Multi-day · Relaxation
Galibi (sea turtles) and French Guiana, 2 or 3 days
Giant sea turtles travel all the way from Africa, via Europe, to Galibi to lay their eggs.
2 daysRelaxation
Nickerie & Bigi Pan
East of Nieuw Nickerie a chain of lakes lies along the ocean, with Bigi Pan as the largest lagoon.
Fixed departure dates
Departure times and meeting points can change. If they do, everyone who has booked receives an e-mail straight away.
Description
Are you a bird lover who enjoys open landscapes, beautiful nature, rice fields and history?
Then the tour to Nickerie, also known as the rice barn of Suriname, and Bigi Pan, a stunning swampy nature reserve, is the tour for you.
Highlights of this tour:
- Vast landscapes and beautiful rice fields in Nickerie.
- Bigi Pan nature reserve: a true paradise for bird lovers.
- Wageningen, the old historic centre of rice cultivation.
- Get to know Suriname's second city: Nieuw Nickerie.
- Groningen and the history of the Boers.
- Many tour operators work with taxi companies to cut costs, at the expense of explanation.
We bring a guide along who has lots to tell about the area.
Day 1
Paramaribo – Nieuw Nickerie – Bigi Pan
We leave the city heading west. The first stop is Groningen, the capital of the Saramacca district, on the river of the same name. There was once a fort here, and a leprosy colony on the opposite bank.
Later a group of Dutch farmers from the area around Groningen (Netherlands) tried, in vain, to settle here.
In 1945 a monument was placed here in memory of the farmers.
The Boers (boeroes) are still a small population group in Suriname.
Via the coconut district of Coronie, with its swaying palms along the road, wooden houses and small white churches, we drive on towards Nieuw Nickerie.
On arrival we visit the market and the sea dyke if there is time; if not, we save these for the next day.
Then we go to the departure point, where the boat is waiting to take us to Bigi Pan, where we spend the night in the accommodation on the water.
Day 2
Bigi Pan – Wageningen – Paramaribo. We have breakfast and lunch on Bigi Pan, and in the morning there is more programme and time to relax.
Around 2:00 pm we are back at the car.
Anything of Nickerie we haven't yet seen, we visit now.
Around 7:00 pm we are back in Paramaribo.
Itinerary
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.
- day 1
Outward journey
07:00 Departure. Stops along the way at Groningen and Coronie, with a small breakfast on the way. 13:00 Arrival in Nickerie · 13:15 Lunch · 14:00 Boat departs for Bigi Pan, Bigi Pan programme · 19:00 Dinner on the Pan · 20:30 Caiman spotting, sleeping in a bed in the accommodation on the water - day 2
Return journey
08:00 Breakfast on Bigi Pan, Bigi Pan programme · 12:30 Lunch · 14:00 Back in Nickerie: sea dyke, Hindu temple of Nickerie and Wageningen · 19:00 Back in Paramaribo
Packing list
- passport (you pass a checkpoint)
- money for souvenirs or alcoholic drinks
- bath towel
- swimwear
- hiking shoes
- water sandals
- sunscreen
- hat or cap
- mosquito gel
- long trousers
- long-sleeved T-shirt
Departure dates
Daily departures possible from 4 people, subject to availability.
Otherwise you may be able to join an existing tour:
You can find the scheduled departure dates in the tour overview.
Book or reserve
Choose your departure date and options and add the tour to your cart. Then pay securely online with iDEAL, credit card, PayPal or Bancontact — your booking is confirmed immediately.
You will receive the meeting point and departure time by e-mail after booking.
See also
Similar tours
Multi-day · Relaxation
Blanche Marie & Apoera
In the west of Suriname, hidden deep in the jungle 300 kilometres from Paramaribo, lie the Blanche Marie Falls.
Multi-day · Relaxation
French Guiana, 3 days
On the 3-day French Guiana tour we travel further into the country, to the capital Cayenne and to Kourou, home of the rocket launch base.