Alamy
Giant anteater, Rupununi Savannah
Kaieteur Falls One of the world’s highest single-drop waterfalls.
Rupununi Savannah Friendly indigenous villages and fantastic wildlife viewing.
Upper Suriname River Unique Saramaccan culture and jungle walks.
Galibi Nature Reserve Watch baby turtles hatch on the beach.
Centre Spatial Guyanais View a space rocket being launched into orbit.
Îles du Salut Spot fearless wildlife and learn about the history of these former French prison islands.
Highlights are marked on the map
Daily budget Basic G: US$60; S: US$50; FG: US$100
Drink Beer G: US$2; S: US$2; FG: US$5
Food G: Pepperpot (stew) US$6; S: Saoto soep US$3.50; FG: Blaff (soup) US$12
Guesthouse/budget hotel G: US$30–50; S: US$15–35; FG: US$60–90
Travel Georgetown–Lethem, bus: 18hr, US$60
Population G: 747,884; S: 591,919; FG: 250,109
Official languages G: English; S: Dutch; FG: French
Currencies G: Guyanese dollar (G$); S: Suriname dollar (SRD); FG: euro (€)
Capitals G: Georgetown; S: Paramaribo; FG: Cayenne
International phone codes G: 
592; S: 597; FG: 594
Time zones GMT -3hr (-4hr in Guyana)
The Guianas, which comprise the independent nations of Guyana and Suriname and the French overseas département of French Guiana, feel more Caribbean than South American. As a result of colonial legacies the official languages are English (Guyana), Dutch (Suriname) and French (French Guiana), and each has an ethnically diverse population, a mix of indigenous peoples, descendants of European colonizers and their slaves, East Indians, Indonesians, Brazilians, Southeast Asian refugees and Haitians.
Tucked between Brazil’s Amazonian region and the continent’s northeast coast, the verdant Guianas are criss-crossed by rivers; indeed, the native word guiana means “land of many waters”. Between eighty and ninety percent of the geological region known as the Guiana Shield (which also includes parts of Brazil and Venezuela) is covered by dense tropical forests – some of the oldest and most pristine on earth. Jaguars, pumas, caimans, iguanas, ocelots, tapirs and other diverse wildlife thrive in this environment, making the Guianas an ecotourism haven. Sparse development and a dearth of tourists mean that getting to certain destinations may entail considerable expense but the thrill of staying in a jungle lodge, cruising down majestic rivers, or witnessing sea turtles laying their eggs more than justifies it.
The towns take a back seat to nature in the Guianas, but the capital cities of Georgetown (Guyana), Paramaribo (Suriname) and Cayenne (French Guiana) have a certain charm and are worth exploring for a day or two. Paramaribo is the best preserved, Georgetown is the most lively and dynamic, and edgy Cayenne offers an authentic taste of colonial-era life. These three capitals comprise the main international gateways from the Caribbean, North America and Europe.
Borders between the Guianas are marked by rivers, and crossing involves taking scheduled ferries or go-when-full motorized boats. From Guyana to Suriname, you’ll need to cross the Corentyne River from Moleson Creek to South Drain near Nieuw Nickerie; and from Suriname to French Guiana, the Maroni River from Albina to Saint-Laurent du Maroni.
GUYANA, the largest and most populous nation of the three Guianas, is a rum-drinking and cricket-loving country, and the only English-speaking nation in South America. Georgetown, the capital, typifies this with its cosmopolitan mix of black, white, East Indian, Asian and indigenous ethnicities and a laidback Caribbean attitude.
Guyana’s principal attractions are its rainforests, its wildlife and its indigenous culture. Its natural wonder par excellence is the majestic Kaieteur Falls – among the tallest and most powerful in the world – made all the more dramatic by their isolated location at the end of an immense jungle gorge.
Going down the middle of the country from north to south is the Iwokrama Rainforest. Gold and diamond mining are very common throughout the interior and independent travel within the region is easiest along “pork-knocker” (Guyanese term for freelance gold miner) routes. Further southwest, the jungle gives way to the wide-open spaces of the Rupununi Savannah, dotted with indigenous villages. Here you can immerse yourself in indigenous culture and go in search of caimans, giant anteaters and giant river otters.
Temperatures in the Guianas vary little from one month to the next: generally 20°C to 33°C, with a mean temperature of around 27°C (slightly hotter in the interior owing to the absence of the cooling coastal trade winds). Travel plans should be based around the region’s two annual wet seasons, which pummel the region from May to July and, to a lesser extent, December to January. While the tropical forest is lush and green during the wet season, navigating the many unsealed roads that govern land access to the interior can be difficult (if not impossible). As such, late summer/early autumn and late winter/early spring are the optimum times for a visit – the latter particularly, as this is when many carnival celebrations take place.
10,000 BC First settlers arrive, having crossed a land bridge from Asia.
1492 Christopher Columbus sets foot in the region. Unsuccessful Spanish exploration in search of the Lost City of Gold.
1595 Sir Walter Raleigh visits Guyana and publishes The Discoverie of the Large, Rich and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana, igniting European interest in the region.
1613–21 The Dutch found Fort Kyk Over Al, build trading posts, and establish sugar-cane plantations.
1650s African slaves replace indigenous ones, who in turn help the Dutch capture runaways.
1763 A slave revolt is led by Guyana’s national hero, Cuffy, though quelled in 1764; 125 slaves executed.
1796 Dutch lose control of colony to the British.
1802 Dutch regain control of Guyana.
1814 Treaty of Paris grants the British control of the area.
1823 Demerara slave revolt brutally suppressed.
1834 Slavery abolished. Thousands of indentured labourers from India, China, England, Ireland, Portugal and Africa are brought to Guyana to work the sugar-cane plantations.
1870s Charles Barrington Brown is the first European to find Kaieteur Falls. Gold found in Guyana’s interior.
1950 The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is established.
1953 PPP wins first elections allowed by British. Cheddi Jagan becomes leader. Britain suspends constitution and sends in troops, fearing plans to establish Guyana as a communist state.
1955 PPP splits and Forbes Burnham forms the People’s National Congress (PNC).
1957 Elections permitted and PPP wins. Jagan becomes first premier in 1961.
1966 Guyana achieves independence.
1978 More than 900 members of Rev. Jim Jones’ People’s Temple religious sect commit mass suicide in northwestern Guyana.
1980 Guyana gets a controversial new constitution and Burnham becomes president.
1985 Burnham dies; Prime Minister Hugh Desmond Hoyte becomes president.
1992 Cheddi Jagan’s PPP wins election.
1997 Jagan dies. His American widow, Janet, is elected president.
1999 Janet Jagan resigns and is succeeded by Bharrat Jagdeo.
2009 Norway agrees to invest US$250m to preserve Guyana’s rainforests.
2015 After 23 years in power, the PPP is defeated in elections by the opposition APNU-AFC alliance, with Brigadier David A. Granger elected to the presidency.
2017 Major oil and natural gas deposits discovered offshore by Exxon Mobil.
Surfing, swinging and sleeping
The Guianas are not a traditional budget destination so traveller hospitality websites such as 
couchsurfing.com are a good option for those on tight budgets. It’s also well worth investing in a hammock (easily available in any of the three capital cities) and accompanying mosquito net.
Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Wcjairport-gy.com), 41km from Georgetown, receives direct flights from Suriname, Trinidad, Panama, New York, Miami, and Toronto. Some flights from Suriname, Barbados and domestic flights arrive at the smaller Eugene F. Correia International Airport (formerly Ogle and often still called that), twenty minutes east of Georgetown’s centre.
A G$5000 (or US$25) exit tax is included in the ticket price for those departing the country by air.
Travellers arriving overland from Brazil enter Guyana at the town of Lethem, about 130km northeast of Boa Vista, Brazil. It is a cramped and bone-jarring eighteen-hour minibus ride from Lethem to Georgetown along a dirt logging road that slices the country in half. Two small airlines also run daily flights from Lethem to Georgetown, and tickets can be bought in their offices beside the town’s airstrip.
Travellers from Suriname must board a ferry at South Drain, near Nieuw Nickerie, and make the thirty-minute journey across the Corentyne River to Moleson Creek on the Guyana border before taking a local minibus to Georgetown. It’s possible to arrange direct transport from Paramaribo to Georgetown (total travel time 10hr).
You must have a passport with six months’ validity and an onward ticket if arriving by air. Guyanese immigration grants visitors stays of up to thirty days. To extend your stay, contact the Department of Citizenship & Immigration Services (164 Waterloo St; 226 2221, 
ministryofcitizenship.gy@gmail.com) or the Central Office of Immigration (Camp St), both in Georgetown.
Visas are required for all visitors except those from the USA, Commonwealth, most European and CARICOM (Caribbean community) countries. Contact your nearest Guyanese embassy/consulate for more details.
Privately owned minibuses operate to nearly all destinations accessible by road, including Lethem close to the Brazilian border (US$60). Roads are paved from Georgetown to towns along the coast and inland as far as Linden; beyond, it’s dirt roads only, which sometimes become impassable during rainy season.
Hitchhiking is common outside of the capital. Independent travel in the interior requires cash (no ATMs) to pay for boats, minibuses and 4WD vehicles with a driver. Motorcycle rides are often given freely. Daily flights in small aircraft connect Georgetown to settlements in the Rupununi and elsewhere; these are reliable and relatively cheap.
Travel along Guyana’s main rivers involves river taxis (speedboats), whereas locals tend to use dugout canoes and motorboats when travelling along the smaller rivers.
Decent budget options are scarce in Georgetown, and it can be a challenge to find a decent room for under G$10,000. Prices are a bit lower outside the capital. In the Rupununi Savannah there are several excellent ecolodges and ranches that offer an introduction to traditional savannah life as well as outdoor pursuits such as wildlife-watching and fishing. Rates usually include meals and transport, as there may be no alternatives. Most villages will have a benab (wooden shelter with thatched roof) where you can hang your hammock (bring your own and make sure you invest in a mosquito net, cost/night US$10); in the absence of a benab, you may well be able to hang it on someone’s porch.
Not all establishments accept foreign credit cards, so check when making a booking. Call rather than email.
Curries, cassava, rice and coconut milk reign over Guyanese cuisine. Chicken, pork and beef are fried Creole-style, and then curried with East Indian spices. Rice is ubiquitous, boiled with coconut milk, black-eyed peas, lentils, channa (chickpeas), okra or callaloo (spinach); such medleys are referred to as cookup. Other staples include roti and dhal puri (akin to a tortilla wrap).
Bakes, a fried and puffed-up bread of Trinidadian origin are also cut open and stuffed with all manner of Creole fillings.
Saltfish (codfish fillets salted for preservation) is common in the interior, often served with bakes for breakfast.
The indigenous contribution to Guyanese cuisine is pepperpot – made with stewed meat (or fish), coloured, preserved and flavoured with cassareep (a thick dark sauce made from cassava juice), cinnamon and hot peppers.
Locals consider wild meat a delicacy and adventurous eaters will have the opportunity to try deer, capybara, iguana, wild pig, manicou (opossum) and labba or agouti (jungle rat).
Snacks such as patties, buns, egg balls (boiled eggs wrapped in mashed potatoes, deep-fried and served with mango sauce), pholouri (seasoned flour and lentil balls), pineapple tarts, salara (red coconut rolls) and cassava pone (like bread pudding but made with coconut and cassava) are sold in bakeries (G$200–300 each).
In Georgetown you’ll also find Brazilian and Chinese restaurants as well as Western-style international cafés. A hot meal costs G$500–600 from a market cook shop; in local cafés it costs twice that, and in upmarket restaurants you’ll spend over G$2000. A fourteen-percent tax is added to the bill in some restaurants.
Alcoholic drinks worth trying include local award-winning Banks Beer (G$400) and Demerara Distillers’ El Dorado fifteen-year-old, reputedly the best rum in the world.
Fizzy soft drinks (many from Brazil) are sold everywhere, along with regional brands such as I-Cee. “Local juices” like mauby (a tree bark-based beverage), cherry and sorrel (each flavoured with their eponymous ingredient) are very refreshing, as are coconut water and ginger juice. Drinking tap water is inadvisable.
English is the national language but locals tend to converse in Creolese (as the locals refer to their dialect), an English-based Creole influenced by the indigenous, African, Dutch and Indian languages.
The nine native communities speak several dialects including Arawak, Macushi and Warao, while the prominent Brazilian population speaks Portuguese. The three dominant religions are Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.
Women can expect to get plenty of loud comments and persistent kissing noises. Guyanese dress stylishly for work, church, visiting government offices and dining out. Tipping is not compulsory though it is appreciated.
The country’s national sport is cricket, though visitors are more likely to come for the outdoor activities such as canoeing, birdwatching, wildlife-spotting and mountain climbing in the interior. Horseriding in the Rupununi Savannah is easily accessible and a visit to the annual Rupununi Rodeo in Lethem is recommended.
Internet and/or wi-fi is available in most hotels and guesthouses (mostly for free) and some cafés, both within and outside the capital.
Guyana’s country code is 592. To use your unlocked mobile phone, buy a local SIM card (G$500) from either GT&T or Digicel outlets. Mobile internet plans are available, although you don’t get much for your money.
Sending letters and postcards from Guyana is cheap (G$200) but slow.
Most visits to Guyana are trouble-free. Still, locals warn that opportunistic petty crime is not uncommon, particularly in Georgetown, so avoid displaying valuable items. Take taxis if going more than a few blocks after dark and avoid walking alone down deserted, sparsely lit streets.
exploreguyana.org Directory of accommodation, restaurants, airlines and travel agencies run by the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana.
visitrupununi.com Site focusing on natural attractions of the vast Rupununi Savannah, with an emphasis on community-based tourism.
There is one public and several private hospitals in Georgetown. Rural and outlying areas are served by municipal hospitals and health centres; Medivac services (emergency air ambulance) are also available in emergencies. Medical facilities at Georgetown public hospital are rather limited; serious injury or illness may require an airlift to Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Avoid drinking tap water, and pack sunscreen and a broad-rimmed hat, as well as rehydration mix for severe cases of travellers’ diarrhoea.
Consult your doctor regarding vaccinations; advice currently includes hepatitis A and B, typhoid, tetanus-diphtheria and rabies. Although cases of malaria have been reported in remote areas of the interior, it is seldom an issue in tourism destinations and seasoned Guyana travellers say prophylaxis is unnecessary; mosquito nets, repellent and long-sleeved clothing remain effective precautions.
The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG; 157 Waterloo St; Mon–Fri 8am–4pm; 225 0807, exploreguyana.org) serves as the country’s chief tourism info provider and produces the informative annual magazine, Explore Guyana. Also useful is the pocket-sized guide called Guyana: where & what. Both are available at hotels and tourism agents around the city. Permits are required to visit indigenous villages, arranged by tour operators for organized trips. Independent travellers should contact the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, at 251–252 Quamina, at Thomas (227 5067, moipa.gov.gy).
The unit of currency is the Guyanese dollar (G$), available in 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 notes. Most businesses and hotels accept US$, while fewer accept euros. While major credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted in some restaurants and hotels, take plenty of Guyanese dollars if travelling in the interior. Scotiabank ATMs accept foreign cards. The currency fluctuates with the US dollar. At the time of writing, US$1=G$208, €1=G$254, £1=G$288.
Banks operate Monday to Thursday 8am to 2pm, Friday 8am to 2.30pm. Government offices are open Monday to Thursday 8am to noon and 1 to 4.30pm, Friday 8am–noon and 1 to 3.30pm. Shops and businesses open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4pm and Saturday 8.30am to noon.
January 1 New Year’s Day
February 23 Republic Day (Mashramani carnival)
March Phagwah (Hindu festival of colours; date varies)
March/April (varies) Good Friday
March/April (varies) Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
May 5 Indian Arrival Day
May 26 Independence Day
July Caricom Day (first Mon)
August 1 Emancipation Day
October Diwali (Hindu festival of lights)
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day
Eid ul Adha (Muslim festival; date varies)
National celebrations are often marked with spectacular float parades, masquerade bands and dancing in the streets. Christmas season is an excellent time to sample traditional festive food and experience the Boxing Day Main Big Lime (street party) and New Year’s Eve parties.
GEORGETOWN is the colourful, gritty, commercial and administrative heart of Guyana. Set on the east bank of the Demerara estuary, the capital is a grid city designed largely by the Dutch in the eighteenth century, originally nicknamed “The Garden City” because of its parks, tree-lined boulevards and abundance of flowers. Though its charm may be somewhat blemished by the relentless traffic and rubbish-strewn streets, Georgetown remains the gateway to Guyana’s true attractions and is likely to be your base for several days.
The capital is worth exploring for its diverse cultural, religious and historical landmarks.
