Message #238772

[Britany Lincicum]

Amazon Rain Forest

Photograph from Amazon Images/Alamy

The muddy waters of the Amazon River flow along the lush banks of the Amazon rain forest, which was selected as one of seven natural wonders of the world. Sprawled across nine countries, the forest covers some 1.4 billion acres (5.7 million square miles) and represents more than half of the planet's remaining rain forest land.

Lonely Planet's Reid said many people are surprised when they visit the Amazon, because it's different from their expectations.

"People have this idea that they're going to see jaguars left and right. You're unlikely to see jaguars," he said. "You might go through eerily flooded forests or narrow tributaries or wide open rivers, and it might not feel like this dense George of the Jungle experience."

(Related: pink dolphins and other delights of the Amazon.)

Published November 14, 2011