THE Management of Baganara Island Nature Resort, situated on the Essequibo River, has reduced its rates for staying there in a deliberate move to make it available to more locals. According to Company Manager, Kurt Jordan, the resort has installed a solar power system on the island, thus making the operational costs lower than previously, when it depended on diesel fuel to generate power.

“What was prohibitive were our operational costs: Buying and transporting diesel fuel and so on. But now that we have upgraded to solar, we have very flexible rates,” Jordan said.

The resort is owned by the Correia Group of Companies (CGOC).

Frank Willison, Consultant to the CGOC, also disclosed: “Another thing that the CGOC is making a big thing about is the price. We have created Guyanese prices so Guyanese can enjoy Baganara.
“So, any time you are ready to travel, you just call Evergreen Tours, and they have the nice Guyanese prices. In the last year, a lot of people have been visiting. Instead of waiting for the Guyanese overseas to return, we have Guyanese people coming here and enjoying Baganara.”

He added that the “Guyanese prices” policy makes the Baganara Island Nature Resort’s motto, “Stay to Get Away”, much more of a possibility to local tourists.
 
Jordan and Willison made these disclosures during the launching of Trans Guyana Airways’ flights from Ogle to Bartica, which came into effect from February 13 last.
 
The flights during the morning hours will not go directly to Bartica, but to Baganara Island, some five miles southeast of Bartica, from where passengers will be transported to and from Bartica by boat at no extra cost.
 The evening flights will go directly to the Bartica airstrip, from where passengers will be transported to Bartica by bus at no extra cost.

Willison explained that TGA will not go to Bartica directly in the mornings because, most times, in the early hours of the day, the airstrip there is affected by fog and other unfavourable weather conditions, which could cause delays and adversely affect other scheduled flights.
 
“The weather is generally better for landings and take-offs in the evening hours,” he said.
 
The flight to and from Bartica directly or with a stop-off at Baganara Island costs $8000 per person one-way, the TGA official said.
 
Baganara is one of 365 islands on ‘The Mighty Essequibo River’. It is located 50 miles from the mouth of the Essequibo, and has been described as “a wonderful little paradise, with 187 acres of lush green foliage and tropical flowers.”  
 
The resort offers a vast array of services, including water sports, fishing, bird watching, nature walks; and facilities for weddings, honeymoons and conferences; Wi-fi Internet facilities, and its delicious, free, on-the-house lime-squash drinks.
Baganara is indeed the “place to stay to get away.”