One of downtown’s most distinctive buildings, the towering St George’s Cathedral on Church Street is one of the world’s tallest freestanding wooden structures at 44m, with an attractive, airy interior (daily 9am–5pm, except public hols). A couple of blocks south along the Avenue of the Republic is the turreted City Hall, built in the Victorian Gothic style.
The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology (61 Main St; Mon–Thurs 8am–4.30pm, Fri 8am–3.30pm, Sat 9am–2pm; entry by donation) is a good introduction to the culture of Guyana’s nine idigenous tribes, showcasing everything from cassava-processing, traditional fishing and hammock-making to the medicinal use of plants and ceremonial wear, which includes some splendid macaw-feather headgear.
The Guyana National Museum (North Rd; Mon–Fri 9am–4.30pm, Sat 9am–2.30pm; entry by donation) showcases the history of slavery in Guyana, the gold-mining industry, including a demonic-looking (and pretty accurate) statue of a “pork-knocker”, and an enormous replica of the extinct giant sloth that once roamed the Guyanese bush.
The chilling events of November 18, 1978, when hundreds of members of a sect died in an apparent mass suicide in northwestern Guyana, about 80km southwest of the town of Mabaruma, have been the subject of many books. In 1974, American Reverend Jim Jones, the leader of a sect called The People’s Temple, chose Guyana to establish a self-sufficient community of about 1100 based on utopian socialist ideals, which he humbly named Jonestown. Referring to an unnamed enemy that would come to destroy Jonestown, he told his flock that “revolutionary suicide” was the only way to combat this threat. When US Congressman Leo Ryan and a party of journalists and concerned family members visited Jonestown in November 1978 to investigate alleged human rights abuses, the enemy had apparently arrived. Ryan and others were shot and killed at Port Kaituma airstrip as they tried to leave, while back at Jonestown the men, women and children were instructed to drink cyanide-spiked Kool-Aid. A total of 913 people died, although a coroner’s report suggested that many were forcibly killed, including at least 200 children. A few managed to escape and later wrote about their experiences. Today the Jonestown site is overrun by bush and there is no monument or other reminders of its existence.
The busy-as-bedlam focal point for higglers (fruit and vegetable sellers), moneychangers, beggars and jewellers, Stabroek Market on Water Street is dominated by its four-faced clock tower. Originally the site of the slave market where the exhausted survivors of the Middle Passage first faced a hostile New World, Stabroek now spills over with shoes, fabrics and gold jewellery. It’s also a great place for a cheap lunch at a snackette. To climb the clock tower, go to the rear of the market and find the office of the Constable, who’ll escort you there. East of Stabroek, off North Street, is the small but lively Bourda Market, a colourful shantytown filled with 24-hour fruit and vegetable vendors.
The National Art Gallery and around
Located in Castellani House on Vlissengen Road – once the official residence of the prime minister of Guyana – is the National Art Gallery (Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 2–6pm; free), a well-lit space hosting changing exhibitions by contemporary Guyanese artists. Just south of the gallery is the 1763 Monument, a 5m-high bronze memorial to Cuffy, an African slave who led an unsuccessful slave rebellion in 1763. Behind the art gallery are the botanical gardens (daily 9.30am–5.30pm; free), whose collection includes the national flower, the Victoria Regia Lily, and the Zoo (daily 9.30am–5.30pm; $G200), where Guyana’s formidable birds, mammals and snakes are loosely arranged by geographical zone.
Despite being on the coast, Georgetown is a few metres below sea level. The Dutch-built seawall, which keeps the Atlantic at bay, produces a bizarre sight at high tide, when you can stand on the wall and look at the water at a higher level than the town on the other side. On Sunday nights the whole town turns out to drink, flirt and strut their stuff along the promenade. On any other day the safest time to go is around 4.30–6pm.
By plane Cheddi Jagan International Airport (cjairport-gy.com) is located at Timehri, 41km south of the centre. International carriers currently serving CJIA include Delta Airlines, Caribbean Airlines, Fly Jamaica Airlines and Suriname Airways. Domestic airlines include Air Guyana (airguyana.biz), Air Services Ltd (aslgy.com), Roraima Airways (roraimaairways.com) and Trans Guyana Airways (transguyana.net). Minibus #42 runs from Lombard St, two blocks south of Georgetown’s main market to the airport (45min; G$280); taxis cost G$6000. Some flights to Suriname and Barbados and internal flights depart from Eugene F. Correia (formerly called Ogle) airstrip, 8km from Georgetown; taxis cost G$1200.
Destinations Lethem (3–4 daily; 1hr 30min). For points en route – Iwokrama, Surama, Annai or Karanambu– you must notify the airline in advance that you want to alight here. A diversion fee is charged unless there are six passengers to pick up or drop off.
By minibus The interior is served by several minibus companies, including Carly’s (57 Robb St 616 5984) and P&A (75 Church St 225 5058); buy a ticket the day before if possible. Minibuses from Georgetown to Lethem leave around 6pm, while those travelling in the opposite direction depart at around 5pm (G$12,000/US$60). Several private minibus services offer pick-ups from your accommodation in Georgetown and take you to Moleson Creek by the Surinamese border with a reciprocal arrangement with a Surinamese operator on the other side of the river, so you only need to buy one ticket. These include Dugla (622 0203) and Champ’s (629 6735).
Destinations Moleson Creek (3hr); Lethem (18hr); Timehri for CJ Airport (bus #42; 45min).
By minibus Privately owned minibuses run all over Georgetown and its outlying towns from Stabroek Market (G$80–100). They tend to be packed, drive very fast and are impossible to board during rush hour.
By taxi Taxis are unmetered, and fares should always be agreed upon before getting in. Fares are around G$300 for up to four blocks around town, G$400 for a short hop and G$500 for a longer one. Legitimate cabs display a company logo and number plates beginning with “H”.
While travels in the interior are cheapest if you have the time and flexibility to arrange it all independently, there are several reputable tour operators in Georgetown who specialize in nature and adventure tours throughout Guyana’s hinterland and who can also arrange day-trips to Kaieteur Falls and other destinations within easy reach of the capital. Prices are roughly as follows: tour of the city (US$30–50); day-trip to Bartica (US$120); day-trip to Santa Mission (US$120); flight to Kaieteur Falls (US$175–275).
Dagron Tours 91 Middle St 223 7921, dagron-tours.com. City tours, two types of Kaieteur Falls trips, day-trips up Essequibo and Demerara Rivers, and various cultural and historical tours.
Leon Moore Nature Experience 444 2167, journeyguyana.com. Linden-based naturalist Leon and crew offer birdwatching and wildlife photography expeditions through the rainforest and savannah, as well as tours along the Atlantic coast to spot Guyana’s national bird, the hoatzin.
Rainforest Tours 5 Av of the Republic, 1st floor 231 5661, rftours.com. Proprietor of the original and excellent Kaieteur overland tour, Frank Singh’s office above a fried chicken shop can customize tours to suit you.
Rupununi Trails 593 663 8888, rupununitrails.com. Specializing in tours of the South Rupununi region with an extensive network among native communities. Canoe trips on the Rupununi and upper Essequibo, savannah experiences with expert naturalists.
Untamed Adventures 648 7570, utadventures.com. Based in Lethem, offering horse-riding tours through the Rupununi Savannah, jungle walks, trekking in the Kanuku range and river expeditions. They can also help you set up unescorted tours of the region.
Hotel Glow International 23 Queen St, Kitty 227 0863; map. Right across from the seawall, this classic wooden house has broad verandas, freshly painted rooms and an attached bar/restaurant serving Creole fare. US$45
Julian’s Guesthouse 33 Cummings St, South Cummingsburg 226 3552, julian-restaurant-bar@hotmail.com; map. Near the vegetable market, this friendly corner spot has compact, window-screened rooms with fridge. The bar’s breezy veranda makes a good perch to observe the lively neighbourhood and converse with gregarious host Julian. US$40
Rainforest B&B 272 Forshaw St 227 7800, rainforestbbguy.com; map. This tropical retreat is in the serene Queenstown district, east of the centre. It contains five en-suite rooms, and the lush front garden feels like a patch of rainforest. Owner Sayeeda is involved in wildlife rescue efforts, and pets are allowed of course. US$90
Rima Guest House 92 Middle St 225 7401, rima@networksgy.com; map. For budget travellers, the obvious choice: central and homely, with vintage furniture and powerful fans. An expert team whips up economical lunches at the rear. US$30
Sleepin Guest House 151 Church St 223 0991, sleepinguesthouse.com; map. Opposite the cricket club ground, this efficiently run guesthouse attracts self-caterers as well as those in search of simple, fan-cooled rooms, with several kitchenette-equipped studios. Basic breakfast included. Doubles US$45, studios US$75
Georgetown has a wide range of bakeries, snackettes and cook shops – many attached to Bourda Market and inside Stabroek Market.
Brazil Churrascaria 208 Alexander St, Lacytown 231 1268; map. At this hangar-like space, the pitmaster slices unlimited sizzling meat straight onto your plate from his skewer – pay by the weight of your portion. Round off your meal from the copious salad bar, and wash it all down with caipirinhas (G$500). Meals G$2500. Daily noon–10pm.
German’s 8 New Market, at Mundy St 227 0079; map. Busy lunchtime restaurant famed for its legendary cow-heel soup (G$1500) and Creole dishes. Located in a reputedly sketchy part of town. Mon–Sat 10am–5.30pm, Sun 9.30am–3pm.
New Thriving 32 Main St 225 0868; map. Palace of authentic Chinese cuisine with two sections: a posh dining room with boulevard-view terrace upstairs and a fast-food section below, site of the popular lunchtime buffet (G$2900). Daily 10am–10pm.
Oasis Café 125 Carmichael St 681 1648; map. A/c enclave where local office workers linger over iced caramel lattes (G$700), quiches and inventive lunchtime mains (from G$2000). Mon–Fri 7.30am–6.30pm, Sat & Sun 9am–6pm (also open for dinner on Fri).
Shanta’s 225 New Market St; map. Serving up fresh rotis, dhal and curries for cheap, this corner location is a must for fans of Creole Indian food. Puris, filled with such items as mango curry, calaloo and pumpkin, are their speciality. Meals around G$900. Mon–Sat 7am–6pm.
White Castle Fish Shop Hadfield St, at John St; map. Popular neighbourhood hangout, as much for the lip-smacking fish & chips (G$1200) as the Banks beers, which pile up on the terrace tables as the evening progresses. Order at the booth – the cashier doubles as DJ. Mon–Sat 9am–1am, Sun 4–11pm.
Treat yourself
Aagman 28A Sheriff St 219 0161; map. The first-generation Indian management here operate a real tandoor oven, make desserts the traditional way and take obvious pride in their business. They specialize in Mughlai cuisine, both vegetarian and with chicken, lamb or fish. Mains from G$2500–3000 but big enough for two.
Bars and clubs are mostly concentrated along Main Street in the vicinity of the Tower Hotel. The real action starts around midnight on weekends. On Sunday nights the seawall is the place to be, with stands selling drinks and food all along the road.
704 Sports Bar 1 Lamaha St 225 0251; map. Casual club built around a circular bar. The ambience is dominated by cricket, soccer and basketball action beamed to a youthful crowd. Daily 4.30pm–2am.
Night Cap 8 Pere St, Kitty 231 8466; map. A lush tropical garden bedecked with twinkly lights, nestling beside the walls of the Russian embassy. Swing in a hammock, lounge on the patio, or sit in the wi-fi-enabled a/c cool of the café. Sip a classic rum punch, or try out the odder peanut butter frappes and espresso martinis. Tues–Sun 5–11pm.
Palm Court 35 Main St 231 8144; map. Popular restaurant/nightspot with electric palms lining its breezy courtyard. Makes a good rum punch and stays open as long as the clients are having fun. Daily 11 am– 2am.
The bustle in and around Stabroek Market spills eastward, especially along Robb St.
Hibiscus Crafts Plaza North Rd; map. Opposite the National Museum, this row of stalls is the place to look for handmade leather sandals, baskets, hammocks, hardwood walking sticks and other souvenirs.
Banks and exchange Scotiabank at 104 Carmichael St, Pegasus Hotel and along Robb St. Trustco (62–63 Middle St) is a reliable exchange service.
Embassies and consulates Brazil, 308 Church St (225 7970); Canada, High St, at Young St (227 2081); Suriname, 171 Peter Rose St, at Crown St (226 7844); UK, 44 Main St (226 5881); US, 100 Young St, at Duke St (225 4900); Venezuela, 296 Thomas St (226 1543).
Hospital St Joseph Mercy Hospital, 130–132 Parade St (227 2072). Private hospital with 24hr emergency room.
Internet JT Online Internet Café at 38 Cummings St.
Pharmacies Medicare Pharmacy at 16 Hinck St or Medicine Chest at 316 Middle St.
Post office Robb St (Mon–Fri 7am–4pm, Sat 7–11am).
Georgetown makes a good base for ventures into the interior to visit Kaieteur Falls as well as trips up Essequibo River for an appreciation of the country’s colonial past and mining present, and to Santa Mission, for a taste of indigenous life.
West of Georgetown via the market town of Parika, the Essequibo River, third largest river in South America, is dotted with islands and remnants of colonial occupation, such as Kyk Over Al, a seventeenth-century Dutch fort. About an hour’s cruise upriver, at the confluence of the Cuyuni and Mazaruni rivers is Bartica, a gritty gold-mining town near several riverside resorts, notably the island of Baganara. Day tours by Dagron, among others, take in Bara Cara Falls or else Marshall Falls – both great spots for a dip – and a short hike through the jungle for a chance to see some of the country’s fabled wildlife. It’s also possible to reach Bartica independently by catching a bus from in front of Stabroek Market to Parika (G$500), where public motorboats depart as they fill (G$2500). If you’d rather overnight in Bartica, ‘D’ Factor 2 Interior Guest House (455 2544, cutienadira@hotmail.com) offers sparkling rooms with a terrific wraparound balcony and tours of villages on the Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers.
The region’s most popular attraction, 226m Kaieteur Falls are in a cavernous gorge surrounded by the dense rainforest of the Kaieteur National Park. Their isolation, power and pristine surroundings make them a heart-stopping sight.
Operators offer flights to Kaieteur Falls in twelve-seater planes from Georgetown’s Ogle airport (from US$175). A day-trip usually involves a brief guided tour of the three viewpoints from which you can admire the sight of 30,000 gallons of water per second crashing down into the valley below (with the more intrepid visitors crawling to the cliff edge to watch the rainbows play on the water spray). Your guide will point out interesting animal life, such as the tiny golden frogs, the toxins from which are used in Haitian voodoo ceremonies.
Alternatively, you can take a five-day/four-night overland journey involving a 4WD drive, boat trip and a fairly strenuous hike, with rustic accommodation thrown in along the way (from US$900). If you want to visit independently, the only overnight accommodation is a rustic lodge near the falls (G$3000/person), booked through the Protected Areas Commission (227 1888, ext 157, reservations.pac@gmail.com). You will be rewarded with views of the falls at dusk and dawn without the crowds. Air Services Ltd (aslgy.com), together with Roraima Airways (roraimaairways.com), offer flights year-round on weekends, with one to three flights during the week depending on the season.
The interior: iwokrama rainforest and the Rupununi Savannah
Visitors come to Guyana for two things: pristine nature and indigenous culture. Both are found in the interior, reachable either by Guyana’s north–south highway that runs all the way to the Brazilian border, or by frequent flights made by small aircraft. The road passes through some of the oldest and most pristine jungle on earth, home to jaguar, tapir, ocelot, puma, peccary and anaconda. In the heart of the country lies Guyana’s only official nature reserve: the vast IWOKRAMA RAINFOREST, known for its incredibly diverse plant, bird and animal species. Beyond Iwokrama, dense jungle dramatically gives way to the RUPUNUNI SAVANNAH, Guyana’s cowboy country – scrubland and grassland that stretches as far as the eye can see, punctuated with giant anthills, the odd cattle ranch and a smattering of thatched roofs, which announce the presence of an indigenous village. Here you can sling your hammock in the hospitable villages of Annai and Yupukari, linger in the friendly frontier town of Lethem or go wildlife-spotting from one of the local ecolodges. The savannah’s grasslands abound with giant anteaters and storks, while the many rivers are home to the black caiman, giant river otter and arapaima, the world’s biggest scaled freshwater fish.
The office of Visit Rupununi in Lethem (772 2227, visitrupununi.com) provides copious information about the vast region’s myriad tours and lodgings.
