Suspension bridge in Tambopata National Reserve, Amazon Basin, Peru

© Pere Rubi/Getty Image

A walk in the trees. Tambopata National Reserve, Peru

Those brave enough to step out over this suspension bridge will be treated to a macaw's-eye view of the Amazon rainforest, on which the survival of life on Earth depends. The vast Amazon biome, which spans 2.6 million square miles—an area twice the size of India—stores enormous amounts of carbon and supports approximately 10% of all known animal and plant species on Earth.

The Amazon River discharges more water than any other river on Earth, and almost 20% of all water that flows into the ocean first travels through the Amazon River basin. While almost two-thirds of the Amazon River basin lies in Brazil, it stretches across seven other countries, from the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. This section of canopy is in Peru's Tambopata National Reserve, home to giant harpy eagles, macaws, jaguars, capybaras, sloths, and giant otters.