Talk:Guyanese Highlands

Bunch of information that needs sorting. There are probably a couple of other articles hidden amongst all this.

Overview

COMMUNITY TOURISM IN THE NORTH RUPUNUNI

Community tourism in the North Rupununi means that your tourism dollars go direct into the communities to assist with development and conservation in the region. All communities own their own lands and manage and administer their own communities through their elected Village Councils, so tourists can be assured that their visits are making a difference. Wildlife, rain forests, open savannas, big rivers, and a rich and thriving culture offer guests an opportunity to have an experience of a lifetime in a region that has largely been untouched by tourism. The hospitality of the Amerindians living in the North Rupununi cannot be matched and will make any visit very special and unique.

Wildlife Highlights • Over 300 species of birds including the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock and the Harpy Eagle • Mammals such as monkeys, Tapirs and Jaguars, Giant River Otters, and Anteaters • Endangered reptile the Black Caiman • Over 400 species of fish including the Arapaima (the largest fresh water scaled fish in the world)

The people of the region are Amerindians of mostly the Makushi tribe who speak both Makushi and English. Wapishana and Patamona are also spoken in some communities. There are nine Indigenous Amerindian peoples in Guyana, and most of these have retained or have revived their native language. Sixteen communities with an estimated population of 5,000 have grouped themselves into a representative and developmental community-based “umbrella” organization called the NRDDB (North Rupununi District Development Board). Elected community leaders and representatives of women, youth and micro-enterprises comprise the membership of the NRDDB which was established in 1996.

Travelers interested in any of the following destinations should contact Alphonso Forde at guyanatourism@hotmail.com

The North Rupununi Tourism Program

The NRTP – North Rupununi Tourism Program of the NRDDB has been especially set up to support and strengthen community tourism opportunities, products and services. The following Tours have been developed by the North Rupununi Tourism Program through community consultations with local tour guides and community leaders as well as with expert advice from the more established operations such as Iwokrama, Surama, Rock View and Karanambu. Surama Village, which successfully pioneered community tourism and serves as an example to all, operates its own business in partnership with Rock View and an international tour operator, Wilderness Explorers.

In 2001 the Bina Hill Institute was established and works with the NRDDB and their partners to develop such things as training, research, horticulture, carpentry, natural resource management.

The NRTP has been instrumental in setting the Community Tourism policy and facilitated a micro revolving fund that provided seed money to help a few villages establish their unique tourism products. Community tourism provides villages with a trickle of income and it also teaches them the importance of conservation and sustainable land-use management. Locals realize that tourists will pay money to look at flora and fauna in their natural habitat. This has created new incentives for the Amerindian communities and affirms the value and importance of protecting what they have. Tourism also holds out the hope of providing a few more jobs in the community and therefore sets the potential for stopping people from moving out of the villages to work in jobs such as mining or forestry.

Tourism is still in its infancy in Guyana and few tourists visit the North Rupununi. According to Bradt, an international travel guide book: “you have to put extra effort into planning and organising [your trip], but it’s likely that any little kinks that occur will be nullified by the experience you’ll have. And you’ll be proving that eco-tourism and conservation pay off.”

Contact & communication Surama has direct bookings and guests can also book through Wilderness Explorers. Visits to other communities are booked through the NRDDB’s tourism coordinator, Alphonso Forde who works out of the small NTRP/ NRDDB offices located in Annai Amerindian District in the Bina Hill Compound: alphonsoforde@yahoo.com Close by is the NRDDB’s Finance & Logistics Coordinator who also links with the NRTP and the NRTP’s own Bus service which is available for group tours at competitive prices: flcnrddb@yahoo.com. A group of local community members involved in tourism also started a joint email at the time of writing this: communitytourismguyana@hotmail.com If inquiring about a trip, please email all relevant contacts

Accommodation Surama and Rewa have simple and beautiful fully equipped eco-lodges. Wowetta and Aranaputa have very basic semi-camp style accommodation available at budget prices. Economical accommodation is also occasionally available at the Bina Hill Institute, Rock View Lodge in Annai and Iwokrama have high quality accommodation and day trips are available to most communities.

