The Amerindian community of Surama benefits from an isolated and idyllic location, which provides a fascinating insight into Guyana's rainforests. The wildlife to be found here includes: tapir, spider monkey and giant river otter.
Surama's inhabitants are mainly from the Makushi tribe, whose homeland is the now-protected Iwokrama Rainforest, and still observe many of the traditional practices of their forebears. The tiny village is the focal point of an innovative sustainable ecotourism project designed to create jobs and generate incomes for local people within the community, and thus avoid them having to move away to find work. The guides here have lived their entire lives in the rainforest, and thus have an intimate knowledge and deep understanding of this environment and how to utilise its precious resources.
To introduce you to this world, your guide will take you on a dawn hike across the savannah and up nearby Surama Mountain, revealing fantastic vistas and a multitude of birds. Other activities include nature walks by day and/or by night in the forest, or a short hike to the nearby Burro-Burro River, followed by a paddle in a dugout canoe in search of giant river otters, tapir, tayra, spider monkey and other species. Just a short drive away is the Cock-of-the-rock Trail which, as its name suggests, is a good place to spot the Guianan cock-of-the-rock; the males of this species are particularly eye-catching due to their bright orange plumage.
The varied and contrasting habitats in the vicinity of Surama ensure you can see a diverse selection of wildlife – especially birds. Visitors are made most welcome, as ecotourism helps to preserve the forest – the very reason why most visitors come – and so provides local people with a source of income on their doorstep.
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