SURINAME

SURINAME

SURINAME

SELECT YOUR NATIONALITY

– No current scheduled consular closures.
CONSULAR CLOSURES
TBC.
TOP ATTRACTIONS
PLEASE CLICK / HOVER ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Name: Fort Zeelandia
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
Name: Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
Name: Garden of Palms
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
FLIGHT TIMES / MAJOR CITIES
PLEASE SEE BELOW MAJOR CITIES IN SURINAME / CLICK OR TOGGLE BELOW FOR FASTEST AVERAGE FLIGHT TIMES FROM USA.

New York: TBC
Washington DC: TBC

COUNTRY INFORMATION GUIDE
PLEASE SEE BELOW FACTS, USEFUL US GOVERNMENT TRAVEL LINKS AND BUSINESS VISITOR ACTIVITIES, FOR TRAVEL TO SURINAME.
FACTS:
Official Languages: Dutch
Currency: Suriname Dollar (SRD)
Time zone: SRT (Suriname Time) (UTC-3)
Drives on the right
Calling code: +597
Local / up-to-date weather in Paramaribo (and other regions): BBC global weather – click here
US GOVT TRAVEL LINKS:

For more useful information on safety & security, local laws / customs, health and more, please see the below official US travel.state.gov web link for Suriname travel advice. NB: Entry requirements herein listed are for US nationals only, unless stated otherwise.

You can also find recommended information on vaccinations, malaria and other more detailed health considerations for travel to Suriname, at the below official US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) weblink.

BUSINESS VISITOR ACTIVITIES*:
Activities you may undertake on a business visa / as a business visitor:
PERMISSIBLE
ATTENDING MEETINGS / DISCUSSIONS: TBC
ATTENDING A CONFERENCE: TBC
RECEIVING TRAINING (CLASSROOM-BASED): TBC
NON-PERMISSIBLE
AUDIT WORK: TBC
PROVIDING TRAINING: TBC
PROJECT WORK: TBC
*This information does not constitute legal advice and is not an exhaustive list. For a full legal assessment on business visitor activities, please revert to your internal company legal team / counsel.
TRAVEL INFORMATION**
It is highly recommenced that you access the above official US travel.state.gov web link and read all safety & security information prior to making your travel arrangements / planning your trip.
PLEASE CLICK / TOGGLE BELOW FOR USEFUL TRAVEL INFORMATION TO SURINAME.

The local currency is the Suriname dollar, denoted by the symbol “$”. The notation SRD (which is also the ISO 4217 international currency code) is commonly used to distinguish it from the US dollar. The currency is freely convertible (but nearly impossible to get rid of outside Suriname except for the neighbouring countries and one exchange bureau in Amsterdam airport).

You can exchange currency at all banks and at most cambios. Automatic teller machines (ATM) are available in Paramaribo and in the most larger municipalities in the north. The ATMs of the RBTT bank accept most international bank cards. DSB (De Surinaamsche Bank) accepts Dutch bank cards. Paying by credit card in shops, hotels and restaurants is highly uncommon. Expect 2-6% extra charge.

Prices of tours, hotels and fancier restaurants are mostly in euros or dollars, which are then converted into SRD according to the current exchange rate. Thus it can be convenient to bring EUR or USD cash reserves along.

Since not many tourists visit Suriname yet and the inner-land is not within easy reach, the expenses of travel are higher than you might expect. Tourist attractions can be more expensive than in Europe or the United States. It is expected that this will change in the near future since there is an annual increase visible in foreign tourists, creating the necessity of working on better roads as well as other ways of cheaper transportation.

BY CAR:

If you’re not intending to go deep inland, rent a car but on dirt roads, always rent a four-wheel drive vehicle. The rental company will ask you where you are heading. Some don’t allow you to go into the forest with their cars unless you rent a SUV.

