General Information
Currency
Suriname – Suriname Dollar (SRD). Payments with USD or Euro are sometimes possible.
Guyana – Guyana Dollar. Payments with USD are sometimes possible.
French Guyana – Euro.
In all countries, credit cards like Mastercard and Visa are accepted in large hotels, some banks and in larger stores.
Languages
Suriname – Dutch is the official language and Surinamese the local language. Also, most population groups have their own languages. English is widely understood and spoken.
Guyana – English is the official language and an English creole is the local language.
French Guyana – French is the official language and patois the local language.
Electricity and mobile network
Suriname – In general 110V/60Hz, but most hotels or apartments also have 220V/60Hz or transformers.
Guyana – 220V/60Hz.
French Guyana – 220V/60Hz.
In the interior, people usually use generators that work during certain hours of the day. Nowadays, we also see more use of solar energy.
In all three countries, there is an excellent mobile phone network.
Safety
Because of the way the Guianas are positioned, they are shielded from large natural disasters, like hurricanes.
As in any country, there is petty crime in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. We advise you not to walk around with expensive jewelry or excessive amounts of money and only make use of registered taxi companies. The countries are stable and there are no risks for riots or extreme violence. When it comes to personal safety, it is safe to travel to the Guianas.
In all three of the Guianas the tap water is up to standard and clean enough for you to drink.