Jungle adventures are those that allow you to experience nature untouched. There are few true jungles left in the world where a human can find himself alone, with only a guide and nature to keep him company. Dominica is one of those rare places where this can be accomplished.

Dominica is known for being one of the largest areas of untouched jungle in the world. The Amazon, it’s cousin is also extensive, but has met with many disturbances and deforestation in the last ten years. Dominica is protected, virgin, pristine. It is a place where you will most certainly need an experienced guide to take you on an eco tour of the finest a rainforest has to offer.

Only in Dominica can you walk for a day and never see another human being. You can let your inner naturalist bloom as you see some of the most vibrant Amazon species in the world, which are still endangered. The Imperial Amazon with its purple, green, red and blue hues graces this jungle island and if you are lucky you will run into one. There are also scores of butterflies that are native to the island. Dominica will allow a bushwhacker to encounter nearly 50 species of these creatures. This makes for a very beautiful jungle adventure.

Perhaps you can hear the whistle of the Dominican Whistling frog when you camp at night under the canopy and dark of the rainforest. Although many of the amphibians in the Carribean have been blighted by a rare fungus, Dominica has managed to preserve many species. The poisionous, but brightly colored frogs can be seen hopping up the trees as they rush about their daily business.

If you want a unique jungle adventure that thrills you then make sure you stop by the Boiling Lake. This rainforest sits on an active volcanic site. The lake consistently maintains a temperature of over 150 degrees Fahrenheit and can make your experience as hot as it comes!

A new branch of eco tourism has been emerging. It is known as “volunteering eco tourism” and it is growing in popularity. This type of eco tourism is one where the tourists involve themselves in an activity that contributes to the betterment of the region they are going to visit. This can take the form of ecological improvement, humanity work or cultural assistance. These type of volunteering tours can be organized by large groups or individually, but require a great deal of planning.

Volunteering has grown out of efforts for individuals to give something back to the regions that give them so much pleasure to visit. One of the most recent volunteering tours that has gained much respect from the world has been in the Amazon. There have been many ecological groups that have sponsored trips to help clean up and re-forest the Amazon. The participants on these trips are afforded the luxury of viewing natural lands while helping to improve the state of the local environment.

Another great opportunity that combines an ecological theme with a humane aspect of volunteering is working with Habitat for Humanity. These volunteers span the globe creating housing for those who can not afford it or have no means to create any type of a home for themselves. Any volunteer will find themselves rewarded for years to come by providing someone with a home.

Finally, consider ideas that may seem small at the time, but make large impacts on the world. Do a week of beach patrol in Costa Rica and protect the sea turtles. You can help rebuild and fix trains in Montana. If you have scuba experience join a group that does surveys of coral reefs that are endangered and need to be evaluated. Each one of these can be a rewarding experience and will refresh your soul and mind.

Volunteering eco tourism will give you more than you ever give to the activity you embark upon.

The reason the rainforests of Hawaii are safe to explore is because there are no large land predators that live on Hawaii. They simply didn’t make it across the ocean to adapt there. Hawaii also has no indigenous snakes, poisonous or otherwise. And the rainforest is protected from excessive human contamination with well-mapped and maintained trails, and even boardwalks over some of the more delicate areas.  Hawaiians protect their beautiful rainforest not just because of its beauty and ties to the native heritage, but also because of the fruits of the rainforests use in medicine.

Starting from the bottom, the island of Hawai’I or the Big Island as it’s known to Hawaiians, is home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which takes you right into the rainforest through maintained trails. While in the park you can also visit Thurston Lava Tube, or see the lava enter the ocean from West Ka’Ili’Ili Ocean Entry. The Big Island’s entire eastern coast is a beautiful rainforest with over 1,800 different types of orchids, 170 native fern species, and thousands of different species of trees, more variety then anywhere else in the world.

Next up is the island of Maui, home to the famous Hana Highway. Through this stretch of road you can see the beautiful rainforest Maui has to offer. Tucked deep into the forest are the beautiful O’heo Gulch Pools or Seven Sacred Pools, which are a series of waterfalls and tranquil pools that flow from one gulch to the next, until they reach the ocean nearby. Hana is also home to the famous black sand beach, made up entirely of volcanic rock.

Oahu has a rainforest you can actually drive through and see, so you don’t even have to get wet to enjoy its beauty. In the Nuuanu Valley Rainforest you can enjoy the sites of bamboo, liana vines, and wild shell ginger, and yet be only a few minutes away from the city of Honolulu. Oahu is the most populated and developed island, so after your day in the rainforest you can look forward to an evening enjoying the vibrant town as well.

