Paramaribo, Suriname Report of what it's like to live there - 07/12/14
Personal Experiences from Paramaribo, Suriname
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Yes. This was my first expat experience.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Salt Lake City. Travel time was around 24 hours with connections in Trinidad and Tobago and Miami or Aruba and Atlanta.
3. How long have you lived here?
2011-2013, 2 years
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Government
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing really varies depending on what part of the city you live in. Houses on the south are closer to the international schools and the American Embassy, but aren't as nice. Houses on the north are typically larger and nicer but also tend to have more mosquito problems. Our commute was only about 10-15 minutes to both the Embassy and the school, but others had commute times of closer to 30 minutes.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
We spent about 2-3x as much on these items as we spent in America. For a family of four with young children, I found we were spending around $800 USD/month on groceries. It was a consumables post when we arrived so we used a lot of our storage and tried to order things online when possible.
3. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
There are McDonalds, Burger King, and Subway restaurants. Their cost is more than in the US, but not as bad as some places. You can also get delicious local food at several places, but it gets kind of same-y after a while. It's really good, but just not much variety. There are a few nicer restaurants with different types of food, but they are more expensive.
4. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Lots of mosquitos day and night. The daytime mosquitos can carry Dengue Fever which is a prevalent concern. Malaria is only an issue when traveling to the interior. All of the ants bite, so expect to have itchy, sore bites all over your toes is you venture outside without closed shoes.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We were able to use the Pouch at the American Embassy. On average it took 4-6 weeks to receive packages.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Readily available, questionable quality, pretty reasonable prices. It was about 70SRD for one day or a few hours of cleaning or gardening.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are a couple different facilities with gyms and pools, but they weren't cheap so we didn't do it. Many others did and while not the same as American gyms, they still seemed nice.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Suriname is a cash-based economy. There are some places you can use a VISA card, but you will pay a higher exchange rate. We tried to withdraw money at the embassy whenever possible.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
I'm not sure. I know some people went to an English service, but we attended a Dutch service.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You don't really NEED to have it, but it's definitely helpful. By the end of our two-year tour I'd picked up a decent amount of Dutch.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes. There are no sidewalks, no wheelchair accessible parking, bathrooms, etc. It would be very difficult to get around with limited mobility.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
It's not safe to use the local buses. Taxis are pretty affordable and easy to use.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
The embassy had a guy who did a great job working on our car when we had minor issues. We had a 4WD vehicle and were very grateful to have it on some of the unpaved roads. It was especially helpful during rainy season when many of the roads were flooded.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
It depends on what part of town you live in. Our friends on the north side were able to stream movies for around $60USD/month. On the south our internet was not that fast despite paying the same amount. There were faster speeds available on the south but they cost well over $100USD and we weren't willing to pay that much.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
There are a couple different companies and they were fine. I wasn't able to get a data plan on my iphone but basic calls and texting worked fine.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Many pets are quarantined in Trinidad and Tobago, so getting your pet to Suriname could be a challenge. I know there was at least one good local vet.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Not on the local economy. Some spouses were able to work in the embassy.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
I suspect you could find plenty of opportunities to volunteer if interested.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business casual at work and very casual in public: shorts and a t-shirt most days.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
There are frequent home robberies, but using a security system is a good deterrent. I never felt unsafe.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Dengue Fever is the biggest local concern. Medical care isn't great in general so that was pretty scary with little kids. Going to the hospital and/or doctor was always a bit of an adventure. We waited to do vision/dental care until we were in the US.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air quality is fine.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Very hot and humid. There is the rainy season where it rains A LOT and the dry season where it rains sometimes. It's always hot.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
There are two international schools, neither of which are currently accredited. AIS was much bigger and more established, but had a heavy emphasis on religion and some issues with disciplinary action. SIS was much smaller and more personal, but much less established as well. We knew people who were happy with both schools, but no one really loved either one. My child was only in kindergarten so I wasn't overly concerned. He really enjoyed the school.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
I'm not sure.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
There are several very affordable day care options (around US$100/month for full-time care), but the quality is questionable. Most teachers don't speak much English and the teaching/overseeing style is quite different than in the USA. Both of the international schools offer preschool, but at much higher cost. There are also local preschools, but they are in Dutch.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
I had a hard time finding any. I wanted to put my kids in swimming lessons, but I was never able to find any.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
It's a small community and morale varied a lot depending on who was currently at post. It was pretty bad when we first arrived, but by the end of our tour people had really come together and morale was quite high.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Entertaining at one another's houses was the biggest. We'd often have dinner/game nights which was really fun. Some people would go to the bars/clubs late a night but that wasn't really our scene.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Paramaribo is a pretty sleepy town. If you are a homebody and don't require a lot of excitement, you could really love it here. Or if you have a lot of extra money for traveling, you could see a lot of the interior and surrounding islands. There aren't many safe playgrounds available and the medical care isn't great, so I worried about my kids a lot. Also, the worry about Dengue Fever made it hard to want to spend much time outside during the day.
If there is a good group of people at post who are interested in taking turns hosting get-togethers it can be really nice no matter what your situation. There just really isn't a lot to do outside of socializing with each other, so it can get boring. Oh, there's also a lot of late night clubbing/dancing available if that's your thing.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
5. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
There is some racism among the locals, but it didn't seem to affect outsiders.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Seeing nesting sea turtles, Suriname River dolphins, and helping feed homeless sloths.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Going to the Suriname River is a refreshing day trip. All the resorts have swimming and some have extras like zip-lining, volleyball, trampolines, etc. Definitely see the sea turtles nesting in the spring and take a tour to see the river dolphins. The zoo is tiny, but fun for kids. The Butterfly Garden is really nice.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Wood-carved decorations and chairs.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
The opportunity to see some of the last surviving rainforest, nesting sea turtles, friendly people, laid back culture.
10. Can you save money?
Yes, if you don't plan to travel much and are better at eating local foods than we were. Imported goods are quite expensive, but if you eat a lot of the local produce it would help. Travel is really expensive.
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Maybe. I'm glad we went and I have a lot of great memories, but it was also really hard at times. So much depends on the other people who happen to be at post that it's hard to anticipate what it will be like. If you can make local friends you'll definitely enjoy it more. We miss a lot of friends, but I'm not anxious to go back anytime soon.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Desire for a quick paced life and expectations for quick, competent customer service. Don't expect things to happen quickly because they won't, but they will get done eventually.
3. But don't forget your:
Insect repellent, smile, and sun hat. People really are friendly and helpful especially if you are friendly first.
4. Do you have any other comments?
Suriname is a unique and interesting place to live. It's one of those places that many people have never even heard of. I cherish some of the experiences we were able to have while living there but that doesn't mean it was an easy place to live. If you are a homebody and don't need much social interaction you'd probably love it. If you are looking for a crazy, exciting place to go this probably isn't it.
