Dadanawa Ranch

Dadanawa was established in the early twentieth century and at its height ran cattle over an area of several thousand square kilometres, which put it among the largest ranches anywhere. It still works, with Wapishana and Macushi vaqueros riding the savannah, and it takes a small number of visitors who ride out with them, camp on the range and travel the Rupununi headwaters. The ranch has a long association with naturalists and expeditions using it as a base.

What you actually see

• The working ranch - cattle worked on horseback across open savannah.
• The vaqueros - Wapishana and Macushi riders who run the herds.
• The scale - a holding measured in thousands of square kilometres.
• The Rupununi headwaters - river country south of the ranch buildings.

When to go

September to April is the dry season and the practical window. The wet season from May to August floods much of the savannah and cuts the tracks. Round-ups happen on the ranch's schedule.

Honest expectations

Accommodation is basic ranch quarters, not a lodge, and the experience is working rather than curated. Access is a long rough drive from Lethem. Everything must be arranged well in advance and the ranch takes very few people.

Nearby

Aishalton is southeast, and Lethem is north.