Paramaribo, Suriname

Water sports or discovering the wonders of nature, visiting festivals or just sitting back and taking it easy: enjoyment is a way of life in Suriname. Please note: In Suriname, PIN card payments are possible only at the large hotels.

The Brownsberg Nature Park gives you an opportunity to make incredibly scenic walking tours from the Mazzaroni Plateau, past waterfalls, through the forest, to the Witikreek. Along the way, you’ll see gigantic old trees towering more than 130 feet high. Living in the park are many animal species (some of which are endangered) such as green turtles, deer, rabbits, leopards, peccaries, tapirs, frogs, cougars, jaguars, lizards, iguanas, snakes and many inspect species.

The construction of the Brokopondo Reservoir created an unusual situation here: only the tops of the mountains now project above the surface of the water. One of them is Tukunari, named for a kind of fish. From Tukunari, you can take a boat cruise to other islands in this reservoir: Dye Dye Kriki and Kon Teki Bro. During your cruise, enjoy the scenic beauty around you and the breathtaking sunrise or sunset. If you like fish, you might even try catching a real Tukunari.

Swimming, boating, rowing, canoeing, water biking, paddling a dugout canoe or just lying in the sun: you can do it all at Republiek. Republiek is a large attractive holiday resort - a perfect place to spend a vacation! You can also rent a cabin here, either with or without electricity and tap water.

Danpaati Island is located in the middle of the Upper Suriname River. ‘Danpaati’ means ‘island of the village Dan’. On this island, you can admire the idyllic Sentia Dan Waterfall and go in search of the various animal species that live here. The more active vacationers might like to try paddling a traditional dugout canoe, or korjaal, or go fishing for piranhas!

If a truly spectacular trip is what you want, you might like to go to Stoelman’s Island (also known as Stoelie). The island is located at the point where the Lawa and Tapahony rivers converge and flow downstream as the Marowijne River. It was exactly at this place where the headquarters of Ronnie Brunswick’s jungle commando was located. To get here, you have to make your way in a korjaal through several series of rapids, so it’s not a trip for the faint of heart! Stoelman’s Island also accommodates villages inhabited by indigenous people and has some spectacular waterfalls.

Mt. Kasikasima provides a challenge for real adventurers! This granite mountain with twelve peaks can be reached only after braving the rapids of the Palumeu River and tramping through the jungle of the Amazon Rainforest. Nearing Mt. Kasikasima, one of your rewards is the awe-inspiring waterfalls. The view from its mountain peaks over the forest is truly spectacular.

For leisurely relaxation along the water, we advise one of the many holiday resorts. One of these popular resorts is Colakreek. It gets is name from the color of its water that’s stained to the same color as cola by the humic acid it contains (but don’t worry - it’s very clean and perfect for swimming!). Other recreational resorts in natural environments where you can enjoy swimming and relaxing are: Zanderij I, Carolinakreek, Bersaba, Republiek and Blaka Watra. The Atlantic Ocean and the rivers in Suriname also provide good swimming and fishing opportunities.

Suriname is also a good place for jet-skiing and water-scootering. Spots well known for high-speed water fun are Marina Durga (in Paramaribo) or Albina. Resort White Beach in Ornamibo in another place to enjoy swimming, fishing and water-scootering.

Are you a real golfer? About three miles outside of Paramaribo on Indiragandiweg is a wonderful 18-hole golf course.

Two film festivals are held in Paramaribo every year. The Internationaal Speelfilm Festival held in April shows many different films aimed at a wide range of audiences. Equally recommended is the Internationaal Documentaire Festival held in December!