Spread over more than half of Peru's land area the Amazon boasts the richest variety of wildlife. The Amazon is the world's largest river basin and the source of one-fifth of all free-flowing fresh water on Earth. Its rain forests are the planet's largest and most luxuriant, and home to - amazingly - one in ten known species on Earth. The region’s high levels of rainfall, diverse topography and meandering rivers sustain its amazing variety and abundance of life. The Amazon contains vast stores of carbon—its rain forests are key to stabilizing local and global climate. Containing nearly 40,000 plant species, the Amazon sustains the world’s richest diversity of birds, freshwater fish and butterflies.

Manu National Park

Manu National Park was established in 1977 and in recognition of its uniqueness was designated a ''World Heritage Site” ten years later. Manu is internationally acclaimed as one of the most bio-diverse areas on earth. The Manu Biosphere is a complete ecosystem with protected watershed embracing Andean mountain cloud forest, tropical lowland forest and the rivers Alto Madre de Dios and Manu drainage systems. The biosphere itself is subdivided into a National Park and two adjacent zones, one for tourism and the other for cultural subsistence.

Manu retains healthy populations of jaguar, tapir, anteater, black caiman, and giant otter and among the 13 species of monkey we find the unique pigmy marmoset, the smallest monkey in the world, and the nocturnal night monkey. Because of Manu's low human population and their continued use of traditional hunting techniques, the animals in the park show little fear of man and are more readily approachable than in many other rainforest locations. Manu, therefore, offers unparalleled animal watching opportunities.