A 3-day boat safari on the Bigi Pan lake 

Program for the trip to Bigi Pan lake in Suriname

Day 1: Around 8.00 am you leave Paramaribo by car to Nickerie. The driver stops in Groningen, the capital of the district Saramacca. You can view the four monuments which are; the Slavery Abolition, the Civil War, the Boeroes, and the Immigration of the Hindus. In Coronie a sanitary stop is made if necessary.

Around noon you arrive in Nickerie and you get on a traditional canoe. Here you meet your enthusiastic guide, who can show you everything along the road. Via the Nickerie river and the Jamaer canal, you sail towards Bigi Pan. Enjoy the Parwa forests and mangroves along the way. These forests serve as natural protection against erosion and as a breeding ground for young shrimps. At the end of the canal, there is a huge lake, this is Bigi Pan! Bigi Pan is a federally protected Multiple Use Management Area meaning you need a license to built and fish. Houses on stilts are above the water and here you spend the night. The accommodation where you stay is simple. You can choose to sleep in a bed or in a hammock. If you sleep in a hammock, you can see the sunrise over the lake the next morning; this is highly recommended! In the afternoon you can get into the boat to spot caimans, take a mud bath, or go fishing.

IMPORTANT: Take anti-mosquito sprays, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, because there are many mosquitoes in this area. A raincoat is always good to have on hand in Suriname because it can suddenly rain. Just like a hat and sunscreen to protect you from the bright sun (the boat has no shelter).

Day 2: A beautiful sunrise! Did you wake up in your hammock this morning? Nice huh, that sunrise?! Not long after the sunrise, you step back in the boat to spot birds. In the morning you can come with the boat quite close to the flamingos (for the perfect picture!) before they fly elsewhere. Many birds spend the winter in Bigi Pan to search for food in the nutrient-rich water. Buzzards, vultures, kingfishers, owls, eagles, woodpeckers, tree patches, and scarlet ibises are just a few examples of the 120 bird species that you can encounter here. When you come back, you can relax in a hammock with a view over the lake. What a wonderful place this is! After lunch, you sail back to Nieuw-Nickerie. This is the second city of Suriname but only has a little more than 13,000 inhabitants. The apartment is located in the centre of the city. In the evening you visit a beautiful Hindu temple with a guide and you can stroll along the Zeedijk. Getting a bit of fresh air!

Day 3: The morning market of Nickerie. After breakfast, you visit the local market, which is sheltered, of Nieuw-Nickerie, and experience the daily life of the Nickerians. The market is always crowded and fruit, vegetables, fish and all kinds of other necessities are sold there. The garter (vegetable) that one uses among others in the famous roti is of course also available in large quantities. We advise you to taste an exotic fruit that you have never had yet! After a nice Surinamese lunch, you drive back to Paramaribo. Around 18.30 hr. you arrive in Paramaribo again and you will be dropped off at your hotel. Dinner will not be provided for you, the centre of Paramaribo has many to offer: Chinese, Javanese cuisine, or something else. There is enough choice!

Notes:

The season for bird watchers February-March en July-November his nature reserve is 68.320 hectares with its own characteristics.

Minimum attendance is 4 persons but if you are with 2 persons are more let us know. This trip is join-in meaning you will be travelling with other international guests.

The program can be executed in reverse due to the weather and water levels.

Sustainable: The Bigi Pan lake is a special area where the commercial activities are managed by the government. It is famous for the thousands of birds that you can spot there.

“Wherever you want to go in the 3 Guianas, Pejego Tours makes it possible!”