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Suriname

South America's best-kept secret: near-untouched Amazon rainforest, a wildly multicultural capital and pure jungle adventure off the tourist trail.

  • Currency $ Surinamese Dollar ($)
  • Language Dutch
  • Best time January – March & August – October
  • Visa e-Tourist Card required in advance (up to 90 days)
Why visit

Why Suriname

South America's best-kept secret: near-untouched Amazon rainforest, a wildly multicultural capital and pure jungle adventure off the tourist trail.

  • UNESCO Dutch-colonial Paramaribo
  • Central Suriname Nature Reserve rainforest
  • Maroon and Indigenous Upper Suriname river villages
  • The Commewijne plantation bike-and-boat loop
Read more

Suriname is one of the most forested countries on earth and a dream for regenerative rainforest travel. Vast tracts of pristine Amazon interior, riverine wilderness and jungle eco-lodges await those willing to step off the beaten track.

Its tiny capital, Paramaribo, is a UNESCO-listed marvel of Dutch colonial architecture and one of the world's most multicultural crossroads, where mosques, synagogues, temples and churches share the same streets and the same table.

This is genuine soft adventure: dugout-canoe river journeys, indigenous and Maroon community stays, giant leatherback turtles nesting on the coast, and wildlife-rich reserves barely touched by tourism.

A pillar, not a footnote

Eat your way through Suriname

The single reason many travellers come back — the food culture worth reshaping a trip around, and the dishes to seek out region by region.

Suriname

Roti and pom, Javanese warungs and Creole one-pots — maybe the most multicultural plate in the Americas.

Few countries eat as many cuisines at once as Suriname. On a single street you'll find Hindustani roti met kip — soft flatbread with curried chicken and long beans, eaten by hand — a Javanese warung ladling out saoto chicken soup and bami noodles, and a Creole kitchen baking pom, the festive dish of grated pomtajer root and citrus-marinated chicken that traces back to the colony's Portuguese-Jewish planters.

This is the legacy of a Dutch colony that imported labourers from India and Java after abolition, layered over Afro-Creole and Maroon river cooking and a lasting Dutch bread culture. The warungs of Paramaribo's Blauwgrond and the Central Market on the river are where it all comes together. Order baka bana fried plantain with peanut sauce, a sweet dawet, and a big 'djogo' bottle of Parbo beer to share.

Dishes to seek out
  • Roti met kip (flatbread with curried chicken)
  • Pom (Creole root-and-chicken bake)
  • Moksi alesi (Creole mixed rice)
  • Bami (Javanese fried noodles)
  • Saoto soup (Javanese chicken broth)
  • Baka bana (fried plantain with peanut sauce)
  • Pindasoep (Creole peanut soup)
Things to do

Nature, culture & hidden gems

Editorial content coming soon

We're hand-picking the standout places, hidden gems and can't-miss activities in Suriname. Meanwhile, the cities above are a great starting point.

Plan your trip

Curated Suriname itineraries

Browse all Suriname trips →
When to go

Weather & timing in Suriname RIGHT NOW 26° clear

Best Feb–Mar, Sep · Shoulder Jan, Aug, Oct

  1. Jan 6° / -4°
  2. Feb 8° / -2°
  3. Mar 12° / 2°
  4. Apr 18° / 8°
  5. May 24° / 14°
  6. Jun 28° / 18°
  7. Jul 30° / 20°
  8. Aug 28° / 18°
  9. Sep 24° / 14°
  10. Oct 18° / 8°
  11. Nov 12° / 2°
  12. Dec 8° / -2°

Best time to visit

January – March & August – October

Best for
  • Rainforest
  • Rivers
  • Culture
  • Colonial Paramaribo
At a glance
Sunshine 7 hr/day (est.)
Rain days 8 days/mo (est.)
Wettest December · 60mm
Driest June · 10mm
Part of Brazil & Guianas →
By season
Spring (Mar–May)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Mar is among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds.

Summer (Jun–Aug)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 29°C with overnight lows near 19°C, and it stays largely dry.

What's best — Aug is comfortable, with thinner crowds.

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 18°C with overnight lows near 8°C.

What's best — Sep is among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Oct also works well.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 7°C with overnight lows near -3°C.

What's best — Feb is among the best time to visit — good weather with manageable crowds. Jan also works well.

A little context

A little history

To read what you're looking at — the empires and eras that shaped Suriname's food, art and streets.

The Dutch took the colony from England in 1667, effectively swapping New Amsterdam (New York) for Suriname and setting it on a Dutch path
a sugar economy on enslaved African labour planted the Afro-Creole foundation, while escapees formed independent Maroon river societies
after abolition, the Dutch brought indentured labourers from India and Java, directly creating the multi-ethnic cuisine
independent from the Netherlands in 1975, with Dutch still the official language
Before you book

Know before you go

The practical back-matter — safety, drones and the essentials, in one place.

Safety

Low risk FCDO advice →

Official UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance is the definitive source — check it close to your travel dates.

Drone rules (sub-250g)

  • Suriname
    CASAS-regulated: drones must be registered and operations authorised, flown in sight, below 120m and clear of airports; there is no smooth self-serve process for visitors, so arrange permission before arrival. ⚠ Recreational visitors don't need a pilot licence, but registration/authorisation with CASAS is expected before flying; commercial use needs a ministerial application about 60 days ahead, and fully autonomous or cross-border flights are prohibited. Rules checked: Jul 2026

National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.

The essentials

Plug & voltage Type C/F · 127V
Daily budget Budget to mid-range
Region South America