Join renowned wildlife photographers Nick Garbutt and Alex Hyde on an exciting journey into the rainforests of Suriname, one of the most forested and biodiverse countries on Earth.
With more than 90% of its forest cover intact, much of Suriname is still remarkably wild and untouched, making it an exceptional setting for wildlife photography. This tour explores three forest locations, each chosen for its rich wildlife and variety of photographic opportunities. Starting our journey near Paramaribo, we explore a regenerated forest, where monkeys, sloths, colourful birds and fascinating nocturnal species can be found, before travelling deep into the rainforest wilderness of the Fredberg region and the remote Kabalebo Rainforest, accessible only by light aircraft.
Along the way, there are opportunities to photograph an extraordinary range of Amazonian wildlife, with birds providing a particularly rich range of subjects — macaws, toucans, tanagers, hummingbirds and cotingas offer opportunities for colourful portraits and behavioural images. Mammals also feature strongly, with monkeys, sloths, tapirs, capybaras and giant otters amongst the varied wildlife subjects in Suriname. At Fredberg, we hope to photograph the spectacular Guianan cock-of-the-rock at a breeding lek, while boat excursions at Kabalebo provide opportunities for encounters with aquatic wildlife and animals along the riverbanks.
The smaller inhabitants of the rainforest are just as important, offering plenty of scope for macro and close-up photography. During both day and night excursions, we look for an extraordinary variety of insects and frogs, including colourful poison dart frogs, Suriname horned frogs, tree frogs, and the wonderful giant waxy monkey frog, along with some of the region’s more unusual reptiles. Night photography opens up a completely different world, with nocturnal wildlife providing fascinating subjects and opportunities to experiment with creative lighting and compositions.
Combining expert photographic guidance from Nick Garbutt and Alex Hyde, with access to some of Suriname’s most remote and wildlife-rich habitats, this promises to be a memorable adventure into one of South America’s great remaining wildernesses.
Typical Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK & Fly to Amsterdam
Today, we fly from the UK to Amsterdam, where we spend the night, ready to travel to Suriname the next day.
Accommodation: Airport hotel, 1-night
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Day 2:
Fly to Suriname, Night Excursion in Peperpot Nature Reserve
After returning to Amsterdam Airport for our morning flight to Suriname, we arrive in the capital city, Paramaribo. We meet our local guides and transfer to our accommodation at nearby Peperpot Nature Reserve.
This evening, we head into the reserve on a night drive for our first chance to experience Suriname’s captivating wildlife.
Accommodation: Sutopia Resort, 3-nights
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Days 3-4
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Daily Excursions to Peperpot Nature Reserve, Visit Commewijne & Suriname River Estuaries
Our first two full days in Suriname are primarily spent exploring Peperpot Nature Reserve. Here, we enjoy our first chances to photograph some of the country’s wonderful wildlife as we walk through the many trails and visit a canopy tower, which offers a unique perspective over this landscape. As we go, we hope to enjoy photographic opportunities with some of the primates that live here, including brown capuchin and squirrel monkeys, as well as pale-throated tree-toed sloths and a variety of birdlife.
Each night we venture back into Peperpot when an entirely new cast of animals emerge. With the help of Nick, Alex, and our local guides, we hope to find and photograph a fascinating array of nocturnal species, including frogs and snakes, such as tiger-striped tree frog and cat-eyed snake.
We also head to Braamspunt, a small peninsula on the coast, and visit the Commewijne and Suriname River estuaries. Here, we have a good chance of encountering Guianan dolphins as well as a striking array of birdlife, such as magnificent frigatebird, scarlet ibis, roseate spoonbill and rufous crab-hawk, along with a variety of other shorebirds.
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Day 5:
Transfer to Fredberg Rainforest Reserve
This morning we depart for Fredberg Rainforest Reserve. The journey is expected to take all day, but we hope to see some interesting wildlife en route, including sloths and plenty of bird activity.
After some time to settle into our accommodation, we head out for a night walk in Fredberg, where we start to appreciate the extraordinary array of wildlife that can be seen here.
Accommodation: Fredberg Rainforest Camp, 4-nights
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Days 6-8
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Exploring the Rainforests of Fredberg
We now have three full days to immerse ourselves in the wildlife of the Fredberg Rainforest Reserve, walking the many trails and venturing a little further afield by vehicle if we please. Our daily itinerary follows a similar structure, with early morning, late afternoon and night walks, aimed at finding some fascinating photographic subjects.
One of our targets here is the spectacular Guianan cock-of-the-rock, while we also hope to encounter multiple primate species along with some stunning amphibians and reptiles, including tiger-striped leaf frog, parrot snake and Amazon tree boa. We also remain on the lookout for some of the diverse insects that live here, which offer some excellent subjects for macro photography.
For those that would like to, there’s also a chance to hike up the nearby rocky outcrop, where it’s possible to camp overnight in hammocks. It’s a strenuous walk, but it offers the chance to hopefully enjoy a spectacular sunrise.
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Day 9:
Return to Peperpot Nature Reserve
Early this morning, we enjoy one final excursion into the rainforests of Fredberg and capture some more images of its stunning wildlife.
We then transfer back to our accommodation at Peperpot Nature Reserve, which, once again, takes most of the day.
Accommodation: Sutopia Resort, 2-nights
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Day 10:
Relaxed Day in Peperpot Nature Reserve
Today offers a chance to take things at a slower pace and relax a little. We can rest at our accommodation, or enjoy some easy birdwatching around our lodge and the Suriname River, where several hummingbird species are regularly seen as well as many other vibrant bird species.
For those who would like to, we can also revisit Peperpot in the morning and go on a night walk, or visit Paramaribo during the day.
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Day 11:
Transfer to Kabalebo Rainforest Reserve
After breakfast, we take a charter flight from Paramaribo to the remote rainforests of Kabalebo Rainforest Reserve. Only reachable by aircraft, we enjoy a spectacular journey above seemingly endless primary rainforest.
This afternoon, we enjoy our first outing into the stunning rainforests of Kabalebo, followed by a night walk.
Accommodation: Kabalebo Nature Lodge, 4-nights
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Days 12-14
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Exploring the Rainforests of Kabalebo
Over the next three days, we explore this extraordinary rainforest location and its truly remote setting far from human activity. With many kilometres of trails and the chance to enjoy boat trips on the Kabalebo River, we won’t be short of new areas to discover, and our itinerary follows the usual schedule of morning, afternoon and night excursions.
Throughout our time here, we hope for many wonderful encounters, while Nick and Alex are on hand to help us make the most of each subject and capture a striking array of images. Larger species we hope to photograph include primates such as Guianan squirrel monkey, red-faced spider monkey, black-bearded saki, green anaconda, giant otter, and a dazzling array of bird species including macaws, antshrike, antbird, kingfishers, cocoi heron and many captivating hummingbirds. If we’re lucky, we may also observe lowland tapir and the magnificent harpy eagle.
Smaller life abounds here as well, and macro enthusiasts will be equally enthralled with green-banded Urania (a day-flying moth) and spectacular species of morpho butterfly commonly seen, as well as poison dart frogs and the weird and wonderful giant waxy monkey frog. We shouldn’t find ourselves short of photographic subjects in Kabalebo.
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Day 15:
Final Morning in Kabalebo & Return to Peperpot Nature Reserve
After one final morning to enjoy the magnificent rainforest in Kabalebo, we catch our charter flight back to Paramaribo and are transferred back to our accommodation in Peperpot Nature Reserve.
This evening, we enjoy another night walk in Peperpot.
Accommodation: Sutopia Resort, 2-nights
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Day 16:
Visit Paramaribo & Peperpot Nature Reserve
On our final full day in Suriname, we have a choice of revisiting
Peperpot Nature Reserve to search for wildlife that we haven’t yet photographed, or visiting Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital city.
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Day 17:
Return to the UK
Today, we're transferred to Paramaribo Airport in time for our flight back to the UK, via Amsterdam.
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Day 18:
Arrive in the UK
