I welcomed June with a full tummy and an extra weight. Ugh. My week started with two birthdays, two anniversary celebrations and one we-dont-have-salary-yet-so-we-are-going-to-cook-lechon kind of party! The last one is funny because it’s true! It’s one of the best thing I like being Filipino. Even if we don’t have any money, we still find a reason and a way to celebrate and bond with friends. 😀
JUNE 1: WADE’S BIRTHDAY AT SCHOOL
We celebrated it in his school along with his classmates. I made a separate post about it here since it’s Nikolaj’s first children’s party.
JUNE 2: THE LECHON PARTY
A combination of Wade’s birthday, Cailey’s 13th month birthday, Angelica&James’ anniversary and Ella&John’s anniversary. And yes, we didn’t have salary yet, but we were able to eat lechon!
Star of the night
JUNE 3: RADJIN’S BIRTHDAY
This is not a Filipino party, but some of the visitors are Filipinos. 😀 This is the first time I attended a Hindustan birthday celebration. They have this tradition of popping three balloons filled with confetti on top of the celebrant’s head.
JUNE 6: ANGELICA AND JAMES’ ANNIVERSARY
Also called as the Papancit party with lechon paksiw. Filipinos always know how to make use of the leftover lechon. 😉
JUNE 7: ELLA AND JOHN’S ANNIVERSARY
A.K.A. the Batchoy party. We need to find a way to make use of the leftover lechon!
I just hope it’s easy to lose the weight I gained this week. 😛
We made a reservation at Bergendal Eco and Cultural River Resort to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. We went to their office a day before our planned trip not expecting it would be fully booked, so it was a little risky for us. We wanted to book the cabin with the riverfront view, but got the one with the forest view instead.
The cabin price ranges from 100 to 140 USD per person depending on the cabin location. We availed the holiday promo and paid only 625 SRD (80 USD) each for the forest view lodge.
We took the bus from Krasnapolsky Hotel at 11:30 in the morning and reached our destination after 2 hours. It was a rainy afternoon, but the resort staff warmly welcomed us with a local song and a short orientation and information about Bergendal. The staff then brought our bags to our respective rooms while we ate our lunch in the restaurant.
MEALS
The overnight resort price includes lunch, dinner and breakfast the following day. It was a good catch considering they serve an unlimited buffet of local dishes.
Lunch
The restaurant has a riverfront view with a relaxing and calming ambience during breakfast and lunch, but make sure to wear long pants and put insect repellents before you come for dinner because the place is open to mosquitoes and other insects.
At dinner, there was a moment that the staff turned some of the lights off due to the number of moths flying around.
FOREST VIEW
I was actually disappointed that we didn’t get the riverfront view lodge at first, but when the bus dropped us in front of our cabin, I was amazed. The forest view was really beautiful outside despite a few raindrops. The room was spacious and clean. The bathroom has warm and cold water. The lodge is situated on a hill, so we climbed a few steps and walked on a wooden plank before we reached our room. The view was fantastic.
The lodge is a few minutes away from the main area, so we had a romantic walk going back to our cabin after dinner. We slept with the sound of the rain and the orchestra of frogs and crickets.
There is no WiFi in the cabin, so you need to go in the office’s lobby for connection.
MORNING COFFEE
One of our couple rituals is to have morning coffee together (if, of course, our schedules allow us). And since we have all the time to ourselves, we woke up at 6 in the morning, had a private coffee moment before heading to the restaurant for breakfast.
INFINITY POOL
Bergendal is also known for its infinity pool. It is located in front of the river and surrounded by trees. Guests are free to use the pool, but you need to rent their towels for 20 SRD (2.50 US).
The pool opens around 9:30 in the morning up to 6:00 in the evening. We waited for the pool staff to come, but they never did. So, the guests (including me) just went into the pool without renting towels.
ACTIVITIES
The only downside with Bergendal is the expensive activities. If you are the adventurous type, you can try their canopy zip line and watch the beauty of the jungle below.
or
Wear a pair of good shoes and go on a jungle hike or historic hike and learn about the history of the old plantation that was once situated in the area.
To sum up our overnight stay, we tried the river tour for 1 hour that costs 25 US. We cruised along the Suriname river under the heat of the sun. The boat guide was extra nice to us and he made a short stop at Nieuw Lombe, a small Marrons village that is only accessible by boat.
We returned to the resort just in time for check out with burned skin and a memorable anniversary experience.
QUICK TIP:
1. Check their Facebook posts for monthly and holiday promos. 2. It is better to avail the free bus ride going to Bergendal from Krasnapolsky Hotel. The resort is located in a remote area, so it would be hard to call for help if your car breaks down along the way. 3. Bring your own snacks. Food prices are 3x more expensive. 4. Bring mosquito repellents or clothes that cover your skin.
