Suriname

Name: Budget Travel LLC
Price range: $

By Cory Scott

June 4, 2005

Only four hours from Miami, this little-visited, Dutch-flavored outpost on the northern coast of South America is friendly, clean, safe, exotic, and amazing affordable!

You might think that the Dutch got the short end of the stick when, in 1667, as part of the Peace of Breda, they traded away New Amsterdam (a.k.a. Manhattan) for an expanse of South American rain forest along the Caribbean coast known today as Suriname. If you're a real-estate tycoon or Wall Street whiz, you might be right. But if you prefer palm trees to pavement, parrots to pigeons, and blue skies to skyscrapers, it won't be hard for you to appreciate that the Dutch came away with a steal in Suriname, where great deals still abound, especially for those in search of a first-rate ecotourism experience at bargain-basement rates. Suriname today is a touch of southeast Asia on the northern coast of South America - and that handy description applies not simply to its prices but to a population made up mostly of Indian, Javanese, and Chinese immigrants. In its capital city of Paramaribo, $30 will buy a double room in a clean, comfortable, and centrally located guesthouse. In a residential neighborhood called Blauwgrond, $3 summons a vast Javanese-style feast (beef in coconut milk preceded by appetizers of fishballs, string beans, cabbage, soybeans, and spinach) served daily to all comers by families on the front patios of their homes.

Truly, this is one of the cheapest places on earth. And you can get here via an easy four-hour flight from Miami, from $570 round-trip. With the help of fares like this, Suriname's major attractions - pristine rain forests inhabited by spider monkeys, neon-vivid butterflies, and 680 species of birds - have at last begun to attract legions of cost-conscious Americans, who can make two-day visits into the bush for a total of only $125, including a park ranger and a cook who prepares three squares a day. Bottom line: a superb adventure-travel bargain amid a Dutch-flavored, English-speaking culture and a safe, friendly atmosphere. And you can drink the water!

Parbo perambulations

Before you make tracks for the rain forest or the coast, plan on at least three full days in Paramaribo (a.k.a. "Parbo," population: 250,000) to take in the sights, reconfirm departing flights, and eat at as many restaurants as humanly possible. It's a charming city with the look of a friendly small town and plenty of picturesque wooden Dutch colonial architecture and historic sites. At the central market along the Suriname River, Maroon women whose forefathers were runaway slaves carefully stack ripe tomatoes and oranges into small pyramid-shape displays; garbed in colorful West African-print sarongs, they chatter softly to each other in Sranantongo, the one language that every Surinamer speaks. Out on the bank, Javanese and Creole fishermen toss fish from their boats up to vendors who turn around and slap the fish down in crates lined with shaved ice.

All side trips (day and overnight alike) originate from Parbo, making it the ideal staging ground for excursions to the rest of the country. Shorter day trips from town might include visits to Brownsberg Nature Park; Jodensavanna, an area where Portuguese Jews established plantations 350 years ago; and Commewijne, a quiet neighborhood of abandoned rural estates. Once you've settled into Suriname's slow, tropical groove and picked up a few phrases in Sranantongo, you'll be ready for extended jaunts to Raleighvallen/Voltzberg in the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, recently named a UNESCO Nature World Heritage Site, and Galibi Nature Reserve.

For touring, Parbo is small enough that you'll be able to walk almost anywhere without trouble. On the other hand, hitching a ride is pretty cheap, too: cabs $2 to $3 anywhere in town and buses a flat 10: per ride. Main sites include Fort Zeelandia, a ten-minute walk downstream from downtown, whose museum is well worth the $1.50 admission. The star-shaped stone fort was built in the mid-1600s to guard the entrance to the Suriname River, and also served as a prison.

The central market (Mon. to Sat., 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is located on Waterkant under what appears to be an enormous airplane hangar. Anything and everything that ever flew, grew, swam, slithered, or walked on four feet is available on the first floor, from freshwater crabs to bananas (19: a bunch) to plantain chips (77: for a big bag) to Javanese sweets called gulong gulong - a bright red cornstarch paste wrapped around a syrupy coconut filling (6: for a cigar-size helping). Any of the cambios across the street are a good place to change dollars for guilders; these exchange bureaus are safe, legal, and offer roughly the same rate as a bank with a lot less paperwork (pegged to the dollar, local currency recently fluctuated between Sf 2,600 and Sf 2,800 to US$1).

For non-edible purchases, Readytex at Maagdenstraat 44 is your one-stop curio shop. I recently brought home a dozen attractively handcrafted, hardwood kitchen spoons (58: each) and couldn't resist the stuffed, shellacked, and mounted piranha for $7.50. (I'm embarrassed to say I bought four of 'em.) For the slightly more sophisticated shopper, there's an art gallery on the second floor featuring the work of local artists, with canvases and carvings fetching anywhere from thirty to several hundred dollars.

Surinamese snoozes

At Paramaribo's quality hotels, complete with fitness rooms and swimming pools, double rooms can be had for $70 a night. And at smaller establishments and guesthouses, this prime exemplar of a "cheapest place on earth" will lodge you for even less than half that reasonable sum.

Lisa's Guest House (Burenstraat 6, tel. 476-927*) is one of the most popular places to stay here with the folks who invariably track down the best deals in any town: Peace Corps volunteers. Centrally located, it has 13 tidy rooms (seven of which are equipped with air-conditioners) at $20 per double. You'll find an oscillating fan in the other six rooms, and those will only set you back $16 per double. All of them share clean toilets, showers, the house phone, and a common room with big-screen TV and cable.

Another cheapie right downtown is called Albergo Alberga (Lim-A-Po Straat 13, tel. 474-286). This bright, airy guesthouse has six non-A/C rooms without phones on the third floor of a white clapboard house in the heart of the historic district. The doubles run $20 a night, the rest are singles renting for $15 each. Running the length of the building is a covered front balcony that overlooks one of the most charming streets in the city. All rooms share immaculate toilets and showers as well as a common room with a cable TV, and all are outfitted with sturdy fans.

