L'Auberge des Chutes Voltaire

The Chutes Voltaire is definitely a special place in French Guiana. Extremely different from the coastal savannas, this location offers a good insight of the rain forest combined with the unexpected show of a large water fall. The best way to enjoy this remote location is to overnight in the Auberge des Chutes Voltaire (Chutes Voltaire Inn) as a starting point for this excursion. This very nice inn can be reached after three hours driving on a mud road starting from Saint Laurent du Maroni.

Overal view of the inn

Few may enjoy a bed in one of the three available rooms located in a dedicated bungalow...

Rooms in the bungalow

whilst the other ones will have to sleep in hammock under the roof of a collective carbet. This is a unique experience to enjoy the "music" of the rain forest at night. Some will also discover that some birds may snore :-)

Hammock arrangement

The restaurant is located next to a cosy corner where it is nice to seat and chat before the meals. The large openings in the walls of the carbet offer gorgeous views on the garden.

Restaurant: view on the outside

But the view inside reveals another surprise: a nice fresco made by Dominique Jado in 1994. A special post will be dedicated to it.

Restaurant: inside view on the fresco

The garden with few trees with flashy flowers (Tulipier, Pommier d'eau...) attracts many kinds of birds. You may also have the chance to observe bands of toucans crossing the sky early morning and late afternoon. Their clumsy flight is so characteristic that you cannot miss them. On the left side, the creek with its sandy beach should not be forgotten. It is certainly a lovely place to have a swim when the water level is not too high.

The garden along the creek. high level of water during the rainy season

Last but not least, you will meet Eva who organises everything for her guests. Her kindness and her care for everything has made the short stay of the MSG teams quite enjoyable. Worth to mention, the food she prepares based on local ingredients is as imaginative as exquisite. Our guide, Pierre, should not be forgotten as well for all the things he learnt to the group during the excursion. Definitely an outstanding place to visit and a good start for the two hour walk to the Chutes Voltaire. It is a strange name for such a place isn't it? What is now sure is that the French Philosoph never slept in a hammock in this inn or even in the vicinity! We keep on investigating...