So incredibly colossal that it nearly accounts for more than half of the world’s remaining forests and 20 pc of the world’s oxygen, the Amazon basin takes us back in time to an unreal world. Away from the bustle of a hyperconnected world, the mighty Amazon rainforest remains barely traversed and thrives in a kaleidoscope of uncontacted worlds, across a kingdom of over 6.7 million sqkm, more than twice the size of India, of untamed wilderness, spread across nine countries in South America.

The Amazon basin rainforest is also home to 10 pc of all the wildlife species that humanity knows of, and a lot more of what has remained beyond human eyes so far. Unsurprisingly, the very word ‘Amazon’ conjures up scenes of exotic landscapes and menacing animals, yet the mystery of it all is a very personal exploration for each. The seemingly endless wilderness of the basin is spread over nine countries in Latin America, with an ecosystem that is famed for its biodiversity.

Amazon has been high on the bucket list of many discerning tourists

With a canvas as interestingly green and diverse as such, it is no wonder that the Amazon has been high on the bucket list of many discerning tourists, seeking to explore near virgin territories around the world. Despite its enormity, the weather conditions here do not really vary between seasons and the entire basin is mostly warm, rainy and humid, making it a cherished adventure destination. However, this vast biome has become unsurprisingly fragile in the modern world which has led to an emergence of conservation. It is under increasing threat from huge-scale farming and ranching, infrastructure and urban development, unsustainable logging, mining and climate change.

An estimated 400 billion trees stand tall in the Amazon rainforest today, giving it the famous tagline of being the ‘lungs’ of the world. Beyond the sheer number and variety of trees, the Amazon basin also hosts a treasure chest of flora and fauna. This opens up responsible tourism opportunities like glamping, treks, river rafting and diversified adventure sports, but keeping the fragile ecosystem of the region at its centre.

“The Amazon-Orinoco Colombian region, often referred to as Colombia’s green heart, is rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage. Through ProColombia, our international agency for touristic promotion, we recognise the immense value of this region and actively promote it as a destination for ecotourism. The Amazon basin offers a vast array of natural wonders, from ancient forests to thundering streams,” Arturo Bravo, Vice Minister of Tourism, Colombia, tells India Outbound.

About 20 pc of the world’s riverine flow to the ocean

“In that aspect, a few ecotourism initiatives have been launched with the objective of reducing deforestation by providing economic alternatives to the local people, encouraging community involvement and by expanding local and global awareness of the rainforest. The purpose of ecotourism is to increase tourism while and through environmental conservation and preservation,” adds Bravo.

Numerous tour operators, some of whom are managed by persons of indigenous tribes of Amazon, have come up with a diversity of ecotourism options.

With about 20 pc of the world’s riverine flow to the ocean, the Amazon River is the largest river in the world by volume. While some tribes which live by the river basin have established contact with the outside world, there are many indigenous people who live deep inside the forests, beyond the reach of outside world, surviving on a life unblemished by any signs of modernity.

Amazon Green Tours

As with indigenous tribes around the world, the indigenous people here, too, live a life that could be a model for ecotourism or even for those seeking a sustainable lifestyle.

Even though tourism to the Amazon region, or at least the deep interiors of the basin, remains a tiny trickle, there are options of tours that are not only ecological, but also offer a culturally immersive and authentic journey.

That counts hiking through the rainforest, exploring the vast wilderness by tiny boats or experiencing the old tribal ways of hunting, wildlife-watching, fishing for piranha, all while being surrounded by sights and sounds most people have only imagined. Just three hours from Manaus by car and boat, the Amazonian family-run business Amazon Green Tours introduces visitors to the charms of the lower Rio Mutuca region in Brazil, a nation that boasts a major portion or about 60 pc of the rainforest. It is the only tour operator in the region. The River Mutuca, about 200 km from Manaus, Brazil, is on the island of Marajó to the northwest of Belém in the delta region where the Amazon and Tocantins rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. It runs through part of the 194,868 hectares Terra GrandePracuúba Extractive Reserve, a sustainable use conservation unit created in 2006.

