Located on the northeast coast of South America between the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana) is one of the last untamed places in South America with sprawling rivers, cities built on stilts, dense mangrove swamps along the coast, and virtually unexplored rain forests. The Dutch explorers who first settled here called it “de Wilde Kust” or “Wild Coast”.
A new 10-day, 9-night independent tour program to Suriname will give the inquisitive traveler a chance to explore a region almost undisturbed by modern-day tourism. “The Complete Suriname Adventure” is offered by The Great Canadian Travel Company and is priced at $1850 per person, double occupancy (the single supplement is $300).
On this program, you’ll spend three nights at the Kabalebo Nature Resort in the heart of the Amazon rain forest, accessible only by air. Kabalebo is 240 kilometres from the nearest road or village, and is operated by descendants of the original Amerindian inhabitants and African Maroons (retribalized slaves who escaped into the interior in the 17th century). Accommodations at Kabalebo feature double rooms with private showers and air conditioning.
During your stay, there will be a wide variety of activities – jungle walks, canoeing, boat trips on the river system, and spotting exotic wildlife including ocelots, anteaters, harpy eagles, black caiman, giant river otters and arapaima (the world’s largest scaled fresh water fish). Perhaps you will even see a jaguar, a truly memorable sight.
You’ll also have plenty of time to explore Paramaribo, the charming capital of Suriname; a little white city next to a gigantic river. Small canals run through it, and there is nothing taller than a church. Everything is made of wood or handmade bricks. There is no litter in the streets, no trains, no subways, and the inhabitants speak about twenty different languages. Enjoy a half-day sightseeing tour of this quirky and fascinating city, as well as a sunset river tour; often you will see dolphins at the mouth of the massive Suriname River.
On a two-day excursion, you’ll take a canoe up Warappa Creek, east of Paramaribo. This entire region was once rich in sugar, coffee and cotton plantations. After the abolition of slavery in 1863, however, most of the plantations were abandoned, and thick mangrove swamp has taken over. The area is now a rich nature reserve, a bird watcher’s paradise. Where there were once flourishing plantations with stone mansions and numerous outbuildings, now all that is left are remnants: wooden vestiges of a bridge, pillars of a gate, and rusted parts of steam machinery. A few of the old, overgrown plantations are in the process of being restored. On this program, you spend a night at one of them, the restored plantation of Bakke.
There will be a full day excursion to Santigron, a Maroon village some 50 kilometres south of Paramaribo. Learn a great deal about the culture of the Maroons, descendants of the escaped slaves, and enjoy time in their community.
The program includes accommodations in Paramaribo, Bakke and Kabalebo Nature Resort, and all tours and excursions as described. Also included: all meals at Kabalebo and round trip air between Paramaribo and the resort. There are Monday departures throughout 2014.
Reservations and additional information are available from The Great Canadian Travel Company.
Happy New Year!
Bon Voyage,
Jenn
Jenn Cox is a Montreal-based freelance journalist. Visit her website or email her at info@wordaddict.ca.
