All Suriname Tours: Your Gateway to the Amazon's Best-Kept Secret
Family-run local operator turning Suriname's jungle, rivers, and Maroon villages into once-in-a-lifetime trips since 2012.
Why Go
Tucked into a colonial townhouse on Kleine Waterstraat, a two-minute walk from the Waterkant riverfront, All Suriname Tours is where travelers stop guessing and start actually seeing the country. Owners who've been running rainforest routes for over a decade cut through the logistical fog of one of South America's most under-visited nations, then hand you an itinerary that's transparent to the euro and light on tourist theater.
The Experience
Walk in and the vibe is more travel-savvy neighbor than hard-sell agency: maps on the desk, chalkboard prices in plain view, and staff who've personally slept in every jungle lodge they sell. Their motto - 'what you see is what you pay' - shows up in the pricing sheet taped to the counter, covering everything from a Γé¼19 Paramaribo city circuit to a 20-day 'Relaxed Suriname' grand tour. Most guides are local Surinamers or Maroons, so a boat ride up the Upper Suriname River comes with drumming lessons in Jaw Jaw village, and the Commewijne sunset cruise ends with pink river dolphins surfacing beside the boat as the old plantation coastline glows. Groups stay small, transfers are private, and the office doubles as an unofficial travel help desk - they'll re-sort a flight or find you a room in Nickerie without blinking.
What to Try
The Commewijne sunset & dolphin cruise (Γé¼27.50) is the easy win - three hours, wooden riverboat, guaranteed pink and grey dolphins if you go on an outgoing tide. For a deeper dip, book the 3-day Living with the Maroons in Jaw Jaw (Γé¼240): dugout canoes up rapids, cassava-bread lessons, and a night of Saramaccan storytelling around the fire. Adventurous travelers should push for the Kabalebo (Γé¼766, 4 days) or Palumeu (Γé¼645, 4 days) fly-in jungle lodges - both are on tiny bush planes and both deliver harpy eagles, tapir tracks, and rivers you'll swim in alone. The Paramaribo bike tour (Γé¼35) is the sneaky-good half-day if you're short on time.
Insider Tip
Book your interior trips in-person at the Kleine Waterstraat office rather than online - they'll happily combine two of their fixed itineraries into a custom route, throw in transfers to Zorg en Hoop airstrip, and quote in SRD (Surinamese dollar) which usually beats the euro sticker price by 5-10 percent if you pay cash. Ask specifically for Roy or whoever's running Maroon-village trips that week; a name-request keeps you off the generic group bus. Also: bring a paper printout of your itinerary, as jungle lodges often have no reliable email.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Kleine Waterstraat 15, Paramaribo (a block behind Hotel Krasnapolsky and the Waterkant boardwalk). Open Monday-Saturday roughly 9:00-19:00, closed Sunday. WhatsApp +597 841-1055 is the fastest channel; email info@allsurinametours.com works but expect a day's turnaround. They accept cash (SRD, USD, EUR), iDeal, Apple/Android Pay, and bank transfer - no credit cards on smaller bookings. Multi-day tours require roughly 30-50 percent deposit. English, Dutch, and Sranan Tongo spoken. Dry season (Feb-April, Aug-Nov) is prime for jungle trips; book Palumeu and Kabalebo at least 3-4 weeks ahead.
Pair It With
- 't Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Two-minute walk from the office and the default post-booking debrief spot for travelers - grab a Parbo beer and swap notes with returning tour groups on the patio.
- Waterkant riverfront — Step out of the office and turn left for the Suriname River promenade; it's the exact stretch your Commewijne cruise departs from, so scout the boats before you commit.
- Fort Zeelandia — Ten-minute stroll away - do the museum in the morning so the afternoon city-circuit tour you just booked builds on the colonial history instead of introducing it cold.
- 101 Suites Guide — Nearby central hotel that makes an easy base if you're piecing together back-to-back interior trips and need somewhere to stash a bag between jungle stints.