Pink dolphins, scarlet macaws, anacondas, spider monkeys, caiman and sloths are just barely scratching the surface of all the variety of wildlife that calls the Amazon home. This is a place that will leave you in awe of nature. In high water season the Amazon is not just a river but a vast wetlands, everywhere navigable by boat over what would be dry land at other times of the year. Canoeing in silence through dense jungle, unsure whether each floating log is a crocodile or not, all you hear is the mating song of toucans reverberating all around you.

It’s a totally serene, peaceful experience, almost at odds with what you know to be out there – sharp spiky trees, giant ants, mata-mata turtles, piranhas and jaguars. Almost everything here has adapted to defend itself and seems wilder than anywhere else on earth. This after all is a river that is 240km across at its widest point. Perfectly still lakes provide an unforgettable canvas for jaw-dropping sunsets, everything that you see in the sky reflected in the mirror-like water, while pink dolphins play around you. Experiencing the Amazon is something that every nature lover should do at least once.