Ecuador's The Amazon Jungle Basin

The Amazon Jungle Basin

Stretching from the eastern slopes of the Andes all the way to the Peru border hides a region unlike any other in the world. The largest remaining tropical rainforest, the Amazon hosts a curio of wonders unparalleled. Within its basin, through which forty percent of the Earth’s freshwater flows, find islands matching the size of Switzerland, otters larger than men, and a mass of flora and flauna to awe even the most well explored of individuals.

Upon the shores of the Amazon, discover nearly 200 distinct nations of indigenous inhabitants. These tribes have acted as the ancient keepers of Ecuador’s unique biosphere for more than 10,000 years and have developed a unique relationship with the thousands of plants and animals that surround them. Protected within their isolated habitat by the towering Andes, the traditions and lifestyle of these native inhabitants remains despite the encroaching civilizations of modern day.

With its share of the Amazon known as the Oriente and one of the most developed ecotourism infrastructures in South America, Ecuador provides the premier opportunity to explore this intriguing natural phenomenon. Meet with the indigenous tribes to learn their timeless secrets of the great forest that surrounds them, embark on the fishing trip of a lifetime where piranha constitutes the prey, journey at the break of day to witness the rare parrots, macaws and other tropical birds prolific in these landscapes, or paddle in the light of the full moon in search of caimans and other river inhabitants.