Mt. Waialeale on the island of Kauai receives 600 inches of rain annually making it the wettest place on earth.  Kauai is a rural and scantly populated island densely covered with rainforest from the east to the west coast.  Mt. Waialeale is accessible from the boardwalk in Alakai Swamp Trail, a beautiful journey that allows you the best views of the island from the lookout points along the trail.

Footprint Vietnam Travel

Footprint Vietnam Travel specializes in ecologically friendly travel on your Vietnam holidays.  This agency is licensed in Vietnam and is recommended by National Geographic in the book “Journeys of a Lifetime”.  The company’s Cuc Phuong Tough Trek plus Van Long two day tour is one of several options available for jungle tours with Footprint.  Day one of the tour involves hiking through Phuong National Park and visiting the park’s rescue center.  Following this visit, an 18 kilometer hike is taken through the rain forests, ending in a Muong minority village.  Visitors will stay overnight in homes of the ethnic minority village’s residents.

Day two of the tour involves transferring from the Muong village to the Van Long nature reserve.  At the nature reserve, visitors will take rowboats down a stream adjacent to rice paddies, jungles, and limestone caves.  This memorable vacation combines hiking and boating with the charm of Vietnamese culture and the beauty of the country’s rainforests and jungles.

Hiking Vietnam

For visitors looking for a longer jungle adventure, Hiking Vietnam offers a four-day tour through the jungles of Da Lat, Vietnam.  Day one of the tour involves exploring Vietnam’s largest and most beautiful waterfall, Pongua Waterfall.  Large trees as well as a sampling of the area’s flora and fauna surround the waterfall.

Day two of the tour begins at Pinhatt Mountain Trailhead.  One of the highlights of this hiking trail are the elephants that are native to the area and live at the lake.  Hikers will trek through forests and up the Pinhatt Mountain.  Days three and four of the tour brings the traveler through the thick jungle, where hikers can take in the beauty of the spectacular jungle.  Hikers will also see minority farms, including the famous Chicken Village.

Educational Travel Center

Educational Travel Center offers a lengthy nine-day tour known as the Jewels of the Vietnamese Jungle tour.  This tour is perfect for nature lovers and adventurers who have two weeks to spend on a trip.  The tour begins with trips to a marble carving village, China Beach, and the Cham Museum.  Travelers will also see Danang, My Son, Hoi An, and Hue prior to reaching the jungle.  In Hue, visitors will see the Forbidden City and Imperial Citadel, as well as partaking in Hue’s unique cuisine.

In the jungle, the traveler will begin a lengthy and exhilarating trek through Central Vietnam’s beautiful rainforest.  During the hike, a wide variety of trees, plants and animals can be seen.  The jungle tour also involves camping in the jungle, kayaking at an adjacent lake, and white water rafting on the river for an adventure that will provide a lifetime of memories.

Explore the Rainforest

The Daintree Discovery Centre is a wonderful way to explore the Daintree Rainforest with its enormous diversity of tree, plant and animal life. Boardwalks are provided for visitors to walk on so that the environment is protected. Some of the boardwalks are elevated well above the ground, allowing you to see the rainforest at a variety of levels. There are also view platforms where you can sit, rest up, and simply enjoy your breathtaking surroundings. The Daintree Discovery Centre also has a large Interpretive Display Centre where you will find many displays and interesting information about the rainforest.

Snorkel With Turtles

Sailaway, a luxury sailing catamaran, offers a relaxing, yet exciting, full day reef cruise. You will sail out to Coral Cay Island on the Barrier Reef, where you will be given the opportunity to explore. Over the coral gardens you can snorkel with green, leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead, flatback and olive ridley turtles, that are found in this area. There are an array of interesting, colorful, and beautiful fish to be seen. About 1,500 species of fish live within the Barrier Reef, including clownfish. You will be in awe as you take the skipper-guided, glass bottom boat tour of the coral gardens. Also, on the Sailaway, you will be served fresh coffee, Daintree Tea, biscuits, muffins and pasties in the morning, and tropical lunch buffet.