  • Suriname traffic drives on the left side of the road.
  • There are a lot of speed bumps which are signed as drempel. These can be very high to force you to reduce your speed to nearly zero. Most bumps are constructed as twins at the entrance and exit of communities and junctions.
  • Most roads are not marked with traffic lines.
  • There are few bridges but those that you encounter may be in bad condition. Drive slowly. If you want to drive to Jodensavanne keep in mind that the bridge across the Suriname River at Carolina is closed as it is partly collapsed. There is a car ferry for about six vehicles.
  • There are plenty of gas stations but fill up your tank if you leave the paved roads.

BY BOAT:

At every riverbank you can charter boats at reasonable prices. It is wise to always travel with a tour guide.

BY PLANE:

There are two local airlines providing private connections with the innerland. Bluewing Airlines and Gumair.

EAT:

Because of the ethnic diversity there is a variety of exotic food available. Indian (specially roti with chicken), Chinese, Javanese (Indonesian), Creole.

Javanese:

Although Indonesian food might seem the appropriate name, the Indonesian people in Suriname are mostly if not all from the island of Java. And Java has its own cuisine, distinct from other styles of Indonesian food. Furthermore, the food has evolved to a more Surinamese culture and is thus very different from food you’d find in Java. Nevertheless it tastes great and you should try it. The most popular places where you would find such food is in ‘warungs’ in Lelydorp on your way from the airport to Paramaribo, or Blauwgrond in Paramaribo, and since recently near the bridge in Commewijne. Bami (noodles) and nasi (fried rice) can be ordered in every warung. It is accompanied with spicy chicken or satay with peanut sauce. Vegetarian dishes are baka bana (fried banana) and petjil (vegetables with peanut sauce). Telo is fried cassava with salt fish. Popular among Javanese people is soato, a stock with strips of chicken, bean sprouts, egg and sliced ​​peppers.

Chinese:

Chinese food tastes great in Suriname. Good restaurants can be found in Paramaribo. Also, try visiting the Chinese market on Sunday and many of the dim sum restaurants.

East Indian:

East Indian food is less spicy compared to original Indian food, but still a well appreciated meal. Very popular is roti, pancakes filled with chicken, potato and kouseband (long beans) prepared with masala. Bara is a fried cake of beans, like a donut, dripping from fat.

Creole:

This type of food can be found everywhere in Suriname, with dishes like cassava soup, pom (an oven dish with milled tajer-tuber and salt meat), pastei (an oven dish in puff pastry) and brownbeans or peanut soup with tom tom (dumplings of cooked bananas).

Other:

International menus are available in the more expensive downtown restaurant and hotels in Paramaribo.

DRINK:

Suriname wouldn’t be the tropical paradise it is without its wide variety of great fruit juices. Even the well known orange juice is a sensational taste, but do not hesitate to try great tropical fruits like passion fruit (known locally as ‘markoesa’) or soursap, better known as Guanábana (locally known as ‘zuurzak’). Since locals have an appetite for sweetness, sugar is added to most juices you buy in bottles. For pure juice it is best to ask for fresh made juice.

In the city it’s also possible to get shaved ice in different flavours from the local vendors, which is very refreshing in the tropical climate.

The Javanese have a pink (and occasionally green) coloured drink called dawet, which consists of coconut milk.

Try to get a local ‘east-Indian’ to make you a glass of lassi if you have the chance.

Alcohol:

Beer: Try the local ‘Parbo-beer’, which, when it comes in one litre bottles, is called a ‘djogo’. In 2008, Suriname finally got Parbo beer in a can, which was somewhat of a major event in the country. Guinness is a popular import beer, and for that reason Parbo also brews a very decent own stout variant: Parbo Stout and their own rums: Borgoe and Black Cat. Of course imported beers, whiskeys and rums are also available.

There are several good hostels and guest-houses available in Paramaribo and Nickerie. See the appropriate page for more information. When going into the rainforest it is best to buy a hammock in Paramaribo. Some guest houses in the forest provide hammocks, but these tend to be less hygienic, since washing machines are not that available in the forest. Bring mosquito repellent and sunblock when going into the forest.

EAT:

Because of the ethnic diversity there is a variety of exotic food available. Indian (specially roti with chicken), Chinese, Javanese (Indonesian), Creole.

