Guesthouse La Ressource
A creekside hideaway where howler monkeys wake you before the coffee does
Why Go
Tucked into the PWB-project, a former aluminum-workers' enclave 15 km outside Paramaribo, La Ressource is the rare Suriname stay where the rainforest starts at your terrace and the city is still just a half-hour drive away. Owners Jenny and Bertus run it like a family home for six to eight guests at a time, which is exactly why birders, anglers, and slow-travelers keep quietly circling back.
The Experience
Arriving feels less like checking into a hotel and more like being handed the keys to a friend's countryside retreat. Two studios face a small swimming pool ringed by garden, and a multifunctional pavilion doubles as breakfast nook, hangout spot, and rainy-afternoon reading room. The real showstopper sits just beyond the fence: the Parakreek, a dark, mirror-still waterway alive with caimans, kingfishers, and the occasional troop of howlers whose dawn chorus is more effective than any alarm clock. Days settle into an easy rhythm here — continental breakfast on the terrace, a paddle or fish on the creek, an afternoon nap under the ceiling fan, and evenings watching the light drop through the trees. Jenny knows every bird call within earshot and Bertus can point you to the quiet corners of Wanica most visitors never see.
What to Try
Book one of the pool-view studios rather than the pavilion if you want the best sunrise soundtrack from the creek. Ask about the guesthouse's community model — cleaning, taxi runs, car hire, and home-cooked meals are all outsourced to neighbors in the PWB-project, so nearly everything you order supports a household nearby. If you're a birder, request the walking route to the open savanna patch just up the road; the habitat shift there adds a whole second checklist of species to what you'll see around the property.
Insider Tip
Skip the temptation to base yourself in Paramaribo and day-trip out here. Do the opposite: stay at La Ressource for three or four nights, rent one of the cars Bertus arranges through a neighbor, and use the guesthouse as your quiet base for the Commewijne plantations, Brownsberg, and city runs. You'll pay less, sleep better, and see far more wildlife than any downtown hotel can promise.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Labradorietstraat 18, PWB-project, Boxel (Wanica district), roughly 15 km / 30 minutes from central Paramaribo. Small-scale property sleeping 6–8 across two studios and a pavilion. Amenities include swimming pool, garden and creek views, private terraces, kitchenettes with fridge, en-suite walk-in showers, free WiFi, free private parking, and daily continental breakfast. Bicycle and car rental can be arranged on-site. A rental car (or pre-arranged taxi through the guesthouse) is strongly recommended — public transit here is thin. Book direct or via Booking.com; the owners speak Dutch and English.
Pair It With
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — An adrenaline counterweight to La Ressource's stillness — a half-day on the water before returning to the creek for sunset.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — A dependable nearby dinner option when you don't feel like arranging a home-cooked meal through the guesthouse network.
- 'T VAT Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Worth the drive into Paramaribo for a lively evening of local beers and people-watching, then back to the quiet of the creek.