Iwokrama Research Centre and Canopy Walkway
The largely intact, 400-square-kilometre Iwokrama Rainforest contains three-quarters of the animal species in Guyana, with extraordinary biodiversity. An internationally funded project to study forest management and sustainable development, with participation from local indigenous communities, the Research Centre (225 1504, iwokrama.org) also has a tourism component. Besides the eight deluxe solar-powered riverside cabins (rooms US$178; meals US$58/day), more economical options include en-suite cabins for visiting biologists, botanists and journalists (US$74) and barracks with shared bath for trainees (US$54). Meals are served on the open-air upper level of the circular central building with magnificent views of the Essequibo River. Visits to nearby indigenous villages, night-time caiman spotting, and multi-day excursions into the jungle and up Turtle Mountain are all offered. Note that although rates for tours are reduced as group size increases, you must get approval to join a pre-arranged group.
A one-hour drive from the Research Centre is the Canopy Walkway (iwokramacanopywalkway.com), a 154m network of aluminium suspension bridges set amid the treetops, 30m from the forest floor. Its three observation platforms provide excellent vantage points to spot birds, howler monkeys and other fauna within the forest canopy – preferably at dusk or dawn, when animal life is at its most active. An overnight stay at the luxurious Atta Lodge, at the foot of the canopy walk trail, costs US$360 for a double room, including all meals, the canopy user fee and a trained guide (not including a “forest user fee” of US$15 per person). Day visitors pay G$5050. Booking in advance is vital. Alternatively, tours can be arranged from the Research Centre.
An ecotourism success story, Surama Village (548 9262, suramaecolodge.com) is a Makushi settlement of some 300 people and thatch-roofed huts connected by dusty paths at the foot of the Pakaraimas range, 45 minutes’ drive west of the Canopy Walkway. Located on the outskirts of the village, the ecolodge consists of four traditional benabs with windows screens and private bath (rooms G$3500/person), a new thatched cabin with four rooms, and the central benab/dining hall with an upper-level lounge where you can sway the night away in a hammock (G$1800), learn about medicinal plants from knowledgeable local guides, or hike up Surama Mountain (230m) and go wildlife-watching along the Burro Burro River. Alternatively, stay in one of the two basic camps along the river (G$1800) and go jungle trekking. A village tax of G$1500 is charged.
Independent travel in the interior
Independent travel in Guyana’s interior requires forward planning, time and flexibility, but it’s possible to visit all main attractions without having to go with a tour operator. Overland travel away from the Lethem–Georgetown highway is along Guyana’s many rivers, and boatmen need to be negotiated with over prices. If you can’t give them a specific date to be collected from where they drop you, it’s advisable to take a mobile phone for communication. To visit most native villages (barring Annai and Rupertee), you first have to get permission from either the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs office in Georgetown or its equivalent in Lethem. Book accommodation there in advance instead of just rocking up. If travelling overland, it is essential that you have your passport (or at least a photocopy) with you, as there are several police checkpoints in the interior.
By plane.
By minibus Georgetown–Lethem minibuses can stop en route at Annai or drop you at the turn-offs to Surama or the Iwokrama Research Centre and Canopy Walkway (make arrangements to be picked up from the turn-off or walk in). Since minibuses tend to overflow with passengers and luggage, to board a bus from a location in between Lethem and Georgetown, reserve a seat in advance, if possible, by calling the minibus company directly or through your lodgings. In most cases you can get a seat to the next point but you may have to pay full fare regardless of distance travelled, since passengers generally ride the entire length of the journey. That said, movement is seasonal so buses tend to fill up in one direction or the other.
By 4WD and boat There is no public transport from the main “highway” to remote lodges and villages, but all lodges can help you make arrangements to reach them. Otherwise, you may hire a 4WD with driver for around US$200/day –check with Rupununi Eco-Hotel or Hotel Amazonas in Lethem. In the rainy season, you will find yourself travelling more by motorboat.
By motorbike The least expensive way of getting around the Rupununi is on the back of someone’s motorbike. It’s usually possible to arrange onward transport by motorbike just by asking around. Several hours’ ride or hiring someone to take you around for a day will set you back no more than US$40. Keep in mind, though, that insurance won’t generally cover this option.
The first significant place you reach after emerging from the jungle is Annai, around 2km off the main road – a compact hilltop Makushi community of around six hundred people in the foothills of the Pakaraima mountain range. Dotted with giant shady trees, the lively village features several schools, a café where you can sample farine (a sort of cassava cereal), Radio Paiwomak (97.1 FM), which serving fifty communities throughout the North Rupununi, and a craft shop with carvings of local hardwoods as well as intricate woven goods and bows and arrows (still used for hunting in these parts).
Across the main road from the bus stop/gas station known as the Oasis is the start of the Panorama Nature Trail, which snakes up a forested hill with tree identification signs and plenty of benches; from the top there’s a splendid view of the savannah.
Treat yourself
Karanambu Lodge karanambutrustandlodge.org. Sitting in a clearing near the Rupununi River, this one-of-a-kind lodge consists of six luxurious cabins. Started by Diane McTurk—renowned for her work with orphaned giant river otters until her death in 2016, it is now managed by her nephew Edward and wife Melanie. Thanks to Diane’s efforts, the 110-square-mile area of savannah, wetlands and rainforest around the lodge has been conserved, and there’s a good chance of seeing jaguars, giant anteaters, tapirs and caimans during guided walks and river trips, not to mention the evening opening of giant water lilies. The meals are excellent, the rate is inclusive of everything and the staff are wonderful. Karanambu is 30min by boat from Caiman House, and many travellers combine visits to both places. Lethem-bound flights will land at the local airstrip with a minimum of five passengers. Cabañas US$225
Oasis 645 7750. The budget-friendly sister to Rock View Lodge is a 10min walk away. Just off the main road–though still peaceful – it’s a popular stop for minibuses. Comprises spacious, cheerily decorated en-suite rooms with mosquito nets, a hammock benab and simple, inexpensive meals. Their pepperpot is justly renowned. Doubles G$10000, hammocks G$1000
Rock View Lodge 645 9675 rockviewlodge.com. One of the North Rupununi’s original lodges, the Rock View has eight clean and comfortable en-suite rooms with hammock-laden verandas and is set in spacious grounds with spreading trees and a swimming pool. It is the creation of local hero Colin Edwards, who’ll show you his sustainable agriculture endeavours and arrange horse-riding and birding tours, including visits to nearby Wowetta to spot the rare cock-of-the-rock. Toothsome regional fare and local juices are served buffet-style in the cosy clubhouse. Ask about community rates. Doubles US$120, triples US$145
Yupukari is a hilltop village of around 500 mostly Makushi inhabitants, a couple of hours’ drive along a rutted dirt track from Annai; it’s also possible to reach it by boat along the Rupununi River from Ginep Landing, 21km west of Annai (2hr; US$120). The main attraction here is the Caiman House Field Station, whose purpose is to study the black caiman. If you’re lucky, you will join the local research crew in the evening when they go out to capture, weigh, measure and tag the fearsome creatures.
Caiman House 772 9291, rupununilearners.org. This guesthouse has en-suite rooms with mosquito nets, a hammock benab and some of the best home-cooked food in the savannah (meals are included). The place is a constant hub of activity, with knowledgeable Fernando to talk to and a lively learning centre for the local children next door (book donations welcome). Doubles US$95, hammocks US$60
With its wide dirt streets, unhurried pace of life and an everybody-knows-everybody feel, LETHEM is a fine place to linger en route to Brazil or Venezuela and a good base from which to launch your exploration of the southern Rupununi Savannah. Moco Moco and Kumu Falls (30min drive each) are both great for swimming, and you can live out your cowboy fantasy at the remote Dadanawa Ranch.
Lethem really comes alive during Easter weekend, when cowboys from all around (including Brazilian vaqueros) gather in town for bull-riding, calf-roping and stallion-taming competitions (book accommodation weeks in advance). February sees the Rupununi Music & Arts Festival with performances by indigenous artists and international guests.
By plane Two airlines fly between Lethem and Georgetown (4 departures daily, more during rainy season; 1hr to 1hr 30min), and their offices are located next to the airstrip. ASL will stop at Iwokrama, Surama and Annai on request (minimum five passengers). Ticket prices (one-way) cost around US$130–150. Check-in two hours before the flight. During the rainy season, when sections of the route become impassable, flying is sometimes the only mode of travel between Georgetown and Lethem.
By minibus Several minibus companies make the long, rough-and-tumble journey to Lethem (departing Georgetown 6pm, Lethem at 5pm; 18–20hr). Depending on the season, you may have to pay full fare to points in between. The Georgetown terminal of Carly’s Bus Service (699 1339) is at 57 Robb St; P&A (225 5058) is at 75 Church St. Aside from the paved stretch between Georgetown and Linden, the rest of the “highway” is unpaved and rutted, and the car ferry at Kurupukari runs only between 6am and 6pm; minibuses break their journey near the ferry dock; in the reverse direction, at Surama junction. Passengers may rent a hammock at either place (G$500) to get a few hours’ sleep before proceeding. Another service runs buses between Lethem and Annai (2hr 30min; G$2500) four days per week, departing from Betty’s Creole Corner.
Tourist information In Lethem, head for Visit Rupununi (Lot 164, 772 2227, visitrupununi.com), which shares its office/mission of sustainable tourism development with Conservation International. It’s in the roundabout with Andy’s General Store, which anyone can point you to.
Dadanawa Ranch 663 8888, rupununitrails.com. Situated against the dramatic backdrop of the Kanuku Mountains, this is the largest and most isolated ranch in Guyana, a 3hr drive southeast of Lethem. Grab a lasso and work the cattle with the ranch hands the traditional way. Other options include trekking, horseriding, nature walks, birdwatching, swimming and fishing. Meals included. US$240
Manari Ranch Eco-Lodge 668 2006. Nearest of the local ranches, a 15min drive north of Lethem, this makes a convenient option to experience the Rupununi, with ten comfortable rooms in the lodge. Otters splash around nearby Manari Creek, and such endemic rarities as the hoary-throated spinetail attract birders. US$220
Ori Hotel 772 2124 orihotel@yahoo.com The loveliest hotel in town, with friendly, indigenous staff and en-suite rooms (with fan or a/c) in tranquil gardens. The restaurant serves delicious Creole dishes. It’s a 15min walk west of the airstrip. G$5000
Takutu Hotel 772 2034. takutuhotel@gmail.com. Modern, central place, 5min from the airstrip, with spick-and-span, tiled en-suite rooms with a/c. It’s attached to a popular benab/bar beneath a spreading flame tree. G$6000
Three Sisters Snackette School St. Popular and welcoming cook shack serving Creole fare (cookup rice, saltfish, dal and so on) at tables out front (meals G$600–800). Mon–Fri & Sun 7.30am–8.30pm.
Wayka’s Barack Retreat Rd. Join Lethem’s Brazilian community at this churrascaria on the main road into town, featuring spit-grilled steaks and sausage (pay by weight) and a salad bar. Daily 11.30am–3.30pm
To get from Lethem to the Brazilian town of Bonfim, cross the Takutu River Bridge about 5km north of Lethem by taxi. Pick-ups from the airstrip to the crossing cost around G$1500. Taxis will stop at the Lethem immigration office for Guyanese immigration formalities, then take you across the border to the Brazilian town of Bomfin. Stamp in with the Federal Police, on the left as you come off the bridge. Beyond is a lot with the Customs office on the right. Across the way, buses pick up passengers for the ride to Boa Vista (4 daily; R$22), some 150km away, with connections to Manaus (Brazil) and Caracas (Venezuela).
GBTI bank in Lethem (Lot 121; Mon–Fri 8am–2pm) offers foreign currency exchange but may not have any reais available. Otherwise try the Hotel Amazonas (Lot 22, Barack Retreat Rd).
SURINAME, formerly Dutch Guiana, is South America’s smallest independent nation and has a lot in common with its neighbours – a brutal history of slavery, for one, but also of robust rebellion. Though it predominantly attracts tourists and volunteers from Holland, English-speaking travellers are also made to feel welcome. The capital, Paramaribo, is the most attractive city in the Guianas, with much of its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century wooden architecture still intact; it also makes a good base for visiting the former plantations nearby and river dolphin-watching on the Commewijne River.
While ecotourism is still in its fledgling state, and facing constant challenges (thirteen percent of Suriname’s land surface area is under official environmental protection but that hasn’t stopped illegal gold mining), there are dozens of excellent ecolodges along the Upper Suriname River that act as springboards for exploration of the unique indigenous and Saramaccan (Maroon) communities. There are great opportunities for hiking and wildlife watching at the Central Suriname Nature Reserve, while on the coast Galibi Nature Reserve offers the chance to observe giant sea turtles laying their eggs. If you’re short of time, Brownsberg Nature Park, near Paramaribo, gives you a taste of Suriname’s wilderness.
10,000 BC Suriname’s earliest inhabitants are thought to be the Surinen, after whom the country is named.
1498 Columbus sights Surinamese coast.
1602 Dutch begin to settle the land.
1651 England’s Lord Willoughby establishes first permanent settlement – Willoughbyland, with 1000 white settlers and 2000 slaves.
1654 Jews from Holland expelled from Brazil arrive, establishing plantations at Jodensavanne.
1667 Suriname becomes Dutch Guiana with the Treaty of Breda, after conquest of Willoughbyfort (now Fort Zeelandia) by Dutch Admiral Crynssen.
1700s–1800s Slavery under the Dutch particularly harsh, with rape, maiming and killing of slaves common. Many flee into the interior and form Maroon communities, conducting occasional murderous raids on the plantations and their owners.
1799 Suriname reconquered by the British.
1814 Suriname given back to Holland as part of the Treaty of Paris.
1853 Chinese plantation labourers arrive.
1863 Formal abolition of slavery (though slaves not released for another ten years as part of transition period).
1873 Labourers from India, and later Indonesia, arrive.
1941 US troops occupy Suriname to protect bauxite mines.
1949 First elections based on universal suffrage held.
1975 Suriname wins independence. 40,000 Surinamese emigrate to the Netherlands.
1980 Military coup led by Sergeant Major Dési Bouterse topples government. Socialist republic declared.
1982 Fifteen prominent leaders of re-democratization movement executed.
1986 Civil war begins between military government and Maroons, led by Bouterse’s former bodyguard, Ronnie Brunswijk. At least 39 unarmed inhabitants of the N’Dyuka Maroon village, Moiwana, mostly women and children, are murdered by military.
1987 Civilian government installed with new constitution for Republic of Suriname, but Bouterse remains in charge of army.
1990 Bouterse dismisses civilian government with phone call in “telephone coup”.
1991 Bouterse holds elections under international pressure. The New Front coalition wins; Ronald Venetiaan is elected president.
1996 National Democratic Party (founded by Bouterse in 1987) wins election.
1999 Bouterse convicted of drug smuggling in Holland in absentia.
2000 Venetiaan and the New Front coalition regain presidency (and again in 2006).
2004 Surinamese dollar introduced as currency.
2007 UN maritime border tribunal awards both Guyana and Suriname a share of the potentially oil-rich offshore basin under dispute.
2008 Trial begins of Bouterse and others accused of involvement in executions of opponents of military regime in 1982.
2010 Bouterse elected president.
2012 National Assembly clears president of charges for December ’82 executions.
2015 Bouterse re-elected unopposed.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (also known as Zanderij), two hours south of Paramaribo, receives direct flights from Aruba, Amsterdam, Belém (Brazil), Cayenne (French Guiana), Curaçao, Georgetown, Miami and Port of Spain (Trinidad). Zorg en Hoop, a smaller airport about fifteen minutes west of the capital, receives small domestic aircraft, as well as daily flights to and from Guyana.
From Georgetown it’s a three-hour bus ride to the ferry port at Moleson Creek, with one crossing per day (10am), then a three-hour bus to South Drain to Paramaribo.
Travellers from French Guiana must cross the Maroni River from St Laurent du Maroni to Albina by ferry or motorized canoe, before continuing the two-and-a-half-hour drive by minibus or taxi to Paramaribo.
Visas are required for all visitors except nationals from CARICOM countries, and a few Asian and South American countries. Visitors may apply for a Tourist Card, valid for thirty days, single entry only (US$35). Tourist Cards may be obtained at Paramaribo airport (Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport) on arrival, whereas overland travellers need to secure theirs in advance at the consulates in Guyana and French Guiana; processing takes around twenty minutes. For stays of longer than thirty days or multiple entry, visas must be obtained (from US$45), which may not be processed on the same day for certain nationalities. For updated information on visa requirements, check surinameembassy.org.
While commuting around the capital and outlying areas is reasonably easy, there are no major highways in Suriname except for the Oost–Westverbinding (East–West Highway) that runs between Albina and Nieuw Nickerie. Scheduled state-run buses and private minibuses run to most destinations on or near this conduit, though for the remote interior you’ll need to travel by 4WD, small plane or motorized dugout canoe (or a combination of all three); it’s often cheaper and easier to go as part of a tour.
