Explore the Rupununi with us
Unless you holiday literally in your own backyard , you ’ re likely to get on to a plane to start your vacation . But , if you choose to get off at Waikin Ranch in Guyana ’ s hinterland , you ’ ll be giving back to the Earth instead of taking from it for your entire holiday . Even the water you drink comes straight from the ground to you . Look and see how clear the ice in your drink is !
Waikin Ranch was started by one family to give all families ( and couples , and even introverted loners ) a retreat offering the best attractions of an all-inclusive resort except in a sustainable , self-sufficient , ecologically-respectful way , and with the overarching goal of improving the environment and the quality of life of the surrounding communities ; even if there is electricity and Internet .
At Waikin , sustainable renewable energy is produced by solar panels . All four guest cabins have fans ( that aren ’ t needed on most breezy nights ) and power points with two 110v plug-in outlets and two USB charging ports . But , apart from the deep and restful sleep brought on by a day full of fun and healthy activity , being in the cabin is wasting time that could be better spent walking or hiking . Or horseback-riding . Or fishing . Or canoeing . Or at waterfalls . Or swimming in a natural pond fed by a spring . If Nature , in all her pristine powerful wonder is not enough for you , well , there ’ s Netflix .*
Waikin is a working cattle ranch and arable crop farm on 33,000 acres of largely untouched land in the Rupununi , an area world-renowned for its life-respecting approach generations before the term “ eco-tourism ” was coined . It encompasses savannah grassland , walking and hiking trails , rivers , lakes , wetlands and small pockets of forest , every square inch teeming with birds , insects and animal life .
Because almost all the food consumed is grown or reared
36 | TOURISM GUYANA 2022