How to get from Boa Vista to Lethem

This post details getting from Boa Vista to Lethem and includes the Brazil-Guyana border crossing at Bonfim.

I had already travelled from Manaus to Boa Vista and the plan is to travel to Georgetown in Guyana, then along the coast to Suriname, French Guiana, and then back into Brazil.

There isn’t much intel about getting there and away in this region.

Wouldn’t it be great if all that information was on a blog post? My blog post, this blog post.

Nomadic Backpacker to the rescue once again.

There isn’t much to see or do in Boa Vista but for the pure traveller, it’s a good place to stop for a few nights.

I stayed at the Tepuy Hostel; the only budget option in town. Dorm rooms, free breakfast, helpful staff.

One thing you can do, however, is visit the Mirante Edileusa Lóz (Edileusa Lóz Viewing Platform) and ride the elevator to the top floor for awesome views over Boa Vista and the Branco River.

It’s free to go up and is open from 3 pm to 9 pm from Wednesday to Sunday:

After three nights at the Tepuy Hostel, I took an InDrive (Uber alternative) to take me the 4.5 km to the Terminal de ônibus de Caimbé in Boa Vista where you can get a shared taxi to Bonfim and the border.

They go when full. Seven passengers in total.

I was quoted 100 Reais (20 USD) but assumed it was just to the border.

The road was smooth and fast. By 12 noon I was in Bonfim.

I saw another passenger pay just 50 Reais to the town, a few kilometres short of the border.

Having dropped all other passengers we continued towards the border.

We stopped at the Brazilian immigration.

The driver waited for me!!

Crossing the Brazil-Guyana border at Bonfim/Lethem

They have an online form that you have to complete. So I logged into the free Wi-Fi and filled in the form and submitted it. All with QR codes.

Getting stamped out took seconds.

Back in the shared taxi, we crossed the bridge over the River Takutu that forms the border between Brazil and Guyana.

The middle of the bridge, marking the border of Brazil and Guyana:

Then we stopped at the Guyanese immigration.

Same procedure here. Log on to the Wi-Fi, do the immigration entry form and submit.

I entered a hall. A young lady takes my passport. I sit down. The passport goes to another officer in a cubicle and my passport is processed.

My passport is handed back to me and I go back to the shared taxi.

The driver asks me where I want to go. Cindy’s Bus Service.

And that he did. Just as well as the location wasn’t what was shown on Google Maps. Hopefully Google Maps will accept my edit.

That worked out super well. Was well worth the 50 extra Reais to do that last section from Bonfim.

I had time before travelling on to Georgetown so I walked around a bit:

I bought some water and some chips, paid in Reais, ready for the long trip to Georgetown.