• Explore Paramaribo, the 17th-century capital, which is graced with attractive British, Dutch, French and Spanish colonial architecture. The nearby restored Fort Zeelandia houses the Surinam Museum.

• See the 19th-century Roman Catholic cathedral (made entirely of wood - as is the 17th-century synagogue, which lies in stark contrast to the biggest mosque in the Caribbean), also in Paramaribo.

• Stroll around Paramaribo's Independence Square, the Presidential Palace (with an attractive palm garden) and the lively waterfront and market districts. Palmentuin is a pleasant park, as is the Cultuurtuin, but the latter is a fair distance from the town.

• Go swimming in the unusual but popular location of Colakreek, a recreation area 50km (32 miles) south of Paramaribo consisting of numerous creeks in the small savannah belt behind the coastal plains.

• Hop on a river boat tour to visit indigenous villages or picturesque old colonial plantations. One of the most popular trips is the five-day river tour of Kumalu and the Awarra Dam region.

• Watch giant leatherback sea turtles laying their eggs in the Galibi Nature Reserve (accessible by boat only) between February and July.

• Keep your eyes peeled for the rainforest's resident wildlife - including wild cats, tarantulas, howler monkeys, rare flowers and giant termite nests. Nearly 80% of the country is covered with tropical rainforest. Take a guided ecotourism trip to Raleighvallen/Voltzberg Nature Park or Natuurpark Brownsberg (Brownsberg Nature Park).

• Take a boat trip into the swamps to spy on crocodiles, anacondas and boa constrictors taking the sun, and mind the piranhas if you dare take a paddle!

• Travel south of Paramaribo to reach Jodensavanne (Jews' savannah), where the remains of a 17th-century Jewish settlement include the ruins of one of the Western Hemisphere's first Jewish synagogues - established 1639.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.