Kabalebo Rainforest Reserve

Kabalebo is a remote Amazonian wilderness in Suriname’s Bakhuys Mountains that combines pristine rainforest, winding rivers and exceptional wildlife, from macaws and monkeys to giant otters and tapirs.

Deep in western Suriname lies one of the country’s most remote rainforest landscapes. Accessible only by light aircraft, the journey crosses vast expanses of forest before reaching the isolated wilderness of Kabalebo. This remote region features towering rainforest, rivers, creeks, rocky hills, forested slopes and a landscape that remains remarkably intact, making Kabalebo particularly rich in wildlife.

Here, primates, tapirs, capybaras, peccaries, agoutis, giant otters, green anaconda and caiman occur around rivers, forest edges and fruiting trees. The birdlife is also exceptional, with macaws, parrots, toucans, manakins, cotingas, antbirds, hummingbirds and raptors just some of the over 300 species recorded in the area, and Kabalebo is especially notable for the possibility of seeing a harpy eagle. Reptiles, amphibians and insects add another layer of diversity, from colourful tree and poison-dart frogs to butterflies and beetles. After dark, the rainforest transforms as nocturnal creatures emerge and the calls of frogs and insects fill the forest.

What makes Kabalebo particularly special is the feeling of being surrounded by a functioning tropical ecosystem far from roads and settlements, creating one of Suriname’s most immersive and unforgettable rainforest experiences.

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