Suriname travel Tips
The beating heart of the Amazon
Steve- Midlands_ UK
This was quite an eventful trip, started with a dash across Amsterdam to obtain a visa, cause they won’t let you on the plane without one, despite what you may be told. So thanks to everyone at Suriname Airways for their help last Sunday. The transfer to the hotel was smooth enough, bottles of cool water to help with the heat, in late october 
)
Check-in efficient and friendly, but I found the room itself a little tired and in need of an update. It was clean enough and the room cleaning service was excellent. Food in the bar was great, try the local dishes, Brown Bean Creole style was particularly good. Breakfast was the usual fair, I didn’t bother with hot food, choosing the fresh fruit and yogurt to start the day, throughout the week the fruit juices were changed, my favourite being Soursop. Bar staff were very attentitive. I found the service very rapid, surprisingly so on occasions. Took a little longer at the weekend, but they were much busier then. Free wireless worked OK, and the room coffee perculator knocks spots off most UK instant coffeee packets. It was also better than the airport’s executive lounge Nescafe. I will never understand why people consider nescafe to be quality. The grounds of the hotel are extensive, tennis courts and outdoor gym, various beauty salon type stuff and saunas, but I didn’t use any. The hotel was lively some nights, particularly at the weekend, some evening entertainment on wednesday, but generally low key. I enjoyed my stay at the Torarica and would be happy to return, I was working in a hotel accross the road, (Queens) which was also excellent. I mu st say, I felt intimidated when venturing outside the hotel towards the town, constantly approached by beggars, it is not a place to stop and wander.
Visitor from Los Angelos,CA
I didn’t have any of the negative issues that the other posters had. My room had a view of the pool and was pretty nice. Internet worked fine. They were friendly to me when I arrived at 1:00 AM. I had a chartered taxi so cannot comment on the shuttle. Wake up calls were on time. The food service was maybe a little slower than I am used to but not unacceptable. Bar food was good. Did not eat in restaurant for dinner. Breakfast was good. There is an omelet bar and they also had other hot food available some days e.g. roast beef. Fruit was fresh and juices I had never had before were delicious. They found out it was my birthday and had cake delivered to my room. Did not go in casino. Eateries across the street I went to T’ ?? and Jasmine are also good and very safe. I would stay here again
Visitor from Oegstgeest:
Yes, what shall I say about this hotel in Suriname. I stayed in the “old”Torarica, not in the new one.
Everything is close by. The Fort Zeelandia, and the mainstreet. Palmentuin is almost 5 minutes walking. It is a busy street, with lot of people, cars and noise! Even this noise is coming to your room.
Room: dark, basket of fruit. Did not look fresh. Dark, and simple bathroom. Old showercurtains. Not comfortable. Wooden unshiny floor. And also here a very noisy staff!!!
Breakfest at the pool is OK. Not special. Staff is slow, not very interested. Do there job and that’s it.
There is also a big casino in the hotel, and everyone is passing the lobby. Friendlyness of the staff here: not polite. Cause I wanted to change some money here. Reception asked me to go there. helpfull not at all. Unfriendly. I had to chance my money across the street. Swimmingpool ok, use of towels.
Close to the river is a nice place to have a drink in the evening.
Overall: there are not that much hotels in Suriname-Paramaribo. Perhaps the new Torarica is better. Let me try it the next time.
Visitor from England:
Business trip to Paramaribo.
Arrived on a very busy KLM flight and took the free hotel mini bus to the Torarica. Journey seemed to last forever and didn’t arrive at destination till it was dark.
Check in was ok and easily sorted out a WiFi password, room safe and a currency change.
Had a room on the second floor and initial reaction was not good. There was a really overpowering smell of fresh paint everywhere. I mean eye-wateringly intense! They’d been painting the corridors and the smell was unbelievable. Unfortunately it didn’t quite mask the smell of stale tobacco which also hung in the air. Anyway, room was ice cold, also smelt of cigarettes and contained a mismatch of furniture that reminded me of my Gran’s house. The dark brown tiled floor was just like a school gym and the TV was one of those small portables fixed high up on the wall with an ugly bracket. Looking out the window and I was facing the car park, and seeing that the casino opens till 400am, I expected a week of sleepless nights. Tried the TV and the limited number of channels were fuzzy some more than others so looked in the mini bar for a little liquid relief and it was totally empty. Went to sleep on day one in a real bad mood.
Next day, breakfast was great. Good selection, fruit, yogurt, cheeses, bacon, eggs, juices etc. the full monty. Service excellent from friendly staff, and I was probably the only non-Dutch speaker in the whole place!
The room seemed better in daylight, even the big pattern flowery duvet wasn’t so tasteless, loads of cupboard space, very clean, useful iron, coffee pot etc. so was much happier (It still stank of paint and cigarettes though!). Towels changed every day – bit uneccessary these days so they need to have new policy for that.
The room also had a interconnecting door (locked) but I could hear every single movement from the room next door – every visit to the toilet, the snoring, talking, tv, damn alarm clock, it was almost creepy, like having a stalker!
Hotel facilities are superb. Large, clean pool, outdoor gym, tennis courts, jacuzzi and so on, lots to do. Business Centre – small room with two PCs. Staff on reception help with faxes etc. WiFi in room worked ok most days, reasonable signal.
Small shop in hotel has limited range of the usual tourist trinkets which make perfect gifts for people you don’t really care about or when you just can’t be bothered.
Never went inside casino (entrance located inside hotel lobby) although it always seemed busy, open to non residents too. Often heard people returning to their rooms, talking loudly, laughing, slamming doors etc in the early hours. So annoying.
On my business trips tend to dine from room service a lot and the hotel menu was just too limited. Only one dessert available and two types of sandwich! I must have eaten the Club sandwich five times during my stay and really don’t want to see another one for a long time. Only consolation was that they were slightly different every time depending on chef. Bit slow though, around 45 mins waiting?
Reception never had much cash available to exchange but there is a cambio across the road with a 24 hour ATM.
Taxis located outside, very cheap and reliable. Fare from hotel to airport US45 or can go free with hotel bus.
Overall, had a really good stay. Nice hotel, well looked after with plenty to do if you’re not with a tourist package. Definitely stay there again although worth paying extra for better room (terrace/garden view).
Good points – brilliant facilities, friendly staff, good location
Not so good points – room decor bit dated, room service limited & slow, stench of smoke and especially paint, and too many very noisy guests slamming doors, making a racket in the early hours and waking me up every day!
- Liked — Great facilities – pool, gym, tennis courts, casino, free WiFi, room safe, breakfasts!
- Disliked — Room service menu, room smelt of cigarette smoke & paint, noisy guests
Visitor from England:
This is the case of a hotel having little or no competition (to date), and it shows. They make their money from the casino and locals at the bar, so have little or no interest in the rooms or gustes that occupy them. Among the problems I had were :
Offered airport pick-up (they didn’t show).
Dropped off Torarica Royal (they said I didn’t have a reservation and sent me to the Casino hotel)
Ancient room, internet didn’t work.
Room safe did not work.
Attempt to charge me $150 for room safe.
Attempt to charge me $250 for no show at Torarica Royal.
Food poor and never actually managed to get what I ordered.
While this is all bad, what really bothers me is the fact that the staff genuinely don’t care; don’t interrupt their leisure time with pesky requests for service! You have been warned.