Amazon Dolphin Lodge

East of the Andean mountain range lies the steamy rainforests of Ecuador's slice of the Amazon Basin, known as the Oriente. With an amazing diversity of flora and fauna, the Oriente occupies half the country but is home to less than 5 percent of the people. The tropical jungle, however, is more accessible than you might imagine and accommodations are probably more civilized than you would expect. Regular flights from Quito to Coca city allow you to experience a virgin jungle in pristine condition, with thousands of species of orchid, plus sloths, monkeys, macaws, and pink river dolphins. And throughout this hot, sticky paradise are dozens of native tribes, retaining ancient customs despite the intrusion of outsiders.