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Benab at Maipaima Eco-lodge (Photo: Kirk Smock ) |
Maipaima Eco-Lodge Cabins (Photo: Kirk Smock) |
Nappi Village and Maipaima Eco-Lodge
One of the projects that is quickly rising to the forefront of community-based tourism in Guyana is the Maipaima Eco-Lodge at Nappi village. Nappi is a small but sprawling Amerindian village in the southern end of the North Rupununi Savannahs, about an hour’s drive from Lethem. The Makushi village is built in the foothills of the little-explored Kanuku Mountains, a range Conservation International said supports the highest biodiversity in Guyana and is one of the last remaining pristine Amazonian habitats.The Eco-Lodge was a gift to Nappi from the U.S.-based nonprofit organization, Foster Parrots Ltd. Foster Parrots is dedicated to rescuing and providing sanctuary for unwanted and abused captive parrots and other exotic bird species at their New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary. Besides seeking to help raise standards of care for domestic parrots and provide public awareness to captive parrot issues, Foster Parrots also advocates that parrots are, and should always be, wild animals. This belief led co-directors, Marc Johnson and Karen Windsor to start Project Guyana, an ecotourism-based conservation project at Nappi village.
Foster Parrots agreed to provide the funds necessary to build the Maipaima Eco-Lodge for the village of Nappi based on their agreement to declare 144,000 acres of tribal territory, and all wildlife within, as protected. The Eco-Lodge belongs to Nappi village and the ecotourism project is community run with all profits going directly back to the village.
The Maipaima Eco-Lodge is roughly 6 miles (10km) from the village at the base of the Kanuku Mountains and is surrounded by pristine primary rainforest. The lodge, built in a large opening in the trees that was once used for farming, consists of one main round benab that acts as a lounge/dining area, and two additional benabs that house four bedrooms. Everything was built in a traditional manner with wood and thatch and sits on stilts; the rooms are connected to the main benab via an elevated walkway.
A creek flows alongside the Eco-Lodge and Giant River Otters are frequently seen swimming in it. Also on the grounds are numerous patches of heliconias, and vegetable gardens and fruit trees that provide a healthy supply of delicious food and fresh juices.
The best thing about the lodge is its location deep in the rainforest. The remote setting of the lodge provides excellent birdwatching and wildlife encounters from your room, but there are also several great hiking trails that vary in length from short (hours) to long (days).
When at Nappi, visitors can also stay at rustic satellite camps – sleeping in hammocks, bathing in streams, cooking over an open fire – that allow more adventurous guests to use the Eco-Lodge as a base while taking longer treks through the mountains.
Nappi is beginning to draw visitors because it is the only village with a lodge that provides access to the Kanuku Mountains, one of Guyana’s most pristine, but largely inaccessible, habitats. With an abundance of wildlife, waterfalls and unexplored terrain, they are a haven for ecotourism. The local guides are constantly exploring the forests for new sites of interest and new destinations and trails pop up with regularity. If you come with a particular interest − Harpy Eagle, Macaws, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Jaguars, Primates, waterfalls, etc. − ask your guides which trails would be best.
The more energetic visitors to Nappi shouldn’t miss Jordan Falls. At some 900 feet, these are spectacular falls, although they are in a series of steep steps and not one long drop like Kaieteur Falls. Nevertheless, Jordan Falls is one of Guyana’s most beautiful sites, and according to the locals, less than 100 visitors have seen it. Located 11 miles (17.6km) from the lodge, they are not easily accessed but there is a satellite camp at their base so the return journey doesn’t have to be made in one day.
Most activities undertaken while staying at the Eco-Lodge involve getting out and exploring the surrounding rainforest, but a stay wouldn’t be complete without a village tour to see the balata artisans at work. There are a handful of artists working from their homes in the village, using open flames, old pots and traditional tools to practice their trade of carving figures and traditional Amerindian scenes from the natural latex.
Nappi is great for birdwatching, animal spotting and nature photography. Some highlight species include healthy populations of Red-bellied, Scarlet, Red-and-green, and Blue-and-yellow Macaws, as well as the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock and a rare Harpy Eagle. There is also a Capuchinbird lek near the lodge. Interesting mammals in the area include Giant Anteaters, a variety of primates including Howler and Spider Monkeys that frequent the trees surrounding the lodge, Cougars, Jaguars, Tapirs, Capybara, and Giant River Otters.
Nappi Village welcomes independent travelers and groups of visitors. Foster Parrots organizes annual trips to Guyana and trips can also be booked through Nappi’s local partner, Shirley Melville (shirleyjmelville@yahoo.com), or through local tour operators like Wilderness Explorers (www.wilderness-explorers.com) and Bushmasters (www.bushmasters.co.uk); the latter company offers horseback riding treks from Lethem to Nappi.
For more information on Nappi Eco-Lodge, visit www.fosterparrots.org or email Marc Johnson at marc@fosterparrots.org.
