Kanuku Eco Lodge offers ideal excursion for hardcore adventurers

Catered mostly for “hardcore adventurers”, the Kanuku Eco Lodge located in the deep south of the Amazon Rainforest in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) was on Friday officially launched.
The multimillion-dollar investment was undertaken by Guyanese businessman Geer Meghan, Chief Executive Officer of the BM Enterprise which encompasses the Kanuku Suites.

The lodge sits on 500 acres of land and is located 100km north of the nearest civilisation at Apoteri.
Though it is still a work in progress, the resort currently offers eight double rooms as well as private huts wherein guests can experience wildlife at its best.
According to CEO Meghan, guests can easily spot jaguars, anteaters, and the like during their stay at the facility which has so far cost some US$200,000. It is anticipated that an additional US$500,000 is needed to fully develop the resort into a world-class facility.

He noted that for the past eight years, his company has been offering wildlife excursions to persons from National Geographic, the BBC, and Animal Planet.
In fact, Meghan said due to the costs associated with these adventures, locals may not be able to afford them. However, he said the goal now is to try to tailor trips that meet the pockets of Guyanese.
“This kind of tourism is not geared for the locals because of the cost,” Meghan stated.
Noting that the tours offered are for “hardcore adventurers”, the CEO assured that strict safety regulations are in place at the Kanuku Resort. “The guides that we have, they are very trained, so there is no danger because of the safety they have been practicing,” he noted.
The resort is accessible by both air and land. During the launching ceremony, it was underscored that this new tourism experience is more than just the destination.
In fact, it was revealed that the journey to the Kanuku Resort is action-packed and provides breath-taking views and remarkable opportunities to spot wildlife in its truest forms.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir delivered remarks at the ceremony on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali, where he spoke of the overall transformation of the local tourism industry.
“Tourism has been identified as one of our economic growth poles, especially for sustainable development,” Nadir said, quoting the Guyanese Head of State.
“Region Nine…is one of the exciting frontiers for eco-tourism development. It is Guyana’s largest administrative region…The area has diverse ecosystems from rivers, savannahs, rainforests, mountain ranges, endemic biodiversity…in fact, all regions of Guyana have the potential to expand the number of ecotourism products and this is what makes Guyana truly unique in the Caribbean,” Nadir continued.
It was outlined that in order to fully develop the country’s tourism product, significant investments would be needed as well as competitiveness and the strengthening of human resources.
“The development of eco-lodges requires what I would like to refer to as ‘ecological entrepreneurs’, persons and firm who understand the country’s wide array of natural attractions and assets and who have the vision, knowledge and access to capital to convert these into profitable and sustainable tourism products,” the House Speaker shared.