Guesthouse Sabana (Kleine Waterstraat 7, tel. 424-158), on the north side of town, is under new management (usually a good sign) and charges $37 for A/C-equipped doubles with private baths; its ten rooms lack phones but are quite comfortable. Right next door at the Combi Inn guesthouse (tel. 426-001, fax 426-005, combi-inn@paramaribo.net), the nine rooms are clean and include bathroom, fridge, TV, and phone. Manager Arnold Fredrik says he likes to haggle over prices; I got him down to $42 for a double without too much difficulty. Both the Sabana and Combi Inns are on the second floor and have open front balconies overlooking the street and Suriname River beyond.

Further north but still within easy walking distance to the center of town is the Hotel ABC (Mahonielaan 55, tel. 422-950, fax /477-588), which rightly bills itself as "a small hotel with first-class rooms and top-of-the-line features." ABC has ten air-conditioned doubles for $40, each with private bath, TV, fridge, and telephone.

The best upscale bargain is the Eco Resort Inn (Cornelis Jongbawstraat 16, tel. 425-522, fax 425-510, info@ecores.com). While it seems a bit pricey ($75 double, $65 single, including service, tax, and a bountiful breakfast buffet), consider that in addition to 74 air-conditioned rooms with phone, fridge, cable TV, private balcony, and private bathroom with a generously hot shower, it also offers airport transfers (a taxi runs $25 each way for the hour-long journey), use of the pool and all other facilities at the luxury Hotel Torarica just down the street. My own room was so spotless, I'm convinced I was the first person to have stayed in it.

Parbo provisions

There are cheap eats aplenty around town, but the usual South American rice and beans - no way, Jose. Instead, expect Asian-style delights from the other side of the world: satay, fried rice, chow mein, and roti at prices that will astound you. This country's profusion of Indian, Javanese, and Chinese immigrants lends Surinamese cuisine a rich Asian flair, at prices on a par with Asian "cheapest places on earth" such as Indonesia and Thailand.

In the neighborhood of Blauwgrond - about a five-minute cab ride north of town-scores of Javanese families have turned their homes into restaurants, and low overhead means lower prices; you'll sit on their front patios while being served from the family kitchen. Pawiro's at Samson Greenstraat 114 has a great menu (although there are blocks and blocks of other similar homes from which to choose). Its nasi rames is the equivalent of a Javanese pupu platter and includes, among other things, a tasty deep-fried fish ball; sambel, shredded fried sweetened potatoes; goedanang, a zesty mixture of string beans, cabbage, soybeans, and spinach; and a choice of entree. I went with the spicy beef in coconut milk-a rich, sweet, slightly salty delicacy. The whole kit and caboodle: $3. An appetizer of bakabana (28[cents]) - fried plantain with hot peanut sauce-made the meal a cholesterol A-bomb, but to make up for it, I ate veggies (easy to do in Suriname) for the next two days.

The best Chinese food in town can be had at Chi Min on Cornelis Jongbawstraat 83 (tel. 412-155), where a heaping plate of noodles or fried rice topped with savory slices of chicken or beef runs just a buck and a half. If your room has a fridge, go ahead and get one order per person; you can keep the leftovers for the next day's lunch. Otherwise, one order for two hearty eaters is plenty. The wonton soup (67:) is as good as I've had anywhere in Asia. Restaurant Dumpling #1 on Nassylaan #12 (tel. 477-904) boasts similar lightweight prices and oversized portions.

For a filling snack, hit one of the numerous roti shops in town. Roti is a tortilla-sized Indian pancake wrapped around a combination of curried mashed potatoes, lentils, and often chicken or lamb. It's meant to be eaten without utensils, but be warned: The meat is still on the bone! Roopram's (Zwartenhovenbrugstraat 23 and Grote Hofstraat 4) and Joosje (Zwartenhovenbrugstraat 9) both offer versions with chicken for $1.15; word on the street is that Joosje uses less salt.

Venturing into the bush

The conservation foundation STINASU (Cornelis Jongbawstraat 14, tel. 427-102, 427-103, fax 421-850, fnps@sr.net, www.stinasu.sr) is an excellent traveler's resource, running inexpensive and exciting tours to the three main ecotourist destinations: Galibi Nature Reserve, Brownsberg Nature Park, and Raleighvallen/Voltzberg Nature Reserve. The bulk of STINASU's profits is funneled back into local conservation projects. Other reputable tour operators include METS (tel. 477-088, fax 422-332, www.metsre sorts.com) and Suriname Safari Tours (tel. 424-025, fax 455-768, eerstelingsst@yahoo.com).

Bear in mind that one of the keys to cheap travel in Suriname is a degree of flexibility and a willingness to share rides (especially in dugout canoes and chartered planes). While all of the tour operators listed in this article will do their best to consolidate trips, a good person to contact before leaving the U.S. is Sirano Zalman, founder of Access Suriname Travel (tel./fax 424-522, access-travel@cq-link.sr, www.surinametravel.com). A kind of clearinghouse for tours, his office is plastered with various travel agencies' schedules and is testimony to the fact that this guy's up on who's going where and when in this neck of the woods.

Rain forest rambles: Brownsberg and Raleighvallen National Parks

More than three-quarters of Suriname is rain forest, and until recently, almost all of the interior had been beyond the reach of the budget-conscious traveler pressed for time. More and more tour companies are building lodges and airstrips in the jungle, however, and there are some very reasonably priced, all-inclusive, $90-a-day packages into the heart of the 13-year-old Central Nature Reserve. Thus, expect to pay in the vicinity of $360 per person for a memorable four-day all-inclusive trip (like a safari) to Raleighvallen, a remote site deep in the interior.