Transportation The Intraserv bus services the route between Georgetown and Lethem, passing directly through Wowetta, Annai and Aranaputa. To reach Surama it’s a half hour 4x4 drive on an access road. Rewa must be accessed by boat on the Rupununi River. Iwokrama and Rockview can supply private transportation and Surama has its own tourism mini bus. Iwokrama is approximately 1.5 hours from Annai. The NRTP also has its own bus which may be hired for larger groups of tourists.

Aranaputa: Eco-Basin Tourism

Senior Councilor, Ryan Benjamin with local tour guide, Jerry Benjamin

Attractions: • Hike up the Clarence Mountain Nature Trail (1600ft – 6 hour round trip) • Overnight at the Nature Trail Guest Cabin (1000ft) • Tour of the Women’s Cooperative Peanut Butter Factory • Birding and wildlife viewing on mountain trails • Horseback riding into the habitat of the Giant Anteater • Cultural presentations • Budget accommodation at the community center guest house and local catered cuisine

Wildlife Club Aranaputa’s cultural presentations are dynamic, original and well performed

Nature Trail Guest Cabin

Spending the night at the Nature Trail Guest Cabin at 1000 ft gives guests an incredible opportunity to see wildlife such as Tapirs, Jaguars, Monkeys and Macaws. Large groups and multiple night stays are welcome.

1. Half way rest Benab 2. The panoramic views of the savannah from the nature trail 3. Flora and fauna are unique and intact

Women`s Co-op Peanut Butter Factory

Have you ever made peanut butter? Here is your chance to see how it is done. The Woman’s Cooperative Peanut Butter Factory makes the best all natural peanut butter in Guyana. The women buy the peanuts from the local farms and do the roasting, shelling and processing all in one location. They are very enthusiastic to share with you the process and also to let you participate. Fresh peanut butter on cassava bread is served daily to the school children in Aranaputa as a snack. The peanut butter can be purchased from the cooperative Mon-Fri during their operating hours.

Horseback rides into the habitat of the Giant Anteater

Location: Aranaputa is situated 380km from Georgetown, 70km from the border town of Lethem and 5km west of Annai. The Intraserv bus travels through the village of Aranaputa and it is an 8 hour journey from Georgetown. Private vehicle transportation is also available from Iwokrama and Rockview (1.5 hours from the Iwokrama Field Station). The NRTP bus is also available for larger groups.

Road from Georgetown to Lethem that passes through Aranaputa

Price in USD: NatureTrail including guide and village fee (aprox.7 hours) $25 per person Overnight at Nature Trail Guest House including guide and food $50 per person Overnight at community centre guest house (hammock accommodation) $10 per person Village tour that includes the peanut butter factory and village fee $8 per person Horseback ride into the habitat of the Giant Anteater $60 per person Includes snack, guide and horse (approx 6 hours).

• discounts available for larger groups

Beautiful Aranaputa Sunset Contact: Zita Jacobus at zitajacobus@yahoo.com (Aranaputa tourism representative) Community Tourism Committee: communitytourismguyana@hotmail.com NRTP coordinator: Alphonso Forde: alphonsoforde@hotmail.com NRDDB Finance & Logistics Coordinator: flcnrddb@yahoo.com

Wowetta: Kuwanaru Tours

Attractions: • Cock of the Rock Trail (three different trails in Wowetta) • Overnight at the rustic rain forest base camp one km from the Cock of the Rock nesting site • Wildlife Viewing • Budget accommodation at the community centre guest house

Where the rain forest meets the savannah, Wowetta awaits. The Nature Trail allows guests to view the Guiana Cock of the Rock in its natural habitat. Guests have the chance to see them nesting in caves, performing their mating dance on the lake, bathing in pools and perched in trees for perfect viewing. The five to seven hour round trip walk on the well maintained trail will take you to a lake with over 30 birds.

