The ‘beating heart of Amazon’: this is how Surinamese people define their country. The definition is largely true, because the small South American state of Suriname has a unique combination of converging rivers and tropical rainforests. However, the most interesting thing about Suriname is its population: Surinamese people are a unique mix of Chinese, Javanese and Indian workers, indigenous Amerindians and Dutch, Lebanese and Jewish settlers.
Suriname was the last Dutch colony in South America. Colonial past can be remembered easily walking on the streets of Paramaribo, a capital full of restaurants, shopping venues and night spots. This is where Amsterdam meets Wild West: black and white colonial buildings line the squares, while the smell of car exhausts mingle with wafts of spices from Indian roti shops. Near the somber Dutch forts maroon artists sell their colorful paintings, mosques and synagogues are standing near each other, and everybody is proud of their multi-ethnicity. The historical inner city of Paramaribo was listed on the Unesco World Heritage site in 2002.
Untamed jungle lies not far away from the city of Paramaribo. While in the capital travelers can have all the amenities of civilization, this is not the case of the tropical rainforest. Traveling is easy and comfortable on the coast: thee is good road system, and everything is within reach with buses or cars.
However, the jungle is very different: those who want to travel inland have no choice but to use light aircrafts. Surinamese jungle has a number of 50 air strips, served by local air charter companies. Visitors usually land on an airfield near their destination, and then make the rest of the journey with a local dug-out canoe. Aircraft and canoes are the only available means of transportation in the rainforest.
Suriname was once part of a large Dutch colony in South America that included large parts of Brazil and most of the Guianas. The Netherlands got into conflict with Britain and France, and lost everything, except Dutch Guiana and a few Caribbean islands.
In the 19th century many Hindustanis, Indonesians and Indians came to Suriname to work on plantations. Suriname became a self-governing state in 1954, and gained its independence in 1975. In the ’80-s and ’90-s there was quite a lot of political turmoil in Suriname, with military coups and elections held ahead of schedule.
These days ecotourism makes one of the most important incomes of Suriname, with strong government support. Visitors can choose from a wide selection of jungle adventures, out of which trekking with a guide is the most popular. The guide explains how different trees and plants are used in the day-to-day live of local people. Suriname has 700 species of birds, so bird watching is also very popular. Great mudflats and mangrove swamps, with savannah and rainforests create a very diverse habitat for all kinds of plants and animals.
Tourists also have the choice to spend a few days in a traditional Amerindian or Maroon village. Besides these site-specific activities, travelers can choose from the usual range of outdoor activities, from turtle watching ot horse riding to fishing, diving, rafting or canoeing.
Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. To book a car hire Turkey, or learn more about car rental worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com