Shanklands offers luxury in the rainforest
By Samantha Alleyne
A Yellow Pages advertisement for Shanklands Rainforest Resort urges: "Sleep in a Gingerbread Cottage; Awake in the Rainforest; Experience our Warmth." And while the cottages at Shanklands only look like they are made of gingerbread, they are in the rainforest and yes, warmth is experienced. This luxurious resort is located on the mighty Essequibo River, twenty-seven miles from Parika and approximately three hours from Georgetown. It takes less than an hour to reach the resort from Parika and as the motor boat swerves into the landing of the resort, the scenery takes your breath away. This resort offers ten rooms which are located in four separate houses. Each of these houses is self contained and they are separated by vast land space to ensure your maximum privacy. Most of the buildings are built ranch style and are constructed in such a way that they are enveloped by cool breeze off the Essequibo all day and night. There is the 'Honeymoon Cottage' where just married couples can enjoy the bliss of being newly weds without being disturbed and there is the 'Ashley House' which is the main house and an entire family and even friends can be accommodated there. For groups there is 'Bambo Landing,' which consists of a caravan under a huge shed and can accommodate approximately twelve persons. A kitchen and a bathroom and toilet are also attached. This is a camping facility where persons carry their own foodstuff and cook for themselves, but they can still enjoy all that the resort has to offer. They can use the beach, walk in the forest play life-sized chess and other games that are offered. There is also the 'Labba Lodge' and the 'Acourie Cottage' which houses the kitchen and dining hall at the bottom.
And though you can tuck into some of the most sumptuous and mouth-watering meals you have ever eaten at Shanklands, if you want the 'labba and creek water' experience, go elsewhere. No wild meat is served because the management of the resort protects the wild animals in the forest and no hunting takes place there.
Animal Hospital Special packages The management of the Shanklands Resort say they have this country's tourism development at heart and as a result have put together a special 'nature package' for University of Guyana students all year round. They provide day trips and overnight accommodation with prices which are negotiable. The prices include meals and return trip to Georgetown with complimentary facilities of swimming on private beaches, nature walks, bird watching, kayaking, golf putting among others. This group package is offered to all students and their teachers can travel free with them. They have also put together a nature holiday package which is designed for children. Lee Young said that taking children on vacation is generally no fun for mums and dads who have to spend the day entertaining their children. "For a few days at Shanklands children will be able to experience the wonders of the rainforest, have fun and become better educated about our environment, while mum and dad have a vacation of their own," he said. He said that their experienced staff take the children under their wing from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and lead them through an exciting array of educational and fun activities. The manager also disclosed that enlightening hikes through the rainforest, fishing on the beach and bird watching with their experienced guides are all part of the learning. Speaking to the media at the resort two Sundays ago, Lee Young said that they put together special packages for students and children because they are the nation and to promote tourism in Guyana, children must learn about their country. He said that it is not just a holiday package it is also educational. "If our children don't know what their country has to offer then they would be unable to tell foreigners about our rainforest," Lee Young said. Proprietress of the resort, Joanne Jardim said that when children from out of Guyana visit the resort they are always enlightened about the rainforest from what they had been taught in their schools. She said that the children of tomorrow must know what tourism is all about. Noting that Guyana has a lot to offer, she said she hoped that other agencies will follow in their footsteps in trying to educate the youths about Guyana's forest. Lee Young also disclosed they want to work closely with the bio-diversity programme at UG. The manager said they also hoped that following contact with the Guyana Forestry Commission, which would be shortly that the staff at the resort could be trained by the commission to make them more knowledgeable of the forest and that the staff in turn will be able to impart their knowledge to the persons visiting the resort. Shanklands has nine staff members at the resort, excluding the manager, and four at its Happy Acres reservations site. How the resort got its name Proprietors of the resort, Max and Joanne Jardim were married 45 years ago after meeting on the seawall a year before on a romantic Sunday morning. Mrs Jardim said that while her husband is a Guyanese she was brought to Guyana from Canada at the age of eight. She disclosed that her father owned the land and when he died she inherited the place. After her two children were grown adults, Jardim said, she and her husband decided to make the place into a resort and started the task 16 years ago. She said that since her maiden name was Shankland her husband decided to name the resort Shanklands, which was developed after much hard work. Jardim said that at first the river was not visible from the existing house her father had had on the property. The trees which they cleared away, they burned in coal pits, selling the charcoal and putting the funds obtained into the building of the resort and paying the staff. Jardim said that she and her husband, though both in their 50's, put their shoulders to the wheel and helped build Shanklands into what it is today.
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