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Rock View Lodge

Rock View Lodge has long played an important role in the development of tourism in Guyana’s Rupununi region. Located roughly 1km off the main interior road, Rock View is nestled between Annai and Rupertee villages at the edge of the savannah, where the Pakaraima Mountains begin their rise to the north. The superb location is perfect for the oasis that is Rock View Lodge.

The original ranch house – which now houses a unique library filled with first-edition books and original art – dates back to the 1950s and the Rupununi’s ranching heyday. Rock View’s airstrip was then where the Dakota flight would land to pick up the Rupununi-grown beef, tobacco, and peanuts that were bound for the coast. The flight brought people in from around the region to gossip at the Dakota Bar, which still serves a similar purpose today.

In 1992, Colin Edwards, an Englishman in Guyana to work on the Lethem-Georgetown road, saw potential in the ranch and bought it. It didn’t take long before he realized his dream of creating an environmentally friendly lodge and working farm that gives back to the surrounding communities. The rundown and arid ranching lands he bought are now a refuge consisting of beautiful lodging, lush gardens, flowering and fruit trees, and the Rupununi’s only swimming pool. As tourism in the area continues to grow, so do the numerous jobs that have been created for local community members.

Rock View provides comfortable lodging within range of several nature-based and community tourism offerings. The lodge’s eight rooms are decorated with local crafts, the showers have hot water, and the verandas are outfitted with cane furniture and hammocks. On the grounds, the gardens are great for strolling, the pool is idyllic, and the well-appointed general store, ice machines, and cold drinks leave little to be desired at such an isolated place. Grand meals and pre-dinner drinks are presided over by Colin, who talks through a mixture of Guyanese, Amerindian, and Brazilian cuisine, and some of Guyana’s best fresh fruit juices.

Birdwatchers will likely want to start by exploring Rock View’s grounds. The 40 species of fruit trees, more than a dozen of flowering and palm trees, and more than 15 species of flowering plants draw in many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Amazonian Troupial, Amethyst Woodstar, White-chinned Sapphire, Long-billed Starthroat and several Hermits patrol around the lodge.

Birding in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains on the Panorama Trail often reveals Cinereous Mourner, Finsch’s Euphonia, Reddish Hermit, Rufous-bellied Antwren, and Green-tailed and Yellow-billed Jacamar. At dusk, a trip to the adjacent airstrip is a must for good views of nightjars and nighthawks, including the Nacunda Nighthawk and White-tailed Nightjar.

The road to Ginep Landing is the best place to bird around Rock View, because it takes you through a mix of habitats including savannah, forested foothills, and marshy areas. Look for Double-striped Thick-knee, Green-tailed Jacamar, Spotted Puffbird, White-bellied Antbird, Finsch’s Euphonia, Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Savannah and Black Collared Hawks, Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and a variety of antbirds.

For cultural activities, guests can learn to make indigenous handicrafts, watch a demonstration of traditional cashew nut roasting, and learn about the history of the Rupununi from Colin. Also be sure to arrange a trip to the nearby Amerindian village of Annai and an excursion to Bina Hill to tour the soap making hut and the region’s only radio station.

From Rock View it is also possible to make a day trip to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and some other excellent birdwatching and wildlife trails including the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock trails at Wowetta and Iwokrama. The nearby village of Aranaputa offers a fairly steep hiking trail with splendid views of the Rupununi that make it well worth the effort. Aranaputa also puts on a cultural presentation at the village school and offers tours of their peanut butter factory. As you travel along the road, keep an eye out for Jabiru Stork, Toco Toucan, and Red Howler and Spider Monkeys.

Rock View has a converted Bedford truck that provides an elevated platform for birdwatching and wildlife spotting, but the available bikes, horses, and motorbikes all make for great alternative options for getting around. For more information, visit www.rockviewlodge.com.