Spanning the borders of eight countries, the Amazon is the world's largest river basin, and contains the most luxuriant rainforest on the planet. More than a third of all the species in the world make their home in this lush, wet forest, and the river and estuaries flowing from it make up a fifth of the Earth's fresh water. It's no wonder that the Amazon is a haven for many ethic groups, and a Mecca for tourists seeking a wildlife adventure.
If you'd like to visit to this wonderful, wild rainforest, there are several ways you can go about it. Below, you'll find some tips on planning your wildlife vacation.
1. Go with a tour. Many places, such as the World Wildlife Foundation, will be able to provide you with excellent wildlife tours to the Amazon. The beauty of taking an organized tour is that most tours include not just trips through the rainforest; they also include your sleeping accommodations, food, tour fees, and sometimes plane fare. Most tours are very accommodating and allow you to mix and match interesting activities. They usually also include some down time, allowing you to see other sights in the city where you're staying. Also, if you use a reputable, well-known group, you're more likely to get a guide who really knows what they're doing, where there going, and is capable of putting together a fabulous agenda you'll really enjoy.
2. Make your own agenda and find a guide when you get there. Most major towns bordering the Amazon rainforest will have reputable, knowledgeable guides who can give you a fabulous tour for far cheaper than a tour group can. Also, since you hire the guide when you want to go, you won't have to accommodate other people and their agendas.
3. Don’t go it alone. If you're not familiar with the area, it's safest to use a tour group or local guide. Because the rainforest is such a vast ecosystem, it's easy for someone new to the area to get lost. And it might not be so easy for someone to find you if that happens. So make sure that you have a reputable guide of some sort with you, whether it is a local or the head of a tour.
4. Have a partner and tell others what you're doing and where you're going. It may seem obvious, but it is vital to have at least one other person with you, especially if you're planning on finding a tour guide when you get to the rainforest. Although most guides are reputable people just making a living, you could run into an unsavory character with different ideas. There is definitely safety in numbers. Also, be sure to tell someone else – head of the tour group if you're part of one, if you're not, the desk clerk at the hotel, and perhaps a friend or family member back home – what your agenda is.
Because the Amazon is such a large rainforest, you could explore it for years and still never see the same sights twice. With that in mind, below you'll find a short list of some of the spectacular Amazon wildlife that you just can't miss:
1. Macaws. Members of the parrot family, the brilliant blue and red plumage of these birds are a must-see in the Amazon.
2. Jaguar. The largest member of the cat family outside Africa and Asia, the jaguar is a prominent feature in native artwork throughout South America. In fact, the jaguar is still revered as a god in some places. But be careful – should you spot a jaguar, keep in mind that these beautiful cats are carnivores!
3. Piranha. The best-known flesh-eating fish, piranhas can grow up to 60 centimeters long. They usually hunt in packs, and can strip the flesh from an animal in a matter of minutes.
4. Frogs. The Amazon hosts a wide variety of frogs that are still used by natives today for various purposes. The best known frog of the Amazon, though, is the giant horned frog. This amphibian lives around lakes and streams and thrives in the wet climate of the rainforest.
5. Toucan. This unusual bird has an enormous beak (up to 20 centimeters) and is found nowhere else in the world but in the rainforest. Its enormous beak enables the toucan to eat large fruit.
6. Anaconda. This deadly viper lives in streams. Napping most of the time to conserve energy, this snake rarely attacks humans, preferring smaller, easier-to-catch prey.
Also, because the Amazon is such a big place, to help you figure out where to go, the following are good locations to use as a “home base” when visiting this vast ecosystem:
1. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Home of the finches that inspired some of Charles Darwin's work, the Galapagos Islands are also home to many tour companies and beautiful rainforest lodges, including Kapawi Lodge and the Sacha Lodge. The islands also boast luxury travel accommodations in the form of haciendas. Two of the most popular haciendas are Hacienda San Augustin de Callo and Hacienda Cusin. San Augustin is located near one of Ecuador's active volcanoes, while Cusin is located in the Galapagos Island city of Otavalo.
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of the best locations for starting off your rainforest tour, Rio offers you not only a starting point, but and outstanding shopping and dining experience when you're ready to come back to civilization. Rio also offers a wide variety of accommodations from the luxurious Luxor Continental Hotel to more modest private hostels.
3.Cusco, Peru. Another great place to stay, Cusco offers more than just a good place to lay your head. Staying in Cusco puts you in an excellent position to see the rainforest and Macchu Picchu, an ancient Incan site high up in the Andes mountains. As in Rio, Cusco will provide you with an excellent shopping and dining experience, though less cosmopolitan than that found in Rio, and also boasts several lovely hostels such as the Orquidea Real.
When you visit the Amazon, be sure to bring the following:
1. Camera
2. Journal
3. Extra clothing, including several pairs of socks and undergarments
4. Water (although the water may be safe in most of these areas, it's best not to risk it – when in doubt, bring and drink your own)
5. Energy bars
6. First aid kit (band aids, ibuprofen, Neosporin)
Wildlife tours to the Amazon rainforest are incredibly rewarding, and provide you with an opportunity to see the most varied population of organisms in the world. A worthwhile investment, visiting the rainforest will provide you not only with a first-hand education in wildlife, but memories that will last a lifetime.
