Wheelz Car Rental: Your Keys to the Real Suriname
Family-run rental shop in central Paramaribo with unlimited-mileage wheels for anyone ready to venture past the city limits.
Why Go
Suriname rewards the curious driver. Rent from a big-box counter at the airport and you'll pay a premium for the same Toyota you'd get downtown; walk into Wheelz on Hermand D. Benjaminstraat and you're dealing directly with the owners, negotiating a weekly rate, and swapping tips about which back road to Commewijne is actually paved this month. It's the local move for travelers who want the freedom to chase river ferries, Javanese warungs, and Brownsberg viewpoints on their own clock.
The Experience
The office sits in a quiet residential-commercial pocket of Paramaribo, walkable from most centrum hotels and a short taxi from the Torarica strip. The vibe is unfussy Surinamese business: a small showroom, a whiteboard of available cars, and staff who actually explain the quirks of driving here rather than pushing you through a form. Fleet skews practical, economy sedans, compact SUVs, and passenger vans, with unlimited-mileage terms that let you commit to a Nickerie run or a full-country loop without watching the odometer. They also do longer leases, which is why you'll notice expats and NGO workers picking up keys alongside tourists. Weekdays 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM only, so plan your pickup accordingly.
What to Try
Ask for a compact SUV rather than the cheapest sedan, the extra clearance pays for itself the first time you hit an unpaved stretch heading to Peperpot or the Commewijne plantations. If you're staying more than four days, negotiate a weekly rate instead of daily; it's expected here. Load the WhatsApp number (+597 8501531) into your phone before you leave the lot; that's how you'll actually reach them if anything comes up on the road.
Insider Tip
Suriname drives on the LEFT, one of only three countries in South America that does (a quirk of pre-Dutch colonial history). Fuel up before leaving Greater Paramaribo, stations thin out fast past Lelydorp, and the road to Brownsberg or Atjoni will have you rationing kilometers if you didn't top off. Also: keep small SRD bills for the Commewijne ferry crossings; they don't take cards.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Hermand D. Benjamin Straat 20, Paramaribo. Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM-4:00 PM (closed weekends, so pick up Friday if you want a weekend trip). Phone: +597 442929. WhatsApp: +597 8501531. Website: wheelzcarrental.com. Bring your passport, a credit card for the deposit, and ideally an International Driving Permit alongside your home license. Unlimited mileage included; ask about insurance excess before you sign.
Pair It With
- Commewijne Plantation Loop — The classic first drive out of Paramaribo, cross the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, then trace old Dutch coffee and cocoa estates. Doable in a day with your Wheelz car.
- 101 Suites Guide — One of the closer centrum stays to the Wheelz office, so you can walk over for pickup and skip the taxi fare.
- 'T Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Return the car, then decompress with a Parbo beer on the terrace, it's the unofficial post-adventure meeting spot for travelers in Paramaribo.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Pair your rental with a river-tubing day trip; having your own wheels makes the upriver logistics dramatically easier than relying on tour transfers.