Jaw Jaw a Tela: A Saramaccan Welcome on the Upper Suriname River
Thatched-roof huts, rapids at your doorstep, and evenings in the village square.
Why Go
Deep in Sipaliwini, where the Suriname River braids around granite rapids, this small gastenverblijf drops you straight into daily life in a Saramaka Maroon village ΓÇö no polished resort gloss, just wooden shutters, hammocks, and the sound of drums after dinner.
The Experience
Run by residents of Jaw Jaw itself, the guesthouse is a cluster of simple wooden huts with thatched roofs, wrapped in rainforest and set within earshot of the Jaw Jaw rapids. Days here move at river pace: a korjaal (dugout canoe) glides you out at dawn, a guide walks you through medicinal-plant trails after breakfast, and the afternoon dissolves into swims in the whitewater pools just downstream. What sets a stay here apart from the flashier lodges on Isadou across the water is that you're actually in the village ΓÇö sharing the same square where kids play football, women pound cassava, and elders drift over in the cool of the evening. Full board is included, so you'll eat what the family cooks: fresh river fish, cassava bread hot off the plate, pom-style casseroles, and coconut-scented rice. Nights are for caiman-spotting by torchlight or letting the village musicians pull you into a seketi rhythm you won't forget.
What to Try
Sign up for at least one hands-on workshop ΓÇö grating and pressing your own cassava bread on the traditional matapi is the standout, but pangi embroidery and coconut-oil pressing are equally memorable. Book the sunrise korjaal trip to a neighboring village, and don't skip the swim at the rapids: locals will show you the safest granite ledges to jump from. If you're staying three nights, add the jungle hammock camp ΓÇö one night sleeping in the bush with a Saramaccan guide reframes the whole trip.
Insider Tip
Bring small denominations of SRD cash and a headlamp ΓÇö there's no ATM within hours, and power runs on a generator that shuts off after 22:00. Learn three words of Saramaccan before you arrive ("i tan bun?" for "how are you?") ΓÇö hosts light up when guests try, and it's the fastest way to get invited beyond the guesthouse fence.
The Practical Stuff
Reach Jaw Jaw by a ~3-hour bus from Paramaribo to Atjoni followed by a 1.5-hour korjaal upriver ΓÇö transfers are usually arranged as part of the booking. Stays are typically 2ΓÇô4 nights with full board included; alcohol, extra excursions, and museum entry (Saamaka Marron Museum in nearby Pikin Slee) are paid on the side. Pack light in a soft duffel, plus a rain shell, reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent with DEET, and a dry bag for camera gear. Malaria prophylaxis is worth discussing with your doctor before travel. Cell coverage is patchy ΓÇö Telesur works best.
Pair It With
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — If you've caught the river bug at Jaw Jaw, cap the trip with a tubing run through Suriname's rapids on the way back toward the city.
- 4x4xJankie Guide — Handy for the overland leg to Atjoni or add-on interior trips ΓÇö a 4x4 rental turns the Jaw Jaw journey into a broader Sipaliwini loop.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — A solid Paramaribo dinner stop the night before or after your interior stay, when you're craving something other than cassava and river fish.