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Meet the Maroons

Maroons Village

Experience a way of life little removed from West Africa in the Maroon communities descended from escaped slaves.

The Maroons are direct descendants of escaped African slaves who banded together to form their own independent villages. As a result they never assimilated into the culture of the colonisers and many retain languages, religions and lifestyles very close to those of the West African communities to which they can trace their roots.

Maroon settlements were once common across the former slaving areas of Latin America, but today few remain except in the remote forests of Guyana and Suriname where isolation has preserved their culture and way of life.

It’s possible to make a meaningful and culturally sensitive connection with these self-sufficient people when visiting Suriname’s deeper reaches. You can learn about their traditions and customs, and join in a village dinner complete with dancing and drumming.

Holidays Meet the Maroons

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Blue spotted poison dart frog in the jungle

Private Journeys

Suriname

Cultural Suriname

6 days from £1,870pp

6 days from £1,870pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Sallly
    Sally Watkins - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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