A river boat is the only way in to the largest protected refuge in South America
If a humid, tropical jungle teeming with reptiles, huge insects, predatory fish and sinister-looking plants holds no appeal, go elsewhere.Tim Appleby/The Globe and Mail
But if you want to handle an anaconda, catch and eat a fierce, red-bellied piranha (crunchy) or examine a tarantula the size of an ashtray, Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in Peru is the place.Courtesy of Tim Appleby
Getting up close, but not too personal, with a tarantula.Tim Appleby/The Globe and Mail
“Can I hold her for a moment?” someone asked. Absolutely not, replied our guide, the beast firmly in his grip as the cameras flashed. “You would not have all your fingers when you finished.”Tim Appleby/The Globe and Mail
More than 800 species of birds live in the Peruvian Amazon (the country is home to more species than any other).Richard Russ
‘You can come here 20 times and each time it will be different,’ we’re told.Elard Aranibar Meza
Our skiff paused on a rescue mission: A baby three-toed sloth with its distinctively circled eyes was stranded on a tree stump.Tim Appleby/The Globe and Mail
Canoes, hollowed out like these or built from planks, are still in wide use among Amazon rain forest residents.Tim Appleby/The Globe and Mail
Visits with indigenous communities offer an introduction into new cultures.Richard Russ
On board our riverboat, the Queen Violeta, we found clean cabins, tasty Peruvian-oriented cuisine, a well-stocked bar, dinner-hour entertainment from crew members who morphed into musicians, and hammocks on the top deck.Elard Aranibar Meza