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The northern Oriente 's blend of natural beauty, diverse wildlife, indigenous communities and hard-boiled frontier spirit have made it one of the country's most exciting destinations. Within the provinces of Sucumbios, Napo and Orellana that make up the region, six major nature reserves and a proliferation of private reserves and protected areas make for excellent opportunities to experience the Amazonian jungle. The two most important are the Reserva Faunistica Cuyabeno and the Parque Nacional Yasuni , in the east, defending over 15,000 square kilometres of pristine rainforest stretching to the Peruvian border. The reserves are reached by bus or canoe from the tough oil towns of Lago Agrio and Coca , the administrative and infrastructural centres of the industry. Tena , the third main town of the northern Oriente, isn't as close to such extensive forest areas, and wildlife populations nearby are likely to be lower, but it's the pleasantest of the three for its fresher climate, friendly atmosphere and proximity to a host of Quichua communities offering ecotourism programmes. Tena is also rapidly becoming a centre for white-water rafting , and at only six hours from Quito is growing into the Oriente's most popular tourist destination. The jungle traveller's traditional favourite, Misahualli , a river port close to Tena, gives access to the many cabanas and lodges of the upper Rio Napo and boasts a number of local jungle-tour agencies and guides. In the west of the region, three more ample reserves, Reserva Ecologica Cayambe-Coca , Reserva Ecologica Antisana and Parque Nacional Sumaco Napo-Galeras hold dense cloudforests and montane forests, sometimes impenetrably thick, making hiking here a challenge for the most adventurous. The little colonial town of Baeza sits between them, the most convenient base for such expeditions. In the broadening transitional valleys below Baeza, waterfalls cascade down the receding sides. The San Rafael falls here (145m), the most impressive and Ecuador's biggest, are watched over by the Volcan El Reventador , a green-black cone towering over the forest canopy. On the uppermost reaches of the Amazon basin, Papallacta is perched in the hilly fringes of the Cayambe-Coca reserve, couched by inhospitable paramo, but the hot springs here provide a good antidote to the highland chill. Two main roads service the northern Oriente. From Quito, the quickest crosses the Andes at the Papallacta pass before hurtling downwards to Baeza, where it splits. The northern branch from here leads to Lago Agrio, skirting the immense Cayambe-Coca Reserve before turning south to Coca, a full day's bus ride. The southern branch goes to Tena, passing the faster road to Coca via Loreto. Catching a plane from Quito to Lago Agrio or Coca distils the journey into thirty minutes. The other main road is no less visually impressive, careering down from Ambato, then heading east through Banos and into forested hills before emerging at Puyo to join the main road going north to Tena and Lago Agrio or south to Macas and the southern Oriente
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