What exactly is the Amazon?
In short, the Amazon is a verdant world of trees and water bang in the middle of South America.
It's the world's mightiest river, running through the world's largest tropical rainforest and, from the air, it appears as a vast, uniform green carpet, embroidered with sinuous, glinting ribbons.
Once on the ground, you see that this rainforest canopy is formed by the crowns of millions of trees and that the ribbons are innumerable lakes and rivers reflecting the sunlight.
From its source high up in the southern Peruvian Andes, the Amazon drains an area bigger than Western Europe, taking water from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.
More than 15 000 tributaries feed the main stream. Water flows out into the Southern Atlantic at a rate of 4,5 trillion gallons a day.
And the rainforest?
Unlike the river, the rainforest to which it gives its name is the largest in the world and holds an astounding diversity of plants and animals.
Silent jaguars, curious monkeys, colourfully billed toucans, mating macaws and "poison-dart" frogs - who warn predators of their highly toxic skin with bright and lurid colours - are unforgettable sights.
Filled with the sound of thousands of insects, the trees are dressed with layer upon layer of lianas and vines, bromeliads and orchids.
The watery wildlife is equally spectacular, with freshwater dolphins, the laboriously slow manatee, the hard-done-by piranha and caiman.
Images of the Amazon are many and complex. Put simply, the rainforest has high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year, a stratified vegetation structure and high biodiversity.
What does that mean?
Stratified simply means the vegetation is in layers. The tallest trees are forest giants which tower above the main canopy.
This in turn covers an underlayer of shrubs and palms, collecting what little light filters through the canopy.
And, at ground level, there are shade-tolerant herbs, ferns, seedlings and fungi.
High biodiversity describes the huge variety of species in the rainforest.
The Amazon has up to 300 species of tree in a single hectare (10 times that of the most diverse temperate forests) and supports over 2 000 species of birds (almost a quarter of the world's total).
In addition, the rivers are home to over 2 000 fish species, while a lake may contain over 200 species, a greater number than found throughout the whole of Europe.
Mammals number some 200, excluding bats. And then there are the insects (almost a million species of them).
A pretty exciting place then?
Ever since Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana and his scribe completed and recorded the first descent of the river, in 1542, the Amazon has been a place of legends.
Even today, people search for the lost city of gold, El Dorado, and the legendary cities of Atlantis and Akakor.
Once the destination only of scientists, explorers and adventurers, visiting the Amazon is now easier.
And, while the legends live on in the hearts of the adventurous, a trip to the Amazon rarely avoids leaving an impression.
This is the definitive rainforest and the definitive river, and it's easy to see where the fertile mind finds inspiration.
Where should I start?
Most trips to the Amazon combine river and rainforest and are based in either a boat or a lodge.
If you fancy travelling by boat, most organised trips incorporate travelling on the main river with side trips on smaller tributaries, either in canoes or on rainforest walks, and include an English-speaking biologist to help explain the rainforest.
At the top end of the market, you can join a luxury cruiser at Iquitos, Manaus, Belém or, if you have time and money, Miami, Southampton and Dover. Abercrombie & Kent (020 7559 8600, www.abercrombiekent.com), Fred Olsen Cruises (01473 292222, www.fredolsen.co.uk) and Worldwide Journeys (020 7386 4646, e-mail: [email protected]) all arrange trips from the UK.
You can expect to pay around R21 000 per person for a two-week trip, including full-board accommodation, transfers and flights.
In most countries there are opportunities for staying on a "flotel" (a floating hotel). A popular trip is between Iquitos in Peru, and Leticia in Colombia.
Trips usually last about five days and all but the fastest vessels include side trips. The best have libraries, map rooms and an onboard biologist and these cost around R4 500 per person, including accommodation and food.
The most popular is US company Explorama, based in Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon (www.explorama.com) or through Journey Latin America, 020 8747 3108).
What about going independently?
It is perfectly feasible to buy a flight to one of the Amazonian gateways.
