, don’t get stuck in the cities.

Kaieteur Falls

A short 45 minute small plane ride from Georgetown, Kaieteur Falls are the world’s single largest waterfall drop. The journey will take you over the rain forest, where the pilot will take a few strategic turns to get you aerial views before you land. Once on the ground you’ll be taken by a guide to hike through the jungle (about 2 hours total) and learn about the plants, medicines, and nature of the area. Along the way you’ll stop at several lookout points and get amazing views of Kaieteur Falls as you hear about the local legends that give them their name.

Guyana is a country full of things to eat, see, and do but not the most porous when it comes to travel information. This guide is just a start to your trip that can take you to many places, often unplanned.

The Best Photos Of Caye Caulker Belize

by Anil Polat | Jan 26, 2023 | Food, Green, Pictures and Video, Travel | 2

The small island a few kilometers off the coast of Belize, Caye Caulker has many reputations. One for backpackers, divers, and slow travelers. In other words, there’s a little bit of something for everyone on this tiny tropical island. Although it’s only 8 kilometers long and an eighth that wide, Caye Caulker provides variety for those who come to visit.

Similarly, throughout the day Caye Caulker shines in all sorts of light. These are some of the best photos of Caye Caulker, Belize.

The view from a hammock at sunrise. Life on Caye Caulker tends to get a late start but if you’re up early, the orange skies are worth it.

A short plane ride away, views of the Great Blue Hole. Here’s how you can visit the Great Blue Hole too.

Some ceviche to start the day at one of the best places to eat on Caye Caulker.

Getting to Caye Caulker from Belize City isn’t difficult but knowing the process beforehand makes it much easier.

Breakfast on Caye Caulker.

So many sunsets on Caye Caulker.

As well as sunrises.

Perhaps you’re interested in buying your own private island nearby or just want to hang out on Caye Caulker. It’s there for you, all hours, for any type of traveler.

The Best Vegan And Vegetarian Restaurants In Antigua, Guatemala

by Anil Polat | Jul 21, 2022 | Culture, Food, Green, Health and Fitness, Travel | 0

caoba farms antigua guatemala

Antigua is the gateway to Guatemala for most tourists to the country and serves as a culinary introduction to one of the world’s most underrated cuisines. A mix of Mayan dishes with Spanish influences, Guatemalan plates are colorful blends of unexpected flavors. Meat is plentiful but so are vegan and vegetarian options.

These are the best restaurants in Antigua to find vegan and vegetarian food.

1. Coaba Farms

There are few restaurants where you can see and eat just meters away from where your food is grown. Coaba Farms is open a few days a week and serves breakfast through dinner. Plates of food with ingredients grown and produced on Coaba’s land, there’s something for everyone. Meat or vegan options, from the cheese to the milks, it’s your choice. No matter what meal you go with, make sure to walk around the farms, visit the shop, or stay for a yoga session.

2. Wachuma

A specifically vegan restaurant that doesn’t stray far from Guatemalan tipicas (typical) dishes. Cheeses are substituted for vegan alternatives, there’s a wide selection of deserts and everything is cooked to order at Wachuma.

3. Samsara

Although Samsara leans into Asian fusion it’s a good vegetarian restaurant that as an extensive menu. From shakes to soups, salads and Thai to Indian dishes, Samsara can add variety to your meals during your stay in Antigua.

4. Y Tu Pina Tabien

y tu pina tambien guatemala antigua

Not a specifically vegetarian restaurant, Y Tu Pina Tambien features a variety of veg and vegan dishes. Breakfast is their specialty to be sure to visit during the morning hours for their specialty omelettes, cheese avocados, and excellent coffee.

5. Fat Cat Coffee House

fat cat coffee antigua guatemala

In addition to their exceptional coffee (in a town where the competition is fierce) Fat Cat Coffee House has a variety of vegan snacks and health food options. Go for their massive fruit oatmeal with oat milk and enjoy a strong cup of their best java.

6. Cafe Cafe

cafe cafe antigua guatemala

Food fresh to order and a kitchen that serves up dishes that are a fusion of Guatemalan and international cuisines. There’s options for meat eaters and vegans but both offerings at Cafe Cafe are sourced from local ingredients.

Kitchens For Everyone

Antigua has a unique culinary landscape not only because if its location in the heart of Guatemala but like many of its indigenous ingredients, they’re blended, mixed, and made into an endless variety of deliciousness. Particularly for non-meat eaters who might be thinking a good, local meal will be hard to find in a region that indeed loves meats, Antigua will be pleasantly surprising for anyone who likes to eat.

