Stuff you need backpacking around Guyana

Languages  English(Official, spoken by all), Creole, Amerindian dialects.

There are many fast foods and restaurants around Georgetown that one can go to eat. Some are: KFC - Stabroek, Vlissengen Road. The restaurant at the Windjammer Hotel, Queen Street Kitty. SPICY DISH, David Street, Kitty. Hacks Halaal, downtown Georgetown. OASIS Cafe, South Road, Georgetown. DEMICO HOUSE & STEAK HOUSE - Stabroek, Campbellville, Main St, Kitty, Camp St. Popeye's - Vlissengen Road Pizza Hut - Vlissengen Road City Mall - Regent St New Thriving Chinese Restaurant - Kitty, Brickdam The Diner - Regent St Dutch Bottle Cafe - North Road In addition, there are a few Brazilian restaurants scattered around the town, for those who'd like to enjoy the flavour from the south.

The most popular national drink is Caribbean-style dark rum. Some national favorites are XM "10" Year OLD, produced by local beverage giant BANKS DIH Limited, and El Dorado and X-tra Mature which both offer 5, 10, 12 and 25 year varieties. El Dorado also offers a 15 year old variety which has won the "Best Rum in the World" award since 1999. Mix the cheaper ones with Coke or coconut water if you please. All are quality enough to drink neat or by themselves with the 25 year-olds comparing with high-quality scotch. BANKS BEER produced by local beverage giant BANKS DIH Limited is the National beer. It comes in a lager and a stout (Milk Stout)The beverage giant also bottles and distributes HEINEKEN Beer and GUINESS Stout under license. Also available are the lighter Carib (Trinidad and Tobago) and darker Mackeson's. Guinness is brewed locally under license and is a bit sweeter than its Irish counterpart, but just as good. Polar (Venezuelan) and Skol (Brazilian) can be found randomly throughout the country. You can also find Heineken and Corona at posher bars in Georgetown.

With an exchange rate of ~186 Guyana Dollars per US Dollar, Guyana's has great shopping with amazing bargains. There are numerous markets and recently, shopping malls, in Guyana. Stabroek Market is a quaint market located in Georgetown. Trips to the market for tourists are best done in groups or with a local with whom you feel comfortable. Muggings are possible but not frequent.It is the largest in Georgetown. The City Mall on regent Street is the most modern of its kind in Georgetown and many tourist stores are located here. The central downtown shpping area is bounded by Hadfield Street on the South of the city, Water Street to the West, Albert Street to the East and Middle Street to the North. most of the city's stores, supermarkets, boutiques and restaurants can be found within this zone. Every item a person could want can be purchased in the many stores in Guyana. Guyana is also noted for its exceptional gold jewellery. There are several well known places where you can get quality handcrafted pieces, some of them being TOPAZ Jewellers on Crown and Oronoque Streets in Queenstown; GASKIN & JACKSON jewellers on Camp Sreet; KINGS JEWELRY WORLD on Quamina Street with a branch on Middle Street; and Fine Jewelry by Niko's", located on Church Street. Lots of locally made and beautiful crafts ranging from paintings; to sculpture; to leather purses, satchels, wallets; hand-painted, tie-dyed and batik(ed) fabrics, pressed flowers, sun hats; semi-precious stones and hand-crafted costume jelellry using indigenous materials, can be purchased at an esplanade outside the Central Post-Office near the National Museum in downtown Georgetown. Ask around and you'll find out about the craft and gift shoppe as well as Gallery owned and operated by Ms. LIZ DEANE-HUGHES on Hadfield Street. Ask around too about designs by local and internationally acclaimed fashion designers, Michelle Cole, Pat Coates, and Roger Gary.