Suriname

Suriname sites

Travel to Suriname is somewhat expensive, and travel within the country equally so. This tends to keep tourism down, but Dutch tourists are common all year. A few others straggle in from the US and UK, along with folks from the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean like Curacao. However, there are many reasons to visit at least once. Below are some examples

Brownsberg Nature Park

Brownsberg Nature Park is a hill peaking at 500 meters elevation, and almost completely forested with all forms of hunting and collecting prohibited. It is run by STINASU, and arrangements to visit should be made in advance at their office in Paramaribo (or use any tour operator). The drive out is no problem until reaching the dirt track that climbs the hill to the top where the lodges and hiking trails are. This is best attempted with a 4x4, although honestly cars can make it to the top if you don't mind a few dings on the underside.

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Galibi and Christiaankondre

Galibi is one of two sandy beaches on the Atlantic Ocean in Suriname (the other is Matapica). Most of the coastline is mudflats and mangroves, but these two beaches are famous for the large numbers of sea turtles that come in to nest. The Galibi area is also run by STINASU and trips can be organized through them or with other tour operators in Paramaribo. Christiaankondre is an Amerindian village with a small lodge on a sandy beach on the Marowijne River, and trips to Galibi can be done by boat from here (you will need a boat to get to Christiaankondre as well). A typical trip might also include a visit to St-Laurent-du-Maroni in French Guiana. SHOW ME THE PICTURES

Lake Brokopondo

Lake Brokopondo, also known as Prof. Van Blommestein Meer, is a large lake backed up behind a hydroelectric dam. The dam was constructed to provide electricity for the bauxite mining operations, but with enough rainfall it supplies nearly the entire country's energy needs. The forest was not cut before it was filled, so the lake is full of millions of dead tree snags, which pretty much precludes most all pleasure boating. However, it is an awesome place to fish for peacock bass (known locally as tukunari) and some giant piranhas can also be caught.

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The New Babunhol River Resort

Babunhol is an old, large cattle ranch, which has developed a bit of its riverfront property into a lodge as it no longer runs nearly so many cattle. There is a swimming beach (no piranha nets) and folks tend to come out and grill satay and relax. Well over 200 species of birds are known from here. Visitors can stay in a room or in a hammock as desired, or just do a day trip. Arrangements must be made in Paramaribo ahead of time. Their website (English version, but Dutch is just a click at the top) is found HERE.

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Overbridge River Resort

Overbridge is a nice little place to go for a day trip or even a couple of days. There is a fairly extensive beach (note this is on the Suriname River) with piranha nets for safe swimming. Lazing around and relaxing is usually the deal, and they have an okay restaurant so you can cook out or not. On the Afobaka road, turn east toward the river at tower 26, quite close to town. Website is in Dutch, with lots of pics and can be found HERE.

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New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam is a town with a fort located right at the confluence of the Suriname River and the Commewijne River, which is, one must say, a great place for a fort. This is across the river from Paramaribo, and downriver a bit. You can see the ocean from the seawall, but it is still a ways off. No ship could enter this area without being seen from this vantage point. Today it is a great place to visit to learn some history (and do some birding), with original cannons still in place and the prison associated with this town now a tourist attraction. It was a huge plantation as well, and there is much history. More HERE.

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Raleigh Vallen and the Voltzberg

One of the finest places in all of Suriname to visit, with an airstrip on Fungu Island making for a quick trip (or have an adventure and come up the Coppename River. Raleigh Vallen is within the huge Central Suriname Nature Reserve, and from the top of Voltzberg you can look 360 degrees around and see nothing but unbroken rainforest. There is plenty of wildlife to see, but as with any remote place, it will be somewhat up to luck to determine which animals pop out. Of course, one of the finest cock-of-the-rock leks is at the base of the Voltzberg as well, with unbelievable viewing of these amazing bright orange birds.

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Suriname River, Paramaribo to Braamspunt

The Suriname River is a mighty tropical river as it passes Paramaribo. It then joins with the Commewijne River just north of town at New Amsterdam, and the whole load of muddy water pours into the ocean Braamspunt. The water is full of fish, but not so full of boats. In fact, for a world capitol on a river there is rather little boat traffic. And it is quite fun to tool around in this area seeing the the sights and maybe doing a bit of fishing, birding or dolphin watching. Yes, there is a population of estuarian dolphins, which can put on a nice show if you can find them. Tides in this area are about 2.6 meters on the full moon, so timing can be everything if planning an outing.
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Kwamalasamutu and Iwana Samu Lodge

The Amerindian village of Kwamalasamutu is located in the southwest corner of Suriname, sorta near Brazil and sorta near Guyana, but not right on the border of either. It is a regional center, and members of four tribes live here, amounting to about 700 people. The village is located on the banks of the Sipaliwini River, and they maintain a lodge just upriver at Iwana Samu where tourists can stay in quite some comfort for being that far out. The Werehpai Caves with abundant petroglyphs are unique, and a site worth seeing, and the walk through the forest to the caves is very pristine stuff. To get to the caves requires a 45-minute boat ride and some kilometers of hiking in mostly flat jungle. Of note, the caves are boulder caves, not limestone caves. SHOW ME THE PICTURES

Werehpai Caves

The Werehpai Caves are a series of boulder caves in granitic rock, located upriver from Kwamalasamutu. It is an enjoyable boat ride to the trail head, and then some 5km of hiking through very nice forest on a mostly flat trail. The caves themselves contain one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in all of Amazonia. However, traversing the caves, while quite simple and not technical at all, requires one to get very close to some of them, and extreme care must be taken to move slowly and carefully in places to be sure and not brush against any of the rock art.

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Abseyvidonity Water Park

This fun little water park is just south of town, not quite as far as Paranam. It has two high slides, a fast one and a slow, winding one, as well as a tubing pool, a wave pool and a kiddie pool. Also there is a restaurant which serves classic pool food like chicken nuggets and fries and a variety of cold beverages for all ages. This truly is a great spot to cool off and play around for a few hours

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Matapica

Matapica (accent is on the second 'a'), is a creek and a beach. At one time, Matapica beach was near where Matapica Creek reached the ocean, but no more. The winds and currents have moved the beach far west from the mouth of the creek. Mostly, however, Matapica is widely known for the beach, where thousands of sea turtles come in to lay eggs every year, and STINASU runs a lodge where people can overnight to see the turtles come in.

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Alliance and Bakkie

Near the entrance to Warappa Creek and Matapica Creek are the towns of Alliance and Bakkie. They are classic little Suriname towns and in Bakkie there is a museum and school plus they are just starting to finish some small houses to rent for visitors to that area.

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Warappa Creek

Warappa Creek cuts across the peninsula from the Commewijne River to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally part of a large plantation, it is currently mostly visited for birding. The town of Bakkie is more or less the one end of the canal, where a tourist lodge is going in along with a small but excellent museum. The other end is a mud flat, where a birding blind has been built out on a pier for up-close shorebirds.

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Kabalebo Nature Resort

The fly-in resort known as the Kabalebo Nature Resort, located in western Surniname, is a treat. The flight from Paramaribo is just under two hours, and starts over the city, then the suburbs, farms, and then over a huge carpet of green rainforest. The resort itself is quite comfortable, and between the river and the many kilometers of hiking trails there is no end of ways to amuse oneself. However, nearly all activities are guided, because this place is in the middle of the forest, and getting even a little lost would be a really big mistake. The official website for the resort is www.kabalebo.com. Or here www.kabaleboresort.com. Some reviews are here on tripadvisor.

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