There are some scheduled internal flights to such destinations as Botopasie and Djumu, but tour operators tend to charter planes to visit parks and reserves, and this limits their frequency to the number of tourists wishing to make a trip.
Brightly decorated, crowded private minibuses are numbered and run along assigned routes both between the capital and smaller cities near the coast, and to Paramaribo’s neighbourhoods. These don’t leave until they are full, but are more frequent than the scheduled state-run services and stop wherever you want along the road. Journeys may be of the sardine-tin variety; shared taxis are a more comfortable option. The plainer NVB state-run buses (staatsbus; nvbnv.sr) have a dedicated bus station, follow a schedule and use bus stops.
Shared taxis (generally private minivans) run to Albina and Nickerie. Your guesthouse can recommend a reliable operator.
Navigating the Suriname and Commewijne rivers around Paramaribo is done by public ferry. They cross the water at specific points, and fees for journeys to other towns along the rivers’ banks can be negotiated at the docks, where boatmen wait for customers. NVB also runs boat services, notably along the Upper Suriname, recognisable by their yellow flags.
Accommodation in Paramaribo consists of guesthouses and mid-range hotels, some in historic wooden buildings. Almost all rooms will come equipped with running water, fans and mosquito nets.
If you travel into the interior, you’re likely to stay in lodges in Suriname’s nature parks and reserves, which vary from rustic (a place to hang your hammock and shared facilities) to the more luxurious (en-suite rooms with mosquito nets). This is usually on an all-inclusive basis and bookings are best made through tour operators.
STINASU, Suriname’s nature conservation organization, maintains basic lodges at Brownsberg, Raleighvallen and Galibi.
Crossing between Suriname and Guyana
Getting to Guyana involves crossing the Corantijn (Corentyne) River on the Canawaima ferry, with daily departures at 10am (SRD113 single) from South Drain, an hour west of Nickerie. The gate closes an hour before departure. Taxis will collect you from your Nickerie hotel and take you to the ferry (SRD150). Numerous minibuses make the early morning journey from Paramaribo to catch the 10am boat (3hr; SRD100); some minibus companies work in partnership with Guyanese tour companies. You will need time to clear customs and a valid passport. Once you arrive at Moleson Creek, Guyana, you must clear customs again and get your passport stamped before taking one of the waiting minibuses for the three-hour journey to Georgetown (G$2500). There is no currency exchange or ATM at South Drain or Moleson Creek, but euros or US$ (preferably the latter) can be easily exchanged at either location with unofficial (and costly) moneychangers for Suriname/Guyanese dollars, respectively. If going from Guyana to Suriname, most minibus companies pick up passengers at around 4–4.30am in order to arrive an hour before the 10am ferry to Suriname. Note: Guyana is an hour behind Suriname.
Food in Suriname is inexpensive, tasty and influenced by its ethnically diverse population. Informal Javanese (Indonesian) eateries known as warungs (notably in the Blauwgrond district of Paramaribo), and Hindustani roti shops sit alongside Chinese, sushi, European-style and Creole restaurants. Meals cost around SRD25–35.
Kip (chicken) is very popular and typical Surinamese dishes include moksie alesie (rice, beans, chicken and vegetables) and pom (chicken baked with a root vegetable). Indonesian specialities include saoto (chicken soup, beansprouts, potatoes and a boiled egg), bami (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice). Two tasty peanut-based dishes are pindasoep, made with tom-tom (plantain noodles), and petjil, a salad of greens and sprouts topped with a rich peanut sauce. Bakabanna (plantain slices, dipped in a pancake batter and fried) is an established crowd-pleaser. Traditional Dutch favourites like bitterballen (breaded and fried minced meat balls) and poffertjes (sugared pancakes) are plentiful. If travelling in the interior, you may well get to try various game dishes.
Suriname produces some of the Caribbean’s best rum, and both Borgoe and Black Cat brands are worth a try; the lethal 90 percent proof stuff is usually used to mix cocktails. Imported and local beer (Parbo is the very drinkable local tipple of choice), soft drinks and bottled water are widely available, as is dawet, a very sweet, pink concoction of coconut milk and lemongrass.
Suriname’s diverse population is 27 percent Hindustani (the local term for East Indian); eighteen percent Creole (people of mixed European and African origin); fifteen percent Javanese (Indonesian); fifteen percent Maroon (Bush Negro). Various indigenous groups comprise around three percent of the population. The main religions are Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.
The official language in Suriname is Dutch but the common language is Sranan Tongo (Surinamese Creole), also known as Taki-Taki. Several Maroon languages, including Saramaccan and Aukan, are spoken, as are indigenous languages such as Carib. A reasonable number of people speak some English, particularly in Paramaribo. Always ask permission before taking pictures of people, buildings and sacrificial areas when visiting Maroon villages. For tipping, ten percent is the norm if a service charge hasn’t been included.
Internet/wi-fi is available in many hotels/guesthouses, mostly free of charge.
The country code is 597. To use your mobile phone, get it unlocked, then purchase a Telesur or Digicel SIM card (SRD30) and request top-ups at outlets or stores.
Postal services are provided by the Central Post Office, Surpost, near at Kerkplein.
Locals are proud of saying that tourists can walk safely from one end of Paramaribo to the other at night. Take this with a pinch of salt; as in most cities, burglary, armed robbery and other petty crime does take place. Avoid flaunting valuables and don’t walk down inadequately lit streets after dark.
Travel to the interior is usually without incident. Be careful on the roads, as drivers can be reckless, and mopeds, scooters and motorcycles always have the right of way. Pedestrians are marginalized and, pavements, where they exist, often become parking lots.
Medical care is limited, though most communities you’re likely to visit have a clinic or hospital. In Paramaribo, St Vincentius Ziekenhuis (Koninginnestraat 4; 471 212, svzsuriname.org) has 24-hour emergency room service as well as general practitioners who speak English. Drink bottled water where possible. Insect repellent is essential as there are reported cases of mosquito-borne dengue and Zika fever. Consult your doctor regarding the various vaccinations required, which include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus-diphtheria and rabies.
surinametourism.sr The Suriname Tourism Foundation has information on what to do, where to stay and how to get around in Suriname.
planktonik.com/birdingsuriname Authoritative guide for birdwatchers, with details on prime destinations.
stinasu.sr The site of Suriname’s conservation organization lists and describes the country’s protected areas.
For information and to pick up a copy of Suriname’s Destination Guide, visit the Toeristen Informatie Centrum in Paramaribo. Vaco bookstore in Paramaribo offers a good selection of city and regional maps.
The unit of currency is the Suriname dollar (SRD), which comes in 5, 10, 20, 50 and (rare) 100 notes and 5, 10, 25, 100 and 250 cent coins. Prices are often given in euros, which are readily accepted (as are US$), and cambios (money exchanges) offer better exchange rates than banks. Major credit cards are accepted by most tour operators and in some restaurants and hotels in Paramaribo. Some ATMs in Paramaribo accept foreign bankcards; elsewhere ATMs are sparse, so carry extra cash. At the time of writing, €1=SRD9.25, US$1=SRD7.47 and £1=SRD10.62.
Banks are open Monday to Friday 7am to 2.30pm. Government institutions operate Monday to Friday 7am to 3pm. Shops and other businesses open Monday to Friday 8am–4.30pm, Saturday 8am–1pm.
January 1 New Year’s Day
February (date varies) Chinese New Year
February 25 Day of Liberation and Innovation
March Holi Phagwa (Hindu festival; date varies)
March/April (varies) Good Friday
March/April (varies) Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
July 1 Keti Koti (Emancipation Day)
August 9 Indigenous People’s Day; Javanese Immigration Day
October 10 Day of the Maroons
Mid-October to mid-November Diwali (Hindi festival of lights; date varies)
November 25 Srefidensi. Independence Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day
Eid-al-Fitre (Muslim festival; date varies)
Other festivities include the Brazilian carnival (Feb); Suriname Heritage Festival (March); Suriname Jazz Festival (Oct); and Surifesta, the end of year festival (Dec). On New Year’s Eve (Oase Owru Yari Dyugu Dyugu) there is a spectacular fireworks display in the capital.
PARAMARIBO (“Parbo” to the locals) is arguably the most appealing of the three Guyanese capitals. Reflecting its role as the administrative, much fought-over capital of the Guianas during the colonial era, the streets in Parbo’s core are lined with attractive eighteenth- and nineteenth-century colonial Dutch, British, Spanish and French wooden buildings, earning it UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002. Brave the bustle and chaos of the market, then take refuge from the heat in the beautiful palm tree grove that is Palmentuin, and at sunset head for the riverfront near historic Fort Zeelandia.
Paramaribo’s Old Town is best explored at an unhurried pace. Some of the finest examples of classic wooden buildings, whether restored or delapidated, stand along the Waterkant, Mr De Mirandastraat and Mr F.H.R. Lim A Postraat. It’s easy to organize cycling tours of nearby plantations, as well as river dolphin-spotting on the Commewijne River.
Onafhankelijkheidsplein and around
The centrepiece of the historic inner city is Onafhankelijkheidsplein (Independence Square), an expanse of lawn near the Waterkant overlooked by a statue of a rather rotund Johan Adolf Pengel (former prime minister), behind him the atypically brick Ministry of Finance, and on its north side by the grand Presidential Palace.
Early on Sunday mornings (around 7–8am) Independence Square plays host to competitive bird-singing contests, weather permitting. Here, picolets and twa twas are persuaded to sing in turns, the winning bird earning a payout for its owner.
The tree-shaded colonial buildings of Fort Zeelandia overlook the Suriname River. One of the darkest spots in the fort’s recent history was the 1982 “December murders”, when fifteen prominent Surinamese citizens were executed by the military. Today it houses the Surinaams Museum (Tues–Fri 9am–2pm, Sun 10am–2pm; SRD25; tours Sun at 10.30am & noon; surinaamsmuseum.net), its exhibits ranging from displays on the coffee and sugar trade and old potion bottles and other medical memorabilia, to original Hindi, Javanese and Jewish artefacts and relics of slavery such as metal punishment collars. Upstairs exhibits highlight Suriname’s indigenous cultures with displays of traditional weaving and weaponry (the only section labelled in English).
Making rum has been a Surinamese tradition for centuries, and at the Surinaamsch Rumhuis, Cornelis Jongbawstraat 18 (Tues–Fri 9.30am–2.30pm, free; tours at 10am & 2.30pm, US$15; 473 344, rumhuis.sr), you can visit its well-designed interactive museum then sample the product at the attractive, barrel-shaped bar. The rum brands produced at the distillery next door are Borgoe, Black Cat and Mariënburg, and tastings usually include a good mix – from the lethal ninety-percent proof white rum to the venerable 15-year-old Borgoe. Mixology classes are offered, too.
An imposing yellow and cobalt-blue edifice made entirely of wood, the neo-Gothic, twin-towered St Peter and Paul Cathedral on Henck Arronstraat (Mon–Fri 6am–1.30pm, Sat & Sun 8.30am–noon, tours in English by request) was elevated to the status of basilica by Pope Francis in 2014. The airy interior is beautiful, with intricately carved columns and scenes of the Passion of the Christ and the Resurrection. A couple of blocks west, on Keizerstraat, a mosque and synagogue stand happily side by side.
By plane Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (Zanderij) receives flights from the Netherlands, Trinidad, Brazil, Aruba and the US, as well as thrice-weekly flights from French Guiana. The smaller Zorg en Hoop Airport is for domestic and Guyana flights. Airport transfers with Ashruf (garage-ashruf.com) and De Paarl (garagedepaarl.com) take around 2hr and cost SRD90; book in advance. Taxis from JAPI into town cost SRD200. From Zorg en Hoop, minibus line #9 passes near the airport and drops you at Steenbakkerijstraat (SRD1.85). Taxis from Zorg en Hoop cost SRD30 and take about 15min.
Destinations Scheduled domestic flights operated by Blue Wing (bluewingairlines.com) depart to destinations on the Upper Suriname (Botopasie, Djumu, Kajana three times weekly provided there are at least four passengers, while Gum Air (gumair.com) flies to Drietabbetje (on the Tapanhony River near the border with French Guiana) on Wednesdays. Trans Guyana Airways (transguyana.net) flies from Zorg en Hoop to Guyana (2 daily Mon–Fri, 1 daily Sat & Sun; 1hr 20min).
By minibus State-run NVB buses (wnvbnv.sr) operate out of a terminal between Heiligenweg and Knuffelsgracht. Arrive at least an hour in advance to get a number from the ticket office; you then present the number to the minibus driver and pay for your seat when you board. NVB offers service to/from Nieuw Nickerie (2 daily except Sun; 3hr; SRD12.50), Albina (3 daily, 1 Sun 3–4hr; SRD8.50), Lelydorp (frequent or hourly; 1 hr) and Atjoni (various operators depart around 9am; 2hr). In addition, #PN minibuses to/from South Drain (Guyana river crossing) and Nieuw Nickerie (3hr; SRD70) depart when they’re full from Dr Sophie Redmondstraat (the spot is known locally as “Ondrobon”); to Albina (2hr 30min; SRD50). #PA buses use a lot on Drambrandersgracht at F Derbystraat, west of the centre. Various operators to Atjoni (linked to boats on the Upper Suriname) depart around 9am from Saramaccastraat (2hr; SRD60). Private minibuses such as Skyline (331 117) have a reciprocal arrangement with minibus companies in Guyana, so you can buy a ticket all the way to Georgetown.
Destinations Albina (3–4hr); Atjoni (2hr); Nieuw Nickerie and South Drain (3hr).
By taxi To and from South Drain shared taxis cost SRD65–200 depending on passenger numbers (3hr). Taxis to Albina (for the French Guiana border crossing) cost SRD70–200 depending on passenger numbers (3hr). Fany’s (891 1600) is one reliable operator to Nickerie, the women-driven Femaleline (862 7495, femalelinevoyages@gmail.com) to Albina.
By bicycle Fietsen in Suriname, at Grote Combewég 13a (520 781, fietseninsuriname.com), rents Gazelle bicycles from Holland, both fixed and multi-gear, from SRD45/day (plus €50 deposit). Keep in mind that, although a handful of Dutch cyclists ply the streets with gusto, cycling is not especially popular among the locals and can be hazardous. Watch out for ditches along the sides of roads.
By bus The larger, cheaper but less frequent scheduled state buses (staatsbus) leave from the bus station at Knuffelsgracht 10. Fares in and around Paramaribo cost SRD1.30.
By taxi Taxis wait for passengers along Heiligenweg, near the Central Market (Waterkant). A spate of reliable metered taxi services can be summoned by dialling their four-digit numbers: 1660, 1689, 1690. Trips within the city should cost SRD10–12.
Tourist information The Toeristen Informatie Centrum is at Fort Zeelandia Complex, Waterkant 1 (Mon–Fri 8am–3.30pm; 479 200). Staff are very helpful, speak English and provide free maps.
Albergo Alberga Mr F.H.R. Lim A Postraat 13 520 050, guesthousealbergoalberga.com; map. Lovely nineteenth-century wooden house in the city centre with a button-sized swimming pool. Rooms (some with a/c) vary in size and fragrance; sniff around before checking in. €26
Greenheart Hotel Costerstraat 68 521 360, greenheart-hotel.com; map. This excellent-value guesthouse was resurrected from an abandoned structure by its Dutch owner, who used tropical hardwoods for the broad verandas and high-ceilinged rooms. The restaurant/bar, attached to a sweet little pool, makes a good retreat for locally inspired cuisine. SRD606
Guesthouse TwenTy4 Jessurunstraat 24 420 751, twenty4suriname.com; map. One of the best deals around, this comfortable, smartly designed guesthouse stands beside a creek on a peaceful street. Rooms (most en-suite) are neat and spacious, and some have terrific balconies. Friendly staff can help arrange tours, and breakfast is served. €27.50
De Kleine Historie Guesthouse Dr J.C. De Mirandastraat 8 521 007, dekleinehistorieguesthouse.com; map. Half a block from the riverfront in the heart of the historic district, this vintage wooden house has spiffy compact rooms (shared bath) and broad balconies, plus an attached café. €30
Un Pied-À-Terre Guesthouse Costerstraat 59 470 488, guesthouse-un-pied-a-terre.com; map. Just down the street from, and related to, Greenheart Hotel, this finely restored old house run by a Dutch-French Caribbean couple has a homely, low-key ambience. Breezy verandas, four-poster beds, beers on the honour system and breakfast from €4. Alternatively, hang a hammock (don’t forget your mosquito net) in the tranquil rear garden; lockers are provided for your belongings. Rooms €27, hammocks €10
Zin Resort Van Rooseveltkade 20 472 224, zinresort.sr; map. Suitably across the way from Embassy of the Netherlands, this off-street resort is frequented by a youthful Dutch clientele, who lounge around its sizeable pool. The 21 rooms are classed as “basic” or “deluxe” but all have Euro-standard comforts. €30
Zus & Zo Grote Combéweg 13a 520 905, zusenzosuriname.com; map. Opposite the Palementuin, the traveller hub of Parbo comprises several compact, brightly painted rooms with shared bath, helpful staff, tour agency, and one of the best chillout spots in town. Book in advance as it fills up quickly. €30
Unless you have a lot of time to spare, you’ll need a tour operator for excursions into the interior. In the off-season, tour operators work together and share customers in order to make up minimum group numbers.
