Paramaribo is what you'd get if you mixed the American Wild West with Amsterdam. It's the most amazing capital in the Guianas, a high-energy metropolis with plenty to see and do.

Discover green squares flanked with black and white Dutch colonial buildings in the inner city, a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, enjoy lunch at one of the numerous Indian roti cafes, and buy a couple pieces of artwork from the Maroon artists selling their art outside the historic Dutch forts. Paramaribo, as the locals refer to it, is a multi-ethnic city where synagogues and mosques coexist.

From neat rows of wooden houses to natural green lawns, you can see the Dutch capital Paramaribo imbued with Dutch culture.

For more colonial charm, head to downtown Paramaribo, Foto. It has a Synagogue located next to mosques, close to Hindu temples and Christian churches, all of which are worth seeing. Kwatta Sunday Market offers delicious chicken with Indian, Chinese, and African tastes.

• Location: Paramaribo, Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Kwatta Sunday Market
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: September and October are the hottest, but also the driest, months of the year; if you can take the heat, now is the greatest time to visit.

This magnificent natural reserve, located near the mouth of the Coppename River, was created in 1969. Galibi Coppename Nature Reserve is a paradise for birdwatchers, the home of the endangered manatee, and hundreds of turtles come to there to lay their eggs during the laying season (April to August). STINASU, Suriname's Foundation for Nature Conservation, offers a number of trips to and around the reserve.

Their mission is to support environmental protection, research, and ethical tourism. Your tour guide will undoubtedly provide you with valuable information. If you visit during laying season, you'll almost certainly witness the massive leatherback turtles that come back year after year.

Another great spot for turtle viewing is the turtle sanctuary in Galibi Coppename Nature Reserve, where leatherback, hawksbill and rare olive turtles come to seek refuge on the beach. Galibi, a little community in Suriname's far northeastern corner, is one of the country's more well-known regions. Galibi looks like every image you've ever seen of a tropical paradise as you approach by boat from Albina. Its magnificent, untouched beaches run along the coast.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: the turtle sanctuary in Galibi Nature Reserve
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Year-round.

Central Suriname Nature Reserve is the largest of Suriname's natural reserves, covering around 12% of the country's total land mass, with 40% of the flora and animals found solely in the Guianas. Raleighvallen, Raleigh Falls, is one of the reserve's most spectacular features. Water rushes down from the Coppename River in a long and low stairway. Spider monkeys, Guiana cock-of-the-rock, electric eels, and beautiful exotic birds may all be found here.

Central Suriname Nature Reserve also provides trips and offers housing within the park. You must trek to Voltzbergisa, a 240m granite dome, if you are a hiker. You'll be rewarded with a 360-degree panorama of the whole forest after a two-and-a-half-hour strenuous hike.

Raleighvallen Nature Reserve, Tafelberg Nature Reserve, and Eilerts de Haan Gebergte Nature Reserve formed the Central Suriname Nature Reserve in 1998 to connect three pre-existing reserves: Raleighvallen Nature Reserve, Tafelberg Nature Reserve, and Eilerts de Haan Gebergte Nature Reserve. It boasts a wide variety of plant life as well as 400 different bird species. The Cockatoo, Harpy Eagle, Jaguar, Giant Armadillo, and Giant Otter are among the world's uncommon fauna species.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: The Cockatoo, Harpy Eagle, Jaguar, Giant Armadillo
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: February to March.

This bustling border town was previously a major balata collection center for the country. The port is still operational today, and the local economy is supported by banana and rice farms. Nieuw Nickerie is the penultimate stop before Guyana if you want to visit Bigi Pan, a marsh and reservoir with over 100 bird species. Before continuing on, take a tour of the plantations and inspect the port.

Clear, warm and sunny days with felt heat between 75°F and 90°F favor the beach/pool score. The ideal time to visit Nieuw Nickerie for warm activities, according to this score, is from early July to late April, with a high score in the last week of August.

Bananas and rice are the principal exports. Suriname's major rice producer is Nickerie. A market and a number of hotels, including the Hotel Ameerali, Hotel de President, Hotel Tropical, Hotel de Vesting, and Residence Inn, can be found in the town.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: a marsh and reservoir with over 100 bird species
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: June to August.

Old plantation homes, as well as cocoa, coffee, and sugar cane operations, can be found all along the Commewijne River. Renting a bike for the day and cycling the well-maintained pathways around the plantations is a popular tourist activity.

Water taxis are the most common way to cross the river from Paramribo. They generally take you to Frederiksdorp, a historic plantation that has been rebuilt and is now a hotel and restaurant. It's the ideal spot for a lunch break.

Fort Nieuw Amsterdam is also nearby, where you can see artifacts from the slave trade as well as Dutch-engineered locks that keep the river at bay. Peperpot Nature Park and Meerzorg Bridge are two other spots worth seeing (popular with bird watchers).

If you are looking for where the Commewijne River and Suriname rivers meet, you will find Fort Nieuw Amsterdam. This is a polygonal fortress that plays the role of protecting the crop fields from attacks in the past. Just spend a little time wandering the grounds, and you'll feel like you've been transported back to the tumultuous 19th century.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Fort Nieuw Amsterdam
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Year-round.