Cheaper and much more accessible is STINASU's compound at Brownsberg-only two hours from the capital. It's a collection of six main lodges, an office with radio communication to Paramaribo, and a generator shed (the juice runs from sundown to sunup). Each lodge commands a stunning view of Lake Brokopondo Stuwmeer (a.k.a. Van Blommestein Meer) - created by damming the Suriname River. The accommodations consist of three or four bedrooms, a toilet and showers (cold water only), a common room, and a kitchen with sink, propane stove, and fridge. All-inclusive trips to Brownsberg are available starting at only $125 per person for two days, for which you'll be picked up at your hotel, driven to the park in an air-conditioned 4x4, and put up in one of the lodges. What's more, you'll be accompanied by a cook who'll prepare three tasty meals. A knowledgeable guide - usually a park ranger - is also included in the price, and he'll gladly lead you to any of several waterfalls within easy walking distance.

Determined to spend less? Much, much less? Essentially, the same Brownsberg experience can be had for far fewer guilders by simply catching the express bus from Parbo to the village of Brownsberg ($2.30). Arrange to have the folks from STINASU meet you in a Jeep, and for $3.85 round-trip, they'll haul you and your gear up the muddy, twisting jungle track to their compound. You can sling the sturdy hammock that they provide with sheets, a pillow, and a cocoon-like mosquito net for a scant $6. The hammock hut is a thatched-roof, open-air, traditional Amerindian dwelling, but given the higher altitude and the cool breezes off the lake, you're in for a comfortable night's rest.

You'll be on your own for meals, so a cooler (available for $13.50 at Fernandes on Klipstenenstraat in Parbo) is a must; blocks of ice are widely available for about a buck. Cooking facilities at the STINASU Brownsberg compound are simple but adequate. Like the bungalows, you can count on running cold water, a fridge, and a gas stove. After a day or two exploring Brownsberg, pay a visit to Tonka Island - a 90-acre hilltop-turned-island created by the rise of the Lake Brokopondo Stuwmeer. Run by Fritz van Troon in conjunction with the Amazon Conservation Team, the lush facility is covered in cashew, tamarind, palm, and Tonka trees (from which it derives its name) and offers guests traditional Amerindian lodgings in an utterly secluded setting. The lodges cost $60 a night but sleep up to 24 people. Ask beforehand about sharing expenses with other guests, and chances are you'll end up paying a mere fraction of the $60 fee. Hammocks, bedding, mosquito nets, fishing gear, and cooking facilities are all provided free of charge.

You'll want to pack in some of your own food, but don't bother bringing a main course for dinner; we recently hauled succulent, pie-plate-sized piranha out of the lake as if they were fish from a barrel; toekoenarie, a kind of bass, are harder to catch but have a far sweeter meat than piranha (which, interestingly enough, taste a lot like swordfish). Our guide cleaned our catch in return for one of our cold beers.

Ogling sea turtles: Galibi Nature Reserve

Suriname has some of the best beaches in the world - for sea turtles, that is. Human bathers might not find the deserted coast with its murky water all that inviting because of the tremendous amount of silt flushed into the sea by the massive Corantijn, Coppename, and Marowijne Rivers. The turtles, on the other hand-leatherbacks, ridleys, and greens alike - hit the beaches by the thousands from February to August to lay their eggs. STINASU runs all-inclusive, two-day turtle-watching packages to its lodge at the Galibi Nature Reserve. The $150 price tag includes transportation from Parbo by bus and motorized dugout canoe, comfortable accommodations, all meals, and a guide.

Knowing and Going

Suriname Airways (800/327-6864), and Air ALM (800/327-7230) have twice-weekly departures to Paramaribo from Miami via Curacao, with fares recently quoted at $570 plus $68 tax.

American Airlines (800/433-7300) also flies the Miami-Curacao leg, but its total fare can be as much as $225 higher.

U.S. citizens must obtain a visa to visit Suriname ($45 fee). Contact either its embassy (4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel. 202/244-7590, fax 202/244-5878, embsur@erols.com) or its consulate in Miami (7235 NW 19th St., Suite A, Miami, FL 33126, tel. 305/593-2163, fax 305/599-1034, surcgmia@bellsouth.net).

For a complete list of hotels, tour agencies in Paramaribo, and heaps of other useful information, check out the Suriname Tourism Foundation's Web site at www.parbo.com/tourism/info3.htm or the Suriname Information Desk at www.surinfo.org, where you can even print out a visa application. Reading list: Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice by Mark J. Plotkin and The Guide to Suriname by Roy Tjin and Els Schellekens (available in Paramaribo at Vaco on Domineestraat 26 or through sranansani@aol.com).

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European Youth Hostel "Family Rooms"

