Reviews

14-04-2017,

A nice relaxed and care-free vacation organized very well. I am very satisfied with the program of my Suriname trip and the mix of culture, nature, and action.

The accommodations in Suriname

The accommodations were good, clean, decent and safe and the personnel friendly and helpful. Because I travel alone, I pay more for a single room and on this trip, the rooms were worth the price. I have also experienced that if you are a single traveler,  you get a smaller, less beautiful room, but on this trip, it was certainly not the case. In my opinion, Danpaati was the best. Splendid and beautiful place with a veranda looking out on the river. The personnel was super friendly and sometimes they offered us an extra activity without asking for compensation. Fantastic! Besides that, I was also very content with the apartment in Paramaribo where I stayed the night many times. A quiet place, large room with a small kitchen, swimming pool, no garden (but I did not miss it) and close by Joosje Roti shop where you can eat delicious and cheap.

Join in excursions in Suriname

I have participated in various excursions, varying in duration and arrangement. Difficult to compare because it was about several things. What I consciously chose for was excursions with other people. You travel together with other participants which I find much nicer and, moreover, this is the cheaper way of traveling because you share the costs. I liked this very much.

Highlights of my Suriname trip

Highlights for me were Danpaati at the Suriname River, the bike tour from Paramaribo to Pepperpot, Frederiksdorp, and Nickerie with the excursion on the Bigi Pan Lake. If I would do it again, I would surely book a night on the lake. In Paramaribo, I advise people to take a look at Prinsessen straat (tip from one of the guides). In this street, you will find a number of beautiful examples of the original Surinamese style of building. Furthermore, I also advise you to visit the Saamaka Museum in the village Pikin Slee. This is an optional excursion at Danpaati. You are going on a boat trip, to visit the Maroon museum. There are a few beautiful photographs and a little more information is given about the culture of the Sarammacans.

04-08-2018,

How would you describe your vacation in a few words or in one sentence?

It was rather a fantastic experience of life than a standard vacation!

Can you tell us something about the accommodations during this trip? 

All our accommodations were very good; from the simplest thing till the hotel, we always came to. What we did not want to miss, was staying on Bigi Pan, as far as the location is concerned, it was an enrichment of the trip. 

Can you tell us something about the excursions you participated in?

Anaula – beautiful island in the middle of the jungle with monkeys (always nice). We hiked in the jungle with a guide, we swam in the rapids (sula), we went to the village of the Maroons. All very nice experiences, set up as a tourist concept. This area with a visit to the Maroons is a must.

Bigi Pan – splendid area, mangrove area with a lot of birds (red ibises, various kinds of heron. I made nice boat trips, boating with the canoe and I had a mud treatment in the middle of the vast water. Slept in a hammock, certainly a must to do this with staying the night on Bigi Pan. The trip from Nickerie to Blanche Marie, with a visit to Indian villages and to an old depot. The latter was a spontaneous addition to the program, but this was really a beautiful experience. Blanche Marie – it was the rainy season, so the waterfall was filled with water completely. You could paddle at the edge. Furthermore, we fished here and spotted caimans. As far as the program is concerned it was a quiet part of the trip.

Nieuw Amsterdam – open-air museum, nice museum, not special. Frederiksdorp – tour on the plantation and a bike trip in the surroundings. Both are very nice, namely because of the friendly guide. Evening trip to the turtle was a nice experience despite the fact that we did not see big turtles (we did see young ones). We certainly recommend this place to others to visit (despite the fact that there are a lot of mosquitoes in this area).

What do you think of the organization of the trip? 

Everything was arranged very well. We were serviced completely during the trip and so we could enjoy everything we saw. The guides and chauffeurs were friendly, helpful, and informative also with the children.

What, according to you, should they not miss at all on this trip?

Suriname is a beautiful country with many various aspects. All the trips we made were a beautiful experience. In our opinion, a visit to Bigi Pan and the plantations is a must…

The whole team has shown interest in their guests. Worked hard to understand our expectations and to meet or exceed those expectations. The dug-out canoe was very adventurous. It was nice to travel the way the locals do, rather than on purpose-made tourist boats.“

28-05-2018, 

What is your first reaction if you think of your vacation?

Very surprising, very versatile!

Can you tell us something about the accommodations during this trip? 

I did not like, for example, the “back-to-basic” accommodations, but it was a fantastic experience! Sleeping at the Brokopondo Lake, at Fina’s in Semoisi and on the Bigi Pan lake. Once the knob is turned you can indulge in all the pleasant things and then it is an experience that is unparalleled by the most beautiful hotel you ever stayed at. In fact, it is the climax of your vacation: out of your comfort zone, nothing is as it is at home or what we have seen from previous trips up until now.

Can you tell us something about the excursions you participated in?

Brownsberg and Stone Island were a nice beginning to know the jungle: a splendid almost surrealistic Brokopondo lake, the Leo and Irene Falls.

Semoisi: the trip to Semoisi was impressive. What another (for us unknown) side of Suriname did we see there. The trips to the Ananasberg and Tapawatra Sula were fantastic, but the villagers are mainly going to stay in our minds: hospitable, heart-warming.

Bigi Pan was something quite different again: sleeping on the lake, spotting birds, caimans, and the mud bath.

We surely would not like to miss Frederiksdorp because of the history and the evening trip to the beach to spot turtles (leatherback turtle weighing 500 kg!)

And then all the things I have forgotten to mention now. Choosing from this is so difficult, just the complete picture makes you see what Suriname is.

What do you think of the organization of the trip?

Only praise for Raoul and his team: Ahmet, Raymond, Soesma, Samoe, Ro. We have enjoyed everything from the beginning till the end: from Pengel to Pengel! Everything was arranged splendidly and we really felt like their guests. It surpassed all our expectations!

What, according to you, should they not miss on this trip?

As far as population is concerned, Suriname is not only a melting pot of diversity. We have experienced the country like this ourselves. The excursion we did were so different: choosing from this would not be a credit to Suriname. Just plunge into the culture, nature and be surprised by the surroundings and the people, because they stole our hearts. Come out of your comfort zone and make very special memories for the rest of your life.

Tania, very many thanks for the super guidance, preparation, guidance locally by Raoul and his team, but also for the contact after the trip!