The Brownsberg Nature Park is located about 80 kilometers from Paramaribo. It was founded in 1969 and is 500 meters above sea level. It's largely neotropical rainforest, and hundreds of rare and unusual plant and animal species call it home. You'll have a great time hiking around this beautiful part of the world.

The trip up Browns-Mountain will be difficult to say the least if you don't have a vehicle with at least four-wheel drive. The roads are not paved and are riddled with potholes and massive cracks. The roads are also frequently muddy, making it easier for smaller cars to become stranded.

The journey through Brownsberg Nature Park is worthwhile, though, because the top campground provides breathtaking views of the surrounding jungle and the distant Brokopondo Reservoir.

This popular and enjoyable day excursion from Paramaribo is known for its abundance of monkeys and birds, as well as its spectacular setting overlooking Brokopondo Reservoir.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: hundreds of rare and unusual plant and animal species
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Year-round.

Joden Savanne, or Jews' Savannah, is located on the Suriname River just south of Paramaribo. It was founded in the 17th century as an agricultural village by Spanish Jews fleeing persecution. The major crop was sugarcane plantations, and slaves were employed for a long period.

The neighborhood has always faced challenges from surrounding sugar beet crops. They also had to contend with sickness, indigenous revolts, and high taxes. The community eventually moved to Para. The remnants of the Western Hemisphere's first synagogue, as well as historic gravesites, may be seen there.

You leave Paramaribo by bus at 8:00 a.m. After around 50 minutes on the Martin Luther King "Highway," you will arrive at Paranam, passing the Suralco bauxite facility. On your way to Carolina, you pass through the little Amerindian town of Powakka. The ferry will transport you across the Suriname river to the opposite side. Joden Savanne is no longer that far away from there.

• Location: Joden Savanne, Suriname
• Timing: 7AM - 8PM
• Famous for: historic gravesites
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: March to September.

Arya Dewaker, located in Paramaribo, is the largest place of Suriname. For the more than 30,000 Hindus who reside there, it is possibly the most important place in the country for pilgrimage. The building, which was designed by a Dutch architect, is a two-story octagonal structure housing conference rooms, a library, and a ceremony area.

Arya Dewaker is meant to represent different facets of the sun, and while there are no depictions of deities, there is plenty of Sanskrit and Hindi symbolism. The architect combines the Dutch style with the old Indian Moghul style, as well as a touch of Moorish design. The end outcome is absolutely one-of-a-kind.

The architect wanted to design a 'tropical temple' that reflected the characteristics of Suriname's buildings, such as their broad eaves and verandas, as well as their white painted checkerboard windows. At the same time, the architecture is obviously influenced by the shapes and patterns of India's Moghul era and Spain's Moorish era. Some of the pillars might have come straight from Agra's Red Fort.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Dutch architect, is a two-story octagonal structure housing conference rooms, a library, and a ceremony area
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Summer from March to June should be avoided when temperatures are the highest of the year.

The Presidential Palace of Suriname and the Garden of Palms, located across from Independence Square in the capital, is one of Suriname's outstanding specimens of Dutch colonial architecture. It was erected in the 18th century and is now the president's residence, as part of the inner city's UNESCO World Heritage classification.

Because of the Garden of Palms on the property, it is frequently utilized for diplomatic functions. A broad range of plants, as well as capuchin monkeys and several tropical birds, may be found in this palm tree environment. Presidential Palace of Suriname and the Garden of Palms is the most beautiful and important structure in Paramaribo, and it is adorned with dozens of flags from all over the world.

Later modifications to the towering front include a magnificent portico and terrace with gilded arches. Suriname's Ministry of Finance, National Assembly, Congress Building, and Court of Justice are all housed in the palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Diplomatic and government functions are held in the regal chambers.

• Location: Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: A broad range of plants, as well as capuchin monkeys and several tropical birds
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: Year-round.

Suriname Mosque and Neveh Shalom Synagogue in Paramaribo is the largest mosque in the Caribbean. It's a lovely structure with lovely grounds surrounding it. Because no machinery was employed during construction, it took 20 years to finish. It's not only a beautiful house of worship, but it's also distinctive due to its next-door neighbor, the Nevah Shalom Synagogue.

It was built in the nineteenth century and features a sand-colored floor to represent the Hebrews' 40 years in the desert. Locals are proud of the location of these two houses of worship, believing it reflects their multi-ethnic community.

Behind gates and facing a huge lawn, the Suriname Mosque and Neveh Shalom Synagogue stands magnificently. As you travel away from Paramaribo's beachfront, it's on the right side of Keizerstraat. The Synagogue, unlike the Mosque, is significantly older, with the present structure dating from 1843. It's truly amazing to see these great, well-maintained religious structures sitting side by side in peace here.

• Location: Wagenweg St 65, Paramaribo, Suriname
• Timing: Open all day
• Famous for: Neveh Shalom Synagogue stands magnificently
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time To Visit: It has a fairly mild climate, so you can visit at any time of the year.