With the messages of Al Gore's eco-documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth' ringing in our ears, it's refreshing to witness the delicate balance struck between man and mother nature in the largest protected flooded rainforest in the world.

The Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve covers over five million acres of pristine Amazonian rainforest, located on the headwaters of the Amazon River in Northeastern Peru. For four to six months of the year 85% of the Reserve is flooded and the only way you can explore it is by boat. I spent five days and four nights on an unforgettable trip on the beautiful, luxury seven cabin boat, The Delfin . This very comfortable, wood-panelled boat is managed by two of the most charming and stylish hosts I've ever met. The service was excellent and the food superb.

The lush conditions in the Reserve foster an abundance of life, with over 449 species of tropical birds, including five of the eight macaws native to Peru. There is, of course, a particularly varied aquatic population, with over 256 known varieties of freshwater fish, including the largest fish in the Amazon, the Giant Arapaima , which can grow up to eight metres in length and weigh over 500 pounds!