The main thing one does in the Guianas is enjoy the Amazon rainforest. As you may know, this is not precisely our thing. But when in Rome… So we booked three jungle tours in Suriname, the first two in Brownsberg Nature Park and on Ston Island. As it happened, they started with the very most basic and became – well, not luxurious exactly, but far fancier than we expected (see part II). We’re awfully pleased it went that way and not in reverse.
The first thing to say is that our experience was terrific because we had the best guide ever. He answered our millions of questions about Suriname, pointed out cool stuff, took us to his hometown, and cooked fabulous meals with a minimum of infrastructure and sometimes despite adverse conditions. We liked him so much, in fact, that we rearranged our last trip so that we could spend more time with him.
Brownsberg Nature Park
Brownsberg Nature Reserve, part of the Brokopondo Reservoir, at 112km2/47m2 is one of fourteen protected areas in Suriname. It is a 120km/75mi drive from Paramaribo, but the roads are pretty dreadful, especially after it rains. So the trip took about three hours. At least one hour of that was the final road up to the mountain. It was uneven with gigantic gashes in the road. It took one hour to go 6km/4mi! The whole area is rich in bauxite and gold, so there is mining going on all around (some of it legal, most not). Fun facts about bauxite: it is the primary source for aluminum/aluminium, through mining, refining, and then smelting. And it is orange-y red.
There’s a mountain, Brownsberg mountain, in the middle of the reserve, which gives you a great view of the whole area. And there are two spectacular waterfalls (which rains prevented us from seeing, alas).
But it’s really the wildlife that gets everyone excited! There are millions of creepy-crawlies (or at least it seemed that way to us!), plus loads of birds, including toucans. And agoutis and (especially) monkeys, all eight of the species that live in Suriname. Want to know what a howler monkey sounds like? It’s pretty scary, especially in the dark when it seems as though they are just above your head. And, for the gentle spirits among you, there are also all kinds of cool trees, plants, and flowers.
Our accommodations at Brownsberg were basic. Bucket-flush toilet (at a distance from our shelter) and hammock-sleeping arrangement. Also, the water seemed regularly to fail. We heard, several times, that the park has gone downhill and folks, we are here to tell you it’s true! It’s sad because it could be such a great place with a little upkeep. It’s a good thing the scenery was so lovely (and the meals so great!).
Ston Island
In 1964, the Surinamese government dammed the Suriname River with the Afobaka Dam. This created the Brokopondo Reservoir, a 1550km2/ 963mi2 lake. The day after our camping trip, we stayed there, at Ston Island. Which is not actually an island, but a peninsula. It’s been home to an ecolodge for about twenty years.
The area itself is quite beautiful, but also a little odd. For one thing, the ‘lake’ is actually flooded rainforest. Underwater, the trees are still there, but they are now dead, and for many of them only their bare branches are visible above water. Their lumber is being harvested, but while it’s still there, the whole thing looks quite eerie, even in bright sunshine. For another thing, the government had to displace a number of indigenous peoples. They lured them away with promises of good land and amenities, but you won’t be surprised to learn that they never fulfilled those promises. Despite the dead trees, plenty is alive in the water: yes, there are piranhas and no, we didn’t see them! (But Laurel caught one in Brazil once…).
Our accommodations here were significantly superior to those of the previous night: that’s a bed you see below, and also a sink. Inside the cabin, which had a door and even a fan (which only worked at night – we eventually got used to having electricity only at night). But again, no complaints: the whole place was gorgeous, our guide cooked us some yummy meals, and we loved our time there. But the best part is still to come. Stay tuned for Part II, our trip to the luxury eco-lodge at Knini Paati!
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