Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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New rest house for Kaieteur National Park
– Operators complain of poor condition of facility atop Kaieteur
A new rest house and warden building is being constructed at Tukeit in the Kaieteur National Park, even as tour operators complain about the poor condition of the guest house atop Kaieteur Falls.
A grant agreement was recently signed for the construction of the rest house and warden building, which will cost $24M. The agreement was signed between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Parks Commission (NPC), the operational entity for the Kaieteur National Park Board.
General Manager of the National Parks Commission, Ms. Yolanda Vasconcellos, and Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mr. Doorga Persaud, sign the Grant Agreement. Looking on in the background are Team Leader of the GFA Consultancy Firm, Mr. Ben ter Welle, and Director of the Natural Resources Management Division, EPA, Dr. Indarjit Ramdass.
The Rest House at Tukeit, located along the Potaro River at the base of the Kaieteur Gorge, would provide additional rooms and hammock accommodations for 20 overland visitors. This project will also provide suitable accommodation for Park Wardens engaged in monitoring at Tukeit. For those who choose to visit Kaieteur Falls overland, Tukeit is where they begin hiking some 1,800 feet up the mountain to see the Fall.
The Rest House will be constructed by Project Design and Construction Company over an eight-month period.
Funding for the project is made possible by the German Government through the German Bank, KfW, through the small grants component of the Guyana Protected Areas System (GPAS) Project, and is being implemented by the EPA with assistance from the GFA Consultancy Firm.
In the recent past, KfW funded two other projects for the Kaieteur National Park, providing field kits for the Park Wardens, and a boat and engine for Waratuk, to improve monitoring activities in the Park.
The Kaieteur National Park was established in 1929 and today covers an area of 627 square kilometres (242 square miles). The Park is known for its rich biodiversity and the majestic Kaieteur Falls.
The Park currently has a Guest House at Kaieteur Top that can accommodate up to ten persons at any one time. However, this guest house has been cause for concern.
Tour operators who offer Kaieteur Falls as part of their package have been complaining that there is currently no caretaker or a cook there.
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