Wowetta’s trained and professional guides transform the rain forest into an educational and magical experience. Bird species, wildlife and flora will not be missed. Learn about the efforts of the community to protect this area from timber harvesting to save the Cock of the Rock’s natural habitat.

Location: Wowetta is the first Amerindian village when one emerges from the rain forest and enters the savannahs. The Intraserv bus passes through Wowetta and is a 7 hour journey from Georgetown or a 3 hour journey from Lethem. Private transportation is available from Iwokrama and Rockview. The trip from the Iwokrama Field Station is one hour. The NRTP bus also be hired for larger groups.

Cost for the Nature Trail Hike to the Cock of the Rock site: $25 per person (1-6 people) or $20 (7-10 persons)

• Price includes two experienced tour guides, community fee, snack and drink.

Basic budget accommodation at the community center guest house: $10 per person

• meals can be catered

Contact: Community Tourism Committee: communitytourismguyana@hotmail.com NRTP coordinator: Alphonso Forde: alphonsoforde@hotmail.com NRDDB Finance & Logistics Coordinator: flcnrddb@yahoo.com

Annai: Village Tours

Cassava bread drying on a roof top

Attractions: • Village Tour • Amazing photos opportunities of this picturesque village • Cultural presentations • The largest thatched benab in Guyana

With 450 Makushi residents, the traditional village of Annai is the regional administrative centre for the Annai district that has a health centre, police station, guest house and administration offices. The picturesque layout of this hilltop community cluster contrasts with the sprawling layout of neighbouring villages making Annai community life more accessible to visitors. Guests will be rewarded with a tour from a local representative who will provide insight into the culture and lifestyles of the Makushi people.

Contact: Alphonso Forde: alphonsoforde@yahoo.com Community Tourism Committee: communitytourismguyana@hotmail.com Finance & Logistics Coordinator: flcnrddb@yahoo.com

Rewa: Purple Heart River Tours

Attractions: • Birding, fishing and wildlife viewing • Giant River Otters, Giant Fresh Water Turtles & Black and Spectacled Caimans • Arapaima conservation project • Giant fresh water lilies (Victoria amazonicas) • Multiple day river tours into Jaguar country • River eco-lodge fully equipped with solar power points • Cultural presentations and village tour • Mountain hikes that provide panoramic views of the rain forest • Sand beaches where the Giant Fresh Water Turtles lay their eggs

Where the Rupununi and Rewa rivers meet, you will find the resource rich community of Rewa. The people of Rewa are from the Makushi and Waphishana tribes and survive principally from subsistence farming and fishing. Rewa caters to many types of interests including fishing, birding, hiking, relaxing at the eco-lodge and river expeditions.

Many of the residents in Rewa have farms on the river where they spend up to a month doing cassava work such as making farine. During a visit to Rewa and other communities tourists will be able to see cassava work in progress which is a long, technical and labour intensive process.

The density of macaws (Scarlet, Red-and-green, and Blue-and-yellow) is amongst the highest at any readily accessible site in Guyana. The Turquoise tanager, Cayenne jay, Amazonian antshrike and Golden-winged parakeet are also some species that birders can look forward to seeing.

Relax with fresh coconut water and watch the giant water lily flower bloom while the sun goes down. Giant water lilies, Victoria amazonicas, are found at Rewa’s Grass Pond which is also home to the largest Arapaima conservation project in the region with over 500 of the largest fresh water scaled fish in the world. Giant River Otters and many species of birds also frequent the pond. Giant River Turtles nest on the sand banks of the Rewa River in February and March and multiple day river tours deep into the heart of the rain forest almost guarantee the sighting of Tapirs and increase the rarer chance of seeing the elusive, endangered Jaguar.

