We had a fantastic holiday. After arrival, we acclimatized for two nights in Bloemendaal, where we got acquainted with the climate, the hospitality of Suriname, and had our first introduction to the nature and delicious food. We also visited the sloth sanctuary. We felt such dedication there.
Bigi Pan was our next stop. Picked up by Erik, with lots of information about the area along the way, we arrived at Bigi Pan by boat (with plenty of explanations about the birds we saw). Fantastic. Very simple accommodation, but certainly met expectations. We took a boat trip across the lake and were lucky enough to see, under a full moon, how hundreds of little egrets and scarlet ibises looked for a spot to spend the night.
What a treat to experience. The next morning we took another trip through the mangrove landscape. Then to a camp on the Maratakka River. That surpassed everything. What a fantastic stay we had there. Beautiful jungle, walks, explanations, delicious food, and a great river to swim in. This was certainly a highlight for us. Back to Paramaribo where we had a guided tour of the highlights. We are not city people, but a number of monuments were beautiful.
Our next stop was at Bakkie . After a trip along the Warappakreek, we stayed for two nights. The creek was beautiful, only a lot of mosquitoes, but since we were the only guests, we had everyone's attention and learned a great deal about the country and the plantations.
Our next stop was via Brownsberg , where we took a walk to Stone Island to see a waterfall that wasn't there due to the drought. It was a unique experience to look at land that had been submerged because a dam had been built. Then on to Knini Paati. A relatively slightly more luxurious stay. Very pleasant. Beautiful cottages, excellent food, and we went on some lovely excursions. We enjoyed the Samaaka Museum, where we learned extensively about the lifestyle of the Saramakans. The trips on the river, with the low water levels, were also fantastic to experience. How skillfully people maneuver between the rocks. We also had our first real tropical downpours there. That was wonderful.
Back to Paramaribo we were there on a Sunday. The taxi picked us up at 6.30 and dropped us off at Independence Square, to look at the birds. A very special experience to see the men with their birds in the battle for the best songbird. It turned out that we were at the semi-finals, so there was quite a bit of tension among ourselves. The best bird costs a fortune. It's fun to experience.
After that, we flew to Palumeu. We had another fantastic 5 days there. We were glad that it was cloudy occasionally because it was very hot in the sun. We went on many excursions. Breakfast somewhere by the river, followed by a jungle trek. A lazy day with a delicious BBQ lunch by the river, where we could swim, lounge in a hammock, or enjoy reading. We went to the village where we walked around, saw the school, and the cassava roots being pressed and then, once processed and fried, laid out to dry on the roof of the house. Remarkable. Finally, we were able to buy beautiful jewelry that the women make from seeds, which they dye themselves if necessary. Here too, we had an indigenous guide who could tell us a lot, and the food was amazing again.
In short, it was a fantastic trip. Which fully met our expectations and which we will remember for a long time. It was very hot and humid, we were bothered by mosquitoes half the time, but we knew that. We can recommend everyone to visit this country in this way that has been specially designed for us. We thank Suzette and her colleagues for the great organization.
Michiel and Hestia Kamphuis