Immerse Yourself in Culture

The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park offers an opportunity of a lifetime. You can meet, and experience the culture of the Australian Aboriginal tribe called, Tjapukai, which means rainforest. During the day you will learn how to survive in a rainforest, throw a spear and a boomerang. You can learn how to play a didgeridoo, a type of wooden, wind instrument. You will see artifacts once used by the Tjapukai people that date back to the stone age, and visit a traditional Aboriginal camp. At night, you will have dinner while watching an Aboriginal dance show. You will be entertained by fire explosions, ceremonies and special effects. You will have the opportunity to listen to authentic Aboriginal music and storytelling, and watch their cultural dances.

Visiting the Daintree Rainforest and Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia will be an enjoyable, memorable experience of a lifetime.

Jungles & rainforests in Uganda are rapidly disappearing and cover only 3,627,000 hectares area, which turns into 18.4% of total country land. The country lost every part of the primary forest cover area from 1971 to 1987, when Uganda lost nearly 50 percent of its forests. It was the time when Ugandans were facing political and civil strife and the country was in deep crises. Jungles in Uganda have faced highest deforestation rates between 2000 and 2005, which was 2.2% or 86,400 hectares per year. It was mostly because of colonization, fuel-wood and subsistence farming.

Jungles & rainforests in Uganda have faced total deforestation of 1,297,000 hectares or 26.3% since 90s, which is really a massive loss. Around 70.2% of the forests area in Uganda is private property and government owns only 29.8%. The production rate of forests in this east African country is told as 14.9% per year. IUCN red list states that 4 tree species are endangered, 3 are critically endangered and 33 are vulnerable. Nearly $70,000 worth of wood is annually used as wood fuel in Uganda.

While mountain gorillas are the most popular species of rainforests in Uganda, it is home to Africa’s highest biodiversity concentrations. The jungles of this east African country are habitats to 43 amphibians, 165 reptiles, 1,015 birds, 345 mammals and more than 5,000 plant species. Though, most of primary forest cover is no more in Uganda, the country still has very little forest cover as per U.N. stats.

Most people are aware of African weather and the diverse wildlife of this continent, whether through movies or documentaries. Uganda, located in rift valley in African continent, has several species that are endemic. Elephant grass, mvule trees and umbrella thorn acacia trees are not seen in other forests. Elephant grass grows along the rivers and lakes. Mvule trees are outstanding for hardwood construction. The indigenous to Uganda tree doesn’t develop its first limb unless it grows to 50 feet, which makes its value in worldwide timber market.

Are you looking to really be a responsible tourist? If you are, you need to take a look at this top ten list of ways that you can ensure you are being an ecologically friendly and responsible tourist.

#1 – Don’t leave a big footprint!
If you want to be an ecotourist it means you can’t disturb the area you are going to visit and you should do your best to minimize how you utilize the resources in the area that you are going to visit.

#2 – Conserve water
In an effort to maintain the region you are visiting you should do your best to conserve water. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t drink a lot of water while on vacation, but it does mean you might want to consider a place that has composting toilets.

#3 -Contribute to local businesses/people
A responsible tourist in any location should always strive to give business to the local people and business that care for that location. Buy locally, eat locally and shop locally. This will support the culture and people who support the region and bring much needed income.

#4 – Volunteer
Take one day of your trip and help that community. Plant trees, volunteer to help with a clean up project…there are loads of groups that always need a hand. Habitat for Humanity or Nature.org are just a few.

#5 -Promote your vacation
Tell others how amazing it was to visit a location where there was no commercialism and you got to really enjoy the benefits of nature!

#6- Don’t spread your garbage
Do your best to use reusable materials for eating and minimize how much trash you generate while you are on your vacation.

#7 Be an advocate
Take load of pictures and share your experience so that others will want to take vacations that minimize the impact on others.

#8 Book with true “green” ecotourism companies
Ecotourism is becoming very popular! Book with companies who are not commercializing this type of tourism.

#9 Walk more
Take less gas powered transportation and walk as much as possible to lower the emissions and use of fossil fuels.

#10 Enjoy the Environment, People and Culture
Share your own life with the location and add a little of yourself to a new place!

According to stats, jungles & rainforests in El Salvador are located on 287,000 hectares or around 13.9% of overall land area. 1.7% of this overall forested area is categorized/classified as primary forest, which is nearly 5,000 hectares. It’s considered most carbon-dense and biodiversity from of the forest. The overall planted forest area in El Salvador is around 15,000 hectares, U.N. FAO stats show. The country lost, between 1990 and 2010, an average of 1.19% or 4,500 hectares area of its jungles per year.

