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Lethem is a town located in the border area in Guyana, situated in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of the South American Country. It was named after the Governor of British Guiana, Sir Gordon James Lethem. He was governor from 1946 to 12 April 1947. It is on the Takatu River that borders with Brazil and is opposite to the town of Bonfim. It is the capital of Region 9 and links to Georgetown villages. The Takutu River has a bridge known as the Takutu River Bridge and links the two countries. This bridge brings Brazilian goods to Georgetown harbor; a link between northern Brazil to the Atlantic coast port of Georgetown. The town is 280 feet above sea level. Lethem comes under Guyanese Highland plain. This region includes the cities Lethem and Paramakatoi. It is a non-Hispanic nation in South America along with Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.
This town is a part of Guyanese Rupununi savannah and includes lots of cashew trees and mango and coconut trees in its flora. There is a cashew processing plant in Lethem in St. Ignatius. Its main economy area are the plant and mineral extraction, and tourism. At Easter time, a rodeo event takes place which is a tourist attraction.
This place’s main events include Mashramani (Mash), Phagwah (Holi), and Deepavali (Diwali). This place is same as that of English-speaking Caribbean. It is also a founding member of the Caricom. Guyana is populated with Amerindians and is a blend of Indo-Guyanese (East Indian) and Afro-Guyanese (African) cultures like that of Trinidad. It has same types of food, festive events, music, sports, etc. to that of West Indies.
The town is a mixture of Caribbean and African culture and heritage. The official language is English but has a Caribbean accent to it. The others accents are Creole and Amerindian dialects. This place was initially a Dutch Colony and by 1815, British took its possession.

Attractions of Lethem and around in Guyana:
• Rupunni Savannah is in the southwestern part of Guyana. It is on the Brazilian border and the Rupinni River. This region has a land area of 15,000 square kilometers. It has termite mounds, creeks, and Amerindian villages and cattle ranches. To reach the Rupununi Savannah, pass the Iwokrama Rainforest which is a rainforest management.
• The Kanuku and the Moco Moco mountains and falls are the attractions of the place. The savannah divides the Kanuku Mountains into North and South Rupununi and this area is known for its mountains, fresh water systems, various Amerindian villages, large rustic cattle ranches and majestic termite mounds that are tall up to six feet.
• Rodeo Event: At Easter time, a rodeo event takes place which is a tourist attraction. It is said that this sport event turned cultural festival was introduced by an American from Dakota, named Ben Hart during the late nineteenth century. It became an annual tradition in the Rupununi by the local ranchers.
• Orinduik Falls: This is the most visited falls of Guyana. It is situated on a highland river called Ireng River. This river lies on the border of Brazil and Guyana and joins Takutu River and then the Amazon River. These falls fall from Pakaraima Mountains and create a beautiful scene. The name Orinduik Falls is given after Orduik, which is the Amerindian name of an aquatic plant present at the falls. There are several herbal plants here. The surroundings are soothing and relaxing and one can rejuvenate the mind and body. It is an eye for natural lovers and enjoyable site for children and family and one can also go for swimming here.
• Dadanawa, Guyana: This is also called as the Melville’s Ranch and is located on the Rupununi River in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana. It is spread over an area of 2,000 square miles. It is also known to be the largest and most isolated cattle ranch of the country. The name is based on an Amerindian name from of the local Wapishanan of a mountain, Dadinauwau, which is close to Dadanawa, Guyana.
• St. George’s Cathedral, Georgetown, also known as St. George’s Anglican Cathedral: It is situated on Church Street. This church has one of the tallest wooden structures in the world and is the second tallest wooden church with its height being about 43.5 meters.
• Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana: This Bridge is a floating toll bridge of length 6,074 feet long. It was opened in 2 July 1978 and is one of the longest floating bridges in the world. The construction of Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana was assisted and started under British Government. The bridge is 1.25 miles long and has 61 spans with even small crafts being able to pass through. This bridge links people of Georgetown to people living in West Bank Demerara and to enhance business and trade in the country.
• Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Guyana: This is a museum of anthropology that is one of the oldest museums of the country. It was open to public in 1982 though opened in 1974. It was run by a NGO of Government of Guyana. This museum houses collections and artifacts related to culture of Guyana.
• Kaieteur Falls: It is situated in the centre of Guyana and on the Potaro River. It is one of the natural wonders. It has a single drop of 741 feet which is the largest in the world. It is located in Kaieteur National Park. It has a series of cascades with a total height of 251 meters (822 ft). It is known to be five times higher than the Niagara Falls and two times the height of the Victoria Falls. It is the 123rd tallest according to the World Waterfalls Database and the 19th largest waterfall in terms of volume and in their estimation, the 26th most scenic waterfall in the world.
• Iwokrama Canopy Walkway: It was opened in 2003 of November. It is a 154 meter long Canopy Walkway from heights of 30 meters. One can see the birds like the Green Aracari, Scarlet Macaw, Guiana Toucanette or Channel-bill Toucan and Red Howler Monkeys.
• Providence Stadium: It is on the north bank of the Demerara River and is the largest sports stadium in the country. There is a mall near called Providence Mall.

Best time to visit / climate:
The climate is Tropical and moderated by northeast trade winds. There are two rainy seasons which are from May to mid-August and mid-November to mid-January. There is a threat of floods in the rainy seasons and so it is best to avoid this time for tourists.

Location on Google Maps:

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http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lethem,Guyana&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.863178,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lethem,+Upper+Takutu-Upper+Essequibo,+Guyana&z=12

How to get there:

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to visit Guyana: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Luxembourg, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States.

By plane:
Trans Guyana Airways and Roraima Airways have daily flights between Georgetown and Lethem. There is a small municipal airport in Lethem. The flights go between the Ogle airport on the East Coast and the Lethem airstrip which is about two hours.
The Timehri international airport which was named in honor of the indigineous displaced peoples of Guyana and which was renamed Cheddi Jagan International Airport. There are daily international flights into and out of Cheddi Jagan International Airport which is about 40km south of Georgetown. International flights include flights to the US, Canada, UK and the Caribbean with Caribbean Airlines.

By car:
The road link from Bonfim in the Brazilian state of Roraima to Lethem is the only way to the Guyana Coast. The road between the capital of the Brazilian state of Boa Vista and Bonfim has been a highway.

Get around:
Minibuses travel throughout Guyana and are the cheapest way to travel. Many parts of Guyana are separated by large rivers which can be traversed by way of river taxi. Taxis are a good way to get around in Georgetown or also rent cars.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Virtualtourist.com
• Tripadvisor
• Yahoo Travel
• guyanahotels.com

Blogs / Sites about Lethem:

• Travelblog.com
• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.org
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/guyana/

Images and photos of Lethem:

• Google Search
• http://www.maplandia.com/guyana/airports/lethem-airport/

Videos from youtube for Lethem:

Georgetown to Lethem

Moco-moco Falls, Lethem-Guyana