Orange Travel N.V.: Your Gateway to Wild Suriname
A downtown Paramaribo tour desk that unlocks jungle rivers, dolphin coasts, and Maroon villages deep in the interior.
Why Go
Suriname's interior can feel intimidating on paper ΓÇö riverboats, bush planes, and no signage in English ΓÇö but a five-minute walk from the Presidential Palace lands you at Orange Travel's Van Sommelsdijckstraat office, where multilingual planners quietly stitch together the country's wildest corners into itineraries anyone can join.
The Experience
Tucked into a colonial-era building beside the Krasnapolsky in Paramaribo's historic center, Orange Travel functions as part travel agency, part command post for adventure in Suriname. Walk in and you'll find route maps of the Upper Suriname River, laminated wildlife sheets from Brownsberg, and staff switching fluidly between Dutch, English, and Sranan Tongo. The vibe is efficient rather than glossy ΓÇö this is where you go to actually book the jungle lodge, not just window-shop it. Guides like Elton, Bernhard, and Julius are repeatedly name-checked in traveler reviews, and the office runs everything from half-day city bus tours to 16-day cross-country expeditions, plus car and bike rentals if you'd rather DIY the coast.
What to Try
For a first taste, the Commewijne River tour (~Γé¼65) pairs colonial plantation ruins with river-dolphin spotting on the way back. If you have more time, the multi-day trips to Danpaati or Kabalebo Nature Resort are the signature experiences ΓÇö hammock nights, blackwater swims, and giant otter sightings you won't stumble into on your own. Budget travelers should ask about the Peperpot bus tour and the sunset Dolphins run (~Γé¼27.50), both easy add-ons to a Paramaribo stay.
Insider Tip
Book in person the day you arrive rather than online ΓÇö the staff will quietly bundle transfers, lodge nights, and rental wheels into a cheaper package than the website's fixed rates, and they'll flip your itinerary around low-water season or weather closures on the interior rivers. Bring euros or a Dutch bank card; USD and cards work, but euro cash gets the smoothest handling.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Van Sommelsdijckstraat 4, Paramaribo (historic center, next to Hotel Krasnapolsky). Hours: MonΓÇôFri 8:00ΓÇô19:00, Sat 12:00ΓÇô19:00, closed Sunday. Phone: +597 421984 / +597 877 3397. Day tours run roughly Γé¼27ΓÇôΓé¼175 per person; multi-day packages start around Γé¼845. Payments in EUR, SRD, or USD; Dutch, Surinamese, and American bank transfers accepted. English and Dutch spoken. Walk-ins welcome, but reserve interior trips 2ΓÇô3 days ahead.
Pair It With
- Fort Zeelandia — Five minutes' walk from the office ΓÇö the perfect place to soak up Paramaribo's colonial and independence history before heading into the interior.
- 'T Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Nearby classic Paramaribo terrace for a Parbo beer and a debrief after a long day tour.
- Hotel Krasnapolsky — Literally next door ΓÇö a convenient base if you're booking early-morning departures with Orange Travel.
- Central Market (Centrale Markt) — Pair a city walk here with Orange Travel's Paramaribo bus tour to see the Javanese, Hindustani, and Maroon layers of Suriname's capital up close.