– this country is one of the best cruising destinations globally
ON October 26, your newspaper published an article entitled: ‘More Yachts Visit Guyana’. We are the group of sailboats currently at anchor off of the Baganara Island Resort featured in your article. Our boats are from England, South Africa and the United States; and all of us have been cruising the Eastern Caribbean for several years. 

Last year, we discussed getting off the well-worn path of sailing between Trinidad and the Virgin Islands. We were looking for new, fresh cruising grounds and decided upon Guyana. Well, this is one of the best cruising decisions we have made.
The first inkling that Guyana was different was the waves and broad smiles we received from passengers and crew of nearly every boat we passed while transiting the 40 miles up the Essequibo River. Upon arriving in Bartica, we immediately went ashore to complete the necessary paperwork with Immigration and Customs. We found all of the officials to be professional, courteous and efficient. The paperwork was straight forward and the fees were reasonable. Upon completion of the required documents, an Immigration Officer smiled and she said: “If there is anything you need, just stop by and we will see if we can help out”. That one officer, and that one sentence made such a positive impact on us; we immediately knew that we had made the right choice of sailing to Guyana.
Finally, and probably most importantly, are the people of Guyana who have made us feel at home. Regularly, people stop us on the street to shake our hands, and welcome us to your country. At one restaurant, the patrons refused to let us pay for our drinks. Vendors at the markets take time to explain how to prepare the local fish and ground provisions. The staff at the Baganara Island Resort have made us feel like family. Simply, the Guyanese people are the best ambassadors for attracting more yachts and tourism to your country. Thank you for sharing Guyana with us.

DAVID BALL