Suriname

A staggering 95% of Suriname is covered in rainforest, which is to say that it has just about the highest percentage of natural habitat of any country on the planet – only neighbouring and perhaps even less well-known French Guiana can rival it. Its neotropical rainforest is amongst the most untouched and biodiverse in the whole of South America yet its small size seems to have rendered it hardly visible even to the most discerning of wildlife tourists.

During our visit we’ll immerse ourselves in three wonderful areas of rainforest. We’ll start in the Peperpot Nature Park, a protected area which reaches right to the edge of the capital. Then we’ll spend some days exploring the upper Suriname River based at the Danpaati River Lodge, renowned amongst Dutch tourists seeking to see a little rainforest culture, but from our perspective in a butterfly and bird filled forest. The Pièce de la Résistance of the tour will be five days exploring the dazzling rainforests along the Kabalebo River in the Bakhuys Mountains of Western Suriname. Here the superb Kabalebo Nature Resort, only reachable by air and a hundred miles from the nearest road, provides the perfect base to explore rainforest trails and rivers.

All manner of wildlife will keep us enthralled, from the glittering gem that is the Crimson Topaz (a hummingbird) to the brilliant Morpho deidamia, from the strange Grey-winged Trumpeter to the impressive Golden Tegu Lizard, and from the Red-handed Tamarin to the shimmering blue Metalmark butterfly Semomesia capanea. Indeed Suriname has an amazing diversity of these rainbow jewels among butterflies. There’s spangles and butterscotch Helicopis cupido, brilliant orange Stalachtis calliope, amazing triangular cobalt Euselasia lisias, ice-blue and black Mesosemia philocles, cadmium-orange Adelotypa penthea and beautiful Nymphidium mantus.

Brazilian Tapir is a regular presence around the lodge at Kabalebo and Giant Otters are in the river there. Another highlight is sure to be Harpy Eagle – not guaranteed – but seen regularly at this lodge. We’ll encounter the red and yellow-spotted tortoise Chelonoidis carbonarius, and the smartly-attired Three-striped Poison Arrow Frog. At Peperpot White-throated Toucans and Green-tailed Jacamars, at Danpaati Great Jacamar, Channel-billed Toucan and Black-necked Aracari. Throughout are beautiful butterflies such as the newly-described swallowtail Heraclides garleppi lecerfi, the magnificent owl butterfly Caligo teucer, and the gorgeous olivewings Nessaaea obrinus and Nessaea batesii. Some of the most exquisite of all neotropical butterflies are rather perversely in the ’brown’ family. Pierella hyalinus, Cithaerias andromeda and Haetera piera are all virtually transparent, their wings like glass etched with delicate veining and the occasional spot of iridescent blue. Meanwhile there are monkeys in the trees – we’ll see Weeper Capuchin, Common Squirrel Monkey, Brown Capuchin, Red Howler, Black Spider Monkey, and the 1970’s glam-rock-a-like Black-bearded Saki. The delicate helicopter-damselfly Mecistogaster lucretia flutters about riverbanks where we’ll see Rufescent Tiger-Heron and Black Skimmer, Cocoi Heron and Green Ibis. Macaws are abundant at Kabalebo with Blue and Yellow, Scarlet, Red and Green and Chestnut-fronted Macaws all on the agenda. Along the forest paths are a mesmerising variety of Antshrikes and Antbirds, as well as White-tailed Trogon, Blue Dacnis, Bare-necked Fruitcrow and many stunning hummingbirds such as Blue-chinned Sapphire, Reddish Hermit and Fork-tailed Woodnymph.

We’ll not ignore the country’s fascinating cultural background, for even though there’s few people outside of Paramaribo we’ll soon become aware of the strikingly diverse ethnicity of the population with Hindus, Creoles, Javanese and Maroons all major components of the community. Paramaribo is a delight, especially the wooden buildings in the centre which are now a World Heritage site.