Travel & Tourism – Page 17 – Guyana Times International

Rupununi’s nature sanctuary

July 28, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Rock View Lodge is nestled between the Amerindian villages of Annai and Rupertee on the North Rupununi Savannahs of central Guyana, where the foothills of the Pakaraima mountain range meet the tropical rainforest. The Iwokrama International Centre Field Research Station, the Canopy Walkway, the fourteen villages of the indigenous Makushi people, excellent birding locations and other resorts such as Karanambu Resort and Cattle Ranch are easily accessible from Rock View. The Lodge may be reached by air or road from Georgetown and Brazil (Boa Vista and Bon Fin). Rock View…

Learn to live with nature at Surama Eco-lodge

July 21, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The life of the people in the Surama village is in the art and understanding of how to live with nature. It is a simple and basic way of life, living according to the laws of nature. The Surama village is a small Amerindian community of the Makushi people of North Rupununi, Region Nine. It is situated in five square miles of savannah land, surrounded by forest, hills and mountains of the Pakaraima Mountain range. The word “Surama”, originally “Shuramata”, is said to mean “the place of spoiled barbecue”, or…

Outback Guyana – Exploring the Maparri wilderness

July 14, 2011 TIMES INT'L

A paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and the eco- tourist alike, the Maparri wilderness of Rupununi boasts an irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty, pristine Amazonian rainforests, and a kaleidoscope of plant life and fauna. The Maparri River, also referred to as the Maparri Creek, is a tributary of the Rupununi River, and its source is high in the East Kanuku Mountains. These mountains have been recognised by Conservation International as being one of the few remaining pristine Amazonian areas. The Maparri River leads to the Maparri…

Saxacalli – An Amazing Getaway

July 8, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Saxacalli is originally an Arawak community located on the left bank of the Essequibo River some 25 miles from Parika. This community is reputed to have one of the best inland beaches in Guyana. Visitors can go on day- trips to Saxacalli and enjoy a swim at one of the finest beaches in the mighty Essequibo River. In the Arawak language, the word Saxacalli means ‘Kingfisher’, and the community has been named after the many birds in the area. Legend holds that the area’s origin dates back to the early…

Watooka House – A trip back to a bygone era

July 1, 2011 TIMES INT'L

The Watooka House in Linden is a wooden, colonial style guesthouse with scenic views of the Demerara River and lush grounds. The three-storey building is surrounded by huge palm trees and many fruit trees, to provide an exclusive feeling of getting away from it all and relaxing with nature. Watooka House was created after the demand for aluminium brought many foreign businessmen and officials to the booming mining town in the early 1900s. In the late 1920s, a bauxite laboratory was renovated as a home for the bauxite company’s manager.…

One with nature at Matthew’s Ridge

June 24, 2011 TIMES INT'L

A visit to Matthew’s Ridge is indeed a getaway from the concrete jungle, to be with all of what nature has to offer. Once there, the first thing that strikes you is the lush, green vegetation. High mountains, melodious birds in the early mornings, and, most importantly, tranquility are other relaxing experiences far from the maddening crowd. With compliments of Digicel, Guyana Times Sunday Magazine got a firsthand look at the small town’s demographics. It is located in Region One, Barima-Waini. Locals here claim that during the 1960s, Matthew’s Ridge…

Fort Nassau

June 16, 2011January 21, 2013 TIMES INT'L

Once the capital of the Dutch colony of Berbice, Fort Nassau is now a 17th century ruin of a seat of government, which is now also known as the base from which the famous 1763 rebellion had its origins. Built by Abraham Van Pere, a Dutch merchant, in 1697 on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, and now upstream of New Amsterdam, Fort Nassau was constructed mainly of wood, and surrounded by strong fences made from tall, pointed posts that are called palisades. Today, only the foundations of these…

Amatuk Falls

June 9, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Amatuk Falls is a waterfall that rushes over rocks on the Potaro River in the Potaro-Siparuni region. The 170-ft-drop Amatuk Falls can be found just a few yards away from Amatuk, an island of white sand on the river. The Amatuk Falls lies below Kaiteur Falls, dwarfed by its bigger neighbour, but offers a picturesque view and remains virtually unspoiled.

Explore Guyana’s rainforest

May 19, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Far from South America’s trodden tourist trail is an undiscovered gem. Guyana is home to some of the world’s most pristine rainforests: almost 80 per cent of the country is covered by tropical jungle. A visit to Guyana’s interior requires planning, but travellers find a luxuriant landscape teeming with life. Boat rides along rivers reveal monkeys, giant river otters, parrots, toucans, capybara and black caiman. Lucky travellers will spot jaguar. More than 850 species of birds fill the forest with colour and the haunting melodies, screeches and hoots of the…

Into the wild in lush Guyana

May 19, 2011 TIMES INT'L

Wearing both hiking boots and nightclothes, blearily rubbing the sleep from our eyes, we jerked and bumped our way by jeep across the Rupununi savannah of southwestern Guyana. As the sun rose over the Kanuku Mountains, we passed sinewy cattle, plump black vultures and giant Jabiru storks hunched like skinny old men. Suddenly, a cloud of dust and sounds of hollering men: we were nearing our goal. Jolting to a halt, we staggered out onto the scrubby plain to see a large, furry, absurdly proportioned and clearly disgruntled giant anteater…