The Rupununi Savanna in southern Guyana is a sparsely settled rolling plain set beside the wide Rupununi River. A dirt road leads north to Georgetown, and south to the Amazon.
Culturally closer to Amazonia than to coastal Guyana, some residents of the savanna speak Portuguese as well as they do English, while others speak Amerindian languages. Huge ranches spread out from the river, with sturdy buildings set on stilts in case of high water. Vaqueros, cowboys, work the plains, some descended from Scottish immigrants of long ago.
Petroglyphs left by early Amerindians are still found on the savanna, records of their hunts and reminders of their history. The tribes still have wonderful storytellers, and welcome visitors to their settlements to hear their tales.
The Rupununi Savanna surrounds the Kunuku Mountains, where wildlife abounds. Giant anteaters, huge snakes, harpy eagles, and jaguars all find refuge here.
Jaguars are most active around dawn and dusk. Often associated with water, they enjoy swimming. Virtually eliminated from many parts of their range by deforestation, development and ranchers defending livestock, they are not rare in Guyana, though they may be rarely seen. Beside the Rupununi, this adaptable predator hunts the savanna as well as the rainforest.
Among the bird species of the area is the astonishing Cock-of-the-Rock. Its orange and black feathers spread into a fine-spun fringe at its wings and a semi-circular crest like the one that brought ancient Roman officers commanding height and notice tops its head.
The polygamous Cock-of the Walk flaunts his finery to attract the brown females that raise their chicks in colonies near the leks where the males parade. Many species of macaws fly through the trees as well, often in pairs, but it is the harpy eagle that most travelers come to see.
Called the flying wolf, it’s the largest eagle in both the Americas. Black above and paler below, it wears a black band across its chest. It has stubby wings for maneuvering through close-set trees, but can fly at 50 miles an hour. It wields five-inch talons. From Mexico to Argentina was its range, but no longer. The harpy eagle is endangered.
The river wolf is the Giant River Otter. It can be six feet long, with webbed feet, warm waterproof fur, and ears and nostrils that close out river water. Monogamous otters live in extended families and eat fish, crustaceans and reptiles. They hunt cooperatively, and seem to have something like language. There may be only a few thousand of these intelligent social creatures left in the world.
At Karanambu Ranch, injured and orphaned river otters are rehabilitated. Naturalist. Diane McTurk runs the facility; paying guests help support her work. They may also participate in the care of the otters. Available excursions vary according to the wet or dry season but can include boating trips, land rover trips on the savanna, guided forest hikes, or visits to nearby Amerindian villages.
Boaters may see black caimans, the rare arapaima, and, if the trip is extended until after dark, Victoria amazonica waterlilies, fragrant nightbloomers that open pure white the first night and magenta the second. Lily pads can be seven feet across; they’re soft green above, but with undersides lined with sharp magenta thorns.
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
7 hours ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
22 hours ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
5 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
6 days ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.