SURINAME

Suriname is all about untamed nature and much of its wildlife can be found nowhere else on earth. Visitors head with binoculars into lush, green, wild rain forests to spot exotic birds, oversized foliage and wild animals. Nesting sea turtles are one of the beaches’ main attractions. Eighty percent of the land is covered with thick Amazon rain forest, including the 3.95 million acre Central Suriname Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The northeast portion of the country is home to one of the largest reservoir lakes in the world. Howler monkeys and more than 700 species of birds make their homes in this tropical setting.  

Jungle treks yield breathtaking sites, such as thundering waterfalls and occasional spotting of jaguars and yellow-rumped caciques, but be sure to hook up with an established guide. Outfitters usually begin trips in the capitol Paramaibo (known as Parbo) and take travellers into the wilderness for 3 to 10 days. Eco-lodges have become popular, and tents and improvised shelters are also available.  

In the capital, visitors can find shade under palm trees while touring the colonial brick buildings and wooden houses lining mangrove riverbanks. The graceful Victorian-style presidential palace and the Palentium (Garden of Palms) was once a private enclave for the president but today is  open to the public.  

AIRPORT/GATEWAYS:  Airport:  Johan Adolph Pengel Airport (PBM) at Zanderij which is about 60 minutes from Paramaribo.  Gateways:  There are no direct flights from the UK. KLM and Suriname Airways fly from UK airports to Suriname via Amsterdam. BWIA from Heathrow via Trinidad or Guyana, and Air France via Paris and French Guyana with connecting flights on Surinam Airways.  

CLIMATE:  Suriname has a tropical humid climate with dry and rainy seasons. The short rainy season in December and January, the long rainy season from April to July.   Throughout the year the average daily temperature varies between 21 and 32 C.  Suriname lies outside the hurricane zone and the most extreme weather condition is the "sibibusi" (which means forest broom), a heavy rain shower.  

LANGUAGE:   Dutch, English, Sranan.

FIND OUT MORE:  Please visit http://www.suriname-tourism.org/