METS Travel & Tours: Suriname's Original Rainforest Gateway
The 1962-founded eco-outfitter that runs the country's most storied jungle lodges.
Why Go
If you've ever wondered how the average traveler actually gets to the Upper Suriname River, Palumeu village, or the granite dome of Kasikasima, the answer for six decades has been the same three letters: METS. Standing for Movement for Eco-Tourism in Suriname, this Paramaribo-based operator built the country's inland tourism circuit before 'ecotourism' was even a marketing term, and their Anton Drachtenweg office is where most rainforest itineraries in Suriname quietly begin.
The Experience
Walking into METS feels less like booking a tour and more like joining an expedition. Staff move between Dutch, English and Sranan Tongo, pulling out laminated maps of the interior and matching travellers to the right lodge based on fitness, time and appetite for remoteness. The lobby is a mix of returning Dutch families comparing notes on Palumeu, cruise-ship day-trippers grabbing city-tour tickets, and solo adventurers signing waivers for the multi-day Kasikasima climb. Because METS owns and staffs its lodges (rather than reselling third-party trips), the guides in your dugout canoe next week are the same team you're chatting with today, and a large share of them are Indigenous or Maroon community members from the villages you'll visit.
What to Try
The three flagship trips are the Palumeu Jungle Lodge (a fly-in Trio and Wayana village on the Tapanahony River, best for cultural immersion), Awarradam Jungle Lodge (a Saramaccan Maroon experience on rapids in the Upper Suriname, easier to reach and family-friendly), and the Mount Kasikasima expedition (a strenuous multi-day trek to a 700-metre granite inselberg for serious hikers). For a shorter taste, book the Paramaribo City Tour or a day at Colakreek, the tannin-black swimming creek in the savanna south of the city. Birders should ask specifically about the Special Interest Vogelobservatie itineraries.
Insider Tip
Book the interior lodges at least 4ΓÇô6 weeks ahead in the JulyΓÇôAugust and DecemberΓÇôJanuary high seasons ΓÇö small aircraft seats to Palumeu and Awarradam are the real bottleneck, not the lodge beds. If you're flexible, ask the desk about last-minute 'gap' departures where METS is repositioning a plane; you can occasionally snag a discounted seat. And pay in euros or SRD cash in-office rather than by card if you want the friendliest rate.
The Practical Stuff
The office sits on Anton Drachtenweg 7 in Paramaribo, a short taxi ride north of the historic centre. Walk-ins are welcome for city tours and Colakreek day trips, but interior expeditions should be reserved by email or phone in advance. Trips include return flights from Zorg en Hoop airfield, all meals at the lodge, guided excursions and village visits; you'll want long sleeves, a headlamp, reef-safe sunscreen, and cash for handicrafts bought directly from villagers. Most itineraries run 3, 4 or 5 days.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — A comfortable Paramaribo base for the night before your early Zorg en Hoop flight into the interior, and a hot shower to come back to afterwards.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Pair a METS jungle stay with a self-drive day to Commewijne's plantations or Colakreek ΓÇö 88 is a short hop from METS's office for pickup.
- 'T Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — The classic post-expedition debrief spot on Kleine Waterstraat ΓÇö cold Parbo beer and Surinamese bar food while you swap Palumeu stories.