WAKE with a start in the pitch black. Something has just dive-bombed my mosquito net and is scrabbling around on the floor.
As the intense sound of scratching fills the room, I am a little freaked.
Deep in the interior of Guyana — the former British colony perched on South America’s north east coast — I am staying at Karanambu Lodge, a former cattle station turned conservation success story and eco retreat.
My traditional clay hut, complete with thatched roof, features a vast bed, concrete floors, outdoor bathroom and one very unwelcome, mystery guest.
The vast savannah and wetlands surrounding Karanambu are home to lumbering, bushy-tailed giant anteaters.
Just metres away in the Rupununi River are giant otters, brought back from the brink of extinction by the ranch’s pioneering conservationist, Diane McTurk.
It’s also frequented by black caiman, the largest member of the alligator family, known to grow up to 16ft long.
Could any one of these wildlife wonders have fallen from the rafters? It seemed unlikely but in the dead of night, I am ashamed to say it did cross my mind.
Calling on a friend in the next room to help me deal with what lay beneath me, my terror turned to tears of laughter when switching on the light revealed a rather dazed fruit bat.
After successfully dispatching it to the bathroom via an upturned bin, I headed back to bed, tucking in my mosquito net extra carefully. But my night-time visitor was nothing compared to the adventures that awaited come daylight.
While few are familiar with Guyana, three quarters of which is rainforest, new flights from British Airways are putting this South American country on the map for adventure tourists and nature lovers alike.
And we’re sleeping in the same beds as some very auspicious previous visitors. Sir David Attenborough visited Karanambu in 1955, as did naturalist Gerald Durrell, author of My Family And Other Animals, and even rock legend Mick Jagger.
Our first night, we set off in small boats in search of the giant otters but the heavy rains and swollen river make them less easy to spot. No matter — we are entranced by colourful birdlife and the cutest brown-bearded saki monkeys high in the canopy.
And as dusk falls we find ourselves puttering into a lake full of giant water lilies.
The Victoria Amazonica’s beautiful flowers unfurl at night and it was this sight that prompted Jagger to visit. There are more than 32 ponds like this filled with the huge pads.
We toast the lilies stretching up to 5ft in diameter with a tot of the lodge’s signature rum punch, which also got the Rolling Stones singer’s seal of approval. Next morning, we rise early for a communal breakfast with Melanie McTurk, who married the nephew of Diane and today runs the lodge with the same passion as her predecessor.
We then set off in jeeps in search of more giants — this time anteaters. Bouncing over the vast savannah it appears our luck may be out. But a call over the radio saves the day — we rendezvous with the local vaqueros. These barefoot cowboys are experts at tracking the anteaters.
Suddenly, one appears from behind a thicket and saunters slowly across the savannah — we stand in silence and admire from just metres away.
And it’s not just the unique wildlife that has us spellbound.
Storms almost put paid to the highlight of our trip — a flight to the Kaieteur Falls, the largest single drop waterfall in the world.
All that rain led to an astonishing sight: roiling, black water 371ft across plunges over the edge of a sandstone cliff and down 741ft, the air below filled with a perpetual mist.
The falls may be five times taller than Niagara and twice as big as Africa’s Victoria Falls but they are visited by a mere 8,000 visitors a year.
We had the pick of the viewing spots to ourselves — don’t expect much in the way of health and safety, you step right to the very edge to admire the rushing waters.
Heading back to the capital Georgetown for our BA flight home, the culture shock is immense.
This bustling, colourful Caribbean-like city buzzes with markets and botanical gardens.
In just a few days I feel I’ve been on an adventure into another world.
While tourism here is in its infancy, there’s never been a better time to enjoy its unique blend of raw nature and wildlife wonders.
GETTING THERE: British Airways fly from Gatwick to Guyana with fares from £549 return. See .
STAYING THERE: A nine-day Guyana escorted tour including accommodation, transportation, guided activities and some meals, is from £2,941pp. Day trip to Kaieteur Falls from £218pp. Visit .
MORE INFO: Visit .
