Authentic Village Semoisi  in 4 days

Program of your visit to village Semoisi

Day 1: Drive and sail to village Semoisi and stay with locals

The bus will pick you up from your hotel at 8.00 clock. You will drive from Paramaribo to Atjoni in 3 hours. In Atjoni the roads end and you will step into a traditional canoe and depending on the water level of the Upper Suriname River, you reach Semoisi in about  3-5 hours. Lunch is consumed in between. Samaaka people are descendants of fled slaves (maroons) who escaped from plantations during the Dutch rule and survived deep in the jungle. During the trip over the broad Upper Suriname River, you will sail along rapids, villagers washing dishes along the river, or children taking a dip.

Take note: make sure during the canoe trip that you protect yourself from the bright sun, keep your raincoat on hand, and (in any case) put your valuables in a waterproof bag.

On arrival there is a drink waiting for you: nice, you’re here! Owner Fina Naana makes sure that you quickly feel at home at the resort. The resort, in this case,  not a five star luxury, but it is a simple local Samaaka resort. In any case, it is very luxurious if you compare it to the hammock encampments where visitors to Semoisi had to sleep in a few years ago! If you have put your things away in your simple house, you will walk or take the boat to a “plot” – a vegetable garden – of one of the village women. Cassava, rice, and vegetables are cultivated on the plots. You will be put to work on the plot: dig up the cassava from the ground and help harvest the other crops. During this walk, the local guide also tells about the cultural and traditional customs of the Samaakan people. Back in the village, you help to peel and grate the cassava. This is then placed in a large safe (Matapi) so that the water can leak out. After this, take a shower, throw a bowl of water over you or “do as the locals do” and take a bath in the river. In the evening, a campfire is made depending on the weather.

Day 2: Bake your own cassava bread

Fina starts preparing breakfast early. She likes it when you come and take a look in her kitchen. Feel the refreshing nudge of the gentle breeze from the Surinam River while you are having your breakfast. The peeled cassava has now been left to dry for long enough and after breakfast, you will bake your own cassava sandwich. In the afternoon you take a village walk passing some traditional huts where the front is decorated with carvings. You can also see the important buildings and activities of the village, such as the village church and the village school. Also, take a look at the school that we support. With a little luck, you can see a few people making a new canoe. While washing dishes in the river some girls try to catch small fish with rice grains for baking (they taste great!). During the walk, if you are lucky you will also meet a Captain of Semoisi, one of the important men of the village. During dinner, you can dip your own baked cassava sandwich in a traditional sauce. Yummy!

Day 3: Visit the village of Headchief of the Saramacca tribe and relax in Tapawatra soela

After breakfast, you will travel by boat to the medical post in Djumu in about 20 minutes. Always keep your eyes open while sailing, you may spot a caiman or other special wild animal. From Djumu you walk to the Ananas Mountain. On the way back, enjoy a light lunch at Asidonhopo. This is the village of the Chief captain (Granman) of the Samaaka tribe. At the end of the afternoon, you will be taken by boat to the Tapawatra soela. Soela is the Surinamese word for rapids, you can relax here between the rock formations in the river. In the evening you enjoy delicious Saramaka food. After dinner, a group of local women will perform a Seketi dance and sing songs. Swinging with hips and toes is important in this traditional dance. Do you want to wiggle your hips as well? the local ladies invite you!

Day 4: Say goodbye to the Saramacanners in the interior

After breakfast, you leave by boat to Paramaribo. You say goodbye to the hospitable family who has taken such good care of you in recent days. The boat trip takes approximately 3 to 5 hours. The speed also depends on the water level and the boat (private or local). One day the water can be four to six meters higher or lower than the day before. If it doesn’t rain upstream for two days or more, the mate has more trouble steering the canoe over the river with its many rapids. When you leave Semoisi, you will receive a nice lunch to enjoy while you are in the canoe. In Atjoni a bus awaits you and within 3 hours you will arrive at your hotel. Dinner is at your own costs.

 Notes:

You can extend your stay in Semoisi!

The private trip means; car transport v.v. is private, own guide, charter boat 1x, and local boat 1x. 

The activities in the program can be shifted.

The sustainability of this tour is that you finance the local village economy, every penny you and Pejego spend here stays here! This because everything is local; the guide, the cook, the boat, the boatmen, souvenirs etc. Because of the late arrival time, you take a charter boat to Semoisi but on the way back to Paramaribo you will share the boat with the locals. This way we reduce co2 on boat transport. We pay a fee for every guest that stays in Semoisi to the local administration and you will also receive a gift that is locally hand made. It is also possible to support the local project in Semoisi; building a pre-kindergarten, see more info about that on our website.

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