Fietsen in Suriname Grote Combéweg 13a 520 781, fietseninsuriname.nl. Cycling tours of the Commewijne plantations, mountain biking and cycling/canoeing expeditions.
METS Dr J. F. Nassylaan 2 477 088, mets.sr. One of the longest-running, reputable operators; specializes in visits to the interior and manages jungle lodges in Awarradam, Kasikasima and Palumeu, but also does day-trips around Parbo.
STINASU Cornelis Jongbawstraat 14 476 597, stinasu.sr. National conservation authority leads budget-priced overnight tours to Central Suriname Nature Reserve, Galibi and Brownsberg, where it maintains lodges. They can also inform you about the soonest available tours to those destinations by other operators.
Suriname Rainforest & Cultural Experience Dr J. F. Nassylaan 38 866 40 30 upper-suriname.com. Organizes “lodge-hopping” tours on the Upper Suriname.
Waterproof Tours Venusstraat 26 454 434 waterproofsuriname.com. Renowned for its sunset dolphin-spotting cruises and “Sugar Trail” tours of Commewijne plantations.
Treat yourself
Spice Quest Dr J.F. Nassylaan 107 520 747; map. Stylish restaurant set in a tropical garden with a lovely ambience. You’ll find yourself paying over the odds for Vietnamese spring rolls, crispy Chinese duck and various fusion dishes, but it’s all delicious and beautifully presented. Mains around US$25. Mon 6–11pm, Tues–Sun 11am–3pm & 6–11pm.
You can eat well in Parbo, its mix of cultures reflected in the capital’s diverse cuisine. The cheapest options are the warungs (Javanese restaurants) on the lower level of the Central Market – ten in a row – extremely simple places where a plate of chicken, rice, greens and brown beans will get you change from SRD20.
Anthony’s Corner Domineestraat 44; map. Downtown shoppers crowd this high-volume sandwich maker, with a daily lunch menu (SRD12). Mon–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat 7am–1pm.
La Cuisine Tourtonnelaan 50 425 656; map. Tasty home-cooked Creole fare is served with a variety of local greens. The dining terrace is shielded from the traffic by a wall of ferns. Meals around SRD45. Mon–Sat 11am–10pm.
Eetcafé de Gadri Zeelandiaweg 1 420 688; map. Generous portions of Creole and Indonesian food (SRD29-45), served at tables overlooking the Suriname River. Mon–Fri 7am–10pm & Sat 11am–10pm.
Grand Roopram Roti Zwartehovenbrugstraat 23; map. Visit for generous portions of roti (Indian pancake) stuffed with various curried meats (or vegetables) with all the trimmings for SRD23. Daily 8am–11pm. Another location at Watermolenstraat 37 (daily 8am–3pm).
Jiji’s SMS Pier Waterkant 887 1555; map. This upper-level dining spot at the west end of the Waterkant drinking stalls enjoys a supremely romantic location overlooking the river. The food is a melange of Surinamese and international dishes. Meals around SRD80 with some SRD50 combos. Daily 6–11pm.
Jomax Tourtonnelaan 32 890 8767; map. A Dutch-style eetcafe with eclectic decor and Dutch snacks (bitterballen, frikandel), great quesadillas and some vegan dishes, served on a beachy terrace. The invariably festive vibe is perhaps due to the original cocktail mixology classes offered. Meals SRD60–80. Daily 5pm–midnight.
Souposo Costerstraat 20a; map. Soup takes centre stage here with Creole, Dutch, Indian and Chinese variations daily, plus eclectic salads and terrific natural juice combos. All sorts of characters gather in the rear garden. Soups around SRD30. Mon–Sat 10am–11pm.
Zus & Zo Grote Combéweg 13a 520 905; map. This garden café serves international tapas (grilled plantain, sate, patatas bravas) as well as more substantial mains (SRD60) – noodles, grilled meats and more, accompanied by tangy ginger juice and Parbo beer. The little stage hosts live music at weekends. Daily 9am–11pm.
Join the beer guzzlers at the stalls along along the riverfront, open round the clock. The ones on the west end prepare grilled meats and Javanese snacks. Nightlife action focuses on the strip of Kleine Waterstraat opposite the Torarica Hotel.
D’Bar Kleine Dwarsstraat 1 dbarsuriname.com; map. With a sleek bar and copious rum selection, the narrow space is a magnet for Parbo youth. Daily 8pm–2am.
Euphoria Kleine Waterstraat 5 euphoria-nightclub.com; map. Strobe-lit dancehall over a popular restaurant, major DJ events. Mon–Fri 7am–3pm, Sat 7am–1pm.
't Vat Kleine Waterstraat 1a; map. Anchor of the nightlife zone, the sprawling hall buzzes round the clock, fuelled by cocktails and reasonably priced snacks. Daily 24hr.
The main downtown shopping zone is along Domineestraat and parallel Maagdenstraat. Times Mall is the main downtown shopping centre. On Sundays, it’s worth checking out the flea market (8am–1pm) along Tourtonnelaan – as much for the people-watching as for the merchandise, mostly clothing being hawked from backs of cars.
Jerusalem Bazaar Saramacca St 42; map. Huge shop stocking all kinds of hammocks (and mosquito nets).
Markets On Waterkant, west of the SMS pier, is the vast Central Market (Mon–Fri 6am–4pm, Sat 6am–2pm), where you can shop for all manner of fresh produce in the pungent semi-gloom. The upper level is dominated by Hindi vendors of household goods, clothing and fabrics. At an adjacent building to the left, Maroon women sell all manner of herbs, leaves and barks as cleansing remedies.
Readytex Art Gallery Steenbakkerijstraat 30 readytexartgallery.com; map. Four stories of locally produced art in a historic building.
Vaco Domineestraat 26; map. Good selection of English popular fiction and Suriname maps.
Banks and exchange Republique Bank’s “Blue Machines” accept most foreign cards; they can be found around town, notably on Kerkplein. A reliable cambio is Surora Exchange, at Henck Arronstraat 57.
Embassies and consulates Brazil, Maratakastraat 2 (400 200); Canada, Grote Combéweg 37 (424 575); France, Henck Arronstraat 82 (475 222); Guyana, Gravenstraat 82 (477 895); Netherlands, Van Rooseveltkade 5 (477 211); US, Kristalstraat 165 (475 222).
Pharmacies Apotheek MacDonald, at Tourtonnelaan 29.
From Paramaribo you can do numerous interesting day-trips; some destinations are reachable by public transport or by bike, whereas others are more easily accomplished by organized tours.
About 130km south of Paramaribo on the Mazaroni Plateau, BROWNSBERG NATURE PARK (SRD35) can be visited from Paramaribo as a very long day-trip. On a lucky day, you might see howler and spider monkeys, deer, agouti, and birds such as woodpeckers, macaws and parrots. There are also fine views from the plateau of the rainforest and the vast Van Blommestein Lake (aka Brokopondo), created to provide electricity for the Alcoa aluminium industry (which resulted in the displacement of several Maroon villages). All the tour companies offer day-trips to the reserve (US$60), with transport, lunch and a hike to one of the three waterfalls included (bring your bathing suit); contact STINASU to find out who’s going next.
If you’d rather go independently, STINASU can arrange transport (SRD250 per person return with a minimum of five). STINASU operates a lodge on the plateau comprised of several buildings with shared kitchens (rooms from SRD200 for up to four), as well as primitive hammock facilities (SRD50), and there’s a restaurant.
The region around Parbo, once packed with highly profitable sugar-cane plantations and rum distilleries, is navigable by bicycle and makes for a great day-trip. Fietsen in Suriname (p.666) can help with maps and independent trip planning and produces a route booklet (Dutch only). Cycle northeast along the river road (Anton Drachtenweg) to Leonsburg (10km) and put your bike on a motorboat to Nieuw Amsterdam (SRD30). Picnic on the riverfront (Chinese supermarkets and roadside smoked fish vendors can provide supplies) or cycle on to Marienburg (5km) where a guide will show you around a plantation that produced sugar and rum until as recently as 1998 – the abandoned, rusted machinery (made in Liverpool) looks far older. From Marienburg take a ferry to the north bank of the Commewijne River, where there are functioning plantations, notably at Rust en Werk, and the resort at Frederiksdorp where you can get lunch. Returning you might take the east bank of the Suriname River by following Commissaris Thurkoweg to Meerzorg. From the rotunda follow Weg Naar Peperpot west to the ferry, which carries you and your bike back to Waterkant. The complete route is around 30km of cycling.
Suriname and Commewijne rivers
Paramaribo stands on the banks of the Suriname River, which joins Commewijne River a short distance east. The area is littered with the remnants of plantations (alongside a few working ones) and colonial architecture. Peperpot is an old coffee and cocoa plantation that’s great for birdwatching, and includes a small museum (daily 8am–5pm; SRD20). The Mopentibo Trail cuts right through the cool, moist interior of the plantation with interpretive signs – a delight to cycle (no need to backtrack as there are entrances at either end). Across the Commewijne from Mariënburg, Frederiksdorp (SRD25 to tour the grounds), founded in 1747 as a coffee plantation, has stone and wooden buildings that have been fully renovated and converted into a delightful hotel and restaurant, the Plantage Resort (424 522, wplantagefrederiksdorp.com). The star-shaped Fort Nieuw Amsterdam (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6pm; SRD15) is located at the meeting point of the Commewijne and Suriname rivers. An entertaining open-air museum occupies the southern half of the fort, with exhibitions held in the former jail cells and the impressive American World War II cannons. The top of the star (free entry) commands views of the confluence with some rickety observation posts, highly suitable for birdwatching.
North of Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, near the mouth of Suriname River, is Matapica Beach, a reserve to protect the nesting places of the sea turtles. Nowadays, much of the beach has eroded and the sands shifted west to Braamspunt, where green turtles visit the shores to lay their eggs between February and May, leatherbacks between April and July. It is also the habitat of many species of waterfowl.
Plantage Resort at Frederiksdorp offers reasonably priced tours, whether you’re staying there or not, including cycling to Rust & Werk, moonlight turtle-watching and cruises along the Suriname River to spot pink dolphins. Otherwise you can go by bike (see above), either as a group tour or solo, or by public transport, most easily from the bus terminal at Meerzorg, with frequent departures to Peperpot, Nieuw Amsterdam and Mariënburg. To get there from Parbo, catch one of the frequent motorboats from Plattebrug.
Located east of Lelydorp, the Neioptropical Butterfly Park (Mon–Sat 8.30am–3.30pm, Sun 9am–2pm; SRD80; butterflyparksuriname.com) is part of a farm that breeds butterflies (and turtles and snakes) for export. Plan on spending the day: besides the elaborately landscaped butterfly garden, which contains the twenty species bred here including the owl butterfly and blue morphos, there’s an outstanding insect museum and a panoramic painting of Suriname’s environments. A tour takes you through the butterfly breeding process. To get to the park, take a PL bus from Zwartenhovenbrugstraat in Paramaribo to Lelydorp centre, from where it’s a 2km walk or taxi ride along Lelydorperweg.
Though easily bypassed if you’re taking a direct minibus between the border and Paramaribo, Nieuw Nickerie, with its orderly grid of palm tree-lined canals, is worth an overnight stay, if only to visit Bigipan, a coastal lagoon known for its abundance of birds, particularly the scarlet ibis. Various tours depart from the Longmay dock on the Nickerie River east of town and ply an 8km mangrove-lined channel to reach Bigipan. It’s best to spend the night at one of the lodges that stand on stilts in the lagoon and provide dusk tours to observe the incredible birdlife. At Mantje’s (868 4809; SRD500 per person), the rate includes accommodation in ramshackle rooms or on a hammock platform, meals, transport to and from the lagoon and evening tour.
Nickerie is reachable by NVB state buses and private minibuses from Paramaribo (3hr) and by minibus from South Drain (1hr). Taxis to South Drain cost SRD150 and will pick you up early from your hotel to catch the morning ferry to Guyana.
Hotel Concorde R. B. Wilhelminastrat 3 232 345, hotelconcordmhf@yahoo.com. A great deal, this hotel opposite the port boasts old-fashioned style and comforts. Go for one of the upper-level rooms, some with balconies. SRD165
One of Suriname’s highlights is a tour up the Suriname River, leading deep into the forested interior. A journey there combines traditional African culture with natural wonders, and it’s relatively easy and affordable to access independently.
The river winds almost 100km from Atjoni, the end of the road below the Brokopondo Reservoir, to the jungle lodge at Awarradam. Along its length it is dotted with dozens of villages populated by Saramaccan Maroons, descendants of runaway plantation slaves who fled deep into the jungle in the early eighteenth century. Long boats convey passengers along a succession of bends, interrupted at points by treacherous rapids which may test the navigational skills of the boatmen, particularly when going upriver. Scenes of village life unfold along the banks between stretches of wilderness – a slice of Africa in the depths of the Surinamese jungle. Women still carry large loads on their heads, and the Saramaccan tongue spoken is based on the dialects spoken in Ghana over three hundred years ago; though Christianity has made inroads, most of the villages still follow ancestral animist religions and practise traditional dance, which you may be able to see – and participate in. A museum devoted to Saramaccan culture is located at Pikin Slee, a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride upriver from Atjoni. Many settlements are linked by good footpaths that are ideal for nature walks and birdwatching.
There are more than twenty low-key ecolodges of varying degrees of cost and comfort up the river. Most lodges can arrange guides to take you wildlife-spotting along the river, swimming in the nearby rapids and to the Saramaccan villages. With daily public boat transport, it is entirely possible to “lodge hop”, though it’s essential to contact the lodges beforehand. All of the lodges are catalogued on the website of the Association of Saramaccan Lodge Holders (upper-suriname.com). Better still, visit the office of Suriname Rainforest & Cultural Experience in Paramaribo beforehand and they can help you make arrangements.
An information booth at Atjoni (861 7409), the river port at the end of the road, can give you up-to-date details on lodge availability and river transport. Note that supplies are sparse and expensive up the river; those planning to do self-catering should stock up in Atjoni.
The cheapest way to approach the Upper Suriname is to take a bus to Atjoni (SRD60, 2hr), departing around 9am from Saramacca Street in Parbo, then get rides on public boats up the river.
By plane There are airstrips at Botopasie, Nieuw Aurora, Djumu and Kajana. Blue Wing (bluewingairlines.com) has scheduled flights three times weekly provided there are at least four passengers.
By boat Boat departures, both private and NVB (recognizable by their yellow flags), are generally linked to bus arrivals, with most boats departing upriver around or before 2pm. Going as far as Djumu, they stop by request at villages and lodges along the way, including Gunsi (SRD70; 1hr) and Pikin Slee (SRD100, 2hr 30min).
Tour operators Trips to Awarradam are booked through METS, which offers four-/five-day stays, departing Mon & Fri. Suriname Rainforest & Cultural Experience, linked to the lodge-holders association, sets up river tours and accommodations based on your time/budget/interests.
Awarradam Jungle Lodge 477 088, mets.sr. Located on an island in the Gran Rio, about 20km upriver from Djumu, the lodge consists of a number of self-contained huts with mosquito nets owned by and run by members of a local Saramaccan village. It generally accommodates visitors on four- or five-day tours (US$645) organized by METS.
