Guesthouse Amice: Paramaribo's Home-Away-From-Home
A pocket-sized guesthouse with a big-hearted welcome, just off the buzz of central Paramaribo.
Why Go
Tucked down a quiet residential street a short walk from the historic center, Guesthouse Amice trades hotel formality for hammocks by a plunge pool and hosts who remember your coffee order by day two. It's the kind of place solo travelers, backpackers pausing before the interior, and Dutch retirees keep coming back to because it feels less like checking in and more like being handed a key to a friend's place.
The Experience
Amice is a small, low-rise guesthouse on Gravenberchstraat, about ten minutes on foot from the UNESCO-listed wooden inner city and Waterkant. The vibe is unhurried and residential: mango trees over the courtyard, a compact outdoor pool ringed by loungers and shaded hammocks, and a handful of air-conditioned rooms opening onto the garden. Breakfast is served al fresco each morning, staff switch effortlessly between Dutch, English and German, and long-stay guests tend to end up sharing beers at the poolside chill-out zone by sunset. Rooms are simple but spotless, with flat-screen TV, safe, desk and (crucially, in this climate) properly cold AC. Because it sits in a Surinamese neighborhood rather than the tourist strip, you get the bonus of hearing morning temple bells, smelling roti frying next door, and being three minutes from a wijkwinkel selling everything you forgot to pack.
What to Try
Start the day with the house breakfast ΓÇö fresh tropical fruit, Surinamese bread, cheeses and strong coffee served in the garden. Between excursions, claim a hammock by the pool with a cold Parbo beer; it's the guesthouse's unofficial common room and where onward travel tips (interior tours, Commewijne day trips, Galibi turtle nesting) get swapped. Ask the hosts to book you a taxi driver they trust ΓÇö arranging airport transfer and a half-day city driver through the front desk is smoother than hailing on the street.
Insider Tip
Only four rooms means Amice books out weeks ahead in dry season (FebΓÇôApril and AugΓÇôNov) and around Surinamese school holidays ΓÇö reserve directly by email or phone (+597 434-289) rather than through OTAs to lock in the best rate, and note that payment is cash only in SRD, EUR or USD, so hit an ATM before you arrive. Ask for a room facing the garden rather than the street for the quietest sleep.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Gravenberchstraat 5, Paramaribo, Suriname. Phone: +597 434-289. About 750 m (10-min walk) from Onafhankelijkheidsplein and the historic wooden center; roughly 45 min by taxi from Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (SR fixed-fare taxis recommended, ~USD 50). Payment: cash only (SRD, EUR, USD). Languages: Dutch, English, German. Free Wi-Fi, outdoor pool, sun deck, on-site parking. Best months to visit Paramaribo overall: FebruaryΓÇôApril and AugustΓÇômid-November (dry seasons).
Pair It With
- 't Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — The go-to expat-and-local hangout on Kleine Waterstraat for a Parbo and people-watching after a day of city walking ΓÇö an easy taxi or 15-min stroll from Amice.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — Nearby Chinese-Surinamese spot that's a reliable, unfussy dinner when you don't feel like trekking back into the tourist center.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Half- or full-day watertubing adventure on the Upper Suriname River ΓÇö the perfect adrenaline counterpoint to Amice's laid-back pool days, and staff can help arrange pickup.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Handy local rental outfit if you want to self-drive to Brownsberg, Commewijne's coffee plantations or the coast; parking is available on-site at the guesthouse.