Nieuw Nickerie is the second largest city of Suriname, located in the utmost north-western point of the country. The area Bigi Pan, or “the big lake” is situated nearby. Birds such as the Red Ibis and the Flamingo add color to this wetland area, but also the less noticeable buzzard, black and white hawk or one of the other 122 shorebirds make it the ideal place for bird watching. Bigi Pan is 67,000 acres and extends along the coast of the districts of Coronie and Nickerie. It is an ideal breeding area. Besides birds, there are also caimans and snakes living in this unique landscape. Just past Bigi Pan lies Nieuw Nickerie, at the estuary of the Corantijn river, the border river between Suriname and British Guiana. This city, which actually feels more like a village, is the second city of Suriname.
There are several 2 and 3 day options to visit Nickerie and Bigi Pan.
The 3-district tour is a 2 or 3 day fully arranged trip to Nickerie, where the experienced guide already provides you with informative and personall stories during the drive there.
The varying landscape of the districts of Saramacca and Coronie are characterized by agricultural lands and rustic villages where time seems to have stood still. Nieuw Nickerie is a small town and there are many rice and banana companies in the area. The majority of the population is Hindu.
In the afternoon you will explore the quiet town with the typical seawall. You will spend the night in a hotel in Nickerie. The next morning a boat trip on the Bigi Pan wetland is on the program, after which you will leave in the afternoon for Paramaribo. A very educational, small-scale but above all fun tour, where you explore the districts, the city of Nickerie and the nature reserve Bigi Pan. With a three-day trip, the second night is in a simple lodge on Bigi Pan or again in a hotel in Nieuw Nickerie.
The two-day Bigi Pan trip is carried out by a local tour operator from Nickerie. We can of course also organize transport to the starting point of the Bigi Pan trip with stops along the way in the various districts.
In Nickerie the trip starts with a beautiful boat trip through Bigi Pan, the night is spend in a basic lodge on the water. The lodge has simple rooms with shared sanitary facilities and a dining area. The various boat trips show the diversity of the area, which is the habitat of caimans, reptiles, and of course many birds. There is also the possibility to kayak and take a mud bath. The second day you will depart after lunch to the starting point, where the transport to Paramaribo is ready again. This is a beautiful nature trip in the Bigipan wetlands.
The third option is a 2 and 3 day trip to Akira Overwater Resort, a beautiful and spacious lodge in the middle of the water of Bigi Pan. Here, too, various stops are made during the drive to the west. After a short ride from the starting point on the Nickerie River, the boat is pulled over a slipway and continues through the canal to the open waters of Bigi Pan.
The resort is structured of detached lodges with private terraces connected by walkways, the entire resort is located in the middle of the water of Bigi Pan. The detached lodges where you spend the night are on the water of this wetland and with clear weather the starry sky is beautiful at night. Various boat trips are undertaken to spot birds, reptiles and caimans. A boat trip all the way to the Atlantic Ocean should not be missed if the water level is high enough. Kayaks are available at the lodge, but you can also relax on the couches or jetty. During the 3-day trip, there is plenty of time in addition to the boat trips to relax and fully enjoy this special environment.
