Driving south out of the Iwokrama forest, the road suddenly breaks into open country ringed by hills. Five miles off it, in a pocket of savannah surrounded by rainforest, is Surama, a village of a few hundred Makushi people. In the 1990s its residents decided to host visitors on their own terms, built a lodge of thatched benabs, trained their own guides and shared the income through the village council. Nearly every household is involved in some way, and the arrangement has since been copied across the Rupununi.
Annai, a little further on, is the administrative centre of the north Rupununi and has the district’s paved airstrip. Beside it, Rock View Lodge occupies a garden oasis of mango and cashew trees between two rocky hills, with a swimming pool, long verandas and a view across the grassland. Between them the two places give you forest, river, mountain and savannah within a few miles — and an introduction to Makushi life that is not staged.
Highlights
- Sunrise from Surama Mountain
- Paddling the quiet Burro-Burro River for otters, tapir and monkeys
- A village walk with a Makushi guide: cassava, medicine plants, school and church
- The cock-of-the-rock trail at Wowetta
- Rock View’s Panorama Trail at dawn
- A chance of harpy eagle when a nest near Surama is active
How long to stay
Two nights at Surama is the minimum to climb the mountain and go on the river; add one or two at Rock View. Together they fit neatly between Iwokrama and the Rupununi lodges.
Best base
Choose Surama for immersion in the forest and village, with simple comforts; Rock View for more comfort, a pool, good food and easy flights. The Oasis, on the main road at Annai, is a practical overnight stop for those travelling by bus.
