Exploring Guyana through a traveller’s eyes

FOR most travellers, exploring a country means guided tours and planned itineraries. But for Tilo the Pilgrim, a German hitchhiker making his way across the world, the journey is the destination. In Guyana, he’s traded comfort for the unknown—sleeping in unexpected places, sharing stories with strangers, and navigating the country one ride at a time. From Mahdia’s gold-mining camps to Georgetown’s backstreets, his experience challenges common perceptions of Guyana and offers a raw, unfiltered look at life on the road.

This week, Pepperpot Magazine spoke to Tilo from deep within a mining camp, where he shared how he got to Guyana aboard a cargo ship, what his experience in the Land of Many Waters has been, and what may be his next stop.

First Steps and Impressions
Tilo is not your average tourist. Born and raised in a small village in Germany, the 21-year-old has always had a passion for the world beyond the tourist hotspots and national capitals. Tilo wanted to experience adventure. Just out of high school and with very few resources in hand, he ventured from his small village in the heart of Germany and hitchhiked to Berlin. After working there for several months to raise money to continue across Europe, Tilo then sailed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Defying countless odds and depending solely on the kindness and consideration of others, Tilo made his way to Spain, where he finally found a boat and captain that brought him to Trinidad, then Venezuela, and Grenada.

Guyana is just the second country that Tilo has visited in the Caribbean, with Trinidad being the first. Similar to most of his travels, Tilo arrived in Guyana aboard a cargo ship. First arriving on the outskirts of Georgetown, Tilo was captivated by Guyanese architecture and the seemingly laid-back way of life.

“I love the architecture. You know, I went down to the city centre. I love the architecture of your city. Like these high spires, you know, those high peaks. I really love that. I think it’s very beautiful,” he shared. He further added that,”Guyana is very relaxed. People don’t take things too seriously. It also has like a slower pace, especially in Georgetown. Even compared to Trinidad, like the capital. You know, people take a little bit more time.”

Adding to his appreciation of the Guyanese way of life are little things that Tilo says he has only seen in Guyana. Tilo finds everyday things, such as horse carts, interesting and believes they add authenticity to Guyana.

Breaking misconceptions and making connections
Much of Tilo’s travels depend largely on the people he meets in every country, breaking the bounds of language, race, and nationality in order to work together. Having spent time in Venezuela’s jungle with indigenous tribes, Tilo is no stranger to the art of forming bonds with people. During his short time in Guyana, Tilo says this has come easily. With the fun-loving and hospitable nature of Guyanese, Tilo says that living and working with them has been one of his more unique and memorable experiences.

“What I find interesting is that people here are very nice. Guyana has very open people. Very welcoming. I made a lot of connections here,” he shared.
He further added, “I would say Guyanese people are overwhelmingly nice. They are very hospitable. I think in Tiger Bay, someone gifted me an ice cream. You know, they have some very interesting restaurants there.”

These bold interactions and strong friendships have allowed Tilo to dispel many misconceptions about Guyana. As he continues to travel through Guyana, Tilo documents his journey, making videos as he visits a variety of places across the country.

During his time spent in communities like Tiger Bay and Albouystown, Tilo says that Guyana is not nearly as dangerous as the online community and tourists may think; and with comforting videos interacting with Guyanese vendors and gold miners, he is battling those ideas and showcasing Guyana to the rest of the world in a new and unique light.

As he shared during his interview with Pepperpot Magazine, “Guyana is definitely not as dangerous as people think. Especially if you compare it to other countries.” He added, “I find it to be very safe. I mean, so far, I’ve travelled everywhere. Like, okay, I kind of hitchhiked a little bit halfway across the country. And, you know, I visited some of the ‘ghettos’, like spent a night in Tiger Bay, went to Albouystown, and I didn’t have any problems.”

More than just tourist attractions
One of Tilo’s most interesting adventures in Guyana has been his time spent in the heart of Mahdia, doing something that not even many Guyanese experience—gold mining.
After hitchhiking to Mahdia from just outside of Georgetown, Tilo has been part of a camp on the outskirts of Mahdia. Documenting his experience through a series of TikTok videos, Tilo has become well-versed in traditional Guyanese gold mining.

Although not your average tourist, Tilo believes that Guyana offers more than your typical run-of-the-mill tour experience—that is if you are willing to take the adventure.
“In terms of tourism, well, I’m not your average tourist, but I think there are some fun things to explore, especially like the interior,” he said.

He further added, “If you seek adventure, if you want to still see a real place, a place where you have real people, not like people trying to make as much money off of you as possible, I think Guyana is a very, very awesome place to explore.”

With the unique red dust and flavours of Mahdia, Tilo describes his experience thus far in Mahdia as similar to that of the Wild West.
“Mahdia is like the frontier. This is basically the modern-day Wild West; I find that here you have gold mining, you have a gold rush, you know. Sometimes, someone hits it big, and everybody’s heading there. You have bars everywhere.”

Even traversing the interior aboard Guyana’s famous bush trucks has made for an everlasting memory for Tilo. “I mean, just going to Mahdia on the trucks, you know, the roads are like… completely different experience, you know. Pulling people out of their trucks, nearly getting stuck, having to camp in front of a bridge because, you know, you need to wait for the boat to get you across the next day. Kind of… you know, it’s a vibe.”

Coming from a small village in the heart of Germany, across Europe and the Atlantic, and now in the Caribbean, Tilo offers a unique perspective on Guyana—a perspective he shares openly and boldly across his social media.

Although breathtaking, Tilo admits there are challenges with his way of travel, and some are specific to Guyana and the interior where he currently is.”The jungle is the jungle, and it is awesome. I have seen wild animals, and the trees and everything. It is just so different here than in places in Europe,” he shared. Tilo further added, “Here, it’s a little bit dangerous because we have jaguars and malaria. But it’s not as dangerous as people think. So many people are scared of snakes and jaguars.”

Currently in Lethem, Tilo plans to spend a bit more time in Guyana before heading south to places like Argentina and Brazil.
“Well, if you want to explore something like a modern-day frontier, come. It’s adventurous. It needs to be made for you. It’s not for everybody. But if you like adventure, come to Guyana.”
As Tilo continues his journey, he leaves behind a message for fellow travellers: embrace the unexpected and discover the beauty of connection, culture, and the spirit of adventure that Guyana has to offer.