– The perfect tourism destination to enjoy nature at its best

LAST week the Pepperpot Magazine visited the remote village of Moraikobai in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to highlight the way of life of the locals and their preparations to usher in their Amerindian Heritage Day celebration on September 24, 2022 in observance of Amerindian Heritage Month.

The trip started from Esau and Jacob Branch Road, Mahaicony and was a two-and-half-hour journey via boat.
On the way to Moraikobai Village which is located 76 miles up from the confluence of the Mahaicony River, you would certainly be in awe at the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of flora, fauna and the glassy black water which looks like a large mirror with a reflection of the trees and plants on both sides of the river.

The village itself is isolated, making it very remote and it is the only Amerindian Mission in Region Five.
The landing is at the central point of the village which has the Moraikobai Rest House, benabs, the Village Council office, the teachers’ living house, the ICT Hub, the nursery and primary schools, the Health Centre, the large community centre ground with two pavilions and many dwelling houses scattered around this square and the entire village which is quite large in size.

Moraikobai is within a heavily forested area and it is the ideal location for hunting, bird watching, fishing and nature walks.
The village is a picture-prefect place which is beautiful and the right place to get away for a weekend of relaxation.

At the landing there are benabs on both sides of the river and there is a connecting wooden bridge with the welcome signage and makeshift wooden steps from the boat.
The people of Moraikobai are self-sufficient. They rear their own chickens, ducks, and grow their own vegetables, fruits and ground provision.

They have a solar farm and a generator station but the village only gets electricity for a few hours at nights. Previously the village was powered on a 24-hour basis.
There is no potable water supply and locals rely on the river water for bathing, washing and doing the dishes.

The Rest House has black tanks with rainfall water for guests.
There is no cell phone signal in this village and the only form of communication is via whatsapp messages and calls and Facebook messenger.

Moraikobai Village also has the Hubudee Eco Lodge which is located 20 minutes by boat from the central point of the community and it is a very lovely place with self-contained rooms, water and electricity.
The British High Commission donated a photovoltaic solar system that provides 24-hour power to the facility.

The village is led by the Village Council with the leader being Toshao Derrick John, who was not in the community during the team’s visit but the deputy Toshao, Jeff Bonaparte, was on hand for a tour of the village.
It was said that the community was initially called “Moracoba”, a name that was birthed from a combination of two Arawak words; ‘Mora’ meaning tree and ‘Coba’ meaning stump.

However, several decades ago the name was officially changed to ‘Moraikobai’ in keeping with their tradition as Arawak.
Moraikobai is located 96 miles (154 km) from the convergence of the Mahaicony River, and is only accessible by the Mahaicony creek by boat, by air with a helicopter, and by off-road vehicles via the trail which can be accessed on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.

The village has a population of 1,200 residents, who are predominantly indigenous peoples from the Arawak tribe.
It was reported that Dorothy Patoir is said to be the first individual born in the village when it was established many decades ago.

The village is relatively large, naturally fertile, and mostly unoccupied. Logging, fishing and farming are the major economic activities of the village.
Moraikobai has a rich religious heritage, and its people sanction the Christian religion to a large extent with three churches.

The Anglican Church was established when the community was first established as a mission. It follows that in the early days the village was known as St. Francis Mission and later, St. Francis District. Moraikobai is also known for its huge benabs and exquisite handicraft produced by its skilled residents.
Moraikobai has no secondary school as such, secondary schooling is done in Mahaicony.