Suriname Travel Forum

Flights booked for october.

1.) Can anyone recommend a guidebook for Suriname? I browsed Amazon Germany and Amazon US, and came up with nothing. I found a book on whole South America with 13 pages on Suriname - that's way less than I'm seeking for. Any help appreciated. Chapters on Guyana and/or French Guyana wouldn't harm.

2.) What means of transport would you recommend for Paramaribo? We thought about renting a car for two weeks - is that safe and reasonably cheap, and is it necessary compared to the size of Paramaribo? What's public transport like? How expensive are taxis?

3.) What about night life in Paramaribo? Are there any nice pubs or places to go? We would prefer places where the locals go - we have enough tourists at home.

Cheers,

G.

Paramaribo is not large. So you're better off walking and taking the occassional busride (an experience in itself) with brightly painted buses and a deafening sound installation. These are so called wild buses (privately owned) that can carry 16-22 passengers and for a drive through town you'd pay about 1 USD for the city center, and 2 USD for the city outskirts. Just put up your hand and the driver will stop if there's room. And there's always room if you squeeze in. Or just wait for the next one you see. If you want to get off, shout to the driver.
So called Boeings (converted trucks to buses) take you to the inlands.

I don't know the cost of the official state buses, but you can get a schedule and other info through: Staatsbusdienst, Heiligenweg, Paramaribo. Phone (00597) 47 24 50 (sorry, no e-mail).

Car rent between 25 and 65 USD per day.
Avis Rent-a-Car
Fred O'Kirkstraat 11
Paramaribo
Tel: (00597) 450447 / 421567

Hertz Car Rental & Leasing
Van Hogerhuysstraat 19
Paramaribo
Tel: (00597) 400409

They drive on the left in Suriname!

Or rent a bicycle:

Fietsverhuur: Cardy Adventures
Cornelis Jongbawstraat 31
Paramaribo
Tel: (00597) 422518

Brommers en scooters: Koen van Hees
Sommelsdijckstraat 1
Paramaribo
Tel: (00597) 08876106

Other car/bicycle/bus options at
http://www.gosuriname.net/html/adressen_v.htm

Try Wikipedia. It's got some more useful info on suriname.

And here's the most easy to use guide in learning the local dialect. It's called Sranan taki, Sranan Tongo and netherlanders call it Taki Taki. It's go at least a list of the top 200 most used words. Here's a link.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Sranan_Tongo_language
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Sranan_Swadesh_list

And if your rusty on your dutch. Here's a wiki list of the top dutch words with a guide as well. Search wiki to find the top word list for dutch as well You may have to google with " site:wiktionary.org and dutch swadesh list"

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Dutch_phrasebook

Also here are my favorite sites for learning dutch and Suriname culture:

www.2bdutch.nl

http://www.sil.org/americas/suriname/Sranan/Sranan.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8708/Tips-for-Americans-Residing-Abroad

http://www.taalthuis.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=28

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8708/Tips-for-Americans-Residing-Abroad

Here's a great list of recommendations at this link:
http://www.channels.nl/knowledge/26252.html