Shas Autoverhuur
Family-run car rental with a fleet built for Suriname's roads
Why Go
Renting a car in Suriname sounds simple until you realize your GPS gives up past Paramaribo's ring road. Shas Autoverhuur is the small, family-run outfit locals quietly recommend because Shahied and Saifoen Ashruf actually pick up the phone at 2 a.m. when you've buried a Hilux in red mud outside Brownsberg.
The Experience
Tucked off Rosanlaan in a residential pocket of Paramaribo, Shas doesn't look like a global rental brand — because it isn't one. Paperwork happens over a coffee, someone walks you around the car pointing at every scratch in Dutch, English or Sranan Tongo, and then the keys are yours. The fleet is unusually young for Suriname (most cars are 2020 and newer), fully casco-insured, and delivered with a full tank. Return it full or they'll top it up and charge you honestly — no dramatic 'refueling fees' like the airport chains. What you're really paying for is the WhatsApp lifeline: a flat tire on the East-West Link, a battery that won't turn over in Nickerie, a bogged 4x4 near Atjoni — one call and Saifoen is already talking you through it.
What to Try
For city driving and a Commewijne day-trip, the Toyota Vitz or Honda Fit (~€20–25/day) is more than enough and sips fuel. If you're heading upcountry — Brownsberg, Bigi Pan, the road to Apoera — take the Mitsubishi L200 or Toyota Hilux 4x4. The Noah and Vanguard 7-seaters are what Surinamese families themselves rent for group trips to the interior, and they'll swallow a week's worth of luggage plus a cooler. Ask about the Toyota Rush if you want the middle ground: SUV clearance without pickup-truck fuel bills.
Insider Tip
Book by WhatsApp, not the contact form — Shahied answers within minutes and will quietly hold a specific car for you (the Hilux gets reserved weeks out in dry season, June–November). Mention where you actually plan to drive; if you say 'Palumeu' or 'Kabalebo,' he'll steer you off a sedan and onto something with proper ground clearance, and throw in a jerrycan. Cash SRD is fine, but paying the deposit via ING bank transfer in EUR saves you the currency-exchange haircut.
The Practical Stuff
Rosanlaan 4, Paramaribo (about 10 minutes by taxi from the historic center; free pickup from Zorg en Hoop and, on request, from Johan Adolf Pengel International — arrange 24 hours ahead). Contact: +597 894-2674 (Shahied) or +597 875-4745 (Saifoen); email shas4x4@hotmail.com. Rates €15–85/day depending on class, minimum age 23, valid home-country license accepted (International Driving Permit recommended for stops longer than 6 months). All vehicles include casco insurance and 24/7 roadside support. Fuel: delivered full, return full. Deposit refunded on the spot after a joint walk-around.
Pair It With
- 't Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Grab a cold Parbo and a broodje on the terrace before you set off — it's a five-minute drive from Shas and the unofficial waypoint where Paramaribo expats swap road-condition intel.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Once you've got wheels, this is the easiest afternoon escape from the city — drive out to the Suriname River, tube for a couple of hours, then be back for dinner.
- 101 Suites Guide — A quiet, well-run base a short hop from Rosanlaan, so you can collect the car in the morning and be on the highway before the Paramaribo school-run traffic builds.
- 168 Restaurant Guide — Solid Chinese-Surinamese cooking near the pickup point — a smart last stop for a big meal before a long drive into the interior where restaurants thin out fast.
