By Ronit Epstein

The sprawling Amazon rainforest is alive with sights, sounds and movement that cannot be seen anywhere else on our beautiful planet. Bolivian Amazon covers 59.6 million hectares, and more than 11 percent of Bolivia is officially protected. Anyone visiting this beautiful region will experience some of the world’s most stunning, strange and wonderful wildlife, leaving memories that are difficult to beat.

Manu is one of the most remote parts of the Peruvian Amazon that is still accessible to travellers. It takes 6 hours from the closest town by car and boat to reach our lodge. It is this remoteness that makes Manu such an attractive place to visit as unlike the more accessible regions of the forest, Manu is still a pristine wilderness that has been barely touched by human development and is teeming with wildlife.

By James Imbriani, Aracari Travel

With plenty of investment in transport and tourism infrastructure it is now possible to see the highlights of Peru, including the relatively remote Machu Picchu, in just a few short days. Spend just a little more time, however, and you will begin to uncover some of the ‘hidden’ Peru – people and places that most visitors don’t get to experience, all while contributing to local livelihoods and communities.

By James Lantz

Located in the high jungle of Peru, Tingana was started by seven families with the objective of preserving the natural resources of a municipal conservation area called Asociacion Hidrica Aguajal Renacal del Alto Mayo. With the support and leadership of the community, Tingana was developed to promote conservation and ecotourism. Tingana’s 8,596 acres not only offer an important piece of conservation for the local wildlife, but helps protect the local water supplies for nearby cities.

Breaking away from the common aspiration to travel in a warm and tropical destination can be difficult – but Patagonia makes it EASY. Mixing immense natural beauty, rich wildlife and satisfying activities makes Patagonia a must for active travellers. Traveling throughout Patagonia results in boundless vantage points of ice-tipped mountains, granite cliffs, and icebergs. Turquoise tinted glaciers, river valleys, tangled pine forests, and spongy grassland plains reward all who visit.

By Piero Ponce

Ayacucho is a region located in the central Peruvian Andes and encompasses the province of Puquio, an extensive area with historical archeological sites and home of a living culture that mainly speaks the Inca language Runasimi. Through a visit to that area, I could experience a close touch with the rural world and Andean nature. Puquio can only be reached by bus, thus it offers the chance to see marvelous landscapes among the route.

EcoCamp Patagonia is located at the very tip of South America, in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, with a unique view of the majestic granite towers. The region’s first fully sustainable accommodation south of the Amazon and the first of its kind in the Patagonian wilderness, EcoCamp offers upscale camping in geodesic domes inspired by the region’s ancient nomadic inhabitants. Guests enjoy guided treks and wildlife excursions by day and Chilean food and wine at night.

By Marcela Torres

Co-management of protected areas by the State and local communities is one of the best ways to guarantee that tourism will provide economic and social benefits to many people who would otherwise be marginalized, and at the same time that it ensures protection of the environment on which these communities rely on for their income. An excellent example is the Soncor Sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, in the Atacama Desert of the Antofagasta Region, in northern Chile.

By Lisa Andersen and Robert Wake-Walker

Voluntario Global is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development of local grassroots community projects in Latin America. It has 17 projects currently running in Buenos Aires as well as Jujuy, Bariloche, Misiones and Villagrande in Bolivia. This article covers ideas, challenges and opportunities related to Voluntario Global’s work, based on conversations with three partners and supporters of this important cause.

Situated in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia, EcoCamp Patagonia has gained an award-winning reputation for its eco-friendly policies and innovative use of green technology. EcoCamp Patagonia, owned and operated by the Chilean in-bound tour operator Cascada Expediciones, is carbon neutral, 100% renewable energy, and carefully designed to minimize environmental footprint. EcoCamp’s dome design was inspired by the ancient nomadic Kaweskar inhabitants, who relocated within the park without leaving a trace.