By now, most everyone knows that youth hostels are no longer just for youths. They've even dropped the word from their title ("Hostelling International" is the new name of the official hostel organization). But were you aware that most hostels nowadays offer what are billed as "family rooms?" Sometimes, a family room can be as fully private as a suite, with its own bathroom. More often, it's simply a standard dorm-type room equipped with bunks--but at least the place is all yours, privately, and that's the point. You can have a space of your own, often in a centuries-old building loaded with character, at a bargain price. Obviously, such lodgings aren't for everyone. They suit the energetic budget traveler who's eager to be out and about, who prefers to spend minimum time in a hotel room and maximum time in the local ambience. Pampered types, for whom the lodging and its amenities are a major part of the traveling experience, should clearly look elsewhere. That said, even the intrepid traveler should be warned about a few eccentricities common to family rooms at youth hostels. Sleeping facilities will almost certainly feature tall bunks, with vertiginous top beds. Four to six bunks will be in the room, and frequently there'll be only one light fixture: "Lights out" for the kids at a reasonable hour means that the grown-ups will be plunged into darkness too. But then again, perhaps early-to-bed is not such a bad thing, since early-to-rise is obligatory: Some hostels close during the day, and you may be required to vacate the premises as early as 10 o'clock in the morning. (You can, however, leave belongings in your room during "lockout.") Finally, don't expect to stay in a hostel with your family for a few bucks a night, as you might have done in your own youth. Each individual bed is bargain-priced: from $12 to $15, typically. With hostels, as with most hotels and pensions in Europe, you pay by the bed, regardless of the age of the person who sleeps in it. Thus, even the low price of $12 a bed can add up if there are five of you. On the plus side, it's unlikely you'll find a better bargain anywhere else, especially as your $12 to $15 includes breakfast, too. Often this is a simple bread-and-jam affair, but even in those cases you'll usually enjoy plenty of strong coffee, steamed milk, and hot chocolate. Sometimes inexpensive communal dinners are available, which brings up another selling point: Hostels are sociable places. If you feel friendly, you can meet individuals from many walks of life. Speaking of food, many hostels offer shared kitchen facilities, and when you travel with small kids, simply having access to a fridge (to store milk, for example) can be a great convenience. Just note that you're expected to clean up after yourself. Our own recent experience A particularly excellent feature of hostels, especially in Europe, is that many are located in centuries-old castles or former monasteries. On a recent trip to France and Italy with three kids, nearly every hostel we tried had something to recommend it. In Lyon, it was a megabreakfast with toast, jam, unlimited hot chocolate, juice, and those little boxes of cereal that kids love, plus a great view over the medieval rooftops. At the Villa Francescatti in Verona, we enjoyed the huge grounds of a sixteenth-century villa and the privacy of a separate building for families. The La Primula hostel, in Menaggio on Lake Como, offers friendly atmosphere, a library of books and board games, wonderful dinners at bargain prices (this hostel also organizes cooking classes), and the view from the balcony ain't bad either. In Cinque Terre, the Manarola hostel gets top marks, with helpful staff, individual bedlights, and private bathrooms. How did we find these hostel gems? An excellent guidebook, Hostels France & Italy: The Only Comprehensive, Unofficial, Opinionated Guide, by Paul Karr and Martha Coombs, describes many outstanding hostels and notes which ones have family rooms or reputations for excessive noise. Online resources are helpful, too. Hostels of Europe (hostelseurope.com) has maps with top locations and excellent listings that make note of family rooms, quietness, and kitchen facilities. The Italian Youth Hostel Association (hostels-aig.org) has details and pictures. Most Web sites also promote online reservations. Always try to make reservations for your family room well in advance, and get a confirmation by fax or e-mail. The two big questions But what about the bathrooms? And that bring-your-own-bedding thing? The BYOB policy is ancient history. Some hostelers still travel with their own "sleep-sheet" (two sheets sewn together to make a sack), but why bother? Typically, when you enter your family room, each bunk will be decked out with crisp sheets, plump pillows, and a blanket folded neatly at the foot of each bed. If a sleep-sheet is required, it can be rented at the hostel for a modest charge. Sleeping bags, meanwhile, are considered unhygienic and are often not allowed, so there's little point in carting them around. Do remember, though, to bring along your own towels. As for the bathrooms, even when there's no private toilet or shower for your room, facilities will probably be just across the hall; those we saw were very clean. I know, I know: Most North Americans have a phobia about shared bathrooms. Overcome this bias and a new vista of budget options will open. Meanwhile, your family room will always contain a sink, at least. The great decision One final point about hostels concerns memberships: Some hostels require membership in a hosteling organization; check on this issue when you make your reservations. With luck, you'll be able to buy a membership (approximately $15 to $25) at the first hostel on your itinerary. Nonmembers won't be turned away--in the worst case, you might have to pay a slightly higher charge for your room. Alternatively, you can buy a membership before your trip-head to the Web sites noted above or to www.hiayh.org or www.hostels.com, which can also answer your general questions about hosteling. Four recommended European hostels Auberge de Jeunesse du Vieux Lyon, 41-45 Montée du Chemin Neuf, 69005 Lyon, France. Tel. 011-33-4/78-15-05-50, fax /78-15-05-51, fuaj.org/aj/lyon. Villa Francescatti Youth Hostel, Salita Fontana del Ferro 15, 37129 Verona, Italy. Tel. 011-39-045/590360, fax /8009127, hostels-aig.org/shop-uk/verona.htm. International Youth Hostel "La Primula," Via 4 Novembre 86, 22017 Menaggio, Italy. Tel. 011-39-034/432356, fax/431677, menaggiohostel.com. Hostel 5 Terre, in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Via Riccobaldi 21, 19010 Manarola, Italy. Tel. 011-39-018/7920215, fax /7920218, cinqueterre.net/ostello/ostelloen.htm

