The Guianas - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

Guesthouse TwenTy4 Jessurunstraat 24 T 420 751,

W twenty4suriname.com. Under the same management

as Zus & Zo (see below), this comfortable guesthouse is a

little bit plusher (most rooms are en suite) but also feels

quite isolated in spite of its central location. Friendly staff

can hel p ar range tours and there's a small bar open until

11pm. €25

Residence Inn Anton Dragtenweg 7 T 521 414,

W resinn.com. Yes, it's a chain, but a good one at that: the

en-suite rooms and cabins are not terribly memorable but

guests have use of the swimming pool within a pleasant

garden and there's a decent restaur ant serv ing a mix of

Surinamese and international dishes. US $60

Spanhoek Hotel Domineestraat 2-4 T 477 888,

W spanhoekhotel.com. Stylish rooms with all mod cons,

warm accents and nice touches, such as fresh flowers - all

in a very c entral location. Buffet breakfast included in

price. €110

Un Pied-À-Terre Guesthouse Costerstraat 59 T 470 488,

W un-pied-a-terre.com. A quaint guesthouse just blocks

away from all the action. Breezy veranda and rooms with

four-poster beds draped with mosquito nets, and breakfast

from SRD14. For a cheaper option, hang a hammock i n the

garden (€2 disc ount if you hang your own). Rooms €25 ,

hammocks €12

Ì Zus & Zo Grote Combéweg 13a T 520 905,

W zusenzosuriname.com. This is the traveller hub of Parbo,

comprising several compact, brightly painted rooms with

shared bath, helpful staff, tour agency, bike rental agency

next door and one of the best eateries/chillout spots in

town. Clientele varies betwe en in ternational travellers and

screeching Dutch teenagers. €25

Ì TREAT YOURSELF

Spice Quest Nassylaan 107 T 520 747.

One of the capital's most stylish

restaurants, 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. Meals around

SRD90. Mon 6-11pm, Tues-Sun

11am-3pm & 6-11pm.

option, toasties and treats such as bagels with grilled

goat's cheese and honey and real lemonade. You can

linger with your laptop, too. Mon-Fri 7.30am-4pm & Sat

7.30am-5pm.

Power Smoothie Zwartenhovenbrugstraat at

Wilhelminastraat. Tiny spot churning out excellent

smoothies, including “healthy” ones and a few potent,

alcohol-tinged ones. There are sandwiches and wraps

if you're looking for more than liquid refreshment.

Smoothies from SRD8. Daily 10am-6pm.

Roopram Roti Several sites across town including

Saturnusstraat 44. Visit for generous portions of roti

(Indian pancake) stuffed with various curried meats (or

vegetables) with all the trimmings for around SRD15.

Daily 9am-10pm (varies by location).

Zanzibar Van Sommelsdijkstraat 1. This lively outpost

with a DJ (Fri & Sat) has outdoor seating and an open-air

bar serving food and delicious cocktails from SRD8. Daily

6pm until late.

Ì Zus & Zo Grote Combéweg 13a T 520 905. This

garden café decorated with Christmas lights serves

great international tapas (grilled plantain, flavourful sate ,

patatas bravas ) as well as more substantial mains -

noodles, grilled meats and more, accompanied by tangy

ginger juice and Parbo beer. Wednesday night is movie

night and the little stage hosts live music on the weekends.

Daily 9am-11pm.

7

EATING AND DRINKING

Take a taxi to the Blauwgrond neighbourhood to eat at one

of the many warungs (Javanese restaurants) here. Check

W eteninsuriname.com for a restaurant list and online

menus.

Dumpling #1 Nassylaan 168 T 477 904. Breezy Chinese

restaurant in a courtyard set back from the tree-lined

street, serving dumplings, grilled seafood and more.

Meals from SRD35. Tues-Sat 9.30am-3pm & 6-11pm;

Sun 8am-1pm & 6-11pm.

Eetcafé de Gadri Zeelandiaweg 1 T 420 688. Generous

portions of Creole and Indonesian food (SRD15-30),

served at tables overlooking the Suriname River. Mon-Fri

8am-10pm & Sat 11am-10pm.

Jiji's SRD Pier, Waterkant 2nd floor. At this breezy location

overlooking the river, this is the best of the eateries, serving

generous portions of Surinamese and international dishes.

Meals around SRD30. Daily 5-11pm.

Lekker! Johannes Mungstraat 8 T 430 661. Aptly named,

trendy café and bistro (“lekker” is Dutch for “delicious”),

with the best coffee in town, create-your-own-salad

SHOPPING

Book Affairs Kerkplein 8. Run by the wonderful Debby,

this small secondhand bookshop may have what you need.

Zus & Zo (see above). Quality Saramaccan and Amerindian

handicrafts - from carved, decorated calabashes to intricate

jewellery and woodcarvings.