Are you a bird lover, do you like open landscapes, beautiful nature, rice fields and history?
Then the tour to Nickerie, also called the rice barn of Suriname, and Bigi Pan, a beautiful marshy nature reserve, is the right 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 historical centre of rice cultivation.
- Getting to know the second city of Suriname; Nieuw Nickerie
- Groningen and the history of the Boers.
- Many tour operators work with taxi companies to save money, but this is at the expense of explanation.
We use a guide on the road who knows a lot about the area.
Day 1
Paramaribo – Nieuw Nickerie – Bigi Pan
We leave the city westwards. The first stop is in Groningen, the capital of the Saramacca district, situated on the river of the same name. There used to be a fort here and on the other side there was a leper colony.
Later, a group of Dutch farmers from the Groningen area (NL) tried in vain to settle here.
In 1945, a monument was placed here in memory of the farmers.
The farmers (boeroes) still form a small population group in Suriname.
We continue our journey through the coconut district of Coronie with its waving palm trees along the road, wooden houses and small white churches, towards Nieuw Nickerie. Once here we will visit the market and the sea wall if there is still time, if not we will save this for the next day. Then we go to the departure point where the boat is already waiting to take us to Bigi Pan, where we will spend the night at the accommodation on the water.
Day 2
Bigi Pan – Wageningen – Paramaribo We will have breakfast and lunch at Bigi Pan and in the morning there is still a program and opportunity to relax.
Around 2 o’clock we will be back at the car.
What we have not yet seen of Nickerie we will do now.
Around 7 o’clock we will be back in Paramaribo.
Departure days: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Vegetarians: For vegetarians, there is a special menu. (if this is explicitly indicated in advance)
Timetable
Day 1 outward journey
08.30 Departure Stops are made in Groningen, Coronie. Small breakfast on the way. 13.00 Arrival in Nickerie 13.15 Lunch 14.00 Departure boat to Bigi Pan Bigi Pan program 19.00 Dinner on the Pan 20.30 Spotting caimans sleeping in bed at accommodation on the water
Day 2 return journey
08.00 Breakfast at Bigi Pan Bigi Pan program 12.30 Lunch 14.00 Back in Nickerie Zeedijk, Hindu temple Nickerie and Wageningen 19.00 Back in Paramaribo
Price 2 days 185 euros per person
Included in package:
– Local guide
– Local cook
– Bus transport from Paramaribo
– Boat transport
– Meals & non-alcoholic drinks except breakfast on day one
– Nieuw Nickerie walk
– Evening boat trip
