British national finds his oasis in Guyana
By Tangerine Clarke
Fifty years ago when Colin Edwards
left his homeland of England and
arrived in Guyana to work as a Voluntary
Service Overseas (VSO), at
the Ministry of Agriculture, he never
imagined in his wildest dreams that he
would become the founder and managing
director of Rock View Lodge,
one of the country’s most beautiful
eco-tourism destinations, in Annai,
Rupununi Savannahs, Region 9.
Rock View Lodge celebrates 27
years of pristine beauty, a hidden gem
between the Amerindian villages of
Annai and Rupertee where the Pakaraima
foothills meet the tropical rainforest.
Edwards, with a very strong English
accent, boasts that Rock View Lodge
offers the best comfort, indoor and
outdoor vacation options, such as cultural
activities, steeped in authentic
Amerindian hospitality.
The expansive grounds welcome
visitors to well-furnished self-contained
suits, horseback trails, birding,
panorama nature trail on the mountain
of the Sacred Table, excursions
on the Rupununi River and Oxbow
Lakes, craft demonstration, cashew
nut roasting, and dining in an old family
ranch house, decorated with a fine
art collection, and music.
The moment visitors arrive just
a stone’s throw from the airstrip,
or overland via the Georgetown to
Lethem trail, they are greeted with a
delightful in-ground swimming pool,
surrounded by greenery and poolside
bar, just beyond the lodges decorated
with Rupununi charm.
Edwards who came to the region
in 1969 after graduating from the
Agriculture College to offer his
skills, fell in love with South America,
and over the years has lived and
traveled between Brazil and Guyana,
to work.
He said through a cooperative system
under then Cabinet Minister,
Sydney King, (Eusi Kwayana) he was
asked to integrate infrastructure for
land settlement.
As such, he and his team constructed
the Annai Airstrip and built
roads for Port Kaituma, under then
Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham. He
was also instrumental in constructing
roads in the Amazon rainforest
of Brazil, and thousands of miles of
roadways along the region.
He linked Lethem with Georgetown,
and Guyana with Brazil, and worked
on large International projects before
deciding to branch out into tourism.
Edwards said Guyana needs a North
South access to integrate the hinterland
with the coastline.
“Guyana needs to give people the
opportunity to set up, enterprise and
development, whether tourism, or
other activities such as mining, in
order for them to contribute, to the
economy.”
“From road construction, feasibility
Caribbean L 38 ife, May 10–16, 2019
study, mining for gold with the Geological
and Mines Commission, I then
turned to tourism, and agriculture
which was my real field of study at college,”
said Edwards, who in hands-on
in every aspect of the lodge.
“I started the concept of eco-tourism
in the North Rupununi and now
we have a number of wonderful lodges,
each different from the other, but
these offer a very diverse product
for visitors from the diaspora,” said
Edwards.
“Guyanese in the diaspora are eager
to get to know their country again,
to know the country they never knew
before they left. We have specialist
markets in birding, in adventure, and
indigenous culture. All this is contributing
to tourism as a sustainable
economic activity to balance with the
extracted economy, which is timber,
bauxite, gold, diamond, now oil, he
said.
Edwards has partnered with the
Guyana Tourism Authority and the
Tourism Hospitality Association of
Guyana. They work together and support
each other helping to organize
itineraries, which involve as many
locations as possible, whether by airlift
or road, depending on the size of
the group.
He said the partners work together
through referrals, tour operators, and
initiatives by the government, such as
Frist Lady H. E. Sandra’s trip to unveil
an ICT workshop at Bina Hill Institute
Youth Center in Annai.
“We have a place where we can meet
and contribute to capacity building in
different aspects, whether education
or tourism,” said the Englishman.
Edwards welcomes guests to relax
and refresh at the “Rock” set amidst
lush grounds, to get to know the
rhythms of the Rupununi.
The resort is within easy access of
the Annai Airstrip. Visitors could also
travel by both scheduled flights and
charted aircraft. Annai can also be
reached via road from Georgetown to
Lethem, which borders Brazil. Scheduled
minibus service from Georgetown
to Lethem is also available.
Edwards, himself is so enthralled
and relaxed in the beautiful Savannah
that he rarely ever leaves. He said his
last visit to Europe was eight years
ago. He however, makes the 240 km
trek to Brazil every month to buy supplies
for Rock View Lodge, rated on
Trip Advisor and on Facebook.
To learn more, go to www.rockviewlodge.
com, or send Colin Edwards an
email at colin@rockviewlodge.com —
tell Colin Edwards, Tangerine Clarke
sent you.
Founder, Managing Director, Englishman,
Colin Edwards welcomes
First Lady of Guyana, H.E. Sandra
Granger to Rock View Lodge, Annai,
Rupununi Savannahs.
Photo by Tangerine Clarke
Caribbean Life’s contributing writer, Tangerine Clarke, relaxes in a hammock
at the eco-friendly Rock View Lodge, Annai, Rupununi Savannahs.
Photo by Tangerine Clarke
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