BEST TIME TO VISIT SURINAME - Bio With Wirjo Tours Suriname

Suriname is tropical with roughly four seasons in the north. There are short rains from early December to early February, then a short dry season into March and April. The major rainy season starts in late April until mid August, with May and June the wettest months. The long dry season runs from mid August to late November or early December. September and October are the warmest months but also the driest; if you can stand the heat, now is the best time to come. Expect daytime temperatures in Paramaribo to hit 32°C. January is coldest (minimum 22°C), but it’s hot and humid all year.

Things to do in Suriname…

You can eat really well in Suriname, and particularly in its capital Paramaribo. The diverse ethnic mix of its people has created a vibrant foodie scene, with a wide variety of cuisines served here, including lots of spicy Indian and Southeast Asian influenced food – the legacy of the thousands of indentured labourers shipped here from the Dutch East Indies to work in the sugar cane plantations. Tuck into roti, an Indian grilled flatbread with meat or veg, fried plantain dipped in peanut sauce (bakbana), Indonesian fried rice (nasi), noodles and the Suriname staple, peanut soup.Head inland and meet the Maroons.

While French Guiana’s interior is almost impossible to penetrate, Suriname has more accessible rainforest, reached via a canoe from Atjoni. Here you can meet the Maroons, the descendants of slaves who escaped and recreated an African way of life in the heart of the rainforest, unobserved, for centuries. Many Maroon villages now have lodges, ranging from luxurious to basic.

Come with a sense of adventure. Suriname is not on any established tourist trail and infrastructure is sketchy here. Be ready to disconnect from the modern world, expect lengthy road journeys on often bumpy roads and carry cash not cards, as ATMs are few and far between.

SURINAME WEATHER CHART
	MIN °C	MAX °C	RAIN (mm)
JAN	23	30	197
FEB	23	30	144
MAR	23	30	140
APR	23	31	213
MAY	23	30	302
JUN	23	30	302
JUL	23	31	224
AUG	23	32	171
SEP	23	33	87
OCT	23	33	86
NOV	23	32	107
DEC	23	30	181

Things not to do in Suriname…

Brush up on your Spanish or Portuguese. Suriname’s colonial history means Dutch is the national language here. This is just one of the many ways that all three Guianas don’t behave like your typical South American destination. An ethnic mishmash of Amerindians, European colonists, the ancestors of escaped African slaves and descendents of Asian indentured labourers is unique, and the north coast geography means that the culture in the Guianas is more Caribbean than South American.

Try to go it alone. Independent travel is really tricky here, with poor infrastructure and very few tourists. Joining a small group organised tour, which will generally take in all the Guianas and perhaps Brazil, too, is the best way to visit Suriname. Logistics, accommodation and excursions are all organised for you, and you’ll have the support of a guide who can speak the various languages of this region.

Bring sterling into Suriname – it can’t be exchanged. If you bring currency with you, bring US dollars or Euros.

Go to bed too early. Paramaribo has a happening nightlife, with clubs bouncing until the small hours from Wednesday through to Sunday, casinos everywhere and the chance to drink with the locals at outdoor stalls near Platte Brug on the Waterkant.

Things to do in Suriname…

Things not to do in Suriname…

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