Visit to Suriname

Our start in Suriname

Upon arrival, the tropical heat welcomes me like an embrace, one that will not let me go for some time to come. As we approach Paramaribo, the traffic becomes heavier. The road network has not yet kept pace with the number of cars. Closer to the city centre, we see the first mosque standing side by side with a church. This sight, sometimes accompanied by a synagogue, is typical of Suriname. The centre of the capital has that raw, buzzing hustle and bustle – familiar to me – of a tropical South American provincial town, with historic buildings offering a glimpse of the colonial era.

The best way to start a trip through Suriname is in Paramaribo with a walk through the historic centre with a knowledgeable guide. This brings the country’s eventful history to life and gives the various historic buildings greater significance. We begin our walk at the President’s Office, where ‘Mama Sranan’, the mother of Suriname, and her five children look down on you proudly from above.

They all came – whether voluntarily or not – to this lush, green stretch of land on the northern tip of South America, and together they further enriched the colourful culture of Suriname. Few places in South America boast such a mix of ethnicities, which is reflected not only in the people themselves but also in the languages and dialects spoken, the architecture and, of course, the local cuisine. In Suriname, the veneration of the Kankantrie, or kapok tree, is a remarkable example of this symbiosis of different cultures. This majestic forest giant came to Suriname when slaves from West Africa smuggled the seeds of this tree with them. Nowadays, this tree can be seen throughout the country and is regarded as a sacred tree by every culture – not just by the descendants of West Africans.

To ‘literally’ sample the different cultures, you can visit the central market or De Gadri restaurant, on the waterfront just behind the National Assembly. Another place we’d recommend is ‘De Waag’, not only for the food, but also because it’s a beautiful historic building. On our last evening in Paramaribo, we visited ‘Miroso’, one of the many warungs in the Javanese neighbourhood of Blauwgrond. The food was delicious and, for a moment, we felt as though we were in Asia ;-)

From Paramaribo to the Amazon

After a few days in Paramaribo, it was time to see more of this remarkable South American country. A country that is considered the smallest independent South American nation, yet is more than four times the size of the Netherlands. Suriname has a population of fewer than 500,000. As many as 250,000 people live in Paramaribo, which means that the rest of the country is virtually uninhabited. We became acutely aware of this when we flew in a small plane from the domestic airport at Zorg en Hoop to Kabalebo, deep in the Surinamese Amazon.

In an hour, we flew to a small airstrip somewhere in the dense and unspoilt jungle of Suriname, far from civilisation. Once we’d left Paramaribo behind us, all we could see below were trees. A gigantic head of broccoli, over which we flew like tiny mosquitoes. Not a single village, not a single cottage, not a single wisp of smoke that might indicate any form of human presence. The airstrip at Kabalebo had been built in the 1950s as part of ‘Operation Sprinkhaan’. The then Minister for Reconstruction, Frank Essed, conceived ‘Operation Grasshopper’, under which a total of seven airstrips were built in the (remote) interior of Suriname, to open up this interior and thus make it possible to map the mineral resources present there. Bauxite was discovered and mined at that time; however, with the military coup in 1980 and the fall in the price of bauxite, the project ran into difficulties. ‘Operation Sprinkhaan’ came to an end, but the airstrips remained.

Staying overnight at Kabalebo – a truly special experience!

At Kabalebozijn, the Ministry of Defence and workers’ cottages have now been replaced by a lovely lodge with outbuildings. Incidentally, the meteorological station from back then is still in use. At that time, no one lived in this region, and that remains the case today. The nearest community is some 300 kilometres away, which means a two- to three-week journey by dugout canoe. Just try to imagine it: you’re staying with around 30 other travellers in an impenetrable jungle area as big as the Netherlands. You and those 30 others are the only representatives of the human race, whilst you’re surrounded by countless plant and animal species in the most diverse forms. Truly extraordinary!

With this in mind, it is perhaps even more remarkable to realise that they have managed to create such a beautiful lodge here, where you can stay in complete comfort. A place where you can relax, swaying in your hammock, whilst watching monkeys play in the trees near the airstrip. A place where a tapir quietly searches for fruit whilst, at the same time, a flock of brightly coloured macaws flies overhead, making a great deal of noise. This is the setting of Kabalebo.

