Giant Tank Bromeliad (Brocchinia micrantha) with Kaieteur Falls in the background, Kaieteur National Park, Guyana, South America

Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

Kaieteur Falls

Top choice in Guyana


You may have been to Salto Ángel or Iguazú Falls, seen Niagara or not even be particularly interested in waterfalls, but it doesn't matter: go to Kaieteur Falls. Watching 1140 metric tons of water shooting over a 250m cliff (the world's highest single-drop falls) in the middle of an ancient jungle with few tourists in sight is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Depending on the season, the falls are from 76m to 122m wide. The trail approaching the falls is home to scarlet Guianan cock-of-the-rock birds, and miniscule golden frogs (best seen in the rainy season and/or in the morning), which produce a potentially fatal poison.