The charm of Suriname

Hidden well away from the tourist trail at the very far north of South America between Venezuela and Brazil, are the Guianas, and in the middle of the three is the former Dutch Colony of Suriname. The country is one of the least populated in the world, and yet is home to a hugely diverse group of people - from the indigenous Amerindians, to Creoles and Marrons, Dutch settlers and other Europeans, as well Indian and Chinese who came across in 19th Century for contract work.

Mosques stand side by side with Hindu temples, Paramaribo houses one of the largest wooden buildings in the western hemisphere, in the form of the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral. A trip into the jungles of Suriname allow you to visit the Amerindian villages, whilst the streets of Paramaribo are full of colonial architecture and historic buildings. One of the smallest countries in South America, Suriname sits on the Guiana Shield, the worlds largest expanse of undisturbed tropical rainforest. Over 90% of it is forest and home to big cats such as jaguar and puma, over 1000 bird species, Caiman, Giant River Otters, as well as hundreds of reptiles and amphibians. There’s no questions that Suriname is the wildlife photographers dream!

When to go?

Suriname is typically hot, with temperatures of up to 30 degrees, but sea and river breezes make this more enjoyable. There’s two rainy seasons - from November to February and May to August. However its not uncommon to experience rain even in the dry seasons. The rains tend to be heavy and last a few hours, but they notably lower the temperature, so if you don’t mind getting wet, they can be quite pleasant. March to April and September to December are the dryer seasons, with Turtle viewing in March and April.

What to do?

Any visit to Suriname would include a visit to the capital, Paramaribo, or Parbo, as its also known locally. This pretty UNESCO listed city is home to great restaurants, cafes, stunning wooden buildings and loads of friendly locals. I’d recommend heading out on a boat trip to see the Dolphins playing in the Suriname River, go with waterproofsuriname.com who will take you out for a few hours at Sunset, fill you with drinks and local snacks and even visit a local village on the other side of the river! Take a boat into the jungle interior from a little village called Atjoni, where you can spend a couple of nights in Cabins on the banks of the Suriname river, visiting remote villages, trekking jungle trails or simply sitting by the river watching the kingfishers diving for fish. You could hire a bike and make your own way across the river from Leonsberg to the Commewijne plantation area and explore on your own (about 15usd, including bike hire and chartering your own boat), which makes for a relaxing afternoon. Alternatively join an organised full day tour where you’ll learn the history of the Plantations, sample Javanese Cuisine and taste some of the local rum! waterproofsuriname.com run a ‘The Sugar Trail’ tour.

For Food…

When in Suriname you have to sample some of the local options, such as Bakabana, which are deep fried plantains, served with peanut sauce as a dessert, Satao - an Indonesian style soup with shredded potato and bean sprouts and Loempia - Surinamese Spring rolls! The influence of the Hindustani people (forming 27% of the population), descendants of the Indian workers from the 19th century means Rotis, Pakoras and Samosas are daily staples! You also don’t have to look far for great Chinese food, since there’s a huge number of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Chinese migrants here, who dominate the supermarket scene.

A good option for lunch if you don’t mind the relaxed service is De Waag, on the waterfront, who serve great pastas, salads in a lovely open courtyard. There’s a lively bar and restaurant area not far from Fort Zeelandia where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy a few drinks in one of the open bars.