The lungs of the earth, the untractable rainforest, the first thing that springs to everyone’s mind when someone says the word jungle, the Amazon River and its rainforest need no introduction.

An ocean of deep green steaming in the watery light hides huge towering giants, dark tangles of branches crawling with life, and silent flooded plains under the canopy, creating otherworldly landscapes.

It’s a truly mystical world, the vastness of which can only really be comprehended when you consider the fact that there are communities in the wilderness that are still isolated, that still haven’t come into contact with the modern world as we know it.

And it’s this hugeness that means, despite being the most biodiverse area on the planet, you won’t be seeing leopards every other hour. The real draw of the Amazon is the chance to lose yourself in nature at its most wild and untamed, to paddle silently through sunken forests that stretch on for miles or sleep under the canopy with the sounds of howler monkeys echoing around you.

Most importantly, it’s a place that helps you understand our connection with nature. Nature’s paradise on earth may seem invincible when you’re there, but upon leaving, the concept of conservation feels more vital than ever.