Touring SA via Guyana, Suriname, Guyane
 

I'm mid planning my SA trip and have read tons of blogs/trip reports/posts. I can't seem to find any trip reports / blogs of people going north east instead of the usual West to SW.

Any reasons why these countries seem to be less popular for touring? Maybe I'm just reading the wrong sites.

Maybe a mix of:
Out of the way
Visa required by Suriname
Muddy tracks
Higher costs
Less dramatic scenery

Personally, I'd like to vist.

I’m interested in recent experiences on this part of SA. Am also looking for routes from Cayenne, French Guyana, across the Amazon basin, to Brasilia, Brazil.

Any thoughts on the best time of year to take on the muddy tracks…

PB

Did that trip in 2007(with 4x4). There are some ferries to be taken, at least at every border .
First to get from Belem to Macapá (is still Brazil). 1 1\2 days on a ferry (´platform in my case as it was the only one which allowed a vehicle plus passengers but could sleep in the car)
Than a dirt road (rough in the rain, but at least it is sand , not clay) up to Oiapoque.
Then there are ferries from Brazil- Fr. Guy; Fr Guy - Sur; Sur - Br. Guy. 2 more in Br Guy itself and the one from Br Guy back to Brazil (are building a bridge here though).
The last 400 kms in Br Guy is dirt again but has been redone by the foresting and mining companies and is nowadays even in the rain very good and great driving through the junglescene, with exeption of the last 100 kms open cattle-land which has lots of clay.

There is no direct road from Br Guy to Venezuela.

For a bike it won t be as costly but for a car the trip is not cheap with the most expensive ones from Belem (500 US) and to Fr.Guy ( 200 Euro)

Be sure to have some proof of insurance as at every single border this is the first thing they ask.

For Surinam most nationalities will need a visa. I applied in Cayenne (same day service when you ask polite), was asked for a return ticket to the Netherlands (since I am dutch ) but could get by as I have citizenship in Brazil. Not sure how it is done when you dont have any south american citizenship. Assume to get a fake ticket somewhere.

Here is a link of someone that has gone through the guyanas. they have GPS waypoints and detail information.
Central and South America 2006/7.

if you are traveling during the dry season you should be able to do it but if it is during the rainy season it will take you a long time to wait for the roads to clear. i tried doing it during the rainy season and failed bc i had a heavy bike and had been raining alot.

depending on your nationality you will have to get a visa in at least one of the countries. there will be several ferries that you'll need to take, the countries are expensive and the people not very friendly.

I had about 58 minutes of dry weather during this whole trip ...and yes the last leg (or first..)in Br.Guyana are the trickiest part with the clay. The rest of that road was once a nightmare but is the best dirtroad of South America now thanks to the mining comps..The Oiapoque to Macapa is hard cause of the deep wheeltracks and holes caused by trucks butit is sand. And, in my opinion at least you can fight with (wet)sand, not very much with wet clay (yeahyeah you will be thinking ´ easy talking for a lazy 4 wheeler´, but I still can see through a bikers eye too as I once travelled 350.000 kms around the world on a XT 500)

Not me and not my bike.... i think this is wet sand:cool4:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/attac...1&d=1179627471

A little bit of help for Peter
 

PB,

Can't help you out with the whole trip, but maybe offer some details on part of it. I've lived in Peru most of my life and motoed there and in Brazil and Bolivia. Around the Block 2007 |

I recommend you weave your way south in order not to miss some of the best parts. From Manaus south there are 3 options:

(1) go east (down the Amazon) to Belem and skirt the east coast.
(2a) go south (boat for road bikes, by road for on-off) following the Madiera River to Porto Velho, then south on the 364 thru Cuiaba to Brasilia.
(2b) same to Porto Velho, then turn WEST to Peru :thumbup1: on the 319, up into the Andes to Cuzco, cross into Bolivia and find your way back to Brazil directly via Cochabamba and Santa Cruz to Corumba, Brazil and Campo Grande, etc. Or south thru Bolivia and down to Salta, Argentina, then east thru Corrientes and Misiones to Foz and on to Brasilia.
(3) My favorite: Go WEST :cool4: from Manaus (by river) into Peru and all the way to Pucallpa, seeing Iquitos on the way (you will have to switch boats anyway in Iquitos). Then Pucallpa west to Huanuco, and all the way to Cuzco (via Lima and Nazca on the west coast if on a road bike, or better yet via Huancayo, Ayacucho, Andahuaylas if on an on-off road bike.. see our blog: Around the Block 2007 | ). From there you still have the same multiple choices to work your way back to Brazil.

You will NOT miss anything by not traveling the Madeira River route, or south on the 364 thru the Amazon except the Pantanal (which you will see if you go the Corumba, Brazil route) but will see some INCREDIBLE stuff in Peru and Bolivia!!!!

Drop me a line. My email is on my blog. I can set you up with hundreds of contacts within Peru to ease your trip and cut your costs.....

Toby (charapa) :scooter:

cool picture though!


I still have traumas of wet clay from the voyage Corumba - Santa Cruz , back in 1986 when it was still an unused track cut out by the contrabandistas and the first 500 km of it was pure blackcotton clay. Took me 3 weeks to get to San Jose de Chiquitos and I thanked heaven when I got to sand. and only fell off 7 x that day. (BTW nowadays that road avoids the clayfields and although not too easy at places it is do-able all year)

But it learned you also the old off-road lesson to avoid the bloody ´shoulders´of a track (= soft as they are not used). Best to go straight through the pool.

(And who has the pic with the bike in a 2 m deep puddle...)

Real life stuff. :thumb

I think it's best/safer to go ahead and get in the deepest rut right from the start because you'll probably wind up in it anyway. :)

Wet clay sucks hairy donkey balls. A fun ride can easily turn into one of perceived survival.

a friend just got to macapa and will be entering the Guyanas in the next couple of days....here is his blog in spanish www.rodandosinlimites.com

Thread Revive
 

Anyone know when the dry season is for these areas? A'm particularly interested in the route Boa Vista to Lethem and North to Georgetown Guyana. Also any information on the times and costs to ship moto/rider from Macapa to Manaus and then on to Porto Velho.

Is BR 319 still considered unpassable with no services for 750+ kms?
Will Spanish and English get you by?

Any information on these areas would be of great help.

Don ´t know from experience but at least it was on the TV here in Brazil some weeks ago that the BR319, Manaus - Porto Velho has been restaured, bridges rebuild.
Dry area of the whole area (incl the Guyanas) is a bit hard to tell. They vary a lot and it seems about impossible to do the whole leg without passing through some rain somewhere.
But in general july and august should be about the best change for less rain.

During my trip I've met a few people who have toured the Guyanas. Well, I've met 3 people. You can contact Brett or Carrie of Home . I think they're on here but I have no idea of their user name.

The other is Bob of Smellybiker's Wanderlust Worldmap • Index page. I think he's smellybiker here.

I just made it to Ushuaia and am heading north again. Unfortunately I'm not going to make it to the Guyanas. Though after what I've heard from the 3 who I met, I'm not so sure I want to go other than for the challenge.

Marker: Thanks for the news, I will keep in touch with you I may need to have your assistance later on if possible next year.

Dave-Glad to hear you made it all the way down. I have been following your progress on ADVrider and enjoyed your posts. I look forward to meeting up with you and finding more about the expenses. I want make sure I put back enough to do what I need. You planning on riding back North or flying?


Anyone here have any figures on shipping the bike/yourself down the river from Manaus to Belem or from Manaus to Porto Velho? I hope BR 319 is a go, sounds very interesting.