The Amazon River is the longest in the world at around 6800 km, with the Amazon basin covering an area over 7,050,000 km2. Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela are the countries that host the world's lung. The Amazon forest is a green world . . . wet, wild and enigmatic. The most common way to explore the Amazon rainforest is to stay in an Amazon lodge or doing a river cruise on the Amazon.
Cruising the Amazon River is a unique life experience: from the observation deck it is possible to scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water's edge. The banks are covered by dense rainforest and the absence of human voices is filled by a chorus of birds and frogs. Observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds is on the menu every day. Hearing and seeing howler monkeys along with a morning serenade of toucans sends shivers down one's spine. Nearly all cruises make a stop for a rain forest walk where you can get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology.
There are many starting points for amazon cruises. On board the M.V. Rio Amazonas Cruise from Tabatinga (Brazilian amazon) to Iquitos (Peruvian amazon) it is possible to visit the small missionary town of San Pablo, a village of Yagua Indians and the black-water Apayacu river. The Tucano Cruise departs upstream on the Rio Negro cruising through the world's largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago, then cruises the Jauaperi river and visits both the village Novo Airao and the Janauari Ecological Park. The Clipper Premium Cruises offer passengers a luxurious way to discover both the Amazon and the Negro rivers passing through Manaus, Acajatuba Lake, Pagodão river and Açu Creek.
Alternatively, Amazon ecolodges allow visitors to settle in one place and experience the rain forest in a very different way. Birdwatching in the Amazon can be very rewarding. It involves getting up before sunrise and locating the perfect spot to see those species that can only be found in this place on the planet. Climbing and moving within the tree tops (or amazon rainforest canopy) is to experience the freedom from the heights of the forest and realize the immensity of the nature. This is where most of the activity takes place. Photography excursions are the unique opportunity to portray the infinite colors and textures that make a trip to the Amazon a rediscovery of wildlife, while Amazon sport fishing allows you to land a tropical catch. Or simply dangle a piece of raw meat on a hook to face the ferocity of the famed piranhas in the Amazon and feel adrenaline as you land your catch.
A trip to the Amazon rainforest connects you with nature as never before. To maximize enjoyment and safety, contact a professional tour operator for Amazon tours to prepare the trip to the world's lung.
Pawan writes about Amazon tours provides by SouthAmerica.travel a unique South America tour operator including Amazon holidays and Amazon vacations to Incas, Aguas Calientes & the Rainforest, Rio de Janeiro and the Salvador.
