An Amazon river cruise is possibly the most rewarding nature expedition in the world. Journeying into Earth’s largest rainforest, the explorer is ushered into Mother Nature’s Cradle of Life, which covers some 40% of South America across nine countries. A voyage into the selva (“jungle”), as the locals call it, is only possible by boat on the mythical Amazon River. Also known as Rio Amazonas, this great waterway originates from the foothills of the Andes mountains in Peru and flows east on a 4,000 mile (6,400 km) course towards the Atlantic Ocean.
 

The Amazon rainforest houses the world’s largest and most diverse collection of plant and animal life. It is ‘home sweet home’ for more than one-third of all recorded animal species in the world, including 20% of all bird species. At least 40,000 plant species, 427 mammals, 1,300 birds, 378 reptiles, more than 400 amphibians and around 3,000 freshwater fishes are known to exist within this giant cradle.