Suriname's group transport works along the coastal strip where almost everyone lives, centred on Paramaribo. The interior is reached by river and light aircraft rather than road, so honest planning means using a bus for what a bus can do and arranging the rest around it. Send the programme and a fixed quote follows.
Zanderij: the long airport run
Johan Adolf Pengel International (PBM) at Zanderij lies about 45 km south of Paramaribo, roughly an hour by road, which is longer than most Caribbean-region arrivals and worth building into the day. Flights connect largely through Amsterdam, Curacao, Trinidad and Belem, and several land at night, so a pre-booked group meet with a name board is the practical arrangement. Dutch is the official language and drivers work in it alongside Sranan Tongo.
Paramaribo and the coastal road
The historic inner city of Paramaribo carries a UNESCO World Heritage listing for its Dutch colonial timber architecture, and the wooden Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral is among the largest timber buildings in the Americas. Group programmes usually combine a walking circuit of the centre with the Commewijne river plantations across the water, reached by ferry or bridge, where former coffee and cacao estates and a dolphin-watching river trip fill an afternoon. The sealed coastal road runs west toward Nieuw Nickerie, about four hours, and east to the Guyanese and French Guianese crossings.
The interior is not a road journey
More than nine tenths of Suriname is rainforest, and the interior destinations, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, Brownsberg, the Upper Suriname river villages, are reached by a combination of road transfer, dugout canoe and light aircraft arranged through the lodges. We cover the road legs to the jetties and airstrips and coordinate timings with the operators who run the rest. A minibus with driver is the standard vehicle countrywide.
Official planning resources
Check current arrangements with the authorities responsible for each place before you travel:
Quick Facts
- Region: Americas
- Currency: SRD (Surinamese Dollar)
- Drives on: Left
- Language: Dutch
- Capital: Paramaribo
- Demand: Very Low
Bus Hire in Suriname: Common Questions
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