You can take a very nice varied tour in Suriname with kids. This South American country has beautiful nature and many different cultures in one country. In 2 weeks you can already see a lot of this beautiful country. We visited the country ourselves for 3 weeks and found it a very nice destination. In this blog we list all the family-friendly tips for Suriname and give an itinerary for 2 weeks in this country.
Best travel time Suriname with kids
Suriname can be visited year-round with kids, but the best time for a family vacation is during the dry seasons: from February to April and from August to November. During these periods there is less rain and temperatures are pleasant. The temperature then is around 25-30 degrees Celsius.
The rainy season, from December to January and from May to July is a lesser time to visit the country. It can rain quite heavily then, which can cause certain roads to become inaccessible. This can make traveling through the country difficult. We experienced this ourselves. We visited the country in December and then it rained almost daily and that did make traveling difficult at times.
Transportation in Suriname
Most families with kids travel to Suriname via the airport in Paramaribo, the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. From here it is convenient to rent a car, especially if you are traveling with kids. Public transportation is not very good in Suriname and the only other option you have then is to book an organized tour. This can be a lot more expensive than going out in the country by yourself with the kids, though.
If you want to rent a car at the airport in Suriname then Sunny Cars comes highly recommended. We have booked a car through this organization so many times during our travels abroad and it is always good because of the good insurance package and good conditions. Be sure to look online if you want to rent a car at Paramaribo airport.
For trips deep into the jungle and the interior, it is best to book an organized tour. In Paramaribo, you can easily use cabs and also have a great walk through the city center.
Travel tips Suriname with kids
If you are going to prepare a trip to Suriname with kids there are always a number of things to consider. We list some of these things below.
Passport and visa: check that your passports are still valid for at least six months. You usually need a tourist card or visa to visit Suriname. This can often be arranged online. Check this before you travel to the country with your family.
Health: vaccinations against DTP and hepatitis A are recommended for Suriname. In addition, a vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory if you come from a high-risk area. Malaria may also occur in certain parts of Suriname, so always be informed in advance exactly which vaccinations you need in Suriname. You don’t want your kid to get seriously ill abroad.
Pay and money: the currency is the Surinamese dollar (SRD). You can withdraw money in Paramaribo and some other larger cities, but it is convenient to take some cash with you when you travel to the interior.
Necessary gear: since you will spend a lot of time outdoors, sunscreen, mosquito repellent spray and light, airy clothing are recommended for your trip to Suriname.
Travel route Suriname with kids
Paramaribo
Most families arrive in Paramaribo first when they land by plane at the capital’s airport. Paramaribo is a fun destination for kids to take a break from the long plane ride. Despite being a capital city, it doesn’t feel like a big city. We found it more like a cozy village.
To explore Paramaribo, you can take a cool guided bike tour here, taking in the city’s important sights. You will immediately get a good background of the country’s history. Certainly sights like Fort Zeelandia have a whole history that defines the country.
We visited the city around New Year’s Eve and then there were lots of fun parties in the city. Surinamese know how to party, so if you are in a position to do so be sure to visit the city during certain festivities. You can have a great time for 3 days in this capital of Suriname with kids. We wrote the blog Paramaribo with kids about the city.
If you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in Paramaribo for your family, these are some good options.
Budget accommodation: Guesthouse AlbergoAlberga
Mid-range accommodation: Ramada by Wyndham Princess Paramaribo
Luxury accommodation: Tucan Resort & Spa
Also check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Paramaribo.
Brokopondo Reservoir
From Paramaribo you drive to the Brokopondo Stuwmeer in about 2.5 hours. Around this lake there is plenty to do for families with kids. For example, you have the Brownsberg in this area where you can drive by car to the top and where you have a beautiful view of the Brokopondo Stuwmeer.
You can walk from this spot to the Irene waterfall on a hike of about 2 hours. This can be a tough hike with very young kids though. You can also book tours here that will explore the nature reserve and apart from the jungle, you can also spot different animals here including several monkeys.
It is also fun to explore the lake by boat. You can book several tours here and with kids, a trip on the water is always very relaxing. You can have a great time here for 3 to 4 days with the family.
Jungle Suriname with kids
If you want to go deeper into the jungle then the best way to do this is with an organized tour. You have two tours that are very popular among tourists. One of these tours is to Upper Suriname, where you can visit the villages of the Maroons. This is an indigenous people who originated because they fled into the jungle in times of slavery and from this a whole community arose.
It seems that these people often give away entire dance performances to visitors and the evenings at this village are very enjoyable.
We were initially going to go here, but because it had rained so much, the dirt road leading to Upper Suriname was not accessible. This was a huge disappointment and also because we visited Suriname around Christmas time in December, so it was rainy season then. So unfortunately we did not visit this community during our trip.
We did do the second tour and this one was to Galibi. Here you also have an indigenous tribe living here and here you can also see turtles. These can be seen in the period between February and August (so unfortunately also not in the period we visited the country) and then you can book a tour to go see these turtles at night. If you are not in Suriname with kids in the period of the turtles, you can also skip this place and really go into the jungle. In fact, we did that too!
We took a small plane deeper into the jungle to spend a few days with an indigenous tribe. You go into the jungle with the people and they show you how they live in nature. A beautiful experience to witness and to see how the people here easily hook a fish with a fishing line. Here you can easily spend 3 to 4 days with the family.
Therefore, check carefully in advance what you all want to see and what tours are available. Online there are several tours offered to different tribes that you can book with the family. We found our trip in Suriname a very nice experience.
