As far as the eye can see, the horizon is vegetation. Trees, leaves, pale trunks marking the verticals and clumps strutting in bundles above the canopy... Seen from above, from a helicopter or a plane arriving from France, this sea of chlorophyll is impressive. A primary forest covering 90 % of the territory of France's largest department, the sanctuary of one of the world's last virgin tropical rainforests. With more than 1,300 species of tree, 190 species of mammal and 700 species of bird, it's a priceless natural heritage. In 2011, work will begin on the CEBio, the European Biodiversity Centre, which will showcase the wealth of French Guiana and its forest. It will be a research and development centre, with laboratories and scientific equipment, as well as a hotel complex with a conference and business centre. Here, all the tour operators are doing their utmost to ensure that the groups they take to the forest or the marshes understand the importance of the ecosystem. Jean-Louis Antoine, director of the Jal Voyages agency, explains: "Guyana is firmly committed to promoting its natural areas and extraordinary biodiversity, and offers both immersion in nature and the most advanced space technology. The groups we welcome to our floating lodge in the Kaw nature reserve take part in seminars that take them from studious Powerpoint projections to black caiman sightings.
NIGHT SAFARIS AND FLOATING HOTELS
In this primary forest, memorable meetings are organised, coupled with discoveries of the fauna - monkeys, jaguars, deer, agoutis or macaws can only be spotted at the chance of a path with a great deal of patience and luck - and the flora, sleeping in "carbets", Amazonian-style lodges. This is followed by walks along the Approuague river and its tributaries, which run through the undergrowth. It was towards this river that the first gold rushes took place in the mid-nineteenth century. On night safaris, groups climb into mini-boats that criss-cross the moonlit marshes. Recently, floating ecolodges have appeared in the Kaw reserve, an ideal observation post from which to discover a fauna rich in birds and giant otters.
All this nature does not preclude other discoveries, starting with Cayenne, the small capital of just over 50,000 inhabitants, stifled by humidity, which is alive a little in the morning, a little in the evening and stops everything, but really everything, at lunchtime... It's not without its charm. There's a touch of the 'Coup de torchon' atmosphere about the city, with old colonial reminiscences hovering over its Creole houses, which the tired fans in the Palmistes bar are trying hard to stir up.
THE SPACE ADVENTURE
According to Alain Hermès, tourism consultant for the Saint Claire group, Havas, Takari Tour and Guyane Espace Voyages: "On the face of it, French Guiana is not an obvious incentive destination; there is a lack of top-class infrastructure, insufficient accommodation capacity and a lack of image! However, this destination has some definite assets for this particular market, as it has proved in previous years. The low tourist flow to French Guiana means that we can offer exclusive tours. Groups are treated like privileged guests, as restaurants, sites and excursions can be privatised. Guiana is still a land of adventure! And when you're in a small group, you can experience real adventure in complete safety. What's more, the environment means we can offer tailor-made tours for specific target groups, such as botanical and medicinal plants for laboratories. Of course, the main event remains space travel and the Ariane launches, which were the subject of several incentive trips in the 1980s and 1990s. The slowdown in launches with the problems encountered by Ariane 5 put a stop to these trips. But the ramp-up of Ariane 5 launches, with six to eight launches a year, and the launch of Soyuz - the first launch will take place in December 2010 - will once again offer opportunities for this type of product. It's true that Kourou is a must. A visit to the CSG, the Guiana Space Centre, means entering a world of technology and discovering the base from which Ariane, the symbol of Europe's conquest of space, takes off, with a guided tour, museum and more. The highlight is watching the countdown, the ignition of the engines and the take-off for a flight lasting around twenty minutes. The rocket climbs and climbs and climbs, shaking the ground for fifteen kilometres around and, as a reminder, leaving a long trail of white smoke across the sky. Twenty minutes during which everyone holds their breath waiting for the "end of launch mission", which unleashes an outpouring of applause... The champagne flows freely, a masterly change from the rum cocktail. But French Guiana is also home to the Isles of Salut, in other words the former penal colony, closed in 1947. In 1894, Dreyfus was imprisoned there and kept in solitary confinement for four and a half years on Devil's Island.
Other famous inmates such as Seznec and Papillon were to follow... A prison that is surprising nowadays, given how heavenly it has become. Everything is there. The warm blue sea, the coconut palms that sway above, the mischievous monkeys that hide there and the former governor's house, transformed into a charming museum. This is where the agencies organise treasure hunts that usually end with a dip in the warm waters. There's no longer any risk, as the sharks that once guarded the islands have long since left.
PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GUYANA
?? Identity card
A French department in South America, French Guiana extends over 84,000 km2 between Surinam and Brazil; 90 % of its territory is covered by equatorial forest. Formalities: valid identity card or passport. Health: certificate of vaccination against yellow fever compulsory and anti-malaria treatment recommended if staying on inhabited rivers. To telephone: dial 0594 and then the 6 digits. Time difference: +4 hours in winter, +5 hours in summer. Language: French and Guianese Creole. Currency: the euro. Best season: from mid-July to the end of November, the long dry season; from March to mid-April, the short "March summer". In January and February, there's a short rainy season, but it's also carnival time. Group size: incentive operations can vary from 20 to 150 people.
?? Find out more
Comité du tourisme de la Guyane 1, rue Clapeyron, 75008 Paris Tel: 01 42 94 15 16 - Fax: 01 42 94 14 65 Internet: www.tourisme-guyane.com
?? Practical guides
French Guiana, Petit Futé
?? Getting there Air France, from Paris-Orly Ouest, serves Cayenne every day in 9 hours. Tel. 36 54 - Internet: www.airfrance.com Air Caraïbes, departing from Paris-Orly Sud, has 3 direct flights to Cayenne on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with additional flights during peak full stops. Tel: 0820 835 835 - Internet: www.aircaraibes.com
?? Hotels
AMAZONIA BEST WESTERN Located in the centre of Cayenne, a stone's throw from Place des Palmistes, the Amazonia is a three-star hotel with 77 air-conditioned rooms with minibar, 34 studios and 9 F2-suites equipped with kitchenette. The L'Outremer restaurant serves French cuisine with a Guianese flavour, buffet-style for lunch and à la carte for dinner. Three meeting rooms for up to 100 people. Large swimming pool. 28, avenue du Général de Gaulle, Cayenne Tel: 05 94 31 00 00 - Fax: 05 94 31 94 41 Internet: www.hotel-amazonia.com
NOVOTEL CAYENNE Set in a tropical garden opposite Montjoly beach, the three-star Novotel Cayenne hotel has just been completely renovated. It has 104 spacious air-conditioned rooms with a contemporary design. The L'Angélique restaurant offers a large buffet of salads and grilled meats for lunch, and traditional and local dishes for dinner. The Grillon bar is next to the swimming pool and surrounded by a terrace. Seven meeting rooms for up to 150 people. Chemin Hilaire, route de Montabo, Cayenne Tel: 05 94 30 38 88 - Fax: 05 94 31 78 98 Internet: www.novotel.com
MERCURE ARIATEL Located at the entrance to Kourou, on the banks of Lake Bois Diable, the Mercure Ariatel hotel offers all the advantages of a business hotel plus the amenities of a leisure hotel. The Creole-inspired architecture divides it into several pavilions housing the 80 comfortable, spotless and practical rooms. The Bistrot du Lac serves French brasserie cuisine and the Ti Gourmet snack bar serves salads or grilled meats next to the large swimming pool. Also tennis and fitness room. Avenue de Saint-Exupéry, Kourou Tel: 05 94 32 89 00 - Fax: 05 94 32 61 60 Internet: www.accorhotels.com
LODGE CAÏMAN In the heart of the Kaw nature reserve, this floating wooden ecolodge owned by Jal Voyages is solar-powered. On the ground floor, there's a large convivial area with a bar, restaurant and relaxation area. Accommodation is available upstairs in rooms (2 cabin rooms with views over nature, private shower and WC), in beds in "espace gaulette" or in hammocks. At the very top, the Cocoi suite offers a 360° view and a terrace for observing the starry sky. All washrooms and showers are at water level. This lodge also has a swimming deck and another for fishing. It can accommodate 32 people for sleeping and 60 people for a meal. Internet: www.jal-voyages.com
?? Conference rooms
In the centre of Cayenne, the consular building of the Guiana Chamber of Commerce and Industry houses four air-conditioned rooms with a capacity of 19 to 254 people. In Kourou, seminar rooms for up to 200 people at the Guiana Space Centre.
?? Receptives
? Couleurs Amazone > 21, boulevard Jubelin, 97300 Cayenne Tel: 05 94 28 70 00 - Fax: 05 94 28 70 01 E-mail: info@couleursamazone.fr Internet: www.couleursamazone.fr
? Takari Tour > 2, rue Lalouette, 97300 Cayenne Tel: 05 94 31 19 60 - Fax: 05 94 31 54 70 E-mail: takari.tour@wanadoo.fr
? Jal voyages > 26-28, avenue du Général de Gaulle, 97300 Cayenne - Tel: 05 94 31 68 20 Fax: 05 94 30 11 01 - E-mail: jal@jal-voyages.com Internet: www.jal-voyages.com
