A boa constrictor snakes its way through the Peruvian Amazon

One of the most biologically diverse places on the planet, the Manu Biosphere Reserve is two million hectares of sweltering tropical jungle. 

This World Heritage Site that clocks up at about half the size of Switzerland is Peru's largest national park, with nearly half the park consisting of Amazon basin tropical rainforest.

It is home to remote Amazonian ethnic groups, over a thousand species of birds, 20,000 types of plants and 200 animal species - including jaguar, puma, tapir, ocelot, macaw, black caiman, giant otter, white-lipped peccaries and 13 species of monkeys.

Manu is certainly not easy or cheap to access. It is necessary to have a permit to enter the biosphere's reserved area and to use the services of an authorized guide.

Organized tours from Cuzco start at around US$300 for four days and three nights, including bus tranfer to the reverse. Longer trips, and ones that include flights into Boca Manu, can cost in excess of US$1000.

Exploring the park is primarily by boat, along the Kosñipata, Piñi Piñi and Alto Madre de Dios rivers. There are a number of rustic lodges in the reserve.

The rainy season is between November and March.