The word “Amazon” is synonymous with extraordinary adventures and exotic sights, and rightfully so: the Amazon Rainforest is home to more plant and animal species than anywhere else on the planet. In Peru, the world's most massive river, the Amazon, is born, and the rainforest of the same name covers almost half of the country.

Needless to say, no stay in Peru is complete without a trip to this fascinating region. Hence, I chose to spend the last week and a half of my year in Peru traveling through the Amazon.

My travel companions and I began by flying from Lima to Tarapoto in the Department of San Martin. Tarapoto, with a population of about 94,000, is a wonderful place to spend a few days. Although there is not much to do in the city, there are a number of daytrips, and Tarapoto itself is a charming place. The locals are friendly and can suggest a number of tasty and affordable restaurants in the area. In addition, Tarapoto is, for the most part, not touristy. Although the eight of us certainly stood out, we were never once accosted by the usual menagerie of people seeking to profit from the out-of-towners.

After Tarapoto, our group took a couple of taxis two or three hours northwest to the town of Yurimaguas. Yurimaguas, with its persistent horde of locals trying to earn your money, is the antithesis of Tarapoto. However, Yurimaguas is the port for boats headed to Iquitos on the Huallaga.

For our trip, we took one of the Eduardo boats. Everything varies on these boats. We bought our tickets from the captain on the boat and paid S/. 140 for the trip; sometimes the fare is S/. 120, however, depending on how fast the river is. (Note: This is the fare for the top level. The lower level is cheaper, but it is shared with livestock and food is minimal, if included at all). Our trip took about three days; however, sometimes the trip is longer, sometimes the trip is shorter. Departure times are not exactly set, either. We bought our tickets during the evening, spent the night on the boat, then lounged around in the morning until the boat took off.

Lounging was certainly the theme of the boat trip. As there were few things to do on the boat, we spent an average of 12 hours a day in our hammocks (which cost about S/. 25-30 and are not included in the ticket price), which was not an entirely bad thing. The set-up was comfortable during the day; however, at night it was uncomfortably chilly in the hammocks. The scenery was pleasant on the trip, and we saw a few dolphins during our time on the boat, as well.

Eventually, we made our way to Iquitos (pop. 400,000), the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by automobile. The city itself is not that striking. The Plaza de Armas is pleasant and provides a number of different options for dining. Near the river is the overgrown marketplace of Belen, which provides everything from fresh fish to grub worms to exotic medicinal plants.

The real gems of Iquitos are found just outside the city. During our stay, we found a tour guide who took us on an overnight trip in the Amazon. The trip included a hike into the jungle, pink dolphin spotting and swimming in the Amazon River, and excursions to Monkey Island and Boa Island, where we interacted with, as you would expect, monkeys and snakes, as well as a sloth, a caiman, and other animals. A separate trip to the Butterfly Island brought us in contact with not only butterflies, but monkeys, tapirs, and a giant anteater.

In the end, we all had a memorable experience in the Amazon. This area of mystique and adventure should, without a doubt, be on your list of places to visit before you leave Peru.