How Much Does It Cost To Buy Your Own Private Island?

by Anil Polat | Jun 23, 2022 | Green, Lodging, Money, Pictures and Video | 0

The thought of buying a tropical island is one many of us have dreamed of. Now imagine you asked a bunch of those people to chip in some money and actually buy an island. Well, that’s essentially what Marshall Mayer did with his Let’s Buy An Island project, resulting in the world’s first crowdfunded island.

The goal began to buy an island- any island – and potentially as more people invested, they could afford something nicer than a tiny river island in northern Canada. Let’s Buy An Island reached well beyond its initial goal in 2018 and ended up purchasing Coffee Caye off the coast of Belize. Now, it’s poised to become a micronation, offering citizenship to what’s being called Islandia.

Marshall was a guest on the foXnoMad Podcast where we talked about how Let’s Buy An Island came to be and what forming a micronation is like. It’s a fun discussion on the logistics of turning a dream into a tangible… in this case, island. You can listen to the episode here or watch it in full in the video above.

I also happened to be headed to Caye Caulker Belize two weeks after our conversation and guess who made it to Islandia? The plans for the island, mainly a vacation rental property that will make your friends jealous, hasn’t been built yet but it was an adventure just getting there. You can watch the entire trip in the video here.

NxTSTOP Makes Travel Pants You Actually Want To Wear

by Anil Polat | Aug 5, 2021 | Green, Health and Fitness, Travel | 0

This post is sponsored by NxTSTOP. [What is this?]

Design and function don’t always meet elegantly in travel apparel, often leading to compromises on one end of the spectrum or the other. You don’t want to look like a dork when traveling, or if you choose to, end up hiding your travel clothes in a closet when you get home. NxTSTOP has developed a travel apparel line with fashion in mind, without giving up on making a durable, useful, travel product.

The Look

Right out of the box, NxTSTOP ships its clothes in compostable packaging, part of their broader sustainability efforts to use recycled, organic, and biodegradable materials. When you put them on, NxTSTOP’s Airway Travel Pant is sleek down the leg, thanks to a wrinkle resistant blend of 90% recycled nylon and 10% spandex with a bio-based finish that is also antimicrobial and sustainable. That combination of fabrics gives you durability with flexibility, not to mention moisture resistant quick drying pants. The right amount of stretch makes them especially comfortable when walking, with enough structure that they stay straight and always look perfectly ironed. Having the balanced amount of elasticity accentuates their slim look for a variety of body types.

NxTSTOP applied a finish to the fabric called HyProtecht a Swiss antimicrobial technology that protects the fabric against contamination by germs. The finish was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it works across a variety of microbes, including odor causing bacteria. (Microbes just love making a stink out of your sweat.)

Integrating Function

As part of NxTSTOP’s TravleisureⓇ design the exterior four pockets (one on each side, and two on the back) all have discrete zippers for pick-pocketing protection but can also be left open when you just need to warm your hands or look coy. Using black on black coloring with thin zipper lines means they don’t distract or takeaway from the overall aesthetic. The same goes for the NxTSTOP airplane logo on the thigh and branding by the ankle.

Subtle design choices continue to work their way into the inseam, where NxTSTOP has put a drawstring on the interior for quick adjustments, in addition to the more traditionally positioned belt loops.

Caring for the Airway Travel Pant is also straightforward – good when you’re on the road and need ubiquitous laundry options. Cold water wash with a tumble or air dry and the Airway Travel Pant is back to new, satisfyingly without wrinkles.

How They Feel

The Airway Travel Pant has a light feel when worn, helping to maintain a good temperature balance in both cold and warm weather. Comfortable and smooth, the Airway Travel Pant can be worn on a hike, day of sightseeing, or when you need a more formal look. Versatility in your clothing comes in handy when traveling since you can carry less clothes, if the clothes you have can be used for a variety of occasions.

Fortunately, NxTSTOP has an entire apparel line that can help with your travel planning. Their tops, like the Transit Bamboo Silver Ion Long-Sleeve Tee are also moisture wicking, odor resistant, light, and breathe well for planes, plains, or plain old home. You’ll find throughout the ethos of NxTSTOP is comfortable, functional minimalistic apparel made sustainably.

Take their Ultrasoft Compression Travel Socks, which are also temperature regulating, help promote circulation on long flights, and can be found in black, grey, or blue depending on your tastes. The use of nylon, mixed with polyester and spandex give a comfortable stretch while remaining light is a feel NxTSTOP have integrated across their apparel line.

A lot of travel clothing tends to focus on standing out in functionality without considering who’s going to actually wear the clothes they’re making. NxTSTOP has designed clothes that can travel but aren’t limited to far away places.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More