Why visit french guiana

Only a few places along the coast are readily accessible. Our top French Guiana Holiday. See all our French Guiana Holidays. Travel Team. If you'd like to chat about French Guiana or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.

Consisting mostly of dense, humid jungle, French Guiana is largely untamed and not a country you can explore widely, with travel often frustratingly difficult.

Places to visit are concentrated along the coast, and even newly paved roads are potholed and ferns sprout from between kerbs, as the jungle refuses to be pushed back. Tours here always take in neighbouring countries, typically Suriname and Guyana. Canoe shuttles will ferry you over the Maroni River from Suriname and into French Guiana at Saint Laurent, and a paved road takes you the km to Kourou. Give us a call to help with your itinerary.

Cayenne 2. Centre Spatial Guyanais 3. Iles du Salut 4. Kourou 5. Maroni River 6. St Laurent. If it were a proper independent county it would also be the smallest one on the South American cone. As such, and despite the geographical distance of a few thousand miles, it is legally part of the European Union with the euro its currency and is administered from the French motherland, on which it is also heavily dependent. In terms of dark tourism, it is the fact that France used this far-away tropical place as a penal colony for almost a whole century from the mids until just after WWII.

But that was only a small part of the penal colony system. Today two main sites remain and have partly been commodified for tourism:. As the Spanish and Portuguese left this inaccessible part of South American coast untouched it was for the Dutch , British and French to scramble over it.

France ended up with the south-easternmost chunk, also the smallest. Initial attempts by Europeans at establishing a foothold were thwarted by the natives who fended them off … and by the sheer inhospitableness of the hot and humid environment full of disease and a hostile flora and fauna.

While France too had its part in colonialism , slavery and plantations, here this had less effect on the landscape — especially compared to the coastal strips of its western neighbours. In Suriname and Guyana large tracts of the inland just off the coast are visibly marked by the squares of the sugar cane plantation fields — and the drainage canals that made them possible. You can clearly make these out on Google Maps as you scan along the coastal lands. Instead the coast is still mostly characterized by swampy mangroves.

Unfortunately, illegal gold mining mostly by Brazilians sneaking in in large numbers is currently threatening this state of affairs, but the French are trying to curb this development.

A majority of the only ca. In the inland, Amerindians and Maroons descendants of escaped slaves dominate the sparse population.

There are also a few Asian immigrants, esp. Chinese and a ca. Interestingly, it is this latter group that is the most active in agriculture, providing the bulk of the home-grown fruit and veg to the country. Economically , French Guiana has always been heavily dependent on metropolitan France.

The upkeep of this colony costs the Grand Nation a fortune, but there is no sign of it letting go of this far-away land. Instead France has put a clear stamp on the local culture. That was pretty much an impression I also got. Today a main reason for this insistence on Frenchness is of course Kourou. The flu season usually runs from November to April in the northern hemisphere, between April and October in the southern hemisphere and year round in the tropics. Influenza flu is caused by a virus spread from person to person when they cough or sneeze or by touching objects and surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus.

Get the flu shot. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air. Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles.

Yellow fever is a disease caused by a flavivirus from the bite of an infected mosquito. Travellers get vaccinated either because it is required to enter a country or because it is recommended for their protection. About Yellow Fever. It is recommended that you contact the nearest diplomatic or consular office of the destination s you will be visiting to verify any additional entry requirements.

Travellers to any destination in the world can develop travellers' diarrhea from consuming contaminated water or food. In some areas in South America, food and water can also carry diseases like cholera , hepatitis A , schistosomiasis and typhoid. Practise safe food and water precautions while travelling in South America. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it! Typhoid is a bacterial infection spread by contaminated food or water. Risk is higher among children, travellers going to rural areas, travellers visiting friends and relatives or those travelling for a long period of time.

Travellers visiting regions with a risk typhoid, especially those exposed to places with poor sanitation should speak to a health care professional about vaccination. In some areas in South America, certain insects carry and spread diseases like American trypanosomiasis Chagas disease , chikungunya , dengue fever , leishmaniasis , malaria , onchocerciasis river blindness , West Nile virus , yellow fever and Zika virus. Travellers are advised to take precautions against bites.

There is currently a risk of chikungunya in this country. Chikungunya is a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Chikungunya can cause a viral disease that typically causes fever and pain in the joints. In some cases, the joint pain can be severe and last for months or years. Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times. There is no vaccine available for chikungunya. Zika virus is a risk in this country. Zika virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.

It can also be sexually transmitted. Zika virus can cause serious birth defects. Pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy should visit a health care professional before travelling to discuss the potential risks of travelling to this country.

Pregnant women may choose to avoid or postpone travel to this country. For more travel recommendations, see the travel health notice: Zika virus: Advice for travellers. Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, monkeys, snakes, rodents, and bats.

Certain infections found in some areas in South America, like rabies , can be shared between humans and animals. Crowded conditions can increase your risk of certain illnesses. Remember to wash your hands often and practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette to avoid colds, the flu and other illnesses. High risk activities include anything which puts you in contact with blood or body fluids, such as unprotected sex and exposure to unsterilized needles for medications or other substances for example, steroids and drugs , tattooing, body-piercing or acupuncture.

Good health care is only available in major cities. Quality of care varies greatly throughout the country. Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays. The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. The traveller is also responsible for his or her own personal safety. Be prepared.

Do not expect medical services to be the same as in Canada. Pack a travel health kit , especially if you will be travelling away from major city centres. Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad.