World Country Guide

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Food & Drink
There is a fairly good selection of restaurants and hotel dining rooms offering a number of different cuisines. The majority of them are in Cayenne, although French, Continental, Vietnamese, Chinese, Creole and Indonesian restaurants can be found elsewhere. A local speciality is the bouillon d’aoura, a dish of smoked fish, crab, prawns, vegetables and chicken, served with aoura, the fruit of savana trees.

Nightlife
There are nightclubs in Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent du Maroni. Cayenne also has one cinema featuring French-language films. Cinemas can also be found in Kourou and St Laurent.

Shopping
Within the past few years, a great many new boutiques have opened offering a wide range of merchandise. Good buys are basketry, hammocks, pottery, wood sculpture and gold jewellery. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1230, 1600-1830.

Special Events
For a full list of special events in 2005, contact the Comit du Tourisme de la Guyane (see Contact Addresses section). The main event, which takes place every year from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday, is the Carnival. The dates for 2005 are Jan 6-Feb 9. The following is a selection of other special events celebrated annually in French Guiana:
Jun Montsinry-Tonngrande. Aug Maripasoula; Sal. Sep Sinnamary. Oct 15 Cayenne. Nov Kourou; Kaw. Dec Rgina.

Social Conventions
Conservative casual wear is suitable almost everywhere. On beaches, modest beachwear is preferred. Normal social courtesies should be adhered to. Tipping: In hotels and restaurants, a 10 per cent tip is usual. Taxi drivers are not tipped.