At an Insel Air transfer stop in Aruba I strike up a conversation with a fellow passenger who questions why I am visiting Suriname. I answer his curiosity with a question, why not Suriname. Satisfied with my response, Yohan proceeds to share with me some information about his country that I am sure will make the next five days I spend here enjoyable.
Arriving Paramaribo
Just before we begin our descent for Paramaribo I switch seats after taking a bathroom break. Now sitting in an otherwise empty “Emergency Exit” row I am surprised that I am told I have to stop reading my book as we make our final approach for landing.
On Insel Air it is a requirement that you give your full attention to your possible duties during takeoff and landing if you are sitting in the “Emergency Exit” row. Maybe this is the way it should be with every airline.
At just pass midnight we touchdown in Paramaribo. It is a quick entry process and at this time of the night it is comforting to discover that my pre-arranged transportation is waiting for me. What is not so comforting is that the airport ATM is slow and rejects my attempts to get local currency.
It's over an hour ride into the city and a taxi is about a US$50 fare. Through Eco-Resort Hotel I have arranged a US$15 airport shuttle and I am glad I did. It is not too often that I check into a hotel after one in the morning but I guess a long day of traveling makes for a good night of rest.
I am up for a delicious breakfast where no doubt I over stuff myself with freshly made crepes, bacon and a local hot shrimp dish. At least I am now charged up for a walk around the city.
Just before we begin our descent for Paramaribo I switch seats after taking a bathroom break. Now sitting in an otherwise empty “Emergency Exit” row I am surprised that I am told I have to stop reading my book as we make our final approach for landing.
On Insel Air it is a requirement that you give your full attention to your possible duties during takeoff and landing if you are sitting in the “Emergency Exit” row. Maybe this is the way it should be with every airline.
At just pass midnight we touchdown in Paramaribo. It is a quick entry process and at this time of the night it is comforting to discover that my pre-arranged transportation is waiting for me. What is not so comforting is that the airport ATM is slow and rejects my attempts to get local currency.
It's over an hour ride into the city and a taxi is about a US$50 fare. Through Eco-Resort Hotel I have arranged a US$15 airport shuttle and I am glad I did. It is not too often that I check into a hotel after one in the morning but I guess a long day of traveling makes for a good night of rest.
I am up for a delicious breakfast where no doubt I over stuff myself with freshly made crepes, bacon and a local hot shrimp dish. At least I am now charged up for a walk around the city.
Suriname, now that's one country that isn't on many travelers' radars. I'm intrigued and eager for more. Did you encounter much in the way of other tourists during your time there?
tripplanner001,
No, I did not encounter many tourists during my stay. I was told the busy season is July-August in concert with holiday travel particularly from Europe and Holland. As you might guess not too many American tourists.
As a result of this tours (which are by comparison to elsewhere expensive) were difficult to come by because most of them require a minimum of 4 persons.
I will have a few more postings to finish up this TR probably in the next day or two..
No, I did not encounter many tourists during my stay. I was told the busy season is July-August in concert with holiday travel particularly from Europe and Holland. As you might guess not too many American tourists.
As a result of this tours (which are by comparison to elsewhere expensive) were difficult to come by because most of them require a minimum of 4 persons.
I will have a few more postings to finish up this TR probably in the next day or two..
Thanks for answering my question, DMBTraveler. Looking forward to the rest.
Walking Around Paramaribo
Leaving Eco-Resort I cross the street and stop at a nearby gas station. Here, I again make a failed attempt to get local currency from an ATM. Fortunately they do accept “Greenbacks” and give me change back in SRD after I purchased a 1.5 liter of water.
It is a somewhat warm afternoon with the sun blazing down so strong that even men are walking around with huge umbrellas for protection. I am to cool for that and decide to stick with my baseball cap although I end up paying the price later.
Looking to arrange a tour I drop in at All Suriname Tours located inside The Queen hotel. Again it is a challenge to do business with a credit card. In the end I reluctantly part with my dollars after getting a good price for a tour to Bergendal.
Next I make a stop at the local “Tourist Information” center where I get a wealth of information about Suriname and the local happenings. Just outside of the center is Fort Zeelandia claimed as one of the oldest spots in Paramaribo. Unfortunately Fort Zeelandia is only opened until 2pm so I have to save my visit there for another day.
A walk along the Suriname River takes me to Waterkant but not before a brief stop at a war memorial. For me, this is always an honor to show some level of respect for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
At Waterkant a local hangout for food and drinks I have a recommended Suriname “spicy” dish that along with the afternoon heat has my head sweating like a “oink, oink”. However, the cassava dish (Telo Trie) topped with salted small dry fish drizzled with a pepper sauce along with sliced cucumbers and a banana is not only unique but full of flavor.
With my head sweating somewhat under control I continue my walk around town to see some of the city's highlights. At one stop I city and watch locals board water taxi's that remind me of being in Mumbai. I doubt any of these boats would pass a Coast Guard inspection but they are very much a big part of the local transportation system.
The most interesting sight in the city is seeing one of the many mosques in Paramaribo peacefully existing right next to a synagogue. If only this somewhat ironic situation could be duplicated elsewhere maybe many areas of the world would be more peaceful too.
On Heck Arronstraat I find another site that is worth a return visit when it is open from 6am-1pm. St Peter and Paul Cathedral is one of the largest wooden buildings in the Americas.
I finish up my walk in the Palm Garden enjoying the sounds of singing birds as much as the hundred plus towering palm trees.
Video:https://youtu.be/NlIOEn5s8Sw
Leaving Eco-Resort I cross the street and stop at a nearby gas station. Here, I again make a failed attempt to get local currency from an ATM. Fortunately they do accept “Greenbacks” and give me change back in SRD after I purchased a 1.5 liter of water.
