Rewa just may be the best place to explore Guyana's rich and biodiverse rainforest environment... its remote, riverfront location is the perfect jumping-off point for overland and river adventures into the heart of Guyana.
The EcoLodge has seen fewer than 200 tourists since it opened in 2006. It is a community-tourism project of the Amerindian village of Rewa, a Makushi tribe of 300 people living at the confluence of the Rupununi and Rewa rivers. A remote location and sparse tourism volume has left the natural environment here virtually untouched and marvelously pristine.
Rewa is a good base for three or four days of rainforest and river exploration: numerous day hikes are available, as are fishing expeditions, canoe trips, birdwatching treks (a harpy eagle nest is regularly active in the area), and nature spotting expeditions of all sorts. An afternoon on Grass Pond is the ultimate in tranquility. If you thought the views from Turtle Mountain at Iwokrama were impressive, you'll be blown away by the scene at the top of Awaramie Mountain. Sundowners at Seawall with local story teller Rudy is a legendary experience - literally.
Rewa also serves as the jumping-off point for multi-day and multi-week expeditions up the Rewa River, where the wildlife is famously rich, dense, and diverse. Even if you don't have time or constitution for a prolonged river tour, ask about spending at least one night out on the river, camped on a sandy riverbank with a friendly crew of guides and support staff.
Walk just a few minutes from the lodge to find Rewa Village itself where residents are primarily engaged in sustenance agriculture (cassava is the predominant crop). Most people live in traditional wood and thatch-roof buildings scattered over several acres along with a new school building, health clinic, village office, wildlife club building and a few other communal structures. A stroll through the village and meeting local villagers is a terrific experience since the sight of western tourists is new enough that everything feels genuine, unrehearsed, casual, and substantial. You are likely to be personally greeted by the local chief (or "Toschao") who will tell you about village history and current goings-on. Remember, everyone here speaks english so you can really get to know people.
The village has placed caps on the number of visitors who may visit the EcoLodge each year, ensuring this unique authenticity will not be steamrolled by mass tourism. Out of respect for the close-knit community, visitors are asked to always bring a local guide with them when they enter the village.
The spectacular BBC special, Lost Land of the Jaguar, was largely filmed along the Rewa River, and in 2011 the Travel Channel series "Wild Within" will feature the Rewa area.
