Kaieteur Falls

Top choice in Guyana

Giant Tank Bromeliad (Brocchinia micrantha) with Kaieteur Falls in the background, Kaieteur National Park, Guyana, South America

Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

You may have been to Salto Ángel or Iguazú Falls, seen Niagara or not even be particularly interested in waterfalls, but it doesn't matter: go to Kaieteur Falls. Watching 1140 metric tons of water shooting over a 250m cliff (the world's highest single-drop falls) in the middle of an ancient jungle with few tourists in sight is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Depending on the season, the falls are from 76m to 122m wide. The trail approaching the falls is home to scarlet Guianan cock-of-the-rock birds, and miniscule golden frogs (best seen in the rainy season and/or in the morning), which produce a potentially fatal poison.