Javanese:

Although Indonesian food might seem the appropriate name, the Indonesian people in Suriname are mostly if not all from the island of Java. And Java has its own cuisine, distinct from other styles of Indonesian food. Furthermore, the food has evolved to a more Surinamese culture and is thus very different from food you’d find in Java. Nevertheless it tastes great and you should try it. The most popular places where you would find such food is in ‘warungs’ in Lelydorp on your way from the airport to Paramaribo, or Blauwgrond in Paramaribo, and since recently near the bridge in Commewijne. Bami (noodles) and nasi (fried rice) can be ordered in every warung. It is accompanied with spicy chicken or satay with peanut sauce. Vegetarian dishes are baka bana (fried banana) and petjil (vegetables with peanut sauce). Telo is fried cassava with salt fish. Popular among Javanese people is soato, a stock with strips of chicken, bean sprouts, egg and sliced ​​peppers.

Chinese:

Chinese food tastes great in Suriname. Good restaurants can be found in Paramaribo. Also, try visiting the Chinese market on Sunday and many of the dim sum restaurants.

East Indian:

East Indian food is less spicy compared to original Indian food, but still a well appreciated meal. Very popular is roti, pancakes filled with chicken, potato and kouseband (long beans) prepared with masala. Bara is a fried cake of beans, like a donut, dripping from fat.

Creole:

This type of food can be found everywhere in Suriname, with dishes like cassava soup, pom (an oven dish with milled tajer-tuber and salt meat), pastei (an oven dish in puff pastry) and brownbeans or peanut soup with tom tom (dumplings of cooked bananas).

Other:

International menus are available in the more expensive downtown restaurant and hotels in Paramaribo.

DRINK:

Suriname wouldn’t be the tropical paradise it is without its wide variety of great fruit juices. Even the well known orange juice is a sensational taste, but do not hesitate to try great tropical fruits like passion fruit (known locally as ‘markoesa’) or soursap, better known as Guanábana (locally known as ‘zuurzak’). Since locals have an appetite for sweetness, sugar is added to most juices you buy in bottles. For pure juice it is best to ask for fresh made juice.

In the city it’s also possible to get shaved ice in different flavours from the local vendors, which is very refreshing in the tropical climate.

The Javanese have a pink (and occasionally green) coloured drink called dawet, which consists of coconut milk.

Try to get a local ‘east-Indian’ to make you a glass of lassi if you have the chance.

Alcohol:

Beer: Try the local ‘Parbo-beer’, which, when it comes in one litre bottles, is called a ‘djogo’. In 2008, Suriname finally got Parbo beer in a can, which was somewhat of a major event in the country. Guinness is a popular import beer, and for that reason Parbo also brews a very decent own stout variant: Parbo Stout and their own rums: Borgoe and Black Cat. Of course imported beers, whiskeys and rums are also available.

There are several good hostels and guest-houses available in Paramaribo and Nickerie. See the appropriate page for more information. When going into the rainforest it is best to buy a hammock in Paramaribo. Some guest houses in the forest provide hammocks, but these tend to be less hygienic, since washing machines are not that available in the forest. Bring mosquito repellent and sunblock when going into the forest.

Accommodation and food is relatively cheap. Retail prices for clothing, gifts, etc, are similar to the US.

Things which are well worth buying are:

  • Handcrafted jewellery
  • handcrafted woodcarvings
  • art
  • Tropical flowers
  • Perfumes
**All travel information has been sourced from wikivoyage. However like wikipedia, wikivoyage is an open platform editable by any member of the public. Therefore, although very useful, all above information IS INDICATIVE ONLY and must be verified prior to personal use. Moreover, if you wish to see more information please visit: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Suriname
TOP ATTRACTIONS
PLEASE CLICK / HOVER ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Name: Fort Zeelandia
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
Name: Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
Name: Garden of Palms
Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
FLIGHT TIMES / MAJOR CITIES
PLEASE SEE BELOW MAJOR CITIES IN SURINAME / CLICK OR TOGGLE BELOW FOR FASTEST AVERAGE FLIGHT TIMES FROM USA.

New York: TBC
Washington DC: TBC