Holidays in Suriname

Understanding Suriname

Climate

Tropical; moderated by trade winds; yearly rain average 2200 mm There are 2 dry seasons February to March, August to November and 2 rainy seasons December to January, April to August November is the generally the hottest month

Terrain

Mostly rolling hills, rising towards maximum of around 1000 meters in the south; narrow coastal plain with mangrove swamps Mostly tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that is in excellent condition, though is increasingly threatened by new development

Elevation extremes

highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

History

Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975 Five years later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that soon declared a socialist republic It continued to rule through a succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when international pressure finally forced a democratic election In 1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991

Talking in Suriname

Languages Dutch official, English widely spoken, Sranang Tongo Surinamese, sometimes referred to as Taki-Taki in French Guiana, is the native language of Creoles and much of the younger population It is used as a lingua franca between different ethnic groups, Sarnami a dialect of Hindi, Javanese, ChineseMandarin, Hakka and Cantonese and Portuguese

Sranang Tongo was suppressed by the Dutch for many years but it is now the most widely used language in Suriname It was previously called nengre or negerengels Dutch, "Negro English" Suriname has a large immigrant population, many of whom do not speak Dutch or English but everyone is expected to know Sranang Tongo There is very little written material in Srannang Tongo but, if you know English, it will not be hard to learn

What to see in Suriname

The Saint Petrus and the Paulus Cathedral, the largest wooden structures build in Latin America, within the grave of Peerke Donders, a Dutch declare saint

What to do in Suriname

You will much enjoy the entertainment there like music and watching Association Football

Buying stuff in Suriname

Suriname uses the Suriname dollar SRD as currency, which is roughly a third of a US dollar One can exchange currency at all banks as well as most cambio's Automatic teller machines ATM are also available in Suriname The atm's of the RBTT bank accept most international bank cards Accommodation and food is relatively on the cheap side Retail prices for clothing, gifts, etc are similar to most of United States of America

Things which are well worth buying are:

• Handcrafted jewelery
• Tropical flowers
• Perfumes

Food and eating in Suriname

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 be appropriate, the Indonesian people we have in Suriname are mostly if not all from the island Java And Java has its own cuisine which is different from Indonesian food Furthermore as you might have guessed 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 'warung's' Lelydorp on your way from the airport to Paramaribo, or Blauwgrond in Paramaribo, and since recently near the bridge in Commewijne

Chinese

Chinese food tastes great everywhere in the world Suriname is no exception Good restaurants can be found in Paramaribo Also try visiting the Chinese market on Sunday and many of their Dim Sum restaurants

East-Indian

East Indian food is less spicy compared to original Indian food, but still a well appreciated meal

Other

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

Drinking in Suriname

Suriname wouldn't be the tropical paradise it is without its a 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 sweet, sugar is added to most juices you buy in bottles For pure juice it is best to ask for fresh made juice

The Javanese have a pink and occasionally green colored 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 comes in 1 liter 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 Of course imported beer is also available Rum: Borgoe and Black Cat

Accommodation in Suriname

There are several good hostels and guest-houses available in Paramaribo and Nickerie See the appropriate page for more information When going into the rainforrest it is best to buy a hammock in Paramaribo Some guest houses in the forrest provide hammocks, but these tend to be less hygenic, since washing machines are not that available in the forrest

Working in Suriname

Working as a foreigner in Suriname without a work permit is illegal, though granted, there is not much of a force to stop you However, relations do exist between the Netherlands and Suriname for work exchange programs and extra labour, especially those of skilled classes

Cities in Suriname