Inspiration

Native American Country in Arizona

The drive up to the mesa-top village of Walpi, on the Hopi Indian Reservation in northern Arizona, takes only a few minutes. But you will remember it for a lifetime. From high-desert flatlands, the rough, narrow road suddenly leaps up the side of a sheer cliff in a couple of twisting jumps, barely clinging to a precipitous drop-off. In centuries past, the Hopis climbed to Walpi's lofty perch on perilous trails to escape their enemies. Today's road, open to visitors, seems only slightly less daunting. A visit to ancient Walpi, which hugs the mesa's rocky tip an awesome 600 feet above the countryside, is just one of many adventures awaiting you on a five-day, 800-mile drive-budget-priced, of course-into Arizona's scenic Indian Country, touring both the Hopi and surrounding Navajo reservations. If you've got another day or two, the nearby Apache tribes also invite visitors. A most affordable adventure Look forward to enjoying plenty of exciting Old West-style fun. But perhaps more important, the trip rewards with an up-close look at the culture and lives of these intriguing peoples, struggling to retain their historic identities in a beautiful but harsh land. If you're lucky, you might catch a ceremonial dance, fair, or rodeo. This educational aspect-a look at Indian culture beyond the cliches fostered by all those Westerns-adds considerable value to the modest prices you'll find in these areas for food and lodging. In a way, entering Navajo and Hopi territories is like visiting a foreign country-make that two foreign countries. They do things differently, and they speak unique languages among themselves. But these are less-distant lands, easily reached by car or a cheap flight to Phoenix. Unlike Europe, they are inexpensive. In summer high season, a room for two people in a quality motel-either on or off the reservations-costs only $60 to $100 a night, often with breakfast included. The price drops to as low as $30 a night if you'll accept a shared bathroom. Everywhere I went, good family restaurants featured full dinners that began at less than $10 per person. I got hooked on Navajo tacos-a huge, plate-size hunk of Indian fry bread liberally topped with ground beef, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, onions, melted cheese, and an optional hot pepper sauce. For about $7, a single serving set in front of me looked like a mini-mountain. Delicious as it was, the hearty dish proved more than I could eat. Just as I would abroad, I sampled all the local foods, which usually proved the cheapest. What I liked best was the chance to meet Navajos and Hopis in their villages. Many are rather shy about talking to tourists. It's just not their way. But you can usually engage in conversation with a potter, wood-carver, or basket-maker, many of whom market their art from their doorsteps. Even if you don't buy-although you will find some terrific bargains-it's interesting to watch them at work. My wife, who collects the colorful, hand-carved kachina (or katsina) dolls of the Hopis, especially enjoys hearing the carvers explain why they chose a particular design. Along the way, you will visit (as we recently did) massive Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "shay"), once a secret labyrinthine refuge for the Navajos, and the equally spectacular Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, the red-rock realm where Hollywood director John Ford filmed such Western classics as 1938's Stagecoach, starring John Wayne. The cliff-hanging stone pueblos of the Hopis, such as Walpi, are among the oldest continually inhabited residences in North America. But don't be tempted to snap a photo; the Hopis ban the use of cameras. As you drive, keep an eye out also for Navajo hogans, the traditional six- or eight-sided shelters that many still use. Some are built in the old style with log walls and earthen roofs; others make use of plywood and other modern materials. And stay alert as well for livestock on the road-the Navajos maintain an open range. Cattle, ponies, sheep, and goats roam free without fences. I had to brake quickly one day for a large flock of sheep meandering down an otherwise empty road. They were only shepherded-as far as we could tell-by a small dog. Totaling more than 18 million acres (larger than many states), the Navajo and Hopi reservations occupy an often stark, desertlike landscape, yet one that is surprisingly beautiful in its wide-open emptiness. Almost anywhere you look, odd rock formations thrust skyward, teasing the eye. Lofty mesas give way to deep gorges painted in hues of red and yellow. Pygmy forests of juniper and pi-on, a source of edible nuts for the region's early inhabitants, add splashes of green. I reveled, too, in summer's mild, dry climate. At elevations ranging from 4,000 to 7,500 feet, the area turns chilly enough at night for a sweater. Getting started The logical starting point is Phoenix, served by such discount airlines as Southwest (800/435-9792, southwest.com) and ATA (800/435-9282, ata.com). Although summer is the high season for lodging in northeast Arizona, it's low season in Phoenix because of frequent 100-plus-degree days. You can find a good motel room for no more than $50 near the airport, if needed before or after the drive. Better yet, car rental rates in the desert tend to be a bargain. For a one-week rental in mid-August, Alamo (800/462-5266, alamo.com) quoted the lowest price, $141 for a compact car with unlimited mileage. Next lowest was Enterprise (800/736-8222, enterprise.com) at $144. The lodging rates listed below represent the total cost per night for two people traveling during the peak summer period. Day one Plan to land in Phoenix by early afternoon. This gives you plenty of time to complete the pleasant 190-mile drive northeast via State Routes 87, 260, and 377 to Holbrook, a modest but interesting former frontier town on the southern edge of the Navajo Reservation. Less than an hour from the airport, you climb through a forest of stately saguaro cactus into high, cool mountains, fragrant with the scent of pine. Located just off I-40 along Historic U.S. 66, Holbrook and neighboring Winslow offer the cheapest lodging prices on this drive. I scouted out several motels I could recommend, charging about $50 to $60 a night. But another half dozen or more, in desperate need of refurbishing, advertised single rates as low as $20 a night. It's up to you. In midsummer, they all had vacancy signs lit. To really save, consider making either town your headquarters, visiting the sites on this itinerary as a series of day trips. The two towns are just north of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and west of Petrified Forest National Park. In Holbrook, the livelier of the pair, stay comfortably at the 63-room Econo Lodge (928/524-1448), $49; 61-room Comfort Inn (928/524-6131), $64; or 70-room Best Western Arizonian Inn (928/524-2611), $70. Nearby is Jerry's Restaurant, which features a ham-steak dinner, $7.29. In Winslow, make it the 55-room Motel 6 (928/289-9581), $60; or the 46-room Super 8 (928/289-4606), $53. Falcon, the Family Restaurant, a longtime local favorite, is the place to eat. Try "Steak a la Mexicana," $7.99. Info: Holbrook (928/524-6558), Winslow (928/289-2434). Navajo nation Day two Just 15 miles north of Holbrook, State Route 77 enters into the sprawling Navajo Reservation (or Navajo Nation, as it is also called), the border crossing noted by the rumble of the cattle guard beneath your tires. As if to emphasize the tribe's open-range policy, cattle graze beside the highway, their swishing tails in danger of being whacked by the fender of your Ford. Today's drive covers just 125 miles via State Routes 77 and 15 and U.S. 191 en route to the town of Chinle and the nearby Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Give yourself plenty of time at the canyon. Almost