Hotel Botopassei 896 8157, botopasi.com. On the wilder east bank, Dutch-run slightly upmarket Botopassie is at a picturesque bend in the river, and it’s one of the few spots on the Upper Suriname where you can get a cappuccino. Paths lead through a patch of jungle behind the lodge. You can stay in the main house or one of the cabins, set slightly back from the river. With meals. €80
Koto Hati Lodge Foetoenakaba 878 2879, kotohati.com. Near the neat, Christianized village of Foetoenakaba, this serene spot has lovingly kept thatched-roof en-suite cabins facing a serene stretch of the river. A broad path leads to the nearby village of Pikin Slee with the Saramacca Museum. With meals per person SRD125
Kumalu Dream Island 866 40 30, marcel.chandoesing@gmail.com. One of the river’s original lodges, Kumalu occupies an islet across the river from the village of Djumu, on the Pikin Rio at its confluence with the Gran Rio. It’s an appealing spot for lounging and appreciating the river views, with en-suite cabins and hammock huts. Tours are offered to the waterfalls and natural pools at Tapawutra by the mouth of the Gran Rio. Rooms with meals SRD250, hammocks SRD75
Tei Wei Gunsi 882 8998, gunsiteiwei.wordpress.com. Just downriver from the fearsome Felulasidan rapids, Tei Wei has simple stilted huts with porches on a hillside overlooking a placid stretch of the river. One of the best-value places on the Upper Suriname, it is near the village of Gunsi, about an hour upriver from Atjoni. Rooms with meals SRD275
The Central Suriname Nature Reserve
Occupying nine percent of Suriname, the Central Suriname Nature Reserve is a diverse and popular destination for single- to multi-day trips into the interior. Though illegal gold-mining is rife and poorly controlled, it is nevertheless a staggeringly beautiful part of the country, home to diverse fauna such as spider monkeys, ocelot and the world’s largest-known species of the cock-of-the-rock bird. Highlights include Ralleighvallen (Raleigh Falls) and Voltzberg mountain.
Visitors stay at the basic lodge on Foengoe Island next to Ralleighvallen, reachable either by short flight (50min) or five hours overland. Tours can be organized through STINASU, which runs the lodge, or Waterproof Tours, among others.
Situated in the northeastern corner of Suriname at the mouth of the Maroni River, the GALIBI NATURE RESERVE is a major nesting ground for leatherback and green turtles between February and July. Several tour operators, including METS, run two- to three-day trips to Galibi (€180–295), which involve a bus ride to Albina, followed by a three-hour boat ride down the Marowijne river to the indigenous village of Christiankondre, beyond which STINASU maintains a lodge, Baboensanti, for overnight stays (under renovation at time of writing). The visit to the Galibi site itself is at night, when the newly hatched baby turtles make a break for the water. Outside turtle season there are full moon beach parties or simply beachcombing and village life. To arrive independently by boat, contact John Tokoe (859 5863), who has a lodge in the village.
FRENCH GUIANA is a strange beast. It’s a tropical corner of France that is staunchly proud of its connection to the old country, despite few French mainlanders paying it much attention. The country speaks, eats and thinks French, though the majority of its population hail from African-Caribbean stock.
One of the most expensive countries in South America, it’s nevertheless worth visiting for Cayenne – a colonial outpost masquerading as a French seaside town. The country also has significant Laotian, Chinese, Haitian and Brazilian populations, which is evident in the capital’s varied cuisine.
A notorious penal colony for much of its existence, French Guiana’s muggy, oppressive climate, malaria-ridden forests and inhospitable terrain were considered an ideal way to punish French criminals (as well as World War II prisoners of war). French Guiana next came to international attention in the 1960s, when the European Space Agency cleared a patch of jungle and built a space centre to launch satellites into orbit from the town of Kourou. A rocket launch is one of the country’s biggest attractions, along with the Îles du Salut, rocky islets that were once home to French criminal deportees.
French Guiana is perfect for adventurous travellers; it helps to have your own transport and to speak a little French. You’ll find the three towns of Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent fairly straightforward to visit. The attractions of the Hmong village of Cacao and the turtle-watching beach, Plage Les Hattes, lie in the interior or somewhat off the beaten path. Finally, there are expeditions down the country’s rivers deep into the jungle and visits to remote indigenous communities – which means flights by tiny plane, nights in hammocks and long boat journeys into the unknown.
10,000 BC Originally settled by various groups such as the Arawak and the Caribs.
1498 AD Columbus briefly sets foot in Guiana and dubs it “the land of pariahs”.
1604 First attempts at French settlement made difficult by tropical diseases and native resistance.
1643 Cayenne founded but French soon forced out by hostile indigenous communities.
1664 Cayenne finally established as a permanent settlement.
1665 Dutch occupy Cayenne.
1667 Colony awarded to France under the Treaty of Breda. All inhabitants now French citizens.
1676 Brief Dutch occupation and expulsion.
1763–65 France sends around 12,000 immigrants as part of the Kourou Expedition to develop the region, but 10,000 die of yellow fever and typhoid.
1809 Combined Anglo-Portuguese naval force captures the colony for Portugal.
1814 Guiana restored to France as part of the Treaty of Paris but Portuguese remain until 1917.
1848 Slavery is abolished. The colony’s fragile plantation economy collapses. Ex-slaves establish Maroon communities in the jungle.
1852 Region designated a penal colony by Napoleon; more than 70,000 French convicts transported to the area.
1853 Gold discovered in the interior.
1946 French Guiana becomes an overseas département of France.
1947 Penal colony abolished but the last convicts only leave in 1952.
1964–68 ESA (European Space Agency) establishes space station in Kourou to launch communications satellites.
1974 French Guiana gains own Conseil Régional with some autonomy in social and economic matters.
1997 Independence leader Jean-Victor Castor arrested by police, leading to civil violence in Cayenne.
2000 Riots occur in Cayenne following an organized march calling for greater autonomy.
2008 President Sarkozy dedicates 1000 troops to combat growing immigration problems.
2009 The largest space telescope yet created is launched from Kourou.
2010 The option of increased autonomy rejected in referendum.
2011 Russian rocket “Soyuz” launched from Kourou.
2013 The False-Form Beetle, a new species which coexists with fire ants, is discovered in interior.
2017 Strikes, led by the Collective of 500 Brothers, over rising crime, lack of funding for education and health, and general neglect on the part of France, paralyze the nation.
French Guiana’s main international airport, Aéroport de Félix Eboué, is some 17km south of Cayenne, near the town of Matoury. It receives direct flights from France, Martinique, Brazil (Belem and Fortaleza) and Suriname.
Travellers arriving from Brazil enter French Guiana via a boat or by bridge across the Oyapok River to the town of Saint-Georges.
Travellers from Suriname must take a ferry or dugout canoe across the Maroni River to St Laurent du Maroni then continue via road by bus or car.
As French Guiana is an overseas département of France, visas are only required for those travellers who would also need a visa for France. Non-EU nationals unsure of their visa requirements should check diplomatie.gouv.fr/en.
Shared taxis or minibuses are the best and most economic way to move around the country. Minibuses will pick up and drop off passengers at their hotels around town. Reservation numbers change periodically, although hotels and guesthouses are kept up to date.
Both government-run TIG (Transport Interurbain Guyanais and private operators run passenger vans along the main highway routes. TIG vehicles run on fixed schedules with lower fares.
Hitchhiking is widely practised by locals outside Cayenne; common-sense precautions apply.
Renting a car is relatively inexpensive – in some cases cheaper than the bus not counting fuel costs – and pretty much essential if you wish to travel beyond the coastal towns or even around Cayenne and Kourou. Prices start at around €25 per day and you can rent cars in Cayenne, Saint Laurent and at Félix Eboué Airport. The main roads are paved and well signed. Keep your passport with you, as there are occasional gendarme checkpoints.
Travel into and within the interior involves taking tiny planes and motorized pirogues (dugout canoes).
Accommodation in French Guiana is limited and very expensive, with the budget end geared towards independent travellers with their own transport. In large towns, you’re likely to be confined to unremarkable business-oriented hotels (from €60/double). On the outskirts of towns and in rural areas you’ll find gîtes (family-run lodgings), which range from simple to fairly luxurious (from €30/double). Adventurous and budget-conscious travellers may opt for carbets – wooden shelters for hammocks. Check the excellent wescapade-carbet.com for a definitive guide to the country’s swinging accommodation. Many are unmanned and free of charge, located by the sides of roads or on beaches, and have no facilities attached; for these you’ll need your own hammock and two lengths of rope to hang it (easily purchased in Cayenne). Others are found in villages and even in some towns; some come with an attached shower/toilet block and provide hammocks at extra cost (€10–15/night).
Those on a tight budget will look to street vendors, markets, well-stocked supermarkets (in Cayenne) and small takeaway joints. The preferred fast foods are Chinese and pizza, as well as proper coffee, baguettes with Caribbean Creole fillings, crêpes and croissants in cafés and bakeries. Cayenne offers the best variety of cuisines, with French, Laotian, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Brazilian and Creole options, some of which you’ll also find in St Laurent and Kourou. The best Laotian food is found in the Hmong village of Cacao.
Fish dishes are plentiful, one of the more typical being blaff: a stock heavily seasoned with onion, garlic, celery, basil and spices. Another popular stock, used mostly at Easter and the Pentecost, is bouillon d’awara, made from the awara palm tree fruit and cooked with chicken, shrimp, crab and vegetables. Fricassée and colombo are typical Creole stews, the latter a meat- and vegetable-based curry stew. Wild game like capybara, peccary, paca, agouti and armadillo can also be found on the menu, often incorporated into curries.
The authentic drink here is the sweet French aperitif Ti’ punch: lime, sugar-cane syrup and rum, without ice, downed in one. Fresh fruit juices (jus locaux) are popular and found at the Cayenne market, in Cacao and in some restaurants, or mixed with rum to create the ubiquitous fruit punch.
You can find an excellent selection of French wines, and French beer is a popular import, expats appreciating the presence of Kronenbourg 1664.
Indigenous communities and Maroons largely maintain their own cultural traditions, as does the immigrant population of Hmong from Laos in villages such as Cacao and Javouhey. The majority of the population is Creole, and mixed-Creole culture is dominant in the metropolitan areas; there is also an increasing number of immigrants from Brazil, Colombia and other South American countries, whose presence is evident in Cayenne and St Laurent. All teachers, police, gendarmes and other civil functionaries are recruited in mainland France. Note that the French generally don’t tip.
French is the most widely spoken language, though a significant proportion of the population also speaks a French-based patois or Creole, with Chinese, Neg Maron (Bush Negro or Maroon), Portuguese and native languages spoken in certain areas. In St Laurent, due to the number of Surinamese and Guyanese immigrants, some English is also spoken, and the one language common to all three Guianas – Taki-Taki – is heard along the rivers.
The efficient postal system is integrated with that of metropolitan France, so deliveries to Europe are quick and cheap. Digicel or Orange SIM cards can be purchased for unblocked mobile phones in any of the three major towns. When calling French Guiana from abroad, you must dial 594 (country code) followed by a nine-digit number also beginning 594 (or 694 for mobiles). For international calls, opt for Skype or WhatsApp; most hotels offer wi-fi and there are internet cafés in both Cayenne and St Laurent.
Certain areas of Cayenne are best avoided, such as immediately south of the Canal Laussat. At night it’s best to stick to Place des Palmistes and the better-lit main streets of the centre. If spending the night in a carbet on a deserted beach, keep your valuables in the hammock with you.
Malaria prophylactics are recommended for the border rivers, though the risk is thought to be low along the coast. A number of vaccinations, including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, tetanus-diphtheria and rabies, are also strongly recommended. Vaccination against yellow fever is compulsory if you’re arriving from certain South American countries. There have also been recent outbreaks of dengue fever and Zika virus, so mosquito repellent is essential.
Locals claim that the coastal tap water is safer to drink than that of Paris.
European-standard medical care is available in Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent du Maroni. The European Health Insurance Card (ehic.org.uk) that allows travellers to receive free medical treatment in participating member states works in French Guiana.
guyane-amazonie.fr Official site providing information on accommodation, transport, tour agencies and life in French Guiana.
ville-cayenne.fr What’s going on in the capital (in French).
terresdeguyane.fr News, politics, history, nature, maps and some helpful links (in French).
Printed information (mostly in French) is readily available in tourist offices in Cayenne and St Laurent, where you will also find good city maps. Ask for a copy of Vakans an Nou Koté, a handy annual guide, which lists hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs throughout French Guiana (in French). Those who read French might pick up the Guide Guyane by Philippe Boré – a detailed guidebook to French Guiana.
The currency of French Guiana is the euro (€), and credit/debit cards are widely accepted in the urban centres. ATMs generally accept Visa, MasterCard or Eurocard, and hotels usually take American Express. Few banks have foreign exchange facilities; Cayenne has several bureaux de change but St Laurent has none. At the time of writing, US$1.24=€1, £0.88=€1.
Many businesses and shops shut for two to three hours over lunch. Most shops are open Monday to Saturday 8/9am to 1pm and 3/4 to 6.30/7pm. Supermarkets remain open until around 9pm, on Sunday till lunchtime. Banks open Monday to Friday 7.30am to noon & 2 to 4pm; some open on Saturday morning as well.
January 1 New Year’s Day
February (varies) Ash Wednesday
March/April (varies) Good Friday
March/April (varies) Easter Monday
May 1 Labour Day
May 8 WWII Victory (VE) Day
May/June (varies) Ascension Day
May/June (varies) Whit Monday
June 10 Abolition of Slavery Day
July 14 Bastille Day
August 15 Assumption Day
November 1 All Saints’ Day
October (varies) Cayenne festival
November 11 Armistice (Remembrance Day)
December 25 Christmas Day
Festivals and national celebrations
The major festival in French Guiana is Carnaval, which begins after Epiphany in the first week of January and goes on for about two months until Ash Wednesday – locals claim it is the longest in the world. On Friday and Saturday nights during Carnaval you can witness the tradition of Touloulou balls, when women (Touloulou), heavily disguised and wearing masks, are given the sole, non-reciprocal right to ask men to dance; men may not refuse. Women disguise their faces, bodies and voices to become unrecognisable even to their own husbands. Mardi Gras (Carnaval Monday and Tuesday) takes place during the last five days of Carnaval, which ends on Ash Wednesday. It features colourful street parades with music, dancing, exotic costumes and merriment.
In your travels around French Guiana CAYENNE is likely to be your base for exploration of the surrounding sights. This sprawling city has a compact centre with an attractive main square which becomes the focal point of community activity in the evenings. Eighteenth-century colonial buildings, French mainlanders on overseas postings and a lively market add up to the most European experience on the South American continent and well worth a visit.
Place des Palmistes and around
Place des Palmistes, on Avenue du Général de Gaulle, is a refreshing green space sparsely covered with palms, where you can catch an impromptu football game or live music performance some weekends. A statue of Felix Éboué (1884–1944), a black French Guianese who governed various French territories in Africa and the Caribbean, stands at the lower end. Just off the square, the Musée Alexandre-Franconie, 1 Av du Général de Gaulle (Mon 10am–2pm & 3–6pm, Wed–Fri 8am–2pm & 3–6pm, Sat 9am–1.30pm; €3, under 18s free; 594 295 913), in one of the original wooden Creole mansions, contains an extensive entomological collection and, in the upstairs gallery, a series of paintings of the hardships of penal colony life by inmate Francis Lagrange. You might also drop into the adjacent public library with a comfy reading lounge.
For a sweeping view of Cayenne, climb up the hill at the end of Rue de Rémire to the crumbling remains of Fort Céperou, the first building to appear in Cayenne after the Compagnie de Rouen purchased the hill from a Galibi chief named Céperou in 1643.
Musée des Cultures Guyanaises and around
The Musée des Cultures Guyanaises at 78 Rue Madame-Payé (Mon–Fri 8am–1pm & 3–5.45pm, Sat 8–11.45am, closed Wed afternoon & Sun; €2, under 18s free) stages temporary exhibits curated from its vast collection of artefacts, crafts, costume and art to highlight the diverse cultures of French Guiana. A new component, located in a traditional Creole home on the next block at Rue Madame Payé 54, is dedicated to its nineteenth-century inhabitant, Herménégilde Tell, former director of the prison network, and other personalities and events of that period.
By plane Félix Eboué International Airport (guyane.cci.fr) is in Matoury, 17km south of Cayenne. Taxis to Cayenne cost €35 (€50 after 7pm).
Destinations Air France (airfrance.com) has regular flights to Paris and Martinique; Air Caraibes (aircaraibes.com) flies to Brazil and France and connects French Guiana with Martinique and Guadeloupe; Surinam Airways (flyslm.com) connects Belem in Brazil to Paramaribo three times a week with an optional stop in Cayenne. Air Guyane (airguyane.com) provides domestic services to Maripasoula, Saül and St Laurent du Maroni.
By minibus TIG has scheduled services to St-Georges de l’Oyapock (Ligne 9; 7 daily; €30) and Kourou (Ligne 5; 8 daily, fewer on weekends; €10), departing from the south side of Canal Laussat. Private buses leave when full and charge more.
Destinations Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock via Régina (2hr 30min); Saint Laurent du Maroni via Iracoubo (4hr).
Getting around and information
By bus Agglobus (odm973.com) provides service in and around Cayenne (Mon–Sat). Buses and minivans leave from the Gare Routière on the north side of Canal Laussat, near the market. Useful routes include Ligne 7 to Matoury (€2; 35min) and Ligne B to Remire-Montjoly(€2; 25min). To get to Roura, take a bus to Matoury Eglise, then catch a Ligne D bus. There is no service to the airport but you can reduce costs by travelling to nearby Matoury and getting a taxi from there.