It is a somewhat warm afternoon with the sun blazing down so strong that even men are walking around with huge umbrellas for protection. I am to cool for that and decide to stick with my baseball cap although I end up paying the price later.
Looking to arrange a tour I drop in at All Suriname Tours located inside The Queen hotel. Again it is a challenge to do business with a credit card. In the end I reluctantly part with my dollars after getting a good price for a tour to Bergendal.
Next I make a stop at the local “Tourist Information” center where I get a wealth of information about Suriname and the local happenings. Just outside of the center is Fort Zeelandia claimed as one of the oldest spots in Paramaribo. Unfortunately Fort Zeelandia is only opened until 2pm so I have to save my visit there for another day.
A walk along the Suriname River takes me to Waterkant but not before a brief stop at a war memorial. For me, this is always an honor to show some level of respect for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
At Waterkant a local hangout for food and drinks I have a recommended Suriname “spicy” dish that along with the afternoon heat has my head sweating like a “oink, oink”. However, the cassava dish (Telo Trie) topped with salted small dry fish drizzled with a pepper sauce along with sliced cucumbers and a banana is not only unique but full of flavor.
With my head sweating somewhat under control I continue my walk around town to see some of the city's highlights. At one stop I city and watch locals board water taxi's that remind me of being in Mumbai. I doubt any of these boats would pass a Coast Guard inspection but they are very much a big part of the local transportation system.
The most interesting sight in the city is seeing one of the many mosques in Paramaribo peacefully existing right next to a synagogue. If only this somewhat ironic situation could be duplicated elsewhere maybe many areas of the world would be more peaceful too.
On Heck Arronstraat I find another site that is worth a return visit when it is open from 6am-1pm. St Peter and Paul Cathedral is one of the largest wooden buildings in the Americas.
I finish up my walk in the Palm Garden enjoying the sounds of singing birds as much as the hundred plus towering palm trees.
Video:https://youtu.be/NlIOEn5s8Sw
An Eco-Adventure
After a communication mix up, forty five minutes later than planned I am picked up by an employee van to be driven to Bergen Dal Resort. Like most places nowadays Paramaribo has it's early morning rush hour traffic but it is handled the old-fashioned way. Policeman with white gloves and whistles do their best to keep the hectic floor of traffic going.
A few stops to pick up employees and soon we are in the lush green open countryside of Suriname. In about two hours we leave the main paved road and begin a short journey on a gravel one through a dense forest. In less than ten minutes we arrive at our destination for the day.
A friendly welcome and my activities for the day are arranged. I relax a bit then it is a motorized boat ride along the Suriname River towards the resort's adventure center. Here I find refuge from the blazing morning sun and doze off under a nice large shade tree. I am awaken from a relaxing dream as it is time to go kayaking.
It is a lazy outing as we paddle upstream then let the river erase all of our progress. This is fine as I am more about enjoying the scenery than kayaking. We are told that along this part of the river there are piranhas but they are not the aggressive ones that are further upstream.
It takes a moment for me to accept and process this information but soon my feet are dangling in the refreshing water hoping that our guide is 100% correct. Apparently this area has the larger black piranhas which are not as worrisome as the smaller red ones. Another aggressive fish in the area is the “Wolf Fish” but today they all seem to be on their best behavior. Knowing this we eventually find a sandbar along the river and take a full swim.
My swim is not without a bit of adventure as I manage to take my “waterproof” camcorder with me only to discover it was not really “waterproof”. However, the most disappointing part about this was not being able to capture my next adventure, zip lining.
After a brief safety demo we then set off for what would be one of my best zip lining adventures. A 600 foot line across the Suriname River then zip lining 600 feet upside down across a rainforest is just going to be hard to beat. It is going to be an experience I will never forget.
Video:https://youtu.be/IyuLhDsu074
After a communication mix up, forty five minutes later than planned I am picked up by an employee van to be driven to Bergen Dal Resort. Like most places nowadays Paramaribo has it's early morning rush hour traffic but it is handled the old-fashioned way. Policeman with white gloves and whistles do their best to keep the hectic floor of traffic going.
A few stops to pick up employees and soon we are in the lush green open countryside of Suriname. In about two hours we leave the main paved road and begin a short journey on a gravel one through a dense forest. In less than ten minutes we arrive at our destination for the day.
A friendly welcome and my activities for the day are arranged. I relax a bit then it is a motorized boat ride along the Suriname River towards the resort's adventure center. Here I find refuge from the blazing morning sun and doze off under a nice large shade tree. I am awaken from a relaxing dream as it is time to go kayaking.
It is a lazy outing as we paddle upstream then let the river erase all of our progress. This is fine as I am more about enjoying the scenery than kayaking. We are told that along this part of the river there are piranhas but they are not the aggressive ones that are further upstream.
It takes a moment for me to accept and process this information but soon my feet are dangling in the refreshing water hoping that our guide is 100% correct. Apparently this area has the larger black piranhas which are not as worrisome as the smaller red ones. Another aggressive fish in the area is the “Wolf Fish” but today they all seem to be on their best behavior. Knowing this we eventually find a sandbar along the river and take a full swim.
My swim is not without a bit of adventure as I manage to take my “waterproof” camcorder with me only to discover it was not really “waterproof”. However, the most disappointing part about this was not being able to capture my next adventure, zip lining.
After a brief safety demo we then set off for what would be one of my best zip lining adventures. A 600 foot line across the Suriname River then zip lining 600 feet upside down across a rainforest is just going to be hard to beat. It is going to be an experience I will never forget.
Video:https://youtu.be/IyuLhDsu074