On a journey of discovery

A sense of calm came over me, whilst at the same time a surge of enthusiasm welled up inside me, making me eager to explore this fantastic surroundings. After arriving and having lunch, we went for our first short walk in the area directly behind the Kabalebo buildings. Iwan, our local guide, introduced us to ‘the forest’, as the Surinamese call the rainforest. As evening fell, our first boat trip in a dugout canoe awaited us, and we witnessed the exuberant wildlife of this stretch of rainforest, where hunting has never taken place within a wide radius.

Kabalebo with children

We visited Kabalebo in early August, at the end of the rainy season, and the water level was high. Just how much wildlife do you get to see when the water level is low and all the animals head for the rivers? For Emma, our 12-year-old daughter, the stay at Kabalebo was also a wonderful experience. Not only because she was in such a special location surrounded by nature, but also because she was able to talk to the guide herself, in Dutch, about the animals and his experiences in ‘the forest’. Unfortunately, after four days, our stay at Kabalebo came to an end and we flew back to civilisation.

A day later, we drove from Paramaribo, across the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge over the Suriname River, to the district of Commewijne. Commewijne is the district of the sugar plantations, and to gain a good insight into Suriname’s past, a visit to this district is a ‘must’. Many historic plantations have been overgrown and reclaimed by the tropical wilderness. Fortunately, various initiatives have been launched in recent years to restore a number of the plantations to their former glory. We visited the Concordia plantation near Stolkertsijver, which is still completely overgrown by rainforest. For the time being, there are no plans to restore this plantation to its former glory. After mooring the dugout canoe, we walked for about three minutes through the rainforest and suddenly, there in the middle of the wilderness, we saw the remains of what was once a sugarcane press. It is hard for us to imagine that this rugged patch of ‘forest’ was a thriving plantation in the 18th and 19th centuries.

A guided trip by Mr Soekardi at Mariënburg

At Mariënburg, we meet Mr Toekijan Soekardi. Mr Soekardi grew up at Mariënburg and worked there as a labourer until the factory closed in 1986. The plantation was founded in 1745 and was, at one time, regarded as the most important trading and production centre of the sugar industry in Suriname. Hundreds of people once lived and worked here, and now we could see that, since its closure in the 1980s, nature was slowly but surely reclaiming the land.

As we walked through the ruins of the sugar factory and listened to Mr Soekardi’s stories, our thoughts wandered to times long past; what a hive of activity it must have been here, with hard work and little rest in the scorching tropical heat. After slavery was abolished in 1863, first the Chinese and later the Hindustani and Javanese were brought to Suriname from the former British and Dutch East Indies. Although they were indentured labourers, their lot was scarcely any better than that of the Creole slaves. In July 1902, this led to an uprising, in which 24 people were killed and 32 wounded. A hundred years later, Ramdien Sardjoe, then Vice-President of Suriname, unveiled a monument in memory of those who fell during this uprising. In addition to this monument, there is also a monument at Mariënburg commemorating Javanese immigration.

A stop-off at Fredriksdorp

We continue our journey by dugout canoe and, after crossing the Commewijne River, we visit the Fredriksdorp Plantation. Frederiksdorp is a former 18th-century coffee and cocoa plantation owned by the German Johann Friedrich Knöffel. This plantation is one of the first to have been restored or, as the Surinamese themselves so aptly put it, ‘rehabilitated’. Now, Frederiksdorp is a lovely spot to visit as part of a day trip or to stay overnight. There’s a restaurant and a swimming pool, and if you choose to stay the night, you can even sleep in the former police house or the commander’s residence. You can also stay in style in the plantation house (perfect for families!), where you can even still see the original coffee drying floor.

