Where to base yourself
Surama Eco-Lodge
Thatched round cabins and a tall open-sided dining benab on a rise at the edge of the village, looking across savannah to the forest. Rooms have beds with nets and simple private bathrooms; power is solar and limited.
Rock View Lodge
Rooms off shaded verandas hung with hammocks, set in gardens with a pool. More comfortable than most interior lodges, with electricity for longer hours and a bar.
The Oasis, Annai
Rock View’s roadside stop on the Lethem road: a restaurant, basic rooms and hammock space used by bus travellers and drivers.
Burro-Burro river camp
A hammock camp on the riverbank for one-night trips from Surama.
Food & drink
Surama’s cooks serve what the village grows and catches: cassava bread, farine, pepperpot, river fish, chicken, pumpkin, plantain and fruit, with plenty for vegetarians if told ahead. Rock View adds home-grown vegetables, its own roasted cashews and Brazilian-style dishes, with a bar for a cold beer or rum at sunset. Drinking water is provided at both.
Tips: saving money and staying safe
- Surama asks guests to respect village rules: modest dress in the village, no wandering unaccompanied, and restraint with alcohol.
- Ask before photographing people — most will say yes.
- Buy crafts — basketwork, cotton hammocks, carvings — from the makers, at the price asked.
- Bring a head torch, repellent and a light fleece for surprisingly cool dawns.
- Start mountain walks before sunrise to avoid the heat.
- Pay in cash; there are no banks or card machines.
Sample plans
Two nights at Surama
- Afternoon arrival; village walk; night walk for frogs and nightjars.
- Dawn climb of Surama Mountain; afternoon walk to the Burro-Burro and canoe trip.
- Morning birding on the forest edge; transfer to Annai or Iwokrama.
Adding Rock View
- Transfer to Rock View for lunch and a swim; cashew roasting and garden tour.
- Dawn on the Panorama Trail; morning excursion to the Wowetta cock-of-the-rock lek.
- Fly from Annai, or continue by boat to Rewa or Karanambu.
Where to stay: Surama & Annai
Surama Eco-Lodge
The community-owned lodge that started it all: thatched cabins on the village edge, with Makushi guides and cooks. Booked directly or through an operator.
Not sold on Trip.com: book direct or through a local operator. The button opens the Trip.com search for the nearest town it lists.
Rock View Lodge
A garden lodge with a pool beside Annai airstrip, the most comfortable stop in the north Rupununi.
Not sold on Trip.com: book direct or through a local operator. The button opens the Trip.com search for the nearest town it lists.
The Oasis (Annai)
Rock View’s simple roadside rest stop on the Lethem road, with rooms and hammocks for travellers in transit.
Not sold on Trip.com: book direct or through a local operator. The button opens the Trip.com search for the nearest town it lists.