immediately, you'll be captivated by the views, which in this open country seem to stretch forever. Far to the west, a thunderstorm flashes across a flat-topped mesa. Just ahead, strange black cones thrust from a field of sagebrush, geological formations like incipient volcanoes that fizzled centuries ago. My wife and I pointed out the hogans we saw along the road. Often, younger Navajos live nearby in modern houses equipped with electricity and plumbing; their parents or grandparents favor the old ways. About 30 miles from Chinle, take the five-mile detour to Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. Opened in 1878, it's the oldest continually operating trading post in the Navajo Nation. The main trading area, selling groceries, looks as if it has changed little in 124 years. In the adjacent rug room, browse through stacks of handwoven rugs, noting the variety of traditional designs. The little ones begin at about $95; many larger rugs are priced at $4,500 or more. (Don't worry; down the road, I'll show you cheaper crafts that make fine souvenirs or gifts.) In the visitors center, Mary H. Begay, adorned in tribal jewelry of silver and turquoise, demonstrates the weaver's art, fashioning a rug in the style of the Teec Nos Pos community in New Mexico. In the 1840s, Canyon de Chelly, stretching 26 miles in a maze of passageways, served the Navajo as a stronghold, and the tribe remains protective of it. To enter, you must go with a paid Navajo guide or on an escorted tour-although there is one exception. Most visitors hop aboard one of the tourist trucks outfitted with open-air seats. The truck plows along the sandy road winding beneath the canyon's narrow, 1,000-foot-high red stone walls. A half-day excursion costs about $50 per person. To avoid paying, take the north- or south-rim drives and peer into the canyon from above. You'll be quite satisfied, I promise. The best overlook is at Tsegi on the south rim, which offers an extended view up and down the canyon. Far below, a farmer tends his vegetable garden, and here and there a cow wades in shallow Chinle Wash. I spotted one of those tourist trucks bouncing past in a cloud of dust. To get into the canyon, head for nearby White House Overlook. A 2.5-mile (round-trip) trail descends to the canyon floor, where you can see the White House cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi, who preceded the Navajo here. It's the one descent into the canyon for which you don't need a guide. Chinle's three motels, all inviting, happen to be some of the most expensive on this trip: the 102-room Best Western Canyon de Chelly Inn (800/327-0354), $89; 108-room Holiday Inn (928/674-5000), $99 to $109; and 73-room Thunderbird Lodge (928/674-5841), $101. The Thunderbird cafeteria, a favorite of Navajo families, serves a terrific sirloin-steak plate for under $10. Or stay about 20 minutes north at the 15-room Many Farms Inn (928/781-6362), a school training Navajo youth for hotel careers. A twin-bed room with shared bath costs $30 a night. Contact Navajo information (928/871-6436, discovernavajo.com). Day three Next stop is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, another red-rock wonder, about 100 miles northwest of Chinle. If you caught John Wayne in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon on the late-night movie, you'll recognize giant Elephant Butte, John Ford Point, and other odd rock formations rising from the valley floor like modernistic sculptures. To get there, take U.S. 191 to Many Farms, State Route 59 and U.S. 160 to Kayenta, and U.S. 163 to Monument Valley. Admission is $5 per person. For another $25 each, join a Navajo-led van tour, which makes a 17-mile, 90-minute loop through the valley (tours leave from the visitors center). But at no extra cost, tackle the rough, rutted road in your own car-always keeping an eye alert to wandering sheep. On the van tour, which I recommend, the guide provides insights into Navajo life, noting that the valley is sacred to the tribe. He even introduced us to a Navajo woman who invited us into her hogan, furnished in lovely rugs. The closest affordable lodging is in Kayenta, about 25 miles south. Choices are the 54-room Best Western Wetherill Inn (928/697-3231), $108; and the 73-room Hampton Inn (928/697-3170), $89 to $109. At the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, I couldn't resist the "Navajo Burger," two patties on fry bread with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and french fries-a full dinner at $8.95. Drive seven miles south to Tsegi and stay more cheaply at the 58-room Anasazi Inn (928/697-3793), $69. Perched on the edge of a gorge, it boasts great views. In Tuba City, 70 miles south, you'll find three more options: 15-room Dine Inn Motel (928/283-6107), $70; 80-room Quality Inn (928/283-4545), $88; and 32-room Grey Hills Inn (928/283-4450), another hotel training school; with shared bath, $52. Day four Surrounded by the Navajo Nation, the little Hopi Reservation preserves a culture that in many ways is different from the Navajos. For one thing, the Hopis shun irrigation for dry farming, instead nurturing crops that can survive on rainfall. Unfortunately, as is the nature of peoples everywhere, the two neighbors have squabbled for generations over land and other issues. You will get hints of the dispute in tribal newspapers found in shops, gas stations, and cafes. Most Hopis live in 12 villages on or near First, Second, and Third Mesas, three huge rocks shooting up from the valley. From Tuba City, eastbound State Route 264 crosses (in succession) Third and Second Mesas and nudges up against First Mesa. Today's drive, about 130 miles, cuts through Hopi lands on routes 264, 77, and 87, returning you for the night to Holbrook or Winslow. Atop Second Mesa, stop at the Hopi Cultural Center, where a small museum details the tribe's history. Check here about ceremonial dances open to the public. Next door is the reservation's only tourist lodging, the 33-room Hopi Cultural Center Motel (928/734-2401), $90 weekdays, $95 weekends. At the restaurant, I bought a $1.95 package of "piki bread," a flaky, Hopi-style tortilla made of blue corn and baked on a hot stone. Save plenty of time to explore the village of Walpi, high atop First Mesa. Daily 45-minute walking tours ($5) depart frequently from the Ponsi Hall Cultural Center (928/737-2262). Loretta, our guide, explained that the steep road we had just negotiated was built only a few years ago, easing life for the mesa's 200 residents. Most live in two adjoining villages; only five families remain in Walpi, which dates back to 1690. Unlike its neighbors, Walpi lacks running water and electricity. Former residents, living on the valley floor, return on ceremonial occasions. A number of artisans, young and old, sell kachinas and pottery from their homes, usually for considerably less than you would pay off-reservation. We noted their old negotiating tactic of offering one price only to immediately lower it if we didn't seem interested. In this way, my wife paid $50 for a brightly painted Crow Mother kachina, which featured a small image of Walpi. "You can't take photos of the village," said artist Jolie Silas, "so I carve it into my dolls." The best buy, though, is a "cradle" doll, a small kachina traditionally given to newborn girls. At $10 (you may have to bargain), they make a memorable souvenir. Hopi information: 928/734-2401, hopi.nsn.us. Day FIVe: Return to Phoenix, perhaps through Petrified Forest National Park or the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. From Holbrook, take State Routes 77 and 73 south through Fort Apache, connecting to U.S. 60 into Phoenix, about 200 miles. Keep in mind as you drive that Arizona is home to 21 Indian reservations or communities. They might tempt you back on another journey into Native American cultures. Arizona information: 888/520-3434, arizonaguide.com.