An introduction to the Sotalia dolphin

After a brief introduction to this plantation, we’ll board our korjaal once more for a special finale to this lovely day. ​From Frederiksdorp, we sail to the point where the Commewijne River and the Suriname River meet, with Fort Amsterdam situated on the headland between them. A unique species of dolphin lives here: the Sotalia, also known locally as the pink-bellied bottlenose dolphin. It is estimated that around 400 individuals of this rare dolphin species live in this area. Our boatman, with his korjaal ‘Fritsje’, has been part of a working group studying these dolphins for 12 years. With some nice music playing, we set off. A little further on, we come across another korjaal. As we approach them, the people on board gesture to us that our boatman should turn the music off. Our boatman chuckles and then tells us that the other boatman hasn’t been spotting dolphins for very long. He tells us that the dolphins actually like the music. Well, he’s right! He’s only just finished his story when suddenly we see dozens of dolphins all around our boat. The other dugout canoe sails obediently, at a respectful distance, behind ‘Fritsje’. In a breathtaking setting, where the beautiful evening glow of the setting sun turns the water almost the same colour as the dolphins’ bellies, we witness an unforgettable spectacle. Emma exclaims, “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced,” and even though the sun has now set, Emma doesn’t want to leave.

The Upper Suriname River and Maroon culture

The following day, the programme includes an introduction to the Upper Suriname River and the Maroon culture found there. ‘Maroon’ comes from the Spanish word ‘Chimarrón’. This word was used by the conquerors to refer to cattle from the island of Hispaniola that had run off into the mountains. Corrupted to ‘Marron’, it became the unflattering nickname for the slaves who had fled the plantations. Many slaves fled to the banks of the Upper Suriname and Saramacca rivers at that time. There, they established settlements along the river, often close to so-called ‘sulas’ (rapids). Soldiers, sent by the colonial authorities to recapture escaped slaves, had to disembark at these rapids to haul their boats across them, and at that moment they were easy to ambush. Maroon culture still retains many customs and traditions of the slaves from West Africa, their homeland. Saramaccan, the language of the Maroons, is named after the Saramacca River. As well as the same strong West African influence, this language also incorporates elements from Portuguese, English and Dutch. Our guide and driver take us along a lovely tarmac road to the village of Atjoni. Here the road ends, and the korjals are waiting in the river to take us on the next leg of our journey.

The next day, we’re picked up at the Anaula Lodge and sail for about another hour and a half (at this time of year!) upstream. It’s striking that we’re now sailing deeper into ‘the forest’. The number of korjals passing by is decreasing, and we can also tell by the reduction in litter (such a shame!) that we come across along the way. We’re getting further and further away from civilisation and now only pass a few small Maroon villages. We see children playing by the water’s edge and people washing themselves and/or their clothes in the river. We’re enjoying ourselves and, after a wonderful korjaal trip, we finally arrive at the Danpaati Lodge.

A lovely stay at the Danpaati Lodge

We are given a warm welcome by Christa, the manager of Danpaati, and some of the staff. Danpaati is a unique lodge, situated on a small island in the river, not far from the village of Dan. The lodge is run by the local community, and the proceeds from the lodge go back to that same community. The lodge now supports a home care project in 12 surrounding villages, and three nurseries have already been set up, meaning that girls in particular no longer have to look after their younger brothers and/or sisters and can go to school themselves. Danpaati is like a warm blanket. The staff at Danpaati clearly have a great deal of love and passion for their culture and surroundings. They are only too happy to share this with you, and it feels incredibly welcoming. We’re both enjoying ourselves and learning from the experience.

Our last night in Suriname

After a lovely night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we continue our journey. We arrive at Berg en Dal early in the evening, and our flight to Aruba is scheduled for very early the following morning. So we can’t really make the most of the facilities Berg en Dal has to offer. However, the barman on duty that evening makes up for it. It’s clear he’s found his true calling. Instead of a full dinner, we opt for a (light) snack on the terrace by the bar. What a great choice, with such a friendly barman who seems to have invented hospitality. What a lovely evening, what a wonderful way to round off our time in this beautiful country and amongst its warm-hearted people.
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Suriname is stunning and has so much to offer. Whether you love nature, culture, good food, adventure, history or a bit of everything, this is a country you really must visit!