Postcards from the most extraordinary places in the Caribbean
The Rupununi River—a tributary of the Essequibo—gives its name to this expanse of rolling savannah in southwest Guyana, separated by the Kanuku Mountains. As the new year dawns, the tranquil grasslands dotted with sandalwood trees – named for the texture of their leaves – are a lush green after months of rain. The river and its many streams, surrounded by forest belts, are home to dozens of extraordinary species: from giant river otters to parrots and macaws. Many indigenous Rupununi communities – such as Surama, Nappi, Rewa and Wowetta – now have their own eco-tourism outfits, hosting visitors in rural quarters and offering wildlife tours and walks. And two of the great cattle ranches established here in the 19th century survive as tourist outposts: Karanambo in the north and Dadanawa in the south, both offering rugged, family-style comfort.
