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Historic inner city of Paramaribo

Travel guide · Colonial timber, rainforest and a mix of cultures

Travelling to Suriname

Wooden Paramaribo, a World Heritage Site, the plantations of Commewijne, the rainforest of Brownsberg and a unique mix of Javanese, Indian, Creole and Maroon cultures. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • Best time: from August to March
  • Where to eat: a Javanese warung or a roti stall
Photo: Ron Van Oers · CC BY-SA 3.0 igo

Suriname in 30 seconds

  • The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Suriname are from August to March.
  • To eat like a local: a Javanese warung or a roti stall. Don’t leave without trying: Pom, Roti with chicken curry, Bami and nasi.

Suriname in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Suriname. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

November is one of the months when people search most for travelling to Suriname: book early. More destinations for November

When to travel to Suriname

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Suriname are from August to March.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr with warnings
  5. May with warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in January · where to travel in February · where to travel in March · where to travel in August

  • from April to July

    Main rainy season

    From April to July it rains heavily; there’s another wet season in December and January.

    What to do: The best time is August to November.

What to see in Suriname

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Paramaribo

    Paramaribo

    A capital of white wooden houses by the river, a World Heritage Site.

    • Historic centre
    • Fort Zeelandia
    • Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul
    • Mosque and synagogue
    Paramaribo guide
  • Commewijne

    Commewijne

    Old plantations along the river, to explore by bike and to see dolphins.

    • Frederiksdorp Plantation
    • Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam
    • River dolphins
    • Cycling route
    Commewijne guide
  • Brownsberg

    Brownsberg

    A nature park on a plateau above Lake Brokopondo, with waterfalls and monkeys.

    • Waterfalls
    • Observation decks
    • Howler monkeys
    • Lake Brokopondo
    Brownsberg guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Paramaribo

From Commewijne

From Brownsberg

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Suriname

To eat like a local: a Javanese warung or a roti stall, and order roti or pom. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Pom

    A bake of taro root and chicken, of Jewish-Creole origin.

  • Roti with chicken curry

    An Indian legacy.

  • Bami and nasi

    Javanese-style fried noodles and rice.

  • Saoto

    A Javanese chicken soup.

  • Moksi alesi

    Rice with salted meat.

  • Bakabana

    Battered plantain.

The typical dish of Suriname, at home

Pom
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Alfredo1980 assumed (based on copyright cla · CC BY-SA 3.0

Pom

Suriname’s festive dish, of Jewish-Creole origin: a bake of grated taro root (pomtajer) with chicken stewed in citrus and spices. It’s eaten at birthdays and celebrations, and in sandwiches.

  • Serves 8
  • 2 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 1 kg taro root (or half potato, half cassava)
  • 800 g boneless chicken
  • Juice of 2 oranges and 1 lemon
  • 2 onions
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 100 g butter
  • Chicken stock, salt and pepper

How to make it at home

  1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the juices, salt and pepper, and stew them with the onion, tomato and a little stock for 30 minutes.
  2. Peel and grate the taro root and mix it with the melted butter, nutmeg, salt and a little of the stewing juices.
  3. Spread half the mixture in a greased dish, put the chicken and its sauce on top and cover with the rest of the mixture.
  4. Bake at 180 °C for an hour, until the top is golden.
  5. Leave to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into portions.

The trick: If you’re using potato and cassava, add a little more stock: they absorb more than taro.

Curious facts about Suriname

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It’s the smallest country in South America.
  • The official language is Dutch, but on the street people speak Sranan Tongo.
  • In Paramaribo, a mosque and a synagogue stand side by side.
  • More than 90 % of the country is rainforest.
  • The centre of Paramaribo is a World Heritage Site.
  • The Maroons are descended from escaped slaves who founded their villages in the rainforest.

Traditions of Suriname

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • 1 July Keti Koti

    The end of slavery.

  • March Phagwa

    The festival of colours.

  • 31 December Owru Yari

    New Year’s Eve with giant strings of firecrackers in Paramaribo.

  • October or November Diwali

    The festival of lights.

What not to do in Suriname

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t go to the eastern border or to Albina: official travel advice warns against it.
  • Don’t walk around the Central Market or the Palmentuin at night.
  • Don’t go into the interior without a specialist agency.
  • Don’t drink tap water outside the capital.
  • Don’t forget insect repellent.
  • Don’t take photos in Maroon villages without permission.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Suriname

What people search for most before travelling to Suriname.

What’s the best time to travel to Suriname?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Suriname are from August to March.

What to see in Suriname in a week?

The essentials of Suriname: Paramaribo, Commewijne and Brownsberg. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Suriname?

Pom, Roti with chicken curry, Bami and nasi, Saoto, Moksi alesi, Bakabana. To eat like a local: a Javanese warung or a roti stall.

What is the typical dish of Suriname?

Pom. Suriname’s festive dish, of Jewish-Creole origin: a bake of grated taro root (pomtajer) with chicken stewed in citrus and spices. It’s eaten at birthdays and celebrations, and in sandwiches.

What should you not do in Suriname?

Don’t go to the eastern border or to Albina: official travel advice warns against it. Don’t walk around the Central Market or the Palmentuin at night. Don’t go into the interior without a specialist agency.

Is it worth travelling to Suriname in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Suriname. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Ron Van Oers (CC BY-SA 3.0 igo). Paramaribo, WBSAM (CC BY-SA 4.0). Commewijne, Loek Tangel (CC BY-SA 4.0). Brownsberg, Mark Ahsmann (CC BY-SA 3.0).