Awarradam

Tour description

Awarradam is currently not available. The operator stopped running this tour after the COVID pandemic and the accommodation has fallen into disrepair. It is still unclear whether and when this tour will run again. We sincerely hope so: it is a wonderful tour.

Awarradam is the name of a small, idyllic resort on a little island hidden in the Amazon rainforest, beside some fantastic rapids.
It is about half an hour by boat from the edge of the area inhabited by the Saramaccans, the largest Maroon community in Suriname.
This makes Awarradam an ideal holiday destination, not only for nature lovers but also for those who want to get to know, at a relaxed pace, the culture of the Saramaccans as they live in and with their natural surroundings.

Highlights

• A beautiful lodge beside fantastic rapids
• A flight over the rainforest
• Getting to know Saramaccan culture in nearby villages
• Beautiful boat trips and views
• An authentic evening of traditional song and dance
• A night-time trip by korjaal
• Adventurous and educational jungle hikes

Day programme, 4/5-day tour

Day 1
On day 1 you leave from Zorg en Hoop airport in Paramaribo,
flying to the Kajana airstrip.
From there you travel by korjaal over several rapids to your final destination, the Awarradam resort.
In the afternoon there is lunch first, after which we explore the ‘Peti’ rapids by korjaal.
These rapids are a few minutes from the resort.
Here you can enjoy the wonderful water; you can also float back to the resort in a life jacket or paddle back by canoe. The nights here are pleasantly cool, so no air conditioning or fan is needed.

Day 2

You are woken early to drift a stretch down the river at dawn, so you can quietly enjoy the jungle waking up.
After breakfast there is a jungle hike, with the guide telling you all about the surroundings.
After lunch you visit the rapids around the resort,
where you spend the afternoon swimming, paddling a korjaal or lazing in a hammock.

Day 3

On the third day, shortly after breakfast, you sail upstream and then drift back down the river with the current to enjoy the sounds of the jungle and the flora and fauna of the rainforest.
After lunch you visit the local community,
where you meet the local people and get to know Saramaccan culture.
You'll see how important the river is to this community and how much they depend on the food it gives them.
Finally we moor at one of the villages and take a long walk through several villages from there. Along the way you get a small impression of people's lives and meet them as they go about their daily activities.

Day 4

After breakfast the staff say goodbye to you in the traditional way and you return by korjaal to Kajana,
from where you fly back to Paramaribo.

Variant: 5 days / 4 nights (Monday – Friday)

Days 1 to 3 follow the same programme.

Day 4
Free programme

Day 5
After breakfast you can paddle a korjaal, swim or simply enjoy the sounds of the jungle in peace.
Before you leave, our staff say goodbye in the traditional way.
A korjaal takes you back to Kajana, from where you fly back to Paramaribo.

Good to know

Besides Saramaccan culture, would you also like to get to know the culture of the very oldest inhabitants of the Amazon rainforest,
the indigenous peoples?
Then you can choose the Palumeu & Awarradam combination tour: first the 4-day tour to Palumeu, then a flight on to Awarradam for the 5-day tour there.
(Order subject to change.)

The itinerary depends on the weather; it and the times may be adjusted.
Parts of the programme are flexible.

A special menu is available for vegetarians, provided this is explicitly requested in advance.

Departure from 4 people on fixed days.
You can find the already scheduled departure dates in the tour overview.