The single largest tropical rainforest in the world, not to mention one of the most iconic, the Amazon is a nirvana of wildlife, plants, and pure, untouched wilderness. Occupying almost half of the country, Ecuador’s section, el Oriente, is in fact only a sliver (around 2%) of the entire forest yet home to 1600 species of birds, 350 reptiles, 300 mammals and 800 fish. Raging, chocolate-pot rivers hide pink river dolphins and giant river otters, whilst the canopies are alive with the twitterings and chatterings of monkeys, sloths, toucans, capybaras and more magical wildlife than you could shake a pair of binoculars at. For visitors, there are several national parks and forest reserves in the wilderness, each offering total immersion into the rainforest. In many places, local guides are becoming more common as they become involved with eco-tourism, and their knowledge of the flora and fauna is truly unrivalled. For you, that means sightings of rare kingfishers, swooping between the trees, explorations of untouched corners by dugout canoe, and the best spots to see the iconic caimans.