This table compares a number of variables that you might want to consider if you’re planning to do an excursion into the Amazon jungle in Suriname or Guyana. My research was not super extensive, however I think I can safely cover the basics of what to expect (and for my own trip in March 2013, I went into the jungle in Suriname).
| Suriname | Guyana | |
| Booking | Can be done upon arrival in Suriname due to relatively straightforward logistics. | Best done prior to arrival in Guyana due to logistical complexity. |
| Cost | Seems to start at about $120 USD per day including lodging and meals (if you stick to automobile and boat), given that the route runs in a fairly straight line. There are some companies that price their tours in the thousands, and others that price them in the hundreds. | Seems to run about $400 USD per day with lodging and meals, mainly because Cessna-type flights are required to access a lot of the cool spots, destinations are scattered around the country, and car transfer from the air strips has to be factored in, e.g. pick-up from the airstrip near Surama is $100 USD. |
| Transport | You don’t have to use a plane unless you want to save time and go all the way to the bottom of the country. I went roughly halfway down, to Pingpe, and it took about eight hours using car and boat. | You almost have to use a plane unless you want to spend 14-16 hours on a local bus on bumpy dirt roads. |
| Places to See | Popular destinations include Brownsberg, Raleigh Falls, Awarradam, Palumeu (Amerindian village), Pingpe (Maroon Saramacca village) | The places that people talk about are Surama, Iwokrama, Karanambu Ranch, Rewa, Kaieteur Falls |
| People | The villages in Suriname that host tourists are more those of the Maroon tribes – West Africans who escaped from slavery in the 17th and 18th centuries and disappeared into the jungle. They consist of clusters of huts. | The villages in Guyana that host tourists are mostly those of Amerindian people. They consist of houses that are spaced well apart. |
| Flora | A shit ton. | A shit ton. |
| Fauna | The species are the same as in Guyana, but they can be hard to see, mainly due to Suriname’s construction of a hydroelectric dam in the 60s. This had a major impact on their wildlife. | Abundant wildlife, including insects and reptiles. |
| Tourist traffic | Low- to-medium, due to growing accessibility and moderate cost. | Low, due to complex logistics and high cost. |
This would be a great resource to people trying to make the decision. I want to go explore that continent someday. And you are the first person that I will consult!
Thanks, Jodi, and I’ll be happy to tell you everything I know! I still have lots of exploring to do in South America, too.
Helpful comparison. Especially about transport differences (road vs. air). You must not be too afraid of insects and reptiles, true? In Costa Rica, we went on a night hike for the sole purpose of seeing gargantuan tarantulas, night beetles, and scorpions. We were probably lucky that the venomous snakes sleep at night. It was a little creepy but interesting.
I guess I’m sort of not afraid of insects… I did pass on the opportunity to go see a tarantula near my cabin.. Costa Rica must have an abundance of creatures, too. I’ve got one friend there right now and another who leaves on the 8th. I’m hoping to go in the fall, so I’ll have to get some insights from you. I’ve only ever stayed in Liberia en route to Nicaragua.