By taxi Taxis in Cayenne are metered; there’s a taxi stand just off the Place de Coq in front of the market. Rates are around €7.10 to hire, plus €1.80/km (€2.75 on Sun & 7pm–6am).
Tourist information Office de Tourisme Ville de Cayenne, 12 Rue Louis Blanc (Mon–Fri 8.30am–noon & 2–5pm, Sat 8.30am–1pm; 594 39 68 83, tourisme@ville-cayenne.fr) has helpful staff, some of whom may speak English, and a plethora of maps and brochures.
Budget accommodation is limited. All accommodation below has a/c and en-suite bathrooms.
Hôtel Des Amandiers Place Auguste-Horth 594 28 97 28 hoteldesamandiers.com; map. Rambling colonial house facing a lovely seafront park shaded by almond trees, with a popular terrace café for a sunset Ti’ Punch. Functional rooms and frosty service though. €80
Best Western Hôtel Amazonia 28 Av du Général de Gaulle 594 28 83 00, bestwestern.fr; map. Right in the centre of town, this business-oriented hotel offers stylishly furnished a/c rooms with balconies, and there’s a pool beside the lobby. €120
Central Hôtel Rue Molé, at Becker 594 256 565, centralhotel-cayenne.fr; map. It is indeed central – a few blocks from the market – and the multilingual staff aim to please. Kitchenettes in some rooms are a bonus for self-caterers. €91
Le Dronmi 42 Av du Général de Gaulle 594 31 77 70, ledronmi.com; map. A brothel in a previous incarnation, this trendy and central hotel is just a few staggers from a lively watering hole. It has flat-screen TVs and kitchenette; breakfast included. €95
Hôtel Ket Tai 72 Blvd Nelson Mandela 594 28 97 77, g.chang@wanadoo.fr; map. Brazilian telenovelas in the lobby, friendly service and compact, featureless, tiled rooms with struggling a/c. If every other hotel in town is full, there’s a good chance you can still find a bed here. €60
If you wish to explore Guiana‘s jungle and rivers, virtually the only way to do so is to join an organized excursion, although it‘s cheaper to hire local guides by asking around. High season is from July to November, outside of which time you can generally show up at the travel agent on spec.
Le Morpho 06 94 23 82 55, lemorpho.com. Highly recommended for tours of Kaw marshes aboard floating lodges (day/overnight €71/139).
Riché & Kaw 694 287 950, richeandkaw.fr. Night caiman-spotting excursions on the Kaw River (€55), plus Cacao village tours (€45).
Takari Amazonie CC Family Plaza, Matoury 594 28 70 00, takari-amazonie.com. All-purpose operator, offering everything from a 3hr history tour of Cayenne (from €20) to multi-day adventures on the Oyapock and Maroni rivers (from €570).
Self-caterers will find fresh produce at the market on Av du Président Monnerville (Wed, Fri & Sat 4am–2pm), fresh bread in the boulangerie around the corner from the market, and pretty much everything else at the enormous Carrefour on the southern approach to town. Food trucks producing burgers, crepes and Chinese fast food set up nightly from 6pm along the Place des Palmistes.
Brioche Marché Rue du Ste Rose; map. Popular little bakery offering chocolate croissants, sardine-filled pastries and superb baguette sandwiches, plus coffee. Mon–Sat 7.30am–1.30pm.
Chez Saveur 67 Rue J. Catayée 594 385 839; map. Corner joint turning out tasty home-cooked dishes such as blaff and pimentade de crevettes (spicy shrimp stew, €9) without the slightest pretension. Mon–Sat 9am–2.30pm & 6.30–9pm.
Couleurs et Saveurs de Jo Le Glacier Rue du 14 Juillet at Rue Scholcher; map. Exotic flavours at this old-fashioned ice cream parlour include prune de cythère (ambarella) and guava. For a more substantial dessert, get several scoops atop a guafre (waffle). Daily 2–9pm.
Laotian market stalls Av du Président Monnerville; map. Feast on nems (spring rolls), phô soup and other Laotian dishes at the market. Portions are generous and the dishes are full of flavour, with plenty of fresh herbs. Meals from €5. Other stalls offer various fresh juice concoctions. Wed, Fri & Sat 6.30am–1pm.
P & P’s 56 Av du Général de Gaulle 594 25 16 74; map. Quality thick-crust pizzas (from €5) and galettes (wholewheat crepes) with a few tables for dining in. Mon–Sat noon–2pm & 6–10pm, Sun 6–10pm.
Restaurant Deli-Oriental 7 Av Gaston Monnerville 594 31 90 17; map. Outside market hours, you can still find southeast Asian fare across the street, this being the best of four locales there. Enjoy huge bowls of phô (from €6.50) and bo bun – salad on a bed of vermicelli noodles with bits of spring rolls – in a/c bliss. Meals from €7. Mon–Sat 7am–3.30pm & 6.30–9.30pm, Sun 9am–2.30pm.
La Rivière Imperiale 10 Rue J. Catayée 594 28 62 51; map. Crispy nems (spring rolls), noodles, fricassée and conch stew are all on the menu at this inviting bistro specializing in Vietnamese, Creole and Haitian dishes. Meals €8–13. Mon, Tues & Thurs–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7–10pm, Sun noon–2.30pm.
Treat yourself
La Petite Maison 23 Rue Félix Eboué 594 385 839; map. In a renovated Creole house, this bistro serves unpretentious and affordable food with gastronomical flair. Vegetarians won’t eat, but meat eaters will be pleased with duck breasts or confit, succulent lamb, local fish and home-made fries. Desserts are arranged artfully and birthdays are specially honoured. Meals around €25, prix fixe at lunchtime €16. Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri noon–3pm & 7–10pm, Wed & Sat 7–10pm.
Bar Des Palmistes 12 Av du Général de Gaulle; map. A popular spot for both locals and Metros to meet, morning or evening, the long terrace of this colonial mansion faces the palms of Cayenne’s signature square. Daily 6.30am–midnight.
Le Bistro 42 Av du Général de Gaulle; map. Perch on the terrace of this perennial hangout for an afternoon beer, a pre-dinner short drink, or even a liquid breakfast (coffee, that is). Daily 8.30am–1am.
Cafe de La Gare 42 Av Leopold Héder 594 28 53 20; map. Whatever is programmed for the evening at this egalitarian nightspot – mazurka dancing, karaoke or DJ sets – it usually involves the roomy dance floor. Cover of €5–10 for live music events. Daily from 8.30pm.
Cocosoda 493 Plage de Montabo 694 45 35 04; map. Beach party tonight! A volunteer-run carbet-bar with stiff caipirinhas, grilled snacks and DJs, this stretch of sands turns festive most Friday nights, as Cayenne’s slacker set gather beneath the palms. Starts kicking quite late, and shuts when they feel like it. It’s a 15min ride from the centre to Montabo beach. Fri 9pm–1am (check Facebook page for next event).
Banks and exchange ATMs along Av du Général de Gaulle; there are half a dozen at the post office at the avenue's east end. Change Caraïbes offers good exchange rates at 68 Av du Général de Gaulle (Mon–Fri 7.30am–12.30pm & 3–5.45pm, Sat 8am–11.45pm).
Car rental Avis, 68 Blvd Nelson Mandela (594 30 25 22); Budget, 55 Zone Artisanale Galmot (594 35 10 20).
Embassies and consulates Brazil, 444 Chemin Saint-Antoine (594 296 010); Suriname, 3 Av Leopold Héder (594 282 160); UK, Honorary British Consul, 16 Av du Président Monnerville (594 311 034).
Hospital Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne Andrée Rosemon, 3 Av des Flamboyants (594 395 050, ch-cayenne.fr).
Internet PC Yuan Yuan, southeast corner of Place des Palmistes, itself a free-wifi zone.
Laundry Laverie, 31 Rue J. Catayée, 8am–8pm, self-service.
Pharmacies Pharmacie Du Centre, 67 Av du Général de Gaulle.
Post office East end of Av du Général de Gaulle (Mon–Fri 8am–3pm, Sat 8am–noon).
There are a number of varied attractions outside Cayenne that make for easy day-trips though you need to have your own wheels to reach most of them.
The wildest stretch of the 4km Plage de Montjoly beach, east of Cayenne, is Les Salines, backing up on a 63-hectare nature reserve around a lagoon. It takes about an hour and a half to hike the loop trail along its eastern edge, which traverses three environments – forest, salt marsh and shoreline, where you can spot numerous endemic birds and amphibians, and in the spring, turtles which nest along the beach here. Catch an Agglobus Ligne B from the Gare Routière.
One of a set of four islets 13km from the coast and reachable from Cayenne’s Marina de Degrad-des-Cannes at Monjoly, east of the city centre, Îlet la Mère (ilet-la-mere.com) is home to an abundance of squirrel monkeys, iguanas, caimans and red ibis. You can either walk around the island’s perimeter (3.5km; 1hr 30min), with its various viewpoints and picnic spots, or else hike up to the old semaphore tower to admire the environs. Or both. Count on making this a day-trip, since the boat (€34; 594 28 01 04) departs the marina at 8.30am, 9.15am, 10.30am and 2.30pm, returning four to six hours later (departures and returns are fixed per boat; times may vary with tides).
Overnight stays on this wild islet are forbidden (bring sunscreen, water and food for the day, as there are no shops).
A slice of Asia in Guyana’s interior, about 75km southwest of Cayenne, CACAO was settled in 1977 by refugees from Laos. Since then, this small Hmong community has become the fruit and vegetable basket of the département because of the extensive cultivation of Cacao’s steep hillsides. It’s best visited on Sunday, market day, when you can chow down on large bowls of phô, porc caramel, spring rolls and other outstanding Laotian dishes in and around the central market building. Next door is Le Planeur Bleu (Sun 9am–1pm & 2–4pm; other days by appointment; €4; 594 27 00 34), a museum that contains a wealth of insects and a butterfly garden, along with old coins, artefacts from penal colonies and other bric-a-brac from French Guiana’s history. Demonstrations by resident naturalists give you the chance to hold live tarantulas.
By car Take the RN2 towards the airport and continue south toward St-Georges before turning off along the beautiful, winding 12km road to Cacao.
Quimbe Kio 594 270 122, infos@quimbekio.com. Overnight stays on a wooded hill near the centre, either in a carbet (€5 discount if you bring your own hammock) or in one of the en-suite rooms (breakfast included). Kayaking, boat and quad tours available. With demi-pension (obligatory) doubles €100, carbets €40
Some 75km east of Cacao, across the heavily forested Kaw Hills, the Everglades-style swamp Marais De Kaw covers around one thousand square kilometres, an excellent place to spot water birds, including flamingos. Tour operators such as Le Morpho and Riché & Kaw offer wildlife-spotting boat trips along the river, after-dark pirogue trips to spot black caiman and overnight stays in a floating carbet. When driving to Kaw, you pass through the pleasant village of Roura, where it’s possible to arrange kayak rentals and boat trips to Îlet la Mère. At the Reserve Naturelle Tresor, about midway between Roura and Kaw, two well-maintained interpretive trails wind through protected forest, habitat for red howler monkeys, scarlet macaws and dyeing dart frogs.
Visitors to Kaw arrive as part of an organized tour or by rented car. In addition, Agglobus Ligne D has daily departures from Montoury Eglise (reachable from Cayenne on Ligne 7) to/from Roura (€5).
If you’re planning to stay overnight, arrangements should be made in advance.
Auberge de Camp Caïman PK 36, Route de Kaw 594 307 277. In between Roura and Kaw, this eco-friendly large wooden hostel with a library offers neatly kept doubles and several carbets. Butterfly-catching, marsh walks and other activities on demand. Meals available on request. Closed Wed. Doubles €40, carbets (including hammock rental) €15
Habitation Rour’ Attitude 6 rue Edgard Yago, Roura 594 37 04 07, location-guyane.fr. These finely crafted split-level carbets and bungalows with fully equipped kitchens descend the hillside to the Roura River. Kayak rentals offered. Bungalows €115, carbets €20
Malou & Son Verger Route de Kaw 694 21 07 12 malou-et-son-verger.fr. 3km east of Roura, this roadside lodge has a pair of Zen-simple a/c rooms and dining area opening on a breezy terrace that overlooks the orchard. It’s a favourite with serious birdwatchers. Malou prepares superb Creole cuisine and juices (three-course prix fixe €25) for lodge guests or by reservation. Doubles €60, carbets €15
There’s not much to KOUROU, a seaside town built mainly to service the Centre Spatial Guyanais – the space station that employs the majority of its residents. But if your timing is right, you can witness one of the most impressive spectacles you’re ever likely to see: the fiery launching of a rocket into space.
The town is also the departure point for French Guiana’s next biggest tourist attraction – the Îles du Salut.
From the south side of Canal Laussat in Cayenne, minibuses to Régina and Saint-Georges run from 5am to 6pm by both private operators (€40) and TIG (€30). Do not drive between Cayenne and Saint-Georges at night or pick up hitchhikers along the Régina/Saint-Georges road; French authorities periodically clamp down on those seen to assist illegal immigrants. Saint-Georges is a small border town with a lively Brazilian feel, used as the jumping-off point for Brazil and tours of local indigenous villages along the Oyapok River.
To cross over to Brazil, non-EU passport holders must get their passport stamped at the Police aux Frontières (Rue du Commandant Kodji, four blocks from river; daily 8am–6pm; closed for lunch). Then take one of the motorized canoes across the river to Oiapoque in Brazil (15min; €5). The Pont Sur l’Oyapock opened in 2017 (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 8am–noon); there’s an immigration post on the approach ramp where you may stamp out.
Once in Brazil, get your passport stamped by the Policia Federal; from the boat dock go right to Avenida Barão do Rio Branco, then left until a small church. The office is on the right side, 250m past the church. Currency exchange houses and ATMs in both Saint-Georges and Oiapoque can change your euros into reais and vice-versa.
If travelling further into Brazil, there are noon and 5 or 6pm buses daily from Oiapoque to Macapá (10–24hr; R$100). The terminal is 3km east of the centre along the main road.
Accommodation in Saint-Georges
Chez Modestine Rue Elie Elfort 594 37 00 13. Functional a/c en-suite rooms in a traditional house on the main square. The wi-fi-ready café functions as the town’s nerve centre. €60
Ilha do Sol 694 407 311. Take a pirogue (5min; €2) to this Brazilian-run psychedelic shack on an island in the river to swing a hammock or stay in a basic double. Meals are served on the delightful veranda. Doubles €30, carbets €12
Like something out of a Bond film, the launch towers at the CENTRE SPATIAL GUYANAIS stand amid tropical forest. The CSG (3hr guided tours Mon–Thurs 8.15am & 1pm, Fri 8.15am; free but advance reservation essential, visitors must be over 8 years old and provide ID; 594 326 123, cnes-csg.fr) occupies an area of 690 square kilometres and has sent more than five hundred rockets (most carrying satellites) into orbit since Véronique blasted off on April 9, 1968. Tours take in all three rocket sites, and include a film charting the site’s history and a visit to the Jupiter Control Centre. No tours take place on launch days, or the days before and after.
The partially interactive, state-of-the-art Musée de l’Espace (Mon–Fri 8am–6pm, Sat 2–6pm; €7 or €4 if on a guided tour of the CSG), next to the CSG welcome centre, introduces visitors to space exploration, with exhibitions on human space flight, the history of the base, the universe and more, through multimedia animations, space-related artefacts and temporary exhibits. The museum is sometimes closed on launch days.
Unless visiting the CSG via a tour operator, make your own way by car, or else take a bus (see below) from Cayenne to Kourou and then a taxi to the site.
With no public transport to speak of, carless travellers must navigate Kourou on foot.
By minibus TIG Ligne 5 (tig5.info) runs eight minibuses to/from Cayenne Mon–Fri (fewer on weekends) with a stop at the Médiathèque (1hr, €10), while Ligne 7 goes to/from St-Laurent thrice daily (€25). Various private services such as Transport Antoinette (694 16 73 54) pick up/drop off at your lodging.
Tourist information Av de L’Anse (Mon–Fri 9am–1pm & 3–4.30 or 6pm, Sat 9am–noon; 594 32 98 33, ot-kourou@orange.fr). Impressive collection of information in French and English on the space centre, Îles du Salut and Kourou.
Budget travellers can pitch a hammock at the carbets at the lower end of the beach at Plage de la Cocoteraie (no facilities). Accommodation tends to be booked up weeks in advance if there’s a rocket launch due.
