Tepuis are ancient rock formations found in northern South America. Because the top of Tafelberg has been separated from the surrounding forest for millions of years, plants and animals that live up there have evolved in their own special direction. Scientists have discovered rare orchids, sundew plants that catch insects, and tiny frogs on the summit that cannot be found anywhere else.
Getting to Tafelberg is not easy — there are no roads, and the only access is by small aircraft or a very long journey by river and foot. That difficulty has kept it one of the most pristine wild places in Suriname. Scientists who do make the journey often return with new species they have never seen before.
The landscape on top feels almost like another world. Mist drifts across the flat summit, the rock is covered in mosses and tiny plants, and the views down into the rainforest below are breathtaking. For the Trio indigenous people, Tafelberg is a sacred and deeply important place.