“Its ecolodges here are built entirely out of recycled wood from the jungle and eco-friendly sanitary system. After a boat ride or canoeing, the journey starts on to a jungle hike, which includes a stop to see the waterlilies, taking a bite of the slow life and waiting for a chance to see exotic birds after sunsets, sometimes spotting a snake or an owl or swimming with the pink dolphins. With a variety of challenging species and stunning scenery, sport fishing in the Amazon is a cherished activity not just limited to excitement, it is also about preservation. Many fishing operators in the region have a strong commitment to conservation and sustainability and work collectively to protect local species and their habitats for future generations”, a spokesperson of Amazon Green Tours tells India Outbound.

Ecolodge is a world away from modernity where the tropical rainforest open up to the cry of colourful tropical birds

In its nature safari package, Amazon Green Tours also hosts a three-hour hike to see medicinal plants, water vines, spiders, frogs, butterflies and a chance to see survival techniques in the jungle to learn how the indigenous people make traps. Up close from the ecolodge is a world away from modernity where the tropical rainforest open up to the cry of colourful tropical birds, the lush smell of the rainforest, countless flowers, towering trees, pink dolphins playing alongside the boat, incredible reptiles and amphibians, iridescent butterflies and captivating monkeys.

Amazon Nature Tours

One of the very first eco-tour operators in the region, Amazon Nature Tours hosts elaborate river cruise expeditions deep into the heart of wild Amazon. The voyages go deep into the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Central Amazon Conservation Complex and explore some of the most untouched zones. This reserve encompasses tens of thousands of sqkm of unpopulated wilderness home to the creatures that have inspired numerous myth and legend about the Amazon. Along the Rio Negro there are only a few small settlements large enough to be considered towns. It remains a true wilderness.

“We operate Amazon Expedition Cruises into a very wild part of the Amazon. We are the actual operators of the cruises. Our cruises are very much devoted to observing the wild nature of the Amazon, the wonderful flora and fauna of the rainforest. On all of our cruises we have many daily excursions on foot, in kayaks, and in electric powered launches where we seek and marvel at the wonderful creatures of this great green world,” Mark Baker, Director, Amazon Nature Tours, tells India Outbound.

The ship Motor Yacht Tucano ventures far up the Rio Negro, the least inhabited major river in the Amazon, actively exploring the rainforest and visiting several different kinds of rainforest along the way to nearing the end of the cruise in the Amazon River itself. Colourful birds, magnificent trees draped with vines and covered with orchids and occasional monkeys chattering and cavorting in the branches are common sights and smells of the endless forest. The boat explores the other two kinds of rainforest of the Amazon: the tall terre firme forest and the fantastically rich varzea forest. It is because of this fantastic variety of habitats that this region has been named a Natural World Heritage Site.

It is known to be quite remote forest that has very few settlers so the flora and fauna is very little disturbed. The small ship is in many ways specifically designed for this kind of silent, deep forest exploration. Nonetheless, it is replete with all the modern luxuries like a large observation deck, spacious salon, private staterooms, 76 large windows to see the forest and an array of culinary delights. Ticking the sustainability mark, the Tucano is also known to be the only vessel in the Amazon that works entirely on solar power: from solar powered refrigeration, electric launch motors, solar heated showers and solar ice makers.

“We do have a sustainability plan which includes an elaborate system of solar energy use as well as procedures to reduce our carbon footprint. Before the pandemic we were awarded the most sustainable tour operator in Latin America by the Latin America Travel Association, based in London,” Baker adds

Travelling in small groups with skilled local guides, the excursions start early morning right after sunrise to walk in the forest on wilderness trails. This is a good time to observe the small life on the forest floor that have evolved into a myriad of strange forms. Travellers can kayak in narrow remote streams or swim off deserted beaches in refreshing fresh water and be treated to vistas of wild rainforest stretching as far as the eye can see as over the days, Tucano gradually traverses the rainforests for up to 320 km away from its starting point.

As alluring as these tours are, however, wider awareness about it in the Indian market remains a challenge still. “Though there are not many Indian visitors, we are increasingly more often receiving visitors from India. The key, I believe, is that we do not have any tour operators in India that are offering our cruises. But we hope that will change in the future,” Baker adds.