ECUADOR

Although Ecuador is the smallest country to claim a portion of the Amazon region, it boasts among the most diverse flora and fauna. Also, travel in Ecuador is comparatively easy, due to its good infrastructure of roads. The Ecuadorian Amazon is readily accessible from Quito, the country's capital. An eight-hour bus ride will take you well into the Oriente, Ecuador's Amazon province. Several towns offer ready access to the rainforest, but the most popular is Coca, on the banks of the Napo River. The road to Coca takes you past the spectacular Rio Revantador Falls, well worth a visit for its scenic beauty and clouforest habitat. (More images and information will be added soon.)