An expedition into the pristine Amazon rainforest over the Gran Rio River is a true experience for nature lovers who dare to face a challenge! The tour starts with a flight of an hour to Jungle Lodge Awarradam which offers you a magnificent view over the untouched tropical rainforest of Suriname.
During the trip by dug‐out canoe from Jungle Lodge Awarradam to the base camp, you pass numerous spectacular rapids. The beautiful and tough jungle treks are greatly rewarded with a breath‐taking panorama over the Amazon rainforest. On this tour, far away from the inhabited world, you will fully enjoy the overwhelming flora and fauna. The Gran Rio Jungle Expedition is a real must for adventurers and nature lovers!
Duration of the tour: 5 days
Departure: Monday
5 days
Monday
55 minutes
11.00 AM
Our jungle adventure starts at airport Zorg en Hoop where we check in for the flight of about an hour to airstrip Kajana on the Gran Rio River. After arrival, we make a half hour trip by dugout canoe to Awarradam Jungle Lodge. Here, the food supplies and our local guides come aboard after which the trip is continued on the Gran Rio River. A beautiful boat trip of almost 3 hours upstream takes us to the beautifully situated base camp where we will spend three nights and sleep in hammocks. After settling in, we explore the surroundings while the cook prepares our evening meal. After the meal, we discuss our route for the next day, our first trip into the untouched Amazon rainforest.
A 4 km long trail (way there) through primary forest takes us to our destination for today, the Logosokun, Saramaccan for Turtle Hill. Three hills along the way make the walk a real challenge. The final destination lies at a height of 310 meters, offering a magnificent view over the jungle beneath and named after the turtle found in the area at the discovery of this spot. In the afternoon, we return to our base camp where we can fully enjoy the refreshing waters of the river with its rapids. Our local guides will gladly take you along on the river to try your hand at catching fish in the traditional way.
On this day, we can choose from various activities. Gangasa-sitonu is a beautiful, overhanging, large stone somewhere in the midst of the jungle. The walk to reach this rock is not very far (2.5 km), so that there is sufficient time to pay close attention to the local flora and fauna. A walk about as far as to Logosokun (4.1 km), our destination yesterday, lies Folokun, Saramaccan for flower hill. This hill offers a somewhat lower viewpoint but the area a little further on, is more extensive so that you can walk around. It’s also possible to stay at the base camp, enjoying the rapids or go fishing. Jointly, we decide which destination we will choose. At sundown, we drift off with the dugout canoe. This is the right time of the day to spot animals. If the weather permits, we will make a camp fire and listen to tales from our guides who will eagerly tell you about the importance of this area for the Saramaccans, since centuries.
After a late breakfast, we make preparations for our boat trip back to Awarradam where we will spend the last night. Along the way, we drift off with the dugout canoe while we can fully enjoy the flora and fauna of the untouched forest. Late afternoon, we arrive at Awarradam Jungle Lodge where we will spend the night in traditionally built cabins. After an enervating trek, a visit to the local Jungle Spa is highly recommended, after which a wellstocked bar and our bed will definitely feel as a luxury!
At Awarradam, after breakfast, you have the opportunity to relax in the rapid and explore the island. We say goodbye to our local friends before we depart towards Kajana airstrip for our return flight to Paramaribo.
