How to plan an Amazon vacation

It’s easier than you think, and you should be able to do it for about $3,000, including a flight from Canada and staying at a good ecolodge.

You need to be moderately physically fit and be able to climb stairs and walk well on uneven surfaces and muddy trails.

Here are the main choices for exotic fun:

ECUADOR

Ecuador’s Amazon in the El Oriente region is a delight of rainforest and animal diversity.

It is also simpler than some other trips to the Amazon.

Fly into: Quito is less than a five-hour flight from Houston; take an additional 30-minute flight on Ecuador’s Aerogal (modern Airbus jets) to Coca, the jumping-off point for most Ecuador Amazon adventures.

Main tourist areas: Ecolodges along the Napo River, east of Coca. The Napo is a main tributary of the mighty Amazon River.

Could combine with visits to: Quito and the Galápagos Islands.

Popularity: Ecuador had 227,000 tourist arrivals from the U.S. last year, according to Euromonitor International.

For more: Ecuador Ministry of Tourism, http://ecuador.travel/; Latin Destinations (latindestinations.com, 866-645-2846).

PERU

Where the Amazon River proper begins; lots of choices for Amazon cruises or ecolodges.

Fly into: Lima, then Iquitos or Cusco.

Main tourist areas: Ecolodges or cruises near Iquitos or Tambopata Reserve (southern Peru).

Could combine with visits to: Machu Picchu, Lima.

Popularity: Peru had 423,000 tourist arrivals from the U.S. last year, according to Euromonitor International.

For more: Peru Tourism Bureau, www.visitperu.com; Adventure Life (adventure-life.com, 800-344-6118); REI (rei.com/adventures, 800622-2236), or Greentracks (greentracks.com, 970884-6107).

BRAZIL

Brazil covers 60 per cent of the Amazon region, so it offers many cruises and lodges.

Fly into: Manaus. You need a $140 visa to get into Brazil.

Can combine with visits to: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belem.

Popularity: Brazil had 746,000 tourist arrivals from the U.S. last year, according to Euromonitor International.

For more: Brazilian Tourism Board, braziltour.com. Or contact Swallows and Amazons Tours, with both lodge and river tours (swallowsandamazonstours.com, email: info@swallowsandamazonstours.com).