Back after 18 years: Chef Devan Rajkumar returns to Kaieteur and Orinduik

Chef Devan Rajkumar, the chef and creator known for celebrating his Guyanese roots, first visited Kaieteur in 2007. Back then, he says, visitors could sit right on the ledges near the edge. On his return trip, the first thing he points out is that you can't do that any more, and his short video is a good snapshot of how the visit works today.

"Your whole body is rumbling"

Devan's description of standing near the falls is the one that sticks: you don't just see Kaieteur, you feel it. The drop is 226 metres (741 feet), and he relays his guide's figure of tens of thousands of gallons going over the edge every second in the rainy season.

He travelled with Sandra, who repeatedly insists in the video that she's not anxious (she might be a little anxious). That's worth knowing if you're travelling with someone who's nervous about small planes or heights: the flight is short, about an hour, and at the falls you stay on marked paths at the viewpoints.

The viewpoints

The group walked with a guide to three viewpoints, each one closer to the falls than the last:

• Boy Scout View, the first full look across the gorge.
• Rainbow View, where they got the rainbow the viewpoint is named after.
• A third view much closer to the water.

From Rainbow View, Devan zooms in to show the ledge where he sat in 2007. Today the edge areas are off limits. It's a reminder that there are no railings at Kaieteur and the guides' instructions matter.

He calls it something everyone should experience at least once in their life, and says to add it to the bucket list.

Orinduik was the surprise

After Kaieteur, the plane continued to Orinduik Falls on the Brazil border. Devan says he couldn't film much of it, and for a good reason: the group crossed some rough rapids where they needed both hands, a few people almost slipped, and he didn't have a waterproof case. What he did show is the group finding spots under the cascades to get "the massage from the falls".

His honest take: it was more fun than he remembered from 2007, and there seemed to be far more water this time. Sandra, who didn't expect to do anything that adventurous, crossed a section she'd planned to skip. The one complaint? Sand flies. Worth it, he says.

What to take from this video

• If you're going to Orinduik, pack a waterproof phone case or pouch. Most of the best moments happen in the water.
• Water levels change the experience. More water means bigger, more exciting cascades, and more care needed on the rocks.
• At Kaieteur, the edge rules are there for a reason. The views from the official viewpoints are already breathtaking.

Planning your own Kaieteur and Orinduik day? See which licensed operators have seats, or ask for a date and we'll check with all of them.