A vacation in the Amazonian rainforest and on the Amazon River can not only give you a broader perspective on the world's delicate eco-systems, but it can also help the local South American economies preserve them. Eco-tourism is one of the only ways locals generate income from the rainforest without disturbing the environment.

You care about the rainforest. You’re concerned that deforestation is causing all sorts of ecological problems, including the extinction of plants and animals, the destruction of a delicate habitat, and the world-wide change in weather patterns. Maybe your concerns are global—you’ve always been a naturalist and you believe in the power of balance in nature. Maybe your concerns are personal—you have a basement flooded with water and you wonder if this is a long-term effect of deforestation.

Consider that the Amazon is the only place on Earth untouched by the Ice Age. Hence, it contains the natural heritage of 100-million years. This increasingly diminishing natural treasure once had the power to balance the planet’s toxicity and held secrets to heal its inhabitants.

Supporting preservation through tourism may sound ridiculous, but eco-tourism carries with it the utmost respect for the environment. Tourists and tour companies are expected to leave the rainforest better than they found it. Furthermore, eco-tourist dollars support local economies, provide jobs, and encourage preservation efforts.

The Seasons of the Rainforest

The Amazon is enormous, spanning nine South American countries. However, almost 70% of the Amazon is in Brazil. The Amazon is approximately as big as the US. Hence, the weather patterns can vary greatly from one region to the next. Eastern and western Amazonia are quite rainy. So, most travelers looking for a milder, gentler Amazonian experience choose to travel to the more temperate middle Amazon.

In the middle Amazon, the days are comfortable with cool breezes on the river and temperatures ranging from the mid 80s to the low 90s. There is almost always a midday rain and sometimes even a more severe tropical storm. Despite its equatorial location, in the evenings the temperature can drop as low as 60.

Most guided eco-tours begin in Manaus, Brazil, or Iquitos, Peru. Both offer equally interesting geological wonders. The Brazilian tour showcases the convergence of two differently colored rivers that feed the Amazon and the Peruvian tour highlights the Canopy Walkway, a suspended bridge connected by tree platforms that reach heights over 115 feet off the ground.

Bugs, Rain, and Wildlife, Oh My!

It will come as a pleasant surprise to most travelers that there are fewer masquitoes in the middle Amazon than there are in, say, New Jersey in the summer. Sure, there is rain everyday, but most days are also clear and bright. Additionally, most animals are wary of humans, and wildlife attacks are very rare. However, trips on the Amazon should always be undertaken with knowledgeable guides, who take proper precautions lest you swim with piranha and caiman (a specie of crocodile).

Camping in the Rainforest

The best way to see rainforest wildlife is to camp out at night and quietly hike the lush, green trails during the day. The din of traffic, airplanes, and cell phones is replaced by the sounds of birds fishing for lunch, sloths shaking the treetops looking for a resting spot, and the echos of the howler monkey’s cry.

These leisurely, guided hikes offer visitors a balance of lively information and silence with a serendipitous discovery of the wonders of the rainforest. Expect to find hidden lakes with giant water lilies and exotic orchids framed by a tangle of hanging vines. Explore, take pictures, or even stop and fish for piranha.

Depending on the expertise of your guide, hikes include details about the wildlife, the plant life, the exotic birds, or the medical secrets of the rainforest. After hiking, take a dip in the clear water before settling in to watch a spectacular sunset. At night, the nocturnal wildlife comes alive. Spotting the red eyes of the caiman isn’t nearly as terrifying as you might expect. They keep their distance.

Most guided camping excursions include a stop at a traditional native village, a missionary village, or a local market. Native tribes are hunter-gatherers who generally demonstrate to tourists the art of making blowguns and darts. These excursions offer travelers a chance to see the local economies they are supporting to keep the rainforest pristine.

Boating On the Amazon

Tours from that take the Rio Negro into the Amazon River are based out of Manaus, Brazil. Nearby the Rio Solimois and the Rio Negro converge in one of the most interesting natural phenomenona in the world. The Rio Solimoes comes from Peru and runs pale and foggy from the sand of the Andes. In contrast, the Rio Negro runs clear and dark. When these waters merge to form the Amazon they flow next to each other, brown and muddy next to black and clear, for several miles until they eventually intermingle.

Many eco-tours take small boats, or slightly larger cruise ships, along the river’s edge to spot the over 2000 varieties of plant species, the giant butterflies, and blue Hoatzin birds. This method is less strenuous than hiking and camping. Wildlife is bountiful along the river’s edge and in the water—including the unique, pink freshwater dolphins.

When water levels are high, boats can explore small streams and duck into parts of the rainforest that are normally inaccessible. The feeder rivers to the Amazon boast some of the most extraordinary natural phenomenona. The Rio Negro leads to the igapo, which is a forest flooded with “black” water, which is actually brownish and quite clean. Exposed root structures stretch out of this leaf-stained water where the caimans lurk. When the water is high on the Amazon, the forest is flooded with “white” water, called the varezea, which is in stark contrast to the igapo.

Staying in the Amazon

Accommodations in the jungle vary greatly, from bungalows to lodges. While luxury is not a top priority in the jungle, the most impressive accommodations are set high above the treetops affording spectacular views of the rainforest. So, eco-tourist can camp under the rainforest canopy or stretch out in a hammock above the canopy. Either way, it’s a trip of a lifetime that might play a small part in saving your world.