Hôtel Le Ballahou 1–3 Rue Amet-Martial 594 22 00 22, hotel-ballahou.com. The stucco structure is in a quiet backstreet near the beach’s western end, about 3km from the jetty to the islands. Some of the bright, colourful en-suite rooms feature kitchenettes. Studios €69, doubles €56
Résidence le Gros Bec 56 Rue D. Floch 594 32 91 91, hotel.legrosbec@orange.fr. Only three blocks from the catamaran dock for the Îles du Salut, this gated compound has English-speaking staff and offers studios with kitchenettes around a relaxing garden. Studios €89
You’ll find a few places to eat, drink and be reasonably merry on the seafront Av de l’Anse and along Av du Général de Gaulle.
Bar Le 13 60 Av Gaston-Monnerville. Metros gather nightly under the ceiling fans of this tropical hall for the continental beers on tap. It’s in the district of Monnerville, west of the centre. Daily 6.30pm–1am.
L’orchidée 6 Allée de L’Europe, off Av F. Kennedy, opposite the post office. Heaped portions of delicious Vietnamese food – it’s difficult to go wrong with the phô or any of the noodle dishes. Mains from €8. Daily noon–10.30pm.
Restaurant le Flamengo 42 Rue du Général de Gaulle 594 32 00 34. Wild game (paca, agouti) is the basis for various Creole stews, served with plenty of rice, brown beans and fiery pepper at this soulful kitchen. There’s an open-air pavilion out front. Mains €15–18. 9am–2.30pm & 7–10pm; closed Thurs.
Blast off! Visiting a rocket launch
Few spectacles compare to the sight of a rocket leaving the atmosphere for outer space. There’s a launch pretty much every month, usually scheduled on a weekday night, and the one you’re most likely to see is Ariane 5 – the French rocket that frequently launches satellites into orbit. The Centre Spatial Guyanais has six official observation sites from which you can watch the rocket launch: Agami, Venus, Ibis, Jupiter, Colibri and Toucan; access is limited and by invitation only. To obtain an invitation (you must be over 16), go to the Centre’s website (wcnes-csg.fr) and click on “Assistez a un lancement”. Your ticket will be emailed to you. Delays are possible, so it helps if your schedule is flexible. On the day of the launch, visitors assemble at the Médiathèque du Kourou, from where they are taken to the assigned observation sites by a convoy of coaches (free). You’ll most likely end up at Agami, Toucan or Colibri (5.5–7.5km from the launch site), where you’ll watch the countdown on the giant screen and have an unobstructed view of the rocket itself for a spectacle lasting between seven and thirty minutes. Even without an invitation, it’s possible to drive up to Carapa, 5km west of Kourou, to view the launch, or otherwise from Pointe de Roches, at the south end of the beach. Or even from Cayenne: crowds gather at Place des Amandiers, where a closed-circuit broadcast is customarily set up, to watch the blastoff.
The ÎLES DU SALUT, 15km off the coast, comprise three beautiful islands shaded with coconut trees and surrounded by azure waters: Île Royale, Île Saint-Joseph and Île du Diable. Their English name – Salvation Islands – is an ironic misnomer, given their use as a penal colony responsible for the deaths of over 50,000 of its 70,000 prisoners between 1852 and 1953. Thanks to Henri Charrière’s book, Papillon, which recounts the horrors of life in the colony and his various attempts at escape, the islands are the country’s most popular attraction.
Île Royale, the main and most-visited island, was originally used for administration and housing common-law criminals. You can peer at the ruins of old buildings and go swimming in the small bay sheltered from the sea by rocks. The fearless wildlife is another attraction and you’re certain to spot monkeys and agouti.
Île Royale is home to the islands’ only hotel and rather pricey restaurant – consider picnicking on the beach instead. The small Musée du Bagne (daily 10am–noon & 2.30–4pm; free), in the old colony administrator’s mansion beside the jetty, covers the grim history of the islands, all of it translated into readable English.
“Incorrigible” convicts and those who tried to escape were sent to Île Saint-Joseph. Today it’s home to a small naval base, and visitors can take the tranquil, coconut-tree-lined path around the perimeter of the island, or climb up to explore the ruins of the penal colony, now overgrown with vegetation.
The Île du Diable is off-limits to visitors, although the swimming area on the northeast side of the Île Royale offers views of its wrecked prison buildings.
Various catamaran operators run day tours, departing between 7 and 8 am from Kourou’s appontement des pêcheurs (fishermen’s jetty) at the end of Avenue du Général de Gaulle (€48–51). It takes a little more than an hour over choppy waters to reach Île Royale, with complimentary drinks and a bit of background (in French). You’re free to roam the island till after lunch, then transported to nearby Île Saint-Joseph for an afternoon wander (some opt to swim to the island’s shores rather than ride the raft from the anchor point). Finally you are taken back to Kourou at 5pm. Should you wish to spend the night, Pro Maritime (594 28 42 36, promaritimeguyane.fr), connected to the island’s lodgings, charges €43 for the round-trip journey; it will cost you an additional €5 to hop over to Saint-Joseph.
La Hulotte 594 323 381, www.lahulotte-guyane.fr.
Tropic Alizes 694 40 20 20, ilesdusalut-guyane.com.
Auberge des Îles Île Royale 594 321 100, comercial@aubergedesiles.fr. Choices at the isles’ only lodgings range from bright and breezy rooms in the main building to more modern studios with fantastic private balconies behind it, to cheaper digs in the old guards’ barracks to the former prison block for hammock owners, with access to bathroom facilities. During high season (July–Nov) reserve ahead of arrival, outside these months you can show up on spec. Suite with obligatory meals €272, guards’ quarter €70, hammocks €12.50
Outside SAINT LAURENT DU MARONI’s tourist office is a statue of a convict with his head in his hands – an apt monument to despair, given that this town was a transportation camp for prisoners until the middle of the twentieth century. Saint Laurent is less homogeneous than the capital, thanks to the porous border between French Guiana and Suriname; the large number of illegal Surinamese, Brazilian and Guyanese residents accounts for the melange of languages spoken and the laidback feel of this riverside frontier town. The town is the best base for excursions up the Maroni River, visits to the indignous and Maroon communities or the beautiful Voltaire Falls.
Saint Laurent has some fine colonial architecture in the triangular “Petit Paris” area north of Rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Chandon, such as the old bank and town hall.
The Camp de la Transportation, where prisoners were processed before their final destinations, is an imposing complex. You can walk around the grounds, with some interpretive signs, but access to the cells is by guided tour only and not to be missed (Mon 3pm & 4.30pm, Tues–Sat 9.30am, 11am, 3pm & 4.30pm, Sun 9.30am & 11am; 1hr 15min; €6; tours in English available; tickets sold at the tourist office). An informed peek into the horrors of French transportation puts everything into chilling context. Cell no. 47 supposedly once held Papillon.
A recent addition to the complex, Le Centre de L’Architecture et du Patromonie (Tues–Sat 9am–noon & 2.30–5.30pm, Sun 9am–12.30pm; €6, credit card only) features exhibits, creatively installed in some of the camp’s old administrative buildings, on the lives of the convicts, the town’s architectural styles, the ethnically varied population of present-day St-Laurent, and contemporary photography.
By plane There are daily flights to/from Cayenne with Air Guyane (airguyane.com), as well as up the Maroni River to Maripasoula and Grand Santi.
By minibus From 4am to 5pm, minibuses to Kourou/Cayenne (€25/35) depart as they fill from La Glacière, a lot at the bottom of Blvd du Général de Gaulle. From the same place, TIG Ligne 7/Transport Antoinette (694 23 15 06) has three scheduled departures daily to Kourou. In addition, Transport Best (694 28 11 50) offers a service to Awala-Yalimapo (€10) from the gare routière, three blocks north of the market.
Destinations Awala-Yalimapo (1hr 10min); Cayenne (4hr); Kourou (2hr 30min).
Saint Laurent has a festival or three happening pretty much every month, all celebrated in the sandy Place de la Republique. Festivities not to miss include January’s Carnaval; Nereid’s Ralleye, a regatta heralding the arrival of sailboats from Trinidad in early October; and Les Journées de la Culture Bushinengué (a celebration of traditional Maroon culture), in late October.
Tourist information The Office du Tourisme at 1 Esplanade Laurent Baudin (Mon 2.30–6pm, Tues–Sat 8am–12.30pm & 2.30–6pm, Sun 8.30am–12.30pm; 594 342 398, ot-saintlaurentdumaroni.fr) provides the excellent Discover Saint-Laurent du Maroni booklet, as well as other useful information, and also rents Velo-Style bicycles at €10/20 per half/whole day.
The Maroni River lends itself to a variety of activities – from visits to indigenous and Maroon villages by pirogue to swimming, fishing, wildlife-spotting and jungle trekking. Trips range from two-hour to multi-day adventures.
Apatou is an Aluku Maroon village, about 70km upriver from Saint Laurent, and is a great place to experience Maroon culture and food. It’s at the end of the road, and Taxi Fabrice 694 24 09 00 can take you there. Otherwise, Maroni Tours arranges visits to the village, as well as longer stays.
A visit to the secluded Voltaire Falls, about 73km south of St Laurent, is very rewarding. Getting there involves a 4WD journey through dense forest via the Route de Paul Isnard and Route d’Apatou forest roads, followed by a one-hour-thirty-minute hike. Tour operators including Nature de Guyane (see below) follow this up with a climb up to L’Inselberg, a peak with views over the jungle canopy, and set up camp there. Otherwise, you can stay at L’Auberge des Chutes Voltaire (aubergechutesvoltaire.com; with demi-pension doubles €100, carbets €80; advance bookings only), on the banks of the Voltaire River, close to the Falls.
Amazonie Accueil 3 Rue Barrat, Saint Laurent 594 34 36 12, am.ac@orange.fr.
Maroni Tours Village de Saint-Jean 594 30 70 80, maronitours.com.
Nature de Guyane 594 27 97 16, naturedeguyane.com.
Amazonie Accueil 3 Rue R. Barrat 594 34 36 12; map. Hang your hammock along with up to eight other backpackers at this in-town carbet, with adequate bathroom facilities. Knowledgeable owner Gilbert leads pirogue tours up the Maroni and prepares breakfast. Also known as La Boîte à Cheveux, for the adjacent hair salon. Carbets €15
Star Hôtel 26 Rue Thiers 594 34 10 84; map. This central hotel is where the gendarmes stay on tour, with functional tiled rooms around an ovate swimming pool. Conveniently located opposite the soccer field and beside a lively bar terrace. €68
Hôtel la Tentiaire 12 Av du President F. Roosevelt 594 34 26 00, tentiaire@wanadoo.fr; map. The nicest hotel in the centre of town, complete with stylish rooms (some with balconies), friendly service and swimming pool. Advance booking advised, as this place is the first to fill up. €65
Try to be in town on a Wednesday or Saturday, when the Central Market is taken over by the Hmong community and people share long central tables for hearty bowls of phô (€5–8) and nems (spring rolls). Other stalls squeeze up tropical fruit beverages.
Café Kaho Melho 1 bis Av Hector Rivierez; map. Catch up on the local word at this busy bakery/café with pavement tables, offering fresh croissants and pastries from very early. Mon–Sat 5.30am–1pm.
Chez Felicia 23 Av du Général de Gaulle; map. A low-key, family-run bistro going strong after three decades, Felicia’s menu focuses on generous portions of Creole dishes. Mains €9–12. Generally Mon–Thurs & Sat noon–2.30pm & 7.30–10pm.
La Goëlette 17 Rue des Amazone 594 34 28 97; map. This boat-restaurant is the most atmospheric place for a meal for miles around. The quality of the Creole and French dishes matches the ambience and there are music sessions on Sunday nights. It’s at Balaté beach, 3km south of the centre. Mains €18–20. Tues–Sun noon–2pm & 7–9pm.
Tipic Kreol’s 24 Rue Thiers 594 34 09 83; map. An invariably lively spot with open-air dining under a big thatched roof, this temple of Creole cuisine is a good place to sample wild game like agouti, armadillo and paca, the basis for fricassées, and the locally fished “jamais goûtée”, which you’ve certainly never tasted before. Mains €14–18.
Banks and post office The post office at the north end of Av du Général du Gaulle (Mon–Fri 8am–4pm, Sat 8am–noon, closed Sun) has a pair of reliable ATMs. There is no currency exchange.
Car rental Budget (328 Av Gaston Monnerville 594 34 02 94, wbudget-guyane.com) has an office by a petrol station (closed noon–3pm).
Internet Economink Cyber, at 25 Av Félix Eboué.
Pharmacy Pharmacie Forum Santé, 36 Rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Chandon.
Crossing between French Guiana and Suriname
The ferry runs between Saint Laurent and Albina in Suriname (3–6 daily; 7am–5.30pm; €4 one-way for foot passengers; motorbike/car €15.50/€34; euros only). Unless you have a vehicle (and rental vehicles may not cross borders), the quickest way to cross the Maroni River is to take one of the many motorized dugout canoes (10–15min; €3 or SRD27). When crossing the river, ask to be dropped off either at the Surinamese Immigration office (daily 7am–7pm) or the French Immigration office (daily 6am–6pm) – both located at the ferry piers – to get your visa checked and passport stamped. For Suriname, most passport holders require either a visa or a Tourist Card.
There is a cambio near the Albina ferry terminal, which gives good rates when exchanging Suriname and US dollars for euros: change your money here, as in Saint Laurent there are no money-changing services. The French Immigration office is around 2km south of the centre of Saint Laurent; taxis charge €5 for the five-minute ride downtown; otherwise it’s a twenty-minute walk. Unlike Saint Laurent, Albina is not a town to linger in; minibuses (SRD80–100) and taxis (SRD150–200) meet the ferries and take passengers to Paramaribo (2–3hr). State buses between Albina and Paramaribo run from the centre of Albina; take a taxi (SRD5) to and from the pier.
From roughly March to July, the wide, clean stretch of sand that is Plage Les Hattes, at the mouth of the Maroni River a few kilometres from the Suriname border, is French Guiana’s best place to view endangered leatherback turtles laying their eggs. Leatherbacks are massive – they can grow up to 1.6m in length and weigh up to 750kg. During peak egg-laying season, an estimated 200 turtles crawl up onto the beach each night to lay their eggs. In August and September thousands of baby turtles can be seen hatching at night and dashing towards the water to escape predators.
The indigenous twin village of Awala-Yalimapo is 4km from the beach. Unless you are part of an organized tour, it’s best to rent a car and base yourself here, or in the pleasant town of Mana 20km away. You can also stay on the beach itself (in which case bring food, water, a hammock and mosquito protection).
In early December, Yalimapo is the scene of Les Jeux Kali’na (awala-yalimapo.fr), a sort of Guianan Olympics in which athletes compete at such ancient skills as harpoon throwing, coconut palm climbing and Le Jeu de Diable, a devilishly difficult puzzle challenge. There are musical performances by regional artists too.
If you happen to be driving between Saint Laurent and Cayenne, you’ll invariably pass through Iracoubo. The Eglise Saint Joseph d’Iracoubo by the roadside is famed for its interior, covered with wildly colourful fresco paintings that sprang from the imagination of Pierre Huguet, a convict and untrained artist who painted them between 1892 and 1898.
By minibus Transport Best (694 28 11 50) has a 6am departure to Awala-Yalimapo (€10) from the gare routière, three blocks north of Saint Laurent’s central market.
By car Plage Les Hattes is some 60km from Saint Laurent. Take the N1 toward Cayenne and about 5km east, turn left onto the D9 to Mana, from where it’s a 20km ride over a good paved road to Awala-Yalimapo. Plage Les Hattes is less than 1km from Yalimapo, the westernmost of the two villages.
Gite Yalimalé 594 34 71 05, yalimale@hotmail.com. Attached to a snack bar in the village of Yalimapo, with hammocks in four thatched huts. Carbets with hammock €20
Kudawyada 260 Av du 31 Décembre 1988 594 34 20 60, kydawayada.sk@gmail.com. About 1km east of Yalimapo, this retreat has three mosquito-proofed thatch-roofed carbets for hammock slingers, each with toilets and showers, all set in a woodsy patch near the beach. Carbets with hammock €20
Le Samana Hôtel 18 Rue bruno Aubert 594 27 87 73, hotellesamana@orange.fr. This sleek self-contained modern hotel with attached café stands by the bank of the Mana River, on the outskirts of the town of the same name, 20km from Plage Les Hattes. Studios €70, doubles €60
Simili Youth Hostel 594 34 16 25, ajs.simili@wanadoo.fr. Some 2.5km east of Yalimapo village, this beachside complex has accommodation to suit all tastes, from basic bungalows sleeping two to six people to a large carbet with mosquito-netted hammocks (bring your own for €8 discount); meals provided on request. Leatherbacks nest on the beach here, and it’s beside the Reserve Naturelle de l’Amana, a protected forest with a well-marked interpretive nature trail. Outside turtle season, advance reservations are a must. Bungalow/person €5, carbets €15
