Above the Brokopondo reservoir the Suriname River runs through forest dotted with villages of the Saamaka (Saramaccan) Maroons, descendants of Africans who escaped plantation slavery. The road ends at Atjoni, and from there you travel on by dugout canoe.
Small riverside lodges, many run by local families, offer packages of two to five days with village walks, swimming in the rapids, forest hikes and evening canoe trips. It is the most accessible way to experience Maroon culture and life on a jungle river.
Ancient Afro-Surinamese cultures
Good to know
- Distance from Paramaribo
- About 190 to 200 km south of Paramaribo, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours by road to Atjoni
- Getting there
- By bus or car to Atjoni, then by korjaal (dugout canoe) for 30 minutes to 3.5 hours depending on the lodge; most packages include all transport
- Time needed
- At least 2 days, 3 to 5 days is more comfortable
- Entry and permits
- Lodge packages including transport, meals and activities range from about EUR 175 for 2 days to around EUR 400 for 5 days; check with the lodge or operator
- Tips
- Bring an ID document for the checkpoint on the way, and ask before photographing people in the villages
Tours that go here
Tour operators listed on Explore Suriname, with a direct link to their own tour page.
Prices and dates change. Check with the operator before you book.
Where to stay nearby
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Sipaliwini
Location
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