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If Guyana is not an island, the Maroni River, which marks its western border with Suriname, is so impressive that it looks like the sea. It is so wide that it is only possible to distinguish the shore from it. face. A cruise in Guyana, you had never thought of it before? Neither do we, to tell the truth. Yet this is where we are going today in this post.

The French president himself has tripped over it! No, of course Guyana is not an island . But in his defense, we must admit that this small piece of territory far from the metropolis looks a bit like the end of the world .

An excursion on the Maroni
To take a trip on the river, you have to go to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni , the other big city in Guyana after Cayenne. Allow around 3 hours by car along the coastal road.

Once in Saint-Laurent, you will immediately be struck by its very special atmosphere , specific to border towns . Because here, it is the crossing point to neighboring Surinam , long referred to as Dutch Guyana, the former colonial power.

You will cross the river by ferry, with very regular departures. Once on the other side, it's Albina . Free zone where you can find everything that is possible to exchange in the region , from the most common… to the least admirable! You don't need a visa or even a passport , on the other hand, to venture further into Suriname, you will have to show your paw print.

Let's cross the river again to return to Guyanese soil. In addition to its small colonial center - including a pretty church - the unmissable visit to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is that of the old prison  : the Transportation camp.

It is a place steeped in memory, where the convicts were disembarked before leaving for other Guyanese detention camps. He saw all the convicts of Guyana pass - more than 70,000 men and 1,000 women - between 1850 and 1953. On this subject we recommend that you read the memoirs of the former convict Henri Charrière known as “Papillon”.

Life around the river
We saw Albina in Surinam, visited the penal colony of Saint-Laurent, it is time to take a cruise on the gigantic river whose mouth is only a few kilometers away. However, rather than going down to the Atlantic, we will go up it to sink into the Amazon rainforest , the famous “green hell”.

At the Saint-Laurent pier, it is not difficult to find a canoe dedicated to transporting visitors. There are not many tourists here, so no need to book! Be aware that several cruise packages exist and that this is very cheap (a few euros for a half-day trip).

We dock on the many islands of the river and can see the intense life that takes place on its banks , because the Maroni is a link, an area of ​​intense exchanges. The reason is simple: there is no other way to go inland - apart from the helicopter - because the vegetation is far too dense .

On larger boats, it is possible to go further up the Maroni to get to Apatou then Maripasoula . In these small towns along the river marked by fishing, we discover workshops for making canoes , and can buy handicrafts (vases, pottery ...) and small taverns serve fried fish .

Ah yes, we were almost going to forget to warn you! You have to plan a complete arsenal to fight against mosquitoes, from repellents to mosquito nets… Have a good trip! 

Tour operators will offer you a safari on the mainland. We didn't budget for this kind of leisure, but if you can afford it, be sure to take a two-day trip to the mainland. The girl we met went and brought a lot of impressions and incredible photos. Spending the night in the middle of a nature reserve is definitely not for the faint of heart - at night the jungle does not sleep and you find yourself in a real National Geographic atmosphere.

As a result, I can say that one should not expect Turkish service and a buffet from Zanzibar, from which the tables will burst. This country is largely below the poverty line, and you will see this on the way from the airport to the hotel. But the people here are very kind and sympathetic, a little slow, but this is the philosophy of their life with the motto Hakuna Matata, which means "life without worries."

The subtleties of relaxation in Fruit & Spice are only in low tides, which happen from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 21:00 to morning. During the day, you can simply sunbathe or swim in the pool, and at night, this is a cool opportunity to explore the seabed. Believe me, what you see will not leave you indifferent, but whether you want to swim after is a big question. Therefore, it is better for the faint of heart to sit on the shore, and for the brave ones, put on shoes with thick soles and be careful not to accidentally step on a sea urchin.