The 10 best tours in Suriname

Top 10 tours in Suriname
Suriname is a big country with lots of tours to choose from, so we've listed the most fun ones for you. These are our most booked tours; of course you don't have to do them all, but if you have enough time we definitely recommend the following:

1. Raleigh Falls and Voltzberg
This is THE tour of Suriname: nature, no phone signal, Maroons, a boat trip on a beautiful river, climbing a mountain, and being in a completely different, uninhabited world in the heart of Suriname.

2. Galibi sea turtles
If you're lucky enough to visit Suriname between February and mid-July, we definitely recommend booking the Galibi tour: Suriname's pearl-white beach with palm trees, a night in a real indigenous village, heading out at night to see the sea turtles, sitting in a boat in the pitch dark in the middle of the night, and a visit to French Guiana. This is a top tour. Outside the turtle season, though, Galibi is a lot less fun. Of the 3 sea-turtle tours, Galibi, Matapica and Braamspunt, this one is definitely number 1.

3. Upper Suriname
The Upper Suriname area is where the Upper Suriname River flows into the reservoir. The Saramaccan Maroons live here in several villages, and the area has many resorts.
In principle all the tours in Upper Suriname are similar, with a similar programme; the level of luxury (with or without a pool) and the travel time by boat make the big difference in price. People here live completely differently from Western standards and live from nature, yet they speak Dutch. The culture shock is big for the average tourist. The colours, the language and the friendliness make it a solid number 3. Tours include Isadou, Jaw Jaw, Anaula, Awarradam, Dan Paati and Apiapaati. We recommend Isadou / Jaw Jaw because the price-quality ratio is very good.

4. Quad and zipline
The most exciting and adventurous day tour in Suriname. Ride a quad through the red (bauxite) sand, puddles and mud, get dirty and ride through stretches of real jungle. If you're lucky you'll spot some animals. Then relax at the Parabello resort, swim in the cola-coloured water and laze in a hammock. In the afternoon you fly along Suriname's longest zipline. A day tour that definitely belongs in the top 4.

5. Dolphins and caimans
This day tour starts at 4:00 pm, but it has an exciting ending. We always advise everyone not just to spot the dolphins, but also to catch caimans out of the water in the dark, in a swamp, in narrow little boats full of mosquitoes. And of course to take selfies with them. You also visit a Hindustani family, where you eat home-made roti. This tour is very exciting and makes a solid number 5.

6. Fredberg – Zintete
For the Fredberg you need to be a serious nature lover. If you're lucky, Fred himself will guide you on ‘his’ mountain. There are many bird species, including the remarkable cock-of-the-rock, once thought to be found only in the Central Suriname Nature Reserve. A real experience, guaranteed full of flora and fauna.

7. Brownsberg and Ston Island
Brownsberg, as a day tour or as a 2-day combination, is the most visited tour in Suriname. It's a great starter tour, a nice introduction to the jungle, and there are a few impressive waterfalls. We recommend starting with this tour so you really get to know Suriname's ‘tour life’. The visit to Ston Island, for swimming and relaxing, is a nice addition: you sail across the reservoir and completely unwind with the impressive views of beautiful nature. Keen anglers can try to catch piranhas.

8. Sunday markets tour
Whether you go with a guide or on your own is up to you, but if you really want to experience Suriname and Surinamese street food, you have to get up early on Sunday. First we visit the songbird contest on Independence Square, then we roam the Sunday markets and taste fruit and vegetables that are unfamiliar to Westerners. Highly recommended if you have a Sunday free.

9. Warappa Creek
We recommend this tour as a day trip. If you're interested in Suriname's colonial past, the plantations and the history of slavery, and want to see some of its remains, this is the tour for you. You sail along the re-excavated Warappa Creek through dense jungle, now and then ducking under a tree or liana growing across the creek. You can also spot beautiful birds, and you sail all the way to the mouth at the Atlantic Ocean.

10. Party bus
Suriname has a lively nightlife. Whether you organise a bus yourself is up to you, but if you're in a group we definitely recommend exploring the nightlife on a party bus. For an hour or two you drive past terraces where the bus's infectious beat gets people on the street waving and dancing. Very Surinamese, and great fun.