Suriname Travel Guide

The Republic of Suriname thrives in the mix of diverse cultures that entices many adventure-hungry wanderers. A former colony of Netherlands, Suriname is on the northern part of South America and is the smallest independent country in the continent. Neighboring countries include French Guiana on the east, Brazil on the south and Guyana on the west.

Suriname has a prevalent tropical climate. Best time to visit is from February to April and from August to December since these months are considered to be dry season. If you wish to maximize your budget, take note some travelers visit during July and August since they're off-peak season and prices slightly inflate.

There are numerous beautiful places to visit in Suriname. Starting from Paramibo, the capital city, you can adore excellent quaint architecture left by the Dutch. The bustling city is charmingly located on the riverbanks of the country where graceful colonial structures like the Presidential Palace, St. Peter and Paul Cathedral and Palmentium (Palm Garden) can be seen. Also, since Hindu is the prevalent religion in Suriname, some of the continent's finest Hindu temples, mosques and synagogues can be found in Paramibo. Hinduism is followed by more than 27 percent of the country's population.

Approximately 80 miles south of Paramibo, lying 500 metres above sea level, is The Brownsberg Nature Park in the district of Brokopondo. It is 8400 hectares of natural reserve and home to hundreds of different plant and animal species. Another nature reserve can be visited in northeastern part of Suriname which is near the Mouth of Marowijne River and already bordering French Guyana. The Galibi Nature Reserve is known to be the most important nesting beach for the famed oliver ridley turtle in the Western Atlantic region since it's the only beach where mass nesting aggregation of the said turtle specie are known to occur, specially during March to July. Turtle shore nesting has become quite an attraction for Suriname because it is simply a sight to behold. The establishment of Galibi in 1969 help protect nesting places of sea turtles and maintain great ecological diversity of the country's coastlines.

Other places you can add to your itinerary are Joden Savanne and Nieuw Nickerie. The first literally means Jew's Savannah and it is considered to be the first Jewish synagogue in the western hemisphere. The second largest city in Suriname is Nieuw Nickerie and it lies in the southern part of Nickerie River. Because of it's location resulting to soil erosion, it has been displaced more than twice. Hence, a sea wall has been built around it for protection.

After those spectacular places to visit in Suriname are already listed, you just need to know how to get there. Suriname Airways is the flag carrier airline and offers flights to and from Amsterdam, Miami, Port of Spain (Trinidad), Curacao and Georgetown (Guyana). The country's major airport is Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. It is often known as Zanderji and is located 1 hour south of Paramido.

For accommodation, there are a few hotels in Suriname that caters for business travelers who will be needing Internet access or other extra facilities. Most of them are guest houses which offers homely bed and breakfast accommodation. But then again you know that what matters most are extraordinary places to visit and absorbing things to see, and these are things that Suriname doesn't fall short on.