Social Life in Guyana
Behavior
The Guyanese are very diverse in nearly every way, including ethnicity, language, religion, and behavior. The ethnic Indians in Guyana tend to be very conservative in nearly every aspect of their lives, from the way they dress and date to the way they dine and pray. On the other extreme, the ethnic Europeans and Afro-Guyanese tend to be much more liberal in all of these categories.
As a visitor to Guyana error on the side of being too conservative as dressing and acting in a conservative manner won't offend anyone, but acting or dressing too liberally may. The best way to avoid offending any local is by understanding how (and why) the locals dress and behave as they do and this begins with religion (see below). In general, try to follow the lead of the locals by dressing conservatively (see below for details), dining in the local etiquette depending on who you are with (see our Guyana Dining & Food Page), and avoid sensitive conversation topics, such as politics, finances, and business unless initiated by your local counterpart. Also try to avoid being loud, rude, showing off wealth, or getting drunk in public (see our Guyana Food & Drinks Page).