Rewa Lodge has a dining hall, two double rooms and three single rooms all with shared bathrooms. Hammock accommodation is also available in the large patios of the benabs. Local cuisine is Rewa’s specialty including fresh fish, cassava bread and farine. Afternoon barbeques on the riverbank are a delicious way to sample fish done in the local style.

Location: Rewa is a remote river community between Crashwater and Apoteri on the Rupununi.To reach Rewa it’s a 3-4 hr boat ride from Ginep Landing on the Rupununi River. Ginep is a 15 minute drive from Annai.

Cost: Ranges from $450.00 (single person) for 3 night stay at the eco-lodge to $950.00 for a six day river tour. Prices vary depending on group size because of transportation costs. For example a group of four would share the cost of transportation, therefore making it more economical per person.

Booking: Alphonso Forde: alphonsoforde@yahoo.com Community Tourism Committee: communitytourismguyana@hotmail.com Rewa Hospitality Coordinator: rudolphedwards@yahoo.com Finance & Logistics Coordinator: flcnrddb@yahoo.com

Surama Village

Eco-Lodge with views of the savannah and rain forest Attractions: • River trips and canoeing on the Burro Burro River • Exceptional birding with a developed trail network • Wildlife viewing • Hike up Surama Mountain • Cultural presentations and exchanges • Interactive village tour including community development projects • Nocturnal wildlife spotting • Overnight at the Burro Burro River Camp in hammocks • Amazing local cuisine at the Surama Eco-Lodge

Surama is located on a large patch of savannah surrounded by the forested Pakaraima Mountains. With over seven years of eco-tourism experience the Makushi inhabitants of Surama can demonstrate that eco-tourism is a wise way to sustainably use their land and create employment opportunities at home for its residents, especially youth, rather than them having to seek work elsewhere in Guyana. As a leader in the local industry, Surama serves as an example as to how the environment can be conserved for economic benefit through eco-tourism. A tour of this welcoming village offers insight into the many successful development projects including The Women’s Craft Shop and Cassava Project, The Youth Carpentry & Woodworking Project, The Junior Wildlife Club and more.

Spectacled Owl Hammock camp on the river Guided tours through the savannah and up Surama Mountain offer fantastic birding and wildlife viewing opportunities. Surama has embraced the opportunity to welcome birders and therefore has developed many birding trails. Keen birders have an opportunity to see species such as the Rufous-winged ground-cuckoo, the Pompadour cotinga and the Harpy eagle.

Canoeing on the Burro Burro The Burro Burro River is home to River Otters, Black Caiman, Anacondas and a large variety of fish and birds. Sometimes mammals such as Tapirs, Capybaras, Monkeys and Jaguars can be found along the tranquil river banks.

Guests stay in the Eco Lodge which has four private cabins with ensuite bathrooms and a main common building with kitchen, dining, bar and relaxation area. The main building has fantastic views across savannah, rainforest and mountains. The Amerindian cuisine at the eco-lodge is prepared from local produce which gives guests an opportunity to try the delicious flavours of the N.Rupununi.

Location: The access road to Surama is 350km (7 hours) from Georgetown, 90km (3.5 hours) from Lethem or a one hour journey from the Iwokrama Field Station. The Surama access road is a half hour drive in a 4x4 vehicle from the Iwokrama Forest Road Corridor.

Cost: Surama offers a large variety of tours that cater to the different needs and interests of travelers.

Direct Bookings can be made through Gillian Joseph the secretary for the Surama Tourism Association: chicaluvchase@hotmail.com

Most of the photos can be credited to Iwokrama Tourism Intern Rachael Roussin. The information in the booklet was a collaborative effort by Ms.Roussin, NRTP coordinator Alphonso Forde and the community members from Surama, Wowetta, Annai, Aranaputa and Rewa in Jan.2008.

See

• Iwokrama Rainforest Conservation [1] offers canopy walk, and the opportunity to do some bird watching and other things.
• Karanambo Ranch with the giant river otters,
• Annai on the Savannahs between the Kanaku Mountains and Pakaraimas.