A report of the Suriname trip

September 2022

In 2022 we made a trip to Suriname, also known as Dutch Guyana. We made short excursions each lasting a few days, from the capital Paramaribo. The trip was managed by Waterproof Tours, who had arranged for local guides and lodges to spend the night. Without exception, we were very happy with all that was done to make our trip a success. 

 

1 – Rapids in the jungle

Gunsi on the upper Suriname River (south of the large reservoir) was one of our first destinations. Our guide on this tour was Olan Dinge, a likeable young Saamakan who runs a small business called Inside Suriname Tours. He arranged our trip up the river, showed us around and was our cook for three days. We had come by taxi from the Little Paradise lodge at Domburg (see below) and ended up in Atjoni near Pokigron, the starting point of pirogue traffic to the settlements along the upper Suriname river.

 

a pirogue on the river

These pirogues are equipped with a powerful outboard engine and whisk you through the rapids in the jungle at breakneck speed. Such a craft is full of people and in the bows they often carry a pile of cargo. 

 

Saamaka Maroon Museum, Pikin Slee

Gunsi is a beautiful spot close by a few islands, where the river tumbles over several rapids. We stayed in a primitive lodge with a glorious view of the river from the balcony, and the next day made a trip further up the river to the Saamaka Maroon Museum at Pikin Slee. In the jungle area it is pleasantly cool compared to the coastal area.

 

2 – Commewijne District – a former plantation area

The second part of our trip was into former plantation territory along the Commewijne river. Our mode of transport was... a bicycle, starting with half an hour’s cycling along the road to Leonsberg, which is not for the faint-hearted. Even though most Surinamese car drivers are very considerate, occasionally we had to flee into the verge! At Leonsberg we took a tiny ferry across the Suriname River to New Amsterdam. 

 

cycling near New Amsterdam, Commewijne District

We visited the remains of the fort, then continued to an abandoned sugar mill at Mariënburg, and found another ferry across the Commewijne river, ending up at our destination, the restored plantation house of Mariënbosch. Here we were warmly welcomed by our hosts, the Abdoelrahman family. We spent an enjoyable two days there and explored the former plantation trail along the river, before returning to Paramaribo. 

 

Mariënbosch plantation house

There is little left of the old plantations, apart from a few settlements and a network of old canals and sluices. Following our return we booked a dolphin spotting trip that took us back to the mouth of the Commewijne river, where we saw the river dolphins, who came to investigate those strange two-legged creatures in boats!

 

3 - Western Suriname: Bigi Pan and Maratakka

Our third trip was into the west of the country, crossing several great river bridges by car until we were collected by a light aluminium skiff powered by an outboard, taking us to the Bigi Pan nature reserve, a shallow brackish lagoon and swamp area rich in bird life and fish. 

 

Bigi Pan nature reserve

At Bigi Pan we were received at 'Aunt Gerda’s Lodge', one of half a dozen structures built on posts in the middle of the water. There was a crew of three, all family members of the owner (a lady known as Aunt Gerda). Tris was our cook, and the skipper, Sergio, showed us the most beautiful spots in the lake. Having spent the night at Bigi Pan, and having gone on a fishing expedition, we returned to the small town of Wageningen, where we were collected for an excursion by pirogue into the rain forest. They took us to a jungle lodge on the Maratakka river owned by the same family. 

 

 Maratakka River at Aunt Gerda's lodge

We made an excursion further up the river, looking at the squirrel monkeys and bird life. Here we spent another night, under a mosquito net in the open jungle, under a roof and behind a steel mesh to keep out wildlife! Aunt Gerda herself cooked for us, and we were well looked after by our wildlife guide Miquel, his cousin Dillon who skippered the boat, and Gerda’s husband Cassidy.

 

4 - Paramaribo and two nearby country houses

Until now, I left out Paramaribo and two country houses where we were lodged, about an hour’s drive from the city. First of all Paramaribo, where we stayed between the trips in Villa Famiri, a small pleasant hotel in a quiet quarter of the city. On our first day we made a city tour by bicycle, under the expert guidance of Mid Zandveld, a local guide. Cycling in the busy Paramaribo traffic is a bit hair-raising, but once you get used to it, it's not too bad. 

 

Paramaribo city tour

From Paramaribo we went  to the Little Paradise lodge in Domburg, which has a beautiful garden. We were well cared for by owner Erik Kuiper and his wife Neeta. Less than half an hour’s cycling from the lodge takes you to the little town of Domburg on the Suriname river, and Erik showed us round in his garden full of flowers and exotic trees. 

 

in the garden at Little Paradise

Another country house to the west of Paramaribo is 'Linde's Lust' at Sidoredjo, Saramacca. This also is situated in a beautiful garden, and from there, together with Linde Braber, the owner, and local artist and weaver Sherida Pinas, we visited Bert Tokaja, an indigenous basket weaver, who explained about his craftmanship. 

country house Linde's Lust

 

Before returning home we spent our last day in Paramaribo, where the streets were deserted because of a holiday of the Saramaccan (Saamaka) people, and a great party of this Maroon tribe took place in the Palm Gardens.

 

The complete photo album of our trip in Suriname can be viewed here.

Recent developments

Recently, tempers flared in the Surinamese capital Paramaribo, which frankly shocked me after our pleasant trip to Suriname last September. Unfortunately, the country is on the brink of disaster after years of fraud by corrupt politicians. The state treasury was cleaned out and the perpetrators are still at large. The recent Santokhi administration, who inherited this shambles, is not popular after a tough Covid lockdown and a strict monetary policy, which brought the country even further to its knees. Inflation is more than 50%, the people are destitute and official nepotism is rife – apparently that cannot be eradicated in Suriname. 

 

central market in Paramaribo

 

Many of the problems in Surinamese politics are attributed to the electoral system and the division of Surinamese politics along ethnic lines. In the district system, which also is partially ethnic, there is no proportional parliamentary representation for everyone and any attempt to change that is blocked. The electoral system has its origins in the colonial era (if I understand correctly, the Dutch have introduced the right to vote one district at a time) and the hasty independence that was pushed through in 1975 by Dutch PM Joop den Uyl and Surinamese PM Henck Arron. If I read the comments correctly, this makes Suriname virtually ungovernable.

Poor Suriname, it all makes me a sad and I can only hope the best for all those nice people we met during our journey. The country has so much to offer and the people deserve better.