Luxury yacht tour sets sail for Guyana 14-17 day packages on offer
Stabroek News
March 22, 2003
A new tour package called ‘ExploreSail’ which involves sailing from St Lucia to Guyana on a 61ft luxury yacht followed by up to 10 days exploring the interior, was launched on Thursday when the Venus Ocean Star vessel docked in Guyana.
The eight-man crew is here on a fact-finding mission to assess what Guyana has to offer. After only four days they say they are satisfied with what they have seen and are willing to make Guyana one of their destinations.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at Shanklands Resort, Paul Stephenson, co-chairman of Cara Hotels told reporters that the ExploreSail concept which they were looking at was a 17-day package. He said the promoters were currently looking at marketing in Australia, Europe and the USA.
The new product was also recently launched in Berlin and according to Stephenson, the response was overwhelming.
Stephenson, said in terms of the package they had one for 14 days and the other for 17 days. Asked why the organisers had chosen Guyana, Stephenson said, “this is completely different; this country is relatively unspoiled and beautiful.” One of the crew members observed that among other things the Essequibo river was about two miles wide and with the wildlife, flora and fauna anyone would want to come to Guyana.
Additionally, Stephenson told reporters that the reasons for them choosing the Essequibo river among the other rivers was because, “it is less busy and quieter than the others.” Moreover, Stephenson noted that the Essequibo river had the depth and was more accessible.
On Day One of the trip the tourist would arrive in St Lucia and be transferred to the Cara Suites hotel. Day 2 would be a free day to explore the island, take an optional tour to see the towering peaks of the Pitons. Day 3, the tourist would prepare to board a 16 metre luxury yacht and head into the Caribbean. Day 4 and 5 they would head for Guyana arriving in the Essequibo river and clearing immigration. Tourists could visit Iwokrama, the Karanambu Ranch, the foothills of the Pakaraima mountains and other places. For the 17-day package the rate ranges from US$3,862 per person based on a group of six persons, US$3,563 per person, based on group of seven persons and US$3,337 per person based on group of eight persons.
The rate includes: airport transfers, double or twin accommodation, meals, local bar at Karanambo and Rock View, full crew yacht charter, all road and river transport, internal flights in Guyana, Kaieteur National Park fee, Iwokrama visitor fee and local guides.
For 14 days it would be US$3,081 per person, based on group of six persons, US$2,875 per person based on group of seven persons and US$2,707 per person based on group of eight persons.
Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Tourism, Sonja Roopnauth told Stabroek News that, ”The ExploreSail concept is an excellent initiative and shows that the private sector is getting creative in terms of packaging a product before the market.” She said ExploreSail combined a concept of Guyana as part of a multi-destination marketing tour.
The Permanent Secretary also noted that the people who take up the package had a higher income and unlike the cruise ship where the cruisers would basically have all the facilities on the ship and would not come out, with the ExploreSail people would come out and travel around the country.