Outdoor Vacations for Families

You do it countless ways. You can introduce the kids to moose in a national park or to monkeys in a rain forest. You can navigate the rapids with a couple of teens on a wilderness river, help a seven-year-old conquer a mountain peak or a nine-year-old reach out and touch a glacier. Maybe you play Swiss Family Robinson in a tent in the treetops or take sea-loving youngsters snorkeling amid schools of tropical fish. Whatever the goal, you can-with proper planning and advice-keep expenditures for an authentic, out-of-doors vacation to a perfectly modest level. Here are 11 budget-priced adventures that take your family back to nature. 1. Maho Bay Camps Located on the exquisite U.S. Virgin Island of St. John, this camp has begun offering kids' arts-and-crafts classes, taught by visiting artists, which stress recycling and reusing materials. The kids can make birdhouses, musical instruments, or mosaics from recycled materials. You all stay in big, rectangular, canvas-sided platform tents, hidden amid trees along a hillside overlooking the sea. Each tented cabin comes equipped with lights, fans, and its own deck for watching the sunset. The seaside camp is surrounded by the Virgin Islands National Park and offers many watersports as well as places to snorkel. (The entire island of St. John is ringed by pristine beaches.) And units at Maho Bay are connected by wooden walkways the kids will love. Rates start at $75 for a canvas "bungalow" housing two adults and two children, with kids under 16 staying free. Call 800/392-9004 or access maho.org. 2. Yellowstone Association Institute This institute makes it easy for families to explore one of the nation's most popular national parks with summer and winter naturalist-led programs that include cold-weather sessions on wolves, honing outdoor skills, and snowshoeing. In summer, they focus on hiking, photography, and animal tracking. And there are also programs designed for those who want to cross-country-ski their way across the park. Over the course of the four-day program, parents can help their children earn a Junior Ranger badge. Lodging in park hotels, and some meals, are included. Rates for four days start at under $605 in winter for adults and $345 for kids. Call 307/344-2293 or access yellowstoneassociation.org. To see what family and educational programs are offered elsewhere, link to the park you'd like to visit from the National Park Service Web site at nps.gov. 3. Appalachian Mountain Club The nation's oldest conservation and recreation organization has both winter and summer family workshops that are proven winners. Build snow shelters and learn how animals adapt to winter, try wilderness cooking in spring, or act out stories inspired by your outdoor experience. Give the kids a taste of the backcountry without lugging camping gear and food: Hike from one historic high-mountain hut to the next, where you will be served hearty meals, sleep on cots in rustic bunkhouses, and join junior naturalist activities. Rates at the huts, including meals, start at $85 for adults, $52 for kids (less for AMC members). The new, kid-friendly Highland Center at Crawford Notch, New Hampshire, sleeps 120 and offers environmental education programs for adults and children. Call 617/523-0655 for more information or visit on the Web at outdoors.org. 4. Grandparenting with Elderhostel The famed senior citizen organization now offers more than 100 well-priced trips all over the world for grandparents to share with grandchildren and has begun to add vacation packages for three generations as well. Each of the trips is designed to teach-many about the outdoors, ecology, or animal life. Domestic journeys typically start at $500 per person, including accommodations, meals, and activities. Go to "camp" in the Adirondacks or Catskills and study trees, lakes, and streams. You're guaranteed the presence of other grandparents and children of similar ages, and full-time counselors will enable tired grandparents to grab an occasional break. Call 877/426-8056 or access elderhostel.org. 5. The Sierra Club The club makes it easy to introduce the kids to the outdoors with savvy leaders attuned to kids' likes and dislikes on their 30-plus family trips. Some are especially designed for families with younger children, like the "Toddler Tromp" in Maine's Acadia National Park. There is even one Sierra Club adventure in California's Tahoe National Forest for moms and their daughters ages 11 through 14. See the Grand Canyon from rim to river. Raft through Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. Leaders plan meals and activities; trips typically last a week or less. Weeklong trips start at under $500, with most trips less than $800 a person, including food and activities. Call 415/977-5500 or log on to sierraclub.org/outings. 6. Outward Bound This not-for-profit organization has been successfully sending people into the wilderness for more than 50 years. Parents and teens set off on weeklong family adventures designed to help them face new challenges and grow from the experience. Go sailing in Maine, dogsledding in the Northwoods of Minnesota, white-water canoeing in Texas, or mountaineering in the Cascades in Washington State. Eight-day trips average just over $1,000 per person. Call 866/467-7651 or visit outwardbound.org. 7. Cows, pigs, and more The young 'uns in your gang will love a farm, where they'll quickly discover that milk and eggs don't come from the supermarket. They can gather eggs, feed the pigs, and maybe milk a goat or a cow. Check your state tourism office: Some local farmers in Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, among other places, welcome a family or two at a time. Others, like the 140-guest Inn at East Hill Farm in Troy, New Hampshire (800/242-6495, east-hill-farm.com), are resorts as much as farms, with indoor and outdoor pools, and kids' programs complete with crafts and magic shows. Inclusive rates start at $90 a night for adults, $75 for kids. Emandal Farm in Willits, California (707/459-5439, emandal.com), offers summer family weeks and seasonal family weekends where kids can help care for the baby animals in the spring and make cider in the fall. Weeklong prices start at $805 for adults, $196 for kids. Find more than a dozen guest farms at familytravelnetwork.com. 8. Ride 'em cowboy! Horse-loving kids and their parents will think they're in heaven at a dude ranch that caters to children, with special riding programs that enable them to learn about horses and the surrounding countryside. Parents get to relax while kids join in organized children's programs, even preparing for a junior rodeo. Hike or fish as well as ride. GORPtravel (gorptravel.com) lists dozens of affordable kid-friendly ranches around the country. The Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas (830/796-3312, mayanranch.com), promises meals, horseback rides, and kids' activities for under $900 a week per adult and under $400 per child under 13. Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in New York's Hudson Valley (800/647-2624, rhranch.com) costs just a little more. Visit in winter for fun in the snow. 9. Safe white-water rafting On river-based trips, you'll also have the chance to hike, fish, or play volleyball on the shore. Experienced river guides lead expeditions through wilderness areas that can be as big as Rhode Island. Even better, they plan the meals and help entertain the kids. Go for a few days or a week. Dvorak's Expeditions in Nathrop, Colorado (800/824-3795, dvorakexpeditions.com), offers some western river trips where kids go free (adult prices start at $950 for five-to-seven-day trips) and other four-day family trips priced by the number of people. Northern Outdoors, with two resort centers in Maine (800/765-7238, www.northernoutdoors.com), gives families a chance to kayak, rock climb, and raft. Family overnights, which include two days of rafting on the Kennebec River, camping, and all meals, average about $200 per person. 10. Family RV-ing Parents who don't enjoy camping can still get up close and personal with nature by choosing to travel in an RV, staying in national and state parks across the country. The kids will love the chance to make new friends at campgrounds. Figure on paying $1,000 or more to rent a motor home for the week, plus about $22 a night for campground fees. Find coast-to-coast rental outlets at gorving.com. The largest national rental chain is Cruise America (800/327-7799, cruiseamerica.com).

Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia

It seemed like a fairly easy trip to plan. Debbie Escobar, of Visalia, Calif., hoped to bring her sons Evan, 11, and Andrew, 10, to Washington, D.C., for sightseeing and history lessons. The boys--both involved in Scouting, with their father, Anthony, as troop leader--could see the Capitol Building and fulfill part of a merit badge in their quest to become Eagle Scouts. Any state capitol or federal building would have sufficed for the merit badge, but Debbie thought this was a great excuse to visit D.C. "We've traveled a lot, but never to that part of the country," said Debbie. "We especially want our boys to see up close what they're studying in school." Since they'd already be on the East Coast learning about history, Debbie thought, why not check out Philadelphia too? (New York City and Boston seemed to warrant separate vacations.) The problem was that after two years with the trip in the back of her mind, Debbie still hadn't nailed down the details. Figuring out when to go was a challenge in itself, what with busy work schedules for both parents, family engagements, school field trips, soccer tournaments, and Scouting. Debbie and the boys had a window of time in May. (Anthony was too busy, so it would just be Mom and the kids.) Evan and Andrew would miss school, but heck, they'd get a great education on the trip and they could catch up with their classes when they returned. "We want to do this trip, but the time is quickly approaching and I'm not totally sure we can get it together," Debbie said. "I usually love planning trips, but this one has me stumped." We were more than happy to help. They would be flying out of Fresno, and our first step was to price flights on Orbitz. (We also checked with Southwest Airlines and JetBlue, which aren't listed on Orbitz, but neither flies to Fresno or nearby.) For the dates the Escobars needed, America West Airlines had the best rates (800/235-9292, americawest.com/). Flying into D.C. and out of Philly made the most sense. It's a bit more expensive than a standard round trip in and out of the same city ($427 versus $411), but they'll save the time and money of retracing their steps. And we advised them to book directly through America West, rather than pay a $5-per-ticket surcharge to Orbitz. How to travel from D.C. to Philly was an easy call. This is one of the few areas where it's affordable and convenient to use Amtrak: $90 total for the three of them on the two-hour ride (800/872-7245, amtrak.com/). The major sights in both cities are accessible by foot and public transportation, and they won't have to worry about parking and traffic. Hotel location was important, especially with no car. "We'd like someplace safe and clean," said Debbie. "Budget is definitely a consideration." We directed them to the Hotel Harrington, which sits a few blocks from the White House and the Mall and charges $105 a night for rooms with two double beds. In Philadelphia, we suggested the Comfort Inn Downtown. Within a 10-minute walk of the city's most historic sights, it's a fine value at $89 a night. We recommended that on the travel day from D.C., they should check out late from the Harrington and take an early-afternoon train--that way, they can check right into the Comfort Inn. (If they leave D.C. earlier, they might have to wait a while before check-in is allowed.) To cut down on any complaining, we suggested that the boys go to each city's visitor website (washington.org/ and gophila.com/) and pick out a few things to see and do. In D.C., they might want to check out artifacts from the Apollo expeditions to the moon at the National Air and Space Museum. Or Evan and Andrew may be drawn to the International Spy Museum, which has dozens of hidden cameras and sneaky weapons on display. There will still be plenty of time for the things everyone has to see, such as the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, and the Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln Memorials. The Philadelphia site has a link to theconstitutional.com/, where the boys will want to download a free walking tour of what is probably the most historic square mile in the U.S. The sights include the National Constitution Center, where they can trace the history of the document from Revolutionary to present times in kid-friendly, multimedia exhibits; the Liberty Bell Center; and Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Franklin Institute Science Museum, near Logan Circle, is cool and educational, loaded with interactive exhibits that let kids earn their wings at pilot-training stations and test their balance on a surfboard simulator. Finally, the boys might want to swing by the Philadelphia Museum of Art--if not for the Manet exhibition (through May 31), then for the chance to run up the steps like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky. Washington D.C. & Philadelphia Lodging Hotel Harrington 436 11th St. NW, D.C., 800/424-8532, hotelharrington.com Comfort Inn 100 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd., Phila., 215/627-7900, comfortinn.com/ Attractions National Air and Space Museum Independence Ave. at 4th St. SW, D.C., 202/357-2700, nasm.si.edu/, free International Spy Museum 800 F St. NW, D.C., 866/779-6873, spymuseum.org, $10-$13 National Constitution Center 525 Arch St., Phila., 215/409-6600, constitutioncenter.org, $5-$6 Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center 143 S. 3rd St., Phila., nps.gov/inde, 215/597-8974, free Franklin Institute 222 N. 20th St., Phila., 215/448-1200, fi.edu, $10-$12.75 Philadelphia Museum of Art 26th St. and Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., 215/763-8100, philamuseum.org, free-$10

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