El Salvador lost overall 90,000 hectares or 23.9% forest cover area, in total, during this period. There is around million metric tons of carbon in rainforests of El Salvador in living forest biomass. The stats show that the jungles in this country have some 707 known species including reptiles, mammals, birds and amphibians. 1.1% of these species are told as endemic, meaning they’re not seen anywhere in the world, while 2.5% are about to vanish from the maps. There are spider monkeys, owls, orchids, laurels, oaks, ferns, toucans, pumas, anteaters and many more in El Salvador rainforest.

Jungles & rainforests in El Salvador are considered as home to nearly 2911 vascular plants species. 0.6% of these plant species are endemic. The county is on top in Latin America in terms of deforestation, next to Haiti. Reports claim that nearly 85% of overall forest cover area of El Salvador has disappeared from the maps since 1960s. High population rate is told as the main reason behind most deforestation.

Though there is forestry law to protect forest areas but jungles in El Salvador have serious threats, because lack of funds doesn’t allow government proper enforcement of forestry laws. Today nearly 50% area of this Latin American country is not considered suitable for cultivation. Around 1,000 hectares area turns into smoke ever year in El Salvador through jungle fire. 16 tree species are listed as endangered, 1 as critically endangered and 19 as vulnerable in the IUCN red list for El Salvador jungles.

Travelers arrive at Iquitos, Peru excited about their upcoming Amazon excursion. There are a variety of excursions that take you into the Amazon jungle by boat to allow you to explore the beauty of the Amazon in person. One of these excursions is the Amazon Cruise and Golf Adventure which lasts for three days.

While waiting for your excursion to begin you may have some down time in Iquitos. During your downtime in Iquitos there are many things you could be doing to pass the time and relax. There are a variety of parks and beaches you can visit to go fishing, bird watching or just to go strolling in. If you happen to be in Iquitos on a Saturday or Sunday night you will certainly want to visit the boulevard and have a cold locally brewed beer. While you are sipping your beer you will enjoy watching clowns on stilts, mimes, bands and many other forms of entertainment including casinos and casino games. If you happen to be sipping this beer in the boulevard at 8 p.m. on a Saturday night you will really enjoy watching some martial artists perform a martial arts dance known as the capoeira.

For those who enjoy sightseeing and learning about the history of Iquitos there are many places for you to discover as well. There are many small museums which focus on the native Indian tribes, animals and artifacts. You will also be able to tour an art gallery that displays various paintings by a local Peruvian artist. The painter, Francisco Grippa, has used bark from native trees as the canvas for these paintings. If you do not enjoy touring museums there are a number of attractive buildings and to admire throughout Iquitos.
No matter what your interests may be there is something for everyone to discover and enjoy in and around Peruís capital Iquitos. So if you end up spending some time here before or after your Amazon jungle adventure you will certainly have plenty to do.

Jungles & rainforests in Borneo are recognized as one of the oldest on Earth, along with Amazon Rainforest and Australia’s Daintree Rainforest. Borneo is third highest and largest island across the globe. It sgoverned by three different Asian countries including Malaysia (26% area), Indonesia (73% area) and Brunei (1% area). Its said about rainforest in Borneo that its around 130 million years of history and thus, it grabs first position from Amazon Rainforests, which are 70 million years old and are on second position.

Biodiversity of Borneo is also on top compare to any similar area in the world. There are 221 species of mammals, 15,000 species of flowering plants, 420 species of resident birds and 3,000 species of trees in Jungles & rainforests in Borneo. It’s said about Borneo that this island is the home to many endemic species of animals and plants, and the center of radiation and evolution of these species as well. Borneo rainforest is the only natural habitats for the well-popular and endangered Bornean Orangutan.

Some other forest species, such as Davak Fruit Bat, the rare Hoseís Civet, the Bornean Clouded Leopard, the Sumatran Rhinoceros and the Asian Elephant, are the endemic species of Borneo rainforests. Tabin Wildlife Reserve is considered as an important reserve for endemic rhinos and elephants, which is located on the northeastern corner of this island.

World Wildlife Fund stats show that more and more species are being discovered yearly in jungles & rainforests in Borneo and since 1996, more than 360 new species of plants and animals have been recorded. Another 52 new species were discovered in Borneo in only 18 month period between 2005 and 2006. Most of the island land is covered by the lowland rainforests area, which consists of 427,500 square km. The island had a history of huge rainforest area, but heavy logging has been shrinking this rainforest rapidly. Malaysian plywood industry is rapidly destroying this asset. Further destruction and deforestation in Borneo are projected in the wake of hydroelectric dams and mining of resources.