Interviews and photos by Shabna Ullah
School is out and with many people looking to visit various places, we asked residents to reflect on the vacations they took and their number one spot in Guyana.
Savitri Persaud, self-employed,
‘The last time I took a vacation was last year. I visited Princes Town, Trinidad and I spent time with my friend. She took me to Maracas Beach for a picnic. We also went sightseeing like at the Temple in the Sea and we went to Golf City Mall and many other places. We had such a good time and I’m looking forward to going again. My number one spot in Guyana is Splashmins Resort and I’m planning to go again for the Caricom holiday.’
Kamila Singh, vendor,
‘I have never been on vacation but I am planning to go to Suriname soon. To be honest, I am not the outgoing type so I don’t really have a number one spot. But I went to Linden and Berbice a few times and I enjoyed the trips. My dream is to visit the Kaieteur Falls one day though.’
Ganesh Indardeo, carpenter,
‘To go on a vacation you have to have a lot of money and presently there is no work available. Although I had never gone on a vacation I do look forward to doing so in the future. Sometimes I get work in Lethem and while I am there I move around a lot. I visit a lot of places, especially the bright spots when they have horse and bull racing. Lethem is a beautiful place and I was lucky to work there during the time of the races.’
Eon Singh, machinist/singer,
‘I did not go out of the country for a vacation but I went to Bartica with my family. We spent some time there just for the fun and relaxation. We visited relatives and we went sightseeing. I’ll be going on a vacation next year to the Dominican Republic though. I have visited the Kaieteur Falls and I love it; it is so beautiful. I’ll be going to Lake Mainstay Resort in Essequibo soon for a big family reunion.’
John Carew, carpenter/mason,
‘Last year I went to Baganara Resort in the Essequibo River with my family. The place is breathtaking, I love it and I’d encourage everyone to go there as well. The trip was wonderful and I had so much fun; we swam, played games, did karaoke singing and also had a tour of the beautiful place.’
Kamesha Sparman, sales representative,
‘The last time I took a vacation was four years ago. I went to Antigua and I toured all over. I also went clubbing and to the fancy restaurants and the best part was that I was there for the Carnival. The trip was a great; I had a lot of fun. Right now I’m preparing for my maternity vacation. My favourite spot to visit here is Splashmins.’
Premo Arjune, welder,
‘I went on a vacation in February. I took a lime in Suriname for five days with my family to see the place. We visited relatives and they took us around. The trip was hectic, travelling for so many hours but when you get to Paramaribo it was all worth it. When I have the time I take my children to Splashmins or Bushy Park Beach in Parika. Other than that I always take them to DQ for ice-cream or to Church’s Chicken.’
Jenelly Damon, sales representative,
‘I took my vacation from work since Christmas but I did not go anywhere. I preferred to spend it at home with my family and relax. Hopefully I’d go out of the country soon. I love to go to City Mall in Georgetown and hang out. I also enjoy visiting the seawall. It’s beautiful but it needs a lot of cleaning and uplifting.’
Fizul Hussain, businessman,
‘Last three years I went on a vacation. I went to Suriname and hang out with my friends and relatives. We went to the Casinos and the restaurants and of course toured a little. The place is beautiful and it is very clean; a lot cleaner than Guyana. In Guyana, I love to visit the Essequibo Coast. I go there to visit relatives and they take me to the beach. We also go to the conservancy where we do fishing and I love the black water. Essequibo is a lot of fun. Whenever I feel stressed out I go to there to relax, away from everyone and everything.’
Steve Appache, vendor,
‘I have never been on a vacation because I cannot afford it right now. I would save my money though and go somewhere, anywhere away from Guyana. I don’t have a favourite spot actually but I hang out at bars mostly or any drinking place.’
Ramona Hunte, self-employed,
‘It has been a long time since I took a vacation; 10 years ago. I visited Barbados, Suriname and the last place I went to was St. Vincent. My friends took me to see various places like the beaches and the gardens where they have the nutmeg trees. We also went to visit the mountains from where the volcanos would erupt. I was there also for the carnival. I had a very nice vacation. My number one spot in Guyana is at the discos and the Golden Coast Restaurant.’
