Situated in the Peruvian jungle, Puerto Maldonado is a great gateway city to the Amazon Rainforest. Because the rainforest is so big—twice the size of India, to be exact—and intimidating—it’s home to piranhas and jaguars, and after all, you’ll want to experience it via Puerto Maldonado tours. That said, if you fancy an exotic animal encounter or two, go with a guide to Monkey Island, the Tambopata Reserve, and Sandoval Lake, where you’ll probably run into more wildlife than tourists.