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OUTSIDE GUYANA SURINAME |
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| REGION 1 Santa Rosa - Moruca Mabaruma & Shell Beach Port Kaituma REGION
2 REGION
3 REGION 7
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Things to do | Route | Accommodation
in Paramaribo Accommodation at Brownsberg Nature Reserve | Additional Information Description As the overland journey from Georgetown to Paramaribo (Capital City of Suriname) takes approximately 12 hours, I recommend that 5 days is the minimum time you set aside for a trip to Suriname. During the 5 day trip we managed to spend two nights in Paramaribo before heading south to visit the Brownsberg Nature Reserve for two days. We then had one more night in Paramaribo before taking the minibus back to Georgetown. Paramaribo is quite different from Georgetown and reminded us more of a European town. In addition to the fact that Dutch is the national language (although many people in the cities also speak very good English) the city of Paramaribo has many other architectural and cultural reminders of its links with the Netherlands. Things To Do After two days in Paramaribo we were ready to explore. STINASU (Tel: 424158 or e-mail stinasu@sr.net) are the Government run tourist agency and we contacted them before leaving Georgetown to book one nights accommodation in the Brownsberg Nature Reserve. STINASU accept US $ and US $ Travellers Cheques to pay
for accommodation while visiting the reserve (they did not accept
VISA when we visited). If you take Travellers Cheques and need to
cash them outside banking hours we found a Cambio that would change
them on Waterkant street opposite to the large market and near the
corner with Dr. JC Mirandastraat. In addition to your accommodation
STINASU also arrange for a truck to drive you the 13 km from Brownsberg
town to the reserve itself and back again. The cost was $10,000
By land *Check that your mini-bus goes all the way to Moleson Creek, otherwise you may be stranded in Corriverton and have to arrange a ‘special’ which can be as much as GUY $500 per person for the last 8 miles to Moleson Creek*. Ferry across the Corentyne River to Suriname. The Guyana to Suriname ferry only runs once a day from Suriname to Guyana at 11 am and from Guyana to Suriname at 11 am (the ferry can leave from both terminals at the same time because Guyana is one hour behind Suriname and the turn around time for the ferry is about one hour!). Because there is only one ferry, quite a few foot passengers ‘back-track’ which costs about the same price as the ferry. You do not have to purchase a Visa, but it is illegal! Whilst on the ferry minibus drivers will offer to drive
you all the way to Paramaribo. All the Surinamese drivers were co-ordinated
by “Bobby” and the journey costs 25,000 Surinamese Guilders (approx. GUY
$2,500). You can arrange with Bobby to pick you up on the morning you want
to leave from Paramaribo (he will also give you his card and telephone
number). Minibuses leave Paramaribo between 4 am-5 am in time to catch the
morning ferry. Sabana Guest House – Very like the Rima but
the rooms have air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. No breakfast
but there are tea / coffee making facilities. The owners are very
nice and helpful and a double room costs US $16 per person. We stayed in the student accommodation known as the Ark
for US $10 per person per night. You can also book a hammock for the night
at US $7 per person. If there are more people you can hire one of the 4
cabins, some of which hold 16 people. The cost of the cabins start at US
$70 per night (the more people you get in the house the cheaper it is). I would advise that you get Surinamese Guilders before you get to Surinam either at a Cambio in Corriverton or at the ferry terminal. The exchange rate is approximately GUY $1000 to 10,200 Surinamese Guilders. The 5 day trip that we did cost US$ 225 (including the cost of the visa). Suriname is 1 hour ahead of Guyana! Information supplied by Jim Martin, August 2001
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