The role of nature in human life has continuously been of unique importance, even in modernity. Not only does it serve as the sole source of human sustenance and the origin of human development, it also serves as a perpetual fountainhead of human leisure, not to mention its role in engendering some of the most significant schools of art. Indeed, despite our technologies and high-rise structures of steel, glass and concrete, nature continues to play an indispensable part in in our contemporary lives.

This might be one of the prime reasons that countries across the globe always mention their nature as one of its glories. From Scotland to Chile and from Canada to Japan, a nation’s nature shines as an object of pride. As a result, to claim that the nature of one country might be more phenomenal than another is an assertion that has a tendency to ring hollow. Yet, if one gives it a more systematic look, one will see that such a value judgement is not without its objective dimensions.

Biodiversity is a term that defines the amount of organisms living in a certain area, or ecosystem. The more organisms living in a confined ecosystem, the more biodiverse the area is said to be. Scientists have declared that almost 10% of the world’s biodiversity can be found in Ecuador, with a substantial amount of them being located in the Yasuni national reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In fact, although Yasuni only covers 0,15% of the Amazon Basin, it contains approximately 1/3 of Earth’s amphibian and reptile species.

Now, why would you care about biodiversity, you might ask? The concept of biodiversity seems fairly esoteric and limited to scientists and hobby biologists. Translated into normal terminology, however, the more biodiverse a place is, the more beautiful the plants and trees will be; the more biodiverse an area is, the more flamboyant the wildlife will be; the more biodiverse a location is, the richer the experience will be. In other, biodiversity is directly converted into a more exciting journey.

While Yasuni might be the king of biodiversity, it alone did not secure Ecuador its title. The rainforest is, after all, not unique to Ecuador. What is unique to Ecuador, however, it is the tremendous diversity in climates, topographies and geography. Hidden in the gentle waves of the Pacific Ocean and the warm sand of its coast you find another ecological kingdom completely different to that of the rainforest. This is the same case for the Andes, with species which live among ice-capped volcanoes and in pleasant spring weather.

Hence, for any traveller who finds consider nature a refuge, either if it is for the sake of tranquillity, for photography, for adventure, or for any other reason; in just one place measuring no more than a few thousand square miles, you will be able to experience 10% of the world’s natural life.

Interested in experiencing these natural wonders on your own? Check out our trips here.