A scenic mountain…

by Venessa Low A Chee

The Pakaraima Mountain Inn is a humble bed and breakfast establishment located in the North Rupununi, just outside of the Yakarinta Village in the Aranaputa Valley.
The Inn offers accommodation in forms of hammocks, double rooms or even self-contained rooms in a relaxing environment, along with meals.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Sebastian de Freitas (son of the Inn’s owners) said that the Inn was not intended to be such until recently.
“Charles and Veronica (my parents) had a dream of having a place in the Rupununi. My mom, since she is from the village of Yakarinta, had been looking at that spot [where the Inn is now located] since she was a little girl. They [parents] started building a little more than 12 years ago, the main building which is the front house. While building the front house in the savannah, my father had noticed terraces on the mountain side. This seemed to be ideal to put a house there because of the gentle slope and the amazing view.
“So while the lower house was being built, and as time went by, the plans for the mountain-side house were being consolidated. Many changes and arguments and debates about designs and concepts happened during the planning and execution of construction,” Sebastian explained.

He added that after many years of slowly building and friends visiting to see the progress, they were encouraged to share the breath-taking sceneries at the location with others. This was when the idea of having a bed and breakfast “began to boil”. As time went by, the family came up with a name and plans of what to offer guests when they visit.
“This year is the first year we actually decided to give it a good shot with regards to marketing and hospitality, even though we have had some dear friends and visitors in the years before. Since we are still ‘green’ to the whole tourism operation, we offer few but fun activities for now. As time goes by, there are plans for nicer treats and activities for guests. But for now, we offer scenic road and river tours, birding, mountain-climbing and trips to other lodges and inns around the area so that the guests enjoy the amazing experiences those places have to offer. We would like to think that, for now, we function as a place to go to relax and unwind with great food and a family-like experience,” he declared.
For more information, visit Pakaraima Mountain Inn on Facebook.