This park comprises an area of montane tropical rainforest overlooking one of the world's largest reservoirs, the W J van Blommestein Meer, about one and a half hours from Paramaribo by car. Guided tours are available and include a short walk on the Mazaroni plateau, which gives fine views of the reservoir to the east, and a longer hike which involves a steep descent into a canyon with small but attractive waterfalls.

Suriname's capital Paramaribo (often abbreviated to 'Parbo') is a curious hybrid of northern Europe and tropical America. Imposing brick buildings overlook grassy squares and wooden houses crowd narrow streets, but towering palms shade some areas and mangroves still hug the riverside. Mosques and synagogues sit side by side, while Javanese vendors peddle satay and Dutch-speaking Creoles guzzle beer at sidewalk cafés.Central Paramaribo's focus is the Onafhankelijksplein (Independence Square), fronting the Presidential Palace. Immediately behind the palace is the Palmentuin, an attractive park with tall palms inhabited by tropical birds. To the east is Fort Zeelandia, a 17-century riverside fortification used for the detention and torture of political prisoners after the coup of 1980. The main market is found on the riverside boulevard, Waterkrant, and ferries for Meerzog, on the other side of the river, leave from nearby.