6 Days- Marowijne, Lawa and Benzdorp Voyaging, Camping and Sightseeing Adventure
Travel deep into Suriname’s mighty Amazon for an experience on the wild side including exciting overnight sleeping on river beaches, under the starlit skies or jungle shed, in just a hammock.
Our starting point is Albina, from where we head up river, in motorized dugout river canoes deep into the jungle. We will be crossing awesomely fierce rapids and splendid waterfalls.
After 6 hours of driving we will reach our base camp, at Gakaba along the river banks, where we will stay for the night. Starting from there the group will drive farther up river visiting various Maroon villages both and the French side as well as the Suriname side of the Marowijne and Lawa rivers.
At times when wild waterfalls and shallow parts of the river needs to be crossed, you will get out of the boat and help push it across the shallow stretches. Fun stuff. We will visit villages such as Stoelmanseiland, Grand Santi, Cottica, Lawa Tabiki, and MaripaSoula. At Benzdorp, we will hike into the jungle to go visit the small goldminers or garimpeiros.
Travel Dates: Reserved
Trip duration: 6 days
When to book: We recommend to book at least 10 weeks in advance.
Group size: 10-15
Price: $525 per person
Accommodation Type: You will spend the first and fifth night of this adventure at a riverside lodge at Gakaba and the other nights in the jungle in your own private hammock under the canopy and stars, our in sheds!
Internet Access: Not Guaranteed. And you probably will be happy if there is no access. No calls from pesky and jealous coworkers :). After all you came to escape the daily grind, and be one with nature for a bit:)
Who is this trip for:
- For adventurous individuals who have an interest in the rugged outdoors and nature at its purest
- For those who do not mind to get wet and dirty, enjoy jungle trekking and camping on river beaches and banks
- For those who want to experience living with the bare minimum in the jungle, but still comfortable enough to enjoy it
- And finally, it is for those who want to experience sleeping overnight in hammocks, in sheds on river banks deep into the Amazon jungle
| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Paramaribo | ||||
| DEPARTURE TIME | Please arrive by 7:45 AM for a prompt departure at 8:00 AM. | ||||
| RETURN TIME | End of Day 6 at approximately 8:00 PM,. | ||||
| WEAR | Comfortable athletic clothing, sport shoes, hiking boots, hat, jacket and sunscreen. | ||||
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After this trip, you will develop a different appreciation for the beauty of the Amazon jungle and Suriname.
Day 1: Trip Paramaribo, Albina, Gakaba
At 8 AM we board the bus in Paramaribo to travel to Albina. A boat will be waiting to take us to base camp at Gakaba. We will make several sightseeing stops along the way including:
- Apatou, a French village on the right banks of the Marowijne river
- Langa Tabiki, a large island in the middle of the Marowijne river
- Gostoe, an island in the middle of the Marowijne river
At our Gakaba base camp (where we will sleep that night), we will have a delicious dinner, drink ice cold beers and party till late to celebrate your arrival.
Tonight you can choose to sleep in hammocks or bunk beds.
Day 2: Crossing Major Waterfalls and Rapid
After breakfast we will leave Gakaba to continue our beautiful adventure. We will cross large waterfalls and rapids such as Singatete, Manbari and Poeloegoedoe. After that we will drive to the French village of Grand Santi, where we will walk around and enjoy the local vistas. After Grand Santi we continue our adventure with stops at a few large waterfalls to enjoy a swim and massage by the rushing water. In the mid afternoon, we arrive at the Maroon village of Stoelmanseiland. We’ll tour the island, visit the medical facilities and nurses/doctors and have lunch there. After lunch we will will make our way back to our base camp at Gakaba. On the return trip we will decent 3 large, wild rapids and waterfalls. If the water conditions are right, the driver will decent the rapids stern-side first. This is always one of the most exciting experiences on these adventure voyages. Around 6 PM we be back to our base camp at Gakaba, where we will have dinner. We party till late into the night. Tonight you can choose to sleep in hammocks or bunk beds.
Day 3: French Destination MaripaSoula
Day 4: Benzdorp and Hiking to Visit Small Goldminers
Day 5: Swimming in Rapids, Enjoying Waterfalls, Goodbye Party
In the morning of Day 5, after a good breakfast, we will travel back downstream to our river lodge at Gakaba. Along the way we will visit French villages such as Papaichton and Assici. After that we continue our adventure with a stop at a waterfall to enjoy a swim and massage by the falling water, as well as enjoying a BBQ lunch. If the water conditions are right, the driver will decent most rapids stern-side first, for your enjoyment. Always a crowd pleaser! Around 5 PM we should be back at Gakaba where we will have a delicious dinner, drink ice cold beers and party till late to celebrate you. Tonight you can choose to sleep in hammocks or bunk beds.
Day 6: Return Trip
Today (you are probably a little bit hung over), we travel back to Albina, after enjoying a last breakfast with the base camp team. Along the way we will stop at several beautiful uninhabited islands to have a BBQ lunch. By 5 PM we should be back in Albina, where we will board the waiting bus to Paramaribo. Around 8PM we will be back in Paramaribo.
The remote, pristine Amazon jungle of French Guyana & Suriname, in South America.
