Pavema Apartments: Your Home Base for Slow-Travel Paramaribo
Self-catering suites with a pool, tucked into a quiet Paramaribo side street
Why Go
Pavema is the kind of place you check into for three nights and end up extending to two weeks. It's a small, family-run apartment resort on Tweede Rijweg, about ten minutes from the historic center of Paramaribo, but the residential setting means you sleep to the sound of tree frogs instead of scooters. With just eight units (ranging from a compact 28 m┬▓ studio to a two-bedroom 60 m┬▓), a saltwater-blue outdoor pool, a shaded sun terrace and a BBQ corner, it feels less like a hotel and more like borrowing a Surinamese friend's guesthouse.
The Experience
The vibe is calm, private and deliberately un-touristy. You buzz through a secure gate into a small tropical courtyard where the pool is the social heart of the property; guests drift between the water, the sunbeds and their own balcony throughout the day. Each apartment is a proper self-contained flat: individually controlled A/C, a real kitchen with fridge, microwave and coffee maker, Netflix on the flat-screen, fast Wi-Fi and a private balcony or seating area. Check-in is personal (Dutch, English or French), parking is free and secure inside the compound, and the owners can arrange an airport pickup, a rental car or a laundry pickup with a single WhatsApp. It's popular with Dutch families visiting relatives, remote workers on longer stays and couples who want to explore Suriname at their own pace without committing to a big hotel.
What to Try
Book the two-bedroom apartment even if you're a couple ΓÇö the extra space, second bathroom and larger kitchen is worth it if you're staying more than three nights. Stock up at Kirpalani Super Store or Hermitage Mall (both under 2 km away) on arrival, grill fresh barracuda or pom-ready chicken on the BBQ, and eat by the pool. Ask reception to arrange an early-morning airport transfer or a 4x4 day trip out to Brownsberg or the Commewijne plantations ΓÇö they have trusted local drivers on speed dial.
Insider Tip
The published nightly rate isn't the real price. Pavema quietly offers 10% off stays of two weeks and 20% off month-long bookings, and those discounts are often not visible on Booking.com or Airbnb ΓÇö email info@pavema-apartments.com or WhatsApp +597 8980012 directly and you'll get a better rate plus your pick of the quieter back units (ask for one facing the garden, not the street).
The Practical Stuff
Address: Tweede Rijweg 54AB, Paramaribo, Suriname (roughly 10 min by car to the UNESCO-listed inner city, 45 min to Zanderij/Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport). Free on-site parking and airport shuttle on request. Check-in is private and flexible; 24/7 self-access is possible if you arrive on a late flight. Pool and terrace open all day. All apartments are non-smoking with A/C, kitchenette, Wi-Fi and Netflix. Payment in SRD, EUR or USD; card and cash both accepted. Family-friendly (cribs available) but not really set up for large events or parties ΓÇö this is a quiet-hours kind of place.
Pair It With
- 't VAT Sidewalk Cafe Guide — The obvious first-night dinner ΓÇö a five-minute walk or short drive away, this Paramaribo institution is where you can sample Surinamese-Dutch pub classics and a cold Parbo on the terrace before you've even unpacked.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — A neighborhood favorite for late, unfussy Chinese-Surinamese food when you don't feel like cooking in the apartment kitchen; perfect for a low-key second night.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — A half-day adrenaline break from the pool ΓÇö book a river tubing session, then come back to Pavema, rinse off in your own kitchenette-flat and nap on the sun terrace.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Pavema's location rewards having your own wheels; grab a car here and you can do day trips to Commewijne, Brownsberg or the coast and still sleep in your own bed each night.