Reminiscing on the beauty of Sloth Island

Dec 25, 2022 News

O’ Beautiful Guyana…

Kaieteur News – Sloth Island is 155 acres of pure tranquil land, decorated with beautiful flowers and trees that have been in existence for decades. These are home to the now endangered brown throated sloths that usually come out to greet and welcome visitors if they are lucky.

The island is just one of the 365 that can be found in the mighty Essequibo River.

Enjoying a nature walk on the wooden trail on the island (IMAGES TAKEN FROM SLOTH ISLAND NATURE RESORT’S FACEBOOK PAGE)

A family of sloths make their way through the trees in search of food on the island

The rustic bridge that leads visitors to the resort

Enjoying activities on the island

My last visit to the island was during October 2021, when I was accompanied by my husband. To get to the island, we were required to join a boat from the Parika Stelling and travel to Bartica. Once we arrived at Bartica, there was a small boat (canoe with an engine) waiting to transport us to Sloth Island. The ride took about 10 minutes and was quite thrilling.

When we hopped off the boat, it was onto a beautiful yet rustic walkway that we were told sometimes becomes covered when the river is swollen. We were exhausted when we finally arrived, so we headed straight to our room where we enjoyed a comfortable bed and a large room.

The staff then alerted us that dinner was ready. We headed to the garden area where we enjoyed a tasty welcome meal.

The next day, my husband and I were taken on a nature walk. It was my favourite part of the trip, though we did not see any sloths that day.

The trail was built of wood above the slushy terrain. We were escorted by a kind gentleman who taught us that the trees there were used as medicine by Amerindians decades ago.

We were treated to the beautiful sight of birds as we journeyed along the wooden trail. The island also usually offers visitors the opportunity to visit Parrot Island, which is nearby. There, tourists are treated to the colourful views of the birds and the calming sounds of their whistles and squawks. I was not fortunate enough to enjoy this experience but I was told this is usually an afternoon treat for guests. As the sun sets, the creatures return home and gleefully dash around before nestling into the trees.

The beautiful Sloth Island Resort

If I can use a single word to describe my stay at Sloth Island, I would term it ‘peaceful’. The garden area offered board games that I enjoyed with my spouse and the staff was very accommodating to our requests.

According to its website, the resort is the brainchild of an Entrepreneur seeking a holiday home away from the grind and noise of city life. When this neglected piece of paradise became available, he took the opportunity to create a comfortable space as an eco-friendly paradise. In the early 1990s, reclamation work began on the swampy northern point.

The 5-acre area required massive buildup, and Amerindians from the Agatash area constructed traditional buildings. It was the first attempt at building a facility specifically to cater to holiday makers, like-minded nature lovers, and wildlife viewers. When the first guests stayed at Sloth Island, the accommodation was traditional cabins. The ongoing land reclamation and the presence of termites were significant challenges during the initial planning and construction phases. Today, a three-level modern facility overlooks the Essequibo River and it is surrounded by 155 acres of unchanged pristine vegetation.

The island boasts 155 acres of uninhibited and dense forest with rich vegetation that includes red and black mangroves, cabbage palm, mora, corkwood, crabwood, bloodwood, antswood, walaba, dalli, arisau, mani, wild cocoa, monkey pot, kurukai, congapump, silk cotton and manicole trees.