You can easily book transport, accommodation and trips locally, but it is much more enjoyable if you can speak a little Spanish or Portuguese.
Most major tributaries have cargo boats which will carry passengers in cramped cabins or, more usually, hammocks.
Independent travellers will find tours available in the more popular areas, but in more remote spots you will have to improvise your rainforest experience.
Although you have more freedom, going by boat can be slow, with unexpected delays in out-of-the-way places.
Isn't floating downriver a bit dull?
It can be remarkably calming spending a few days watching the jungle drift by from the river. If you want a little more adventure, the upper Amazon flows off the Andes, creating ideal opportunities for white-water rafting through rarely visited areas.
Companies like Amazonas Explorers (01437 891743, www.amazonas-explorer.com) provide trips in Peru and Bolivia that last from a few days to a few weeks and cost from about R4 000 per person.
What about those rainforest lodges?
Normally constructed with local materials and in an indigenous style, rainforest lodges get you close to the action.
Comfortable, clean and with good levels of service, they usually offer healthy food and day and night treks.
Double rooms cost between R150 - R300 per night and some require you to bring your own hammock.
Often located on quiet backwaters, many offer the chance to explore the waterways by canoe and some have viewing towers or canopy walkways.
Can I visit indigenous people?
It is possible to visit indigenous tribes at certain places along the main stream, but don't rely on a genuine encounter.
The indigenous peoples of the Amazon have been abused and mistreated by a variety of external forces, and in all but a few cases, the life of the Indian has been relegated below the interests of industry, commerce, logging, oil and mining exploitation.
The role of the tourist can be to help preserve some of these cultures which would otherwise die out, through payment for dance performances and crafts.
Survival International (020 7242 1771, www.survival-international. org) works to protect the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon and throughout the world and, if you want to find out more, organisations like Tourism Concern (020 7753 3330, www.tourismconcern.org.uk) help raise awareness of both the negative and positive aspects of tourism on indigenous people.
Is the Amazon still being destroyed?
Yes, but figures are notoriously unreliable.
Protection of the Amazon rainforest is a complex business. The ideal way is to support forest- dependent people and to develop sustainable forest economies.
If you buy something made from wood, make sure it has the Tick Tree Logo supported by the Forest Stewardship Council (01686 413 916, www.fsc.co.uk).
Doesn't visiting the Amazon cause environmental damage?
The jury is still out on this one, but reality marches on.
Visiting anywhere causes damage of some kind, so the ideal is to keep the damage to a minimum.
Ask companies what they are doing for conservation, and ask to see proof of donations. If the answers are not satisfactory, then take your money elsewhere.
The Ecotourism Society (00 1 802 447 2121 in the US, www.ecotourism.org/) works hard to promote only the very greenest operators and lodges and, in the UK, Rainforest Concern (020 7229 2093, www.rainforest.org.uk) works to preserve the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555, www.foe.co.uk) also has details on conservation of the Amazon.
Will I get ill?
No, not really, but sensible precautions before, during and after your visit should see you right. Malaria is not common but the best prevention is avoidance.
Bites usually occur between dusk and dawn, so wear long sleeves and trousers at those times and sleep under an insecticide-impregnated mosquito net.
Good tour operators provide medical advice or refer you to travel clinics, including Nomad (020 8889 7014, www.nomadtravel.co.uk), British Airways Travel Clinics (01276 685040, www.britishairways.com) or MASTA (0906 8224100, calls cost 60p per minute).
More common is diarrhoea. Do not drink unpurified water, and apply the golden rule to food: peel it, boil it, cook it or forget it.
Other than that, avoid sunburn by using sun lotion, and dehydration by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids.
What's the food like?
Hotels, lodges and boats generally include food in any package and you can expect decent nosh but not haute cuisine.
Almost certain to appear on the menu at some stage is piranha soup which is filled with small bones.
Catfish is also popular but for a truly cultural experience, try palm grubs and honey ants.
