THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), along with the Safari Club, yesterday launched the South Rupununi Safari 2015 which is promised to be bigger than the previous two events, although they drew massive participation from locals as well as foreign tourists. Just two years back, after the demand grew due to the North Rupununi Safari, the GTA along with the club decided to take the exploration to the south side which has a lot to offer to the public.
Speaking yesterday at a press conference, GTA head Indranauth Haralsingh disclosed that last year they had 50 participants, who came from countries such as Suriname, Trinidad and Holland, along with Guyanese.
However, this year they will be taking 20 vehicles along with one truck, as they expect to attract participants from other countries as well as promote domestic tourism at the same time.
Commencing November 24 to coincide with Tourism Awareness Month, the exploration will give persons the opportunity to experience the outdoors, have fun and explore little known places south of Guyana’s interior for five days.
1,000 MILES RETURN
“Venturing into Guyana’s remote terrain is not an easy task, whether you are crossing the Rupununi River, camping in the open or driving for miles in flat savannahs, is teeming with flora and fauna,” said Haralsingh, adding that the trip will be 1,000 miles return.
This tour not only benefits the participants because the indigenous people get opportunities to showcase their culture and market their produce to both local and foreign consumers.
In turn, the initiative promotes what the Rupununi has to offer, while encouraging visitors to return to Guyana.
Head of the Safari Club Frank Singh explained that during the course of the exploration they will be passing through 14 Amerindian villages, where persons are mandated to donate in some way to at least one village or be taken off the list.
The trail will include places such as Lethem, Dadawana Ranch (the largest in the world), Achiwuib Village and so forth.
MAIN SITES
Some of the main sites he encourages participants to look out for are the Bottle Mountain, the Kanuku Mountains, Shea Village and the Shea Rock, Petroglyphs, over 400 species of birds and a visit to the corral to see the vaqueros tame wild horses, brand steers, tan leather and roundup cattle.
Persons are encouraged to come on board the safari. Admission per vehicle is $15,000 and per person is $80,000. For further information persons can contact Rainforest Tours on 231-5661, Singh said.