The Amazon

The southern part of Colombia east of the Andes forms part of the Amazon basin and its southernmost tip, the "Amazonian Trapeze," as it is known locally, borders directly on the Amazon River. This is the place to experience the tropical rainforest in all its glory with its exuberant vegetation and myriad life forms: massive buttressed tree trunks draped in epiphytes and umbrella sized leaves, gnarled vines rising up the canopy, macaws screeching overhead, monkeys in the tree crowns.
Travel is generally by boat along the Amazon and its tributaries, sometimes as far upstream as they are navigable. To truly experience the jungle with its scents and sounds a multi day foot trek is part of our itinerary, sleeping in jungle hammocks in primitive camps.
The city of Leticia, located in the tri-border region of Colombia, Brazil and Peru is Colombia's gateway to the Amazon; it can only be reached by plane from the rest of the country.

Areas of interest are located in all three countries and include:
Lake Tarapoto, some three hours upstream from Leticia on the Colombian side, Caballo Cocha in Peru, both good places to view pink (Inea geoffrensis) and grey (Sotalia fluviatilis) river dolphins.
Amacayacu National Park and the Amacayacu River from where navigable small streams penetrate deep into the jungle.
Rio Javari in Brasil, an area with beautiful oxbow lakes (bends in the river which over time became separated from it): Maraja, Zacambu, Onca, Soco, all containing the table-sized lily pads of the Victoria amazonica, caimans and vast numbers of birds.
Apart from camping there will be overnights at the more civilized facilities of Amacayacu National Park and in a jungle lodge on the Rio Javari, a welcome respite from sleeping in the jungle.