Cravings for a more international menu can be sated at restaurants in Iquitos and Manaus, but avoid restaurants offering endangered species, such as turtle and caiman.
Actually, I prefer my animals off the menu
The overwhelming beauty of the Amazon lies in its diverse and complex nature.
But it is a place where plants are king, insects come a close second and animals hide to survive.
With a good guide you will see many birds and some mammals, including monkeys, but only if you are very lucky will you see a jaguar.
Even the most vehement arachnophobe may find the varied, strange and uncomfortably large insects and spiders fascinating. And don't forget to watch out for the snakes.
Where can I find out more?
The only all-encompassing guide to the Amazon is published by Bradt Travel Guides www.bradt-travelguides.com).
Insight Guides (www.insightguides.com) also publishes a full-colour Amazon Wildlife Guide and International Travel Maps does a detailed map of the Amazon Basin.
Stanfords (020 7836 1321) has a mail-order service for these publications.
For something a bit more literary, Alan Smith's Explorers of the Amazon (Penguin, 1987) gives a very readable history of the dramatic exploration of the region and the myths and legends that it inspired.
When to go
In the Amazon, humidity and temperatures tend to be high year-round. More important is the dramatic change in river level.
If aquatic life is your main interest, the low-water period, October and November, is best. River channels are shallow, so caiman and dolphin are more abundant.
Insects also tend to be less bothersome but your boat may run into submerged sandbanks.
Animals tend to disperse during low water but isolated bodies of water may become more attractive to large animals, increasing your chances of spotting game.
For forest life, high water, in April and May, is best.
Tree-dwelling animals have less space so you have a greater chance of seeing monkeys, sloths and birds.
Many riverside trees flower at high water, notably acacias and cecropias, and river travel at high water brings you closer to the canopy.
With both of these, the converse is true north of the Equator. Picking a transitional time is a good compromise since plenty of wildlife can still be seen.
Amazon gateways
Venezuela
Most people fly to Caracas and then connect by bus or aeroplane to Puerto Ayacucho, but the Amazon plays second fiddle to the Orinoco in Venezuela.
The two are connected by the Casiquiare Canal, which shares the upper waters between the Orinoco and the river Negro, an Amazon tributary.
Relatively undisturbed by deforestation, the Venezuelan Amazon is interrupted by dramatic flat-top mountains called tepuis.
Colombia
Bogotá is the main airport, with the town of Leticia, on the border with Peru and Brazil, being the Amazon gateway.
From here, boats make the journey upstream to Iquitos, Peru, and downstream to Manaus, Brazil.
But travel in the Colombian Amazon interior is undeveloped and not a good starting point for your first trip.
Ecuador
A Unesco World Heritage site, Quito is the capital of Ecuador.
Amazon adventures can easily be organised from a number of centres including Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana), Tena and Misahuallí.
Ecuador is a good option for a short trip, with "flotels", rainforest lodges and opportunities to visit indigenous people.
Peru
Some 75 percent of Peru is in the Amazon Basin, but the capital Lima on the Pacific Coast is not.
Flights from Miami serve Iquitos, which has several jungle lodges a few hours away by boat and plenty of tourist riverboats going down to Leticia and beyond, or upstream to Pucallpa.
If you want to travel the full length of the Amazon, Pucallpa is the centre point, reached overland or by air from Lima.
To the south, Puerto Maldonado gives access to the Manú National Park and Tambopata clay-lick.
Bolivia
Access to the Bolivian rainforest is through Santa Cruz or La Paz. The Amazon gateway is Rurrenabaque, from where there is access to a couple of rainforest lodges.
Nearby Madidi National Park is rapidly becoming famous.
Brazil
Most people arrive at Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo and catch a connecting flight. From Belém it is upstream all the way, through some fairly barren stretches.
Manaus lies at the very heart of the Amazon and from there you can head off in any direction.
Nearby, the cloudy waters of the Amazon and the black waters of the Negro flow side by side without mixing.