THE brave, the adventurous, and those enticed by the wondrous vistas of Guyana’s interior to have first-hand experiences are today a satisfied batch! 

They have not been disappointed! They have witnessed the majestic landscapes, taken in the awe-inspiring panoramic scenes, and engaged in activities that have only brought them immense joy.
In 26 vehicles, the eager adventurers who came from as far as Germany, the United States, London, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and Brazil, crossed rivers, drove through thick forests, uphill, downhill, and on smooth roads and rugged, rough terrain! But, they won’t trade their several days’ journey on the 13th edition of the Pakaraima Mountain Safari for anything!

Leaving Georgetown on March 29, the convoy that included two trucks and forming the largest convoy yet, took off on the 529-mile journey that ended at the breathtaking Orinduik Falls in Region 8. Participants on the return journey were afforded another exhilarating experience, the Rupununi rodeo.
Their first night on the safari was spent in the beautiful Amerindian village of Karasabai, where the safarians camped under the stars, cooked in the open, and shared stories around camp fires! These scenes were replicated in other areas where they overnighted.

A very young participant, Neeraj, who was travelling with his sister and father, was overwhelmed, and this was reflected in his testimony that, “The trip was fun, terrifying, excellent, exciting, it had one and two rough spots, but we made it through… it has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to come back here next year with lots of friends and family.”
Another enthusiastic safarian, Peter Fung, pointed out that, “It has been fantastic and an extremely great trip, the road was great and the weather was excellent…we would like to encourage Guyanese, and anyone, the view was marvellous and beautiful …you have to be here to see it.”
Londoner, Lennox Gibson, said it was adventurous, especially the driving, “… it was good, I didn’t expect it to be as good. It was an experiment that was positive… I enjoyed the villages.”

This journey took its nature loving, and courageous participants through some of the most pristine and beautiful sections of Guyana.
Having crossed the river at Kurupukari, the convoy traversed savannah lands, then onto the mountainous areas of Karasabai, Tiperu, Rukomoto, Moraibaiko, and Yurong Paru, in Region 9.
While these areas are beautiful, those in Region 8 are simply mesmerising and the safarians were able to inhale the freshness of the mountainous areas such as Monkey Mountain, Paramakatoi, Kato, Tuseneng, Kurukubaru, and Itabac, where the scenes are picturesque, and where the mountains appear to be painstakingly hand carved. The beauty there is simply indescribable, and the safarians couldn’t have enough. The road, flanked by undulating mountains, dipping deep down or climbing upward, seemed to indicate that Mother Nature spent eons of time to create every piece of the work of art that the visitors beheld!

For young Ms Luckram, the trek was, “very exciting, rough, a lot of experience… it was beautiful, lovely, mountainous views and scenery, and the waterfalls, the trip was great! Magnificent! ”
Overseas participant, Bryan confessed that, “I really like the Safari; I came all the way from Germany to do this. It is quite amazing to see the beautiful landscape, all the friendly people here and the driving was real fun.”

One of the most amazing things was the smooth road that the convoy experienced from Karasabai to Monkey Mountain! This $600M road has made the safari travelling less challenging, and also it has made life a whole lot better for residents of Region 8, who are now finding it easier to get to the busy hub of Lethem in Region 9.  But, to maintain that the safari is a challenging journey, Coordinator of the event, Frank Singh, said the safarians were taken through some of the old trails that were used last year, such as the ‘Tuseneng bush’, where there were rough patches, and vehicles were stuck in the ruts and had to be assisted by others.

Singh said that due to the good road, “we have like two days extra now, because you’re driving on a highway now, you do not get so fatigued, so we (are) looking at extending more villages into the safari for next year”.
Singh took time out to recognise the inputs of the many sponsors, including Guyoil/Castrol and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph, and extended gratitude to them for making the venture a success.
Speaking of challenges, Singh said most of the new drivers had to learn to drive on the trails and some of the vehicles encountered mechanical problems, but this did not deter anyone, as the safari had experienced mechanics and electricians along, “so if any vehicle had a problem, we all came together and assisted, and if we needed to source parts from Georgetown, we contacted the airline and found out the available flight and then they fly those into the village closest.”

Incorporated into the trip are visits to Amerindian villages, a novel experience for visitors, who come bearing gifts for villagers, such as books, pencils and other school related items.

A lot of the safarians found the visits to be an amazing experience, as they were greeted by special songs, welcoming them to the villages. For the very young villagers, they viewed the visitors with much curiosity.
At every village the convoy stopped, the visitors presented goodies and in turn purchased items from the villagers.

The Orinduik Falls found at the edge of the Pakaraima Mountains, on the Ireng River, never fail to amaze those who behold its magnificence. Nature reigns supreme; gushing, clean water tumbles over steps of red jasper rocks that are engraved by nature’s own hands – it was a wonderful landscape to view!

No safari would be complete without the participants being able to delight in the waterfalls. It was definitely what they all needed after a long drive, and their eagerness was too evident not to discern. Many described the falls as amazing and like nothing they had ever seen. They simply couldn’t resist the temptation to savour the fresh cascade of the 25- metre high fountain, Orinduik, found close to the border with Brazil. Along the journey, there were other smaller waterfalls that the safarians visited and enjoyed their cool waters.

All of the vehicles were driven by men, with the exception of one, a Tacoma. Petite, 32-year-old Cindy Gomes became the second woman to have driven the entire 529 miles to successfully complete the safari. Cindy said she took up the challenge after she learnt that only one other woman had driven the trail. She even drove for 14 hours in a single day! Nevertheless, she said it was a challenge she enjoyed, and would definitely be returning on next year’s safari as she found the trip to be exciting and nothing like she has ever experienced before.

Feroze Khan, who was on his first trip, informed that he was once a race car driver, and “the experience I have gained on this safari I have never had it in my career as a driver, the driving experience was enormous and I promise that I will be here next year.”
Another participant from Parika said indeed the event was exciting and ‘yes (I’m) coming back next year definitely!”
Exuding much enthusiasm, several others promised that they are definitely returning on the next edition of this adventure in nature’s wild.

Having had their fill of adventures, magnificent scenery, and enjoyed their fill at Orinduik and Chiung Falls, the safarians, on their way back, stopped in at the Rupununi Rodeo, where the atmosphere was charged with the energy of vaqueros, both males and females, and hair raising rides as bulls and horses ditched their riders and even sought to attack them.

It was a fitting end to a fantastic 10 days of challenge, fun, experience and bearing witness to Guyana’s inexpressible beauty. In essence, the 13th Pakaraima Mountain Safari could not be described as anything else but ‘An Adventure of a lifetime’! The testimonies repeat that chorus!