Moving to Suriname
Hi, I am a law student in the US (minneapolis). I accepted a job this summer working in Paramaribo. While the opportunity excites me, and I took the job immediately, I knew very little about Suriname, and Guidebooks and websites have been little help with practical living information.
I will try to post my questions in the threads that seem most appropriate, but here are a few to start you off.
1. How difficult will it be to find living arrangements for for June, July, and August? I strongly prefer to live in downtown (around Heerenstraat, Domineestraat, etc.).
2. It has been difficult for me to learn about cost of living. How much, on average, does a month rent cost? A beer? A meal? A blanket?
3. Assuming that I will have plenty of time to "see the sights," what can I do for fun after work day-to-day?
Thanks in advance, you'll be hearing lot more from me.
The Green Lantern
Hi TheGreenLantern,
I just started working in Suriname (Canadian expat) so maybe I can give some answers.
You shouldn't have any problems with costs in Paramaribo (of course this depends on what you'll be making). I expect you can rent a decent place for less than 100 US per month. Generally, stuff is cheap down here. For example, a big Parbo and a carton of smokes costs less than 10 US, and that on site, which is probably more than in town.
Currency ex is 1 USD ~ 2.70 SD.
Do expect poverty.
You'll find plenty of stuff to do in your evenings. There are decent restaurants and bars. Parbo, the local beer, is very good and very useful in this climate. This place is off the beaten path, so not much touristy things. The girls are nice ...
Hello everyone,
I've been reading along and was wondering what type of place one could expect for $100US per month.
I have searched the web but with no luck,there must not be too much internet activity there.
BTW my name is Nick I am in the US in Kentucky..
[QUOTE=Goldminer]Hi TheGreenLantern,
I just started working in Suriname (Canadian expat) so maybe I can give some answers.
You shouldn't have any problems with costs in Paramaribo (of course this depends on what you'll be making). I expect you can rent a decent place for less than 100 US per month. Generally, stuff is cheap down here. For example, a big Parbo and a carton of smokes costs less than 10 US, and that on site, which is probably more than in town.
Currency ex is 1 USD ~ 2.70 SD.
Do expect poverty.
You'll find plenty of stuff to do in your evenings. There are decent restaurants and bars. Parbo, the local beer, is very good and very useful in this climate. This place is off the beaten path, so not much touristy things. The girls are nice ...[/QUOTE]
I came along a rather good site [url]www.saipsa.net[/url] of Saipsa Suriname. They have a lot of updated information about entertainment & leisure activities in Suriname. There is also some detailed background information and pictures as well. It seems that there is a discount card programme valid at more than 60 useful places such as KFC, McDonald etc. Just check it out.
Cheers, Raoul
hello everyone
i am Gonçalo , i live in portugal , and im trying to plan a 1 month trip to the surinam , but im having some trouble in finding the best ( cheaper) way to get there . i can use any information u can get me
vaccination is needed right ? which ones ?
thank you :D
Hey, thanks. I was really starting to think that no one would get back to me. I'm really glad about the women. Everything is easier when good looking girls are around. Since the website alerts you when a reply to a thread is made, I may post other questions here as they arise.
I will arrive in Suriname in late May, by the by, and I understand I should bring a stout umbrella. If there seems to be anything off the top of your head that I should know, advice is much appreciated.
Well, the rainy season seems to have started. The rains tend to be heavy and short, this happening several times each day. Needless to say this drives the humidity to extreme levels - hope your office is AC'ed ...
Give yourself a week in advance of your starting date. Just getting here is a chore - you transfer at Miami, then again in the Carribean and finally at Paramaribo airport, then taxi an hour before hitting town. You will want to get used to this place - don't just expect to show up and start work the next day.
BTW I can grab the local paper and snail it to you, for those "for rent" ads. Do you speak / read Dutch, or German? Since you're in late May, want to meet for a Parbo? I'll be on the way out at that time, taking an afternoon in town.
I am the admin at the surinam.net site.
I am looking for more content, stories, writings, images to help proliferate and build up the site. If any of you are interested in assisting let me know....
Rocko....
First Rfikki, I will be living in Suriname, as I posted above, and I have a degree in creative writing and I'm working on my law specialty. I will be researching the Constitution of Suriname, so if you need either creative or political content, I'll be glad to help upon arrival.
Goldminer,
First things first, meeting for a Parbo sounds splendid. As soon as my flight gets scheduled, we''ll hook up a time.
All this advice is wonderful...I would love a newspaper. My e-mail is [email]port0036@umn.edu[/email] (Rfikki should feel welcome to use it, too) send me a message and I'll hit you with my address.
Thanks again,
The Green Lantern (John)
Hello,
I'm in the process of negociating with a company from the Netherlands a short term contract to do home automation in Suriname.
The job is scheduled for the begining of June. I don't have much info yet but will like any info on rentals, daily life, etc.
I will post specific early next week after I receive more info from my contractor.
Thanks
Rico
Hey, you probably already read my earlier post, but my job was bumped back to the beginning of June as well. I'll be there for about three months, and have been searching for this type of information since I found out about my job in December.
There is some info on [url]www.waterkant.com[/url], but it's all in Dutch. Hopefully your employer will be a bit more forthcoming than mine. If you find out anything not posted here, please post. Otherwise, since we'll be down at the same time, maybe we should team up.
John
You will love it. We recently were there visiting my wife's family, as she is born there. The place and people are fantastic. That's why we want to settle there.
There are places to go for fun and food. To name a few, Leonsberg, located by the river, about 15 minute drive north of Paramaribo.
You have the Waterkant, it is open everynight, where you can sit and eat and drink, overlooking the Suriname River.
The Torarica Hotel, just north of town, where you can eat, drink, and dance.
Hope this helps.
:)
Preparing to start a job in Paramaribo, that should last for 4 months to 1 year depending on how things go. Looking for any insight on what I can expect in Paramaribo.
Also, looking for rental housing for 4 people. Any information anybody can give would be appreciated. Thanks!
Syndicate
A good guide for everybody who's moving to Suriname - http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/suriname.aspx
And don't forget to fill a moving form for IRS