As we approached another huge rapid, I had to pinch myself for a second. White-water rafting had been on my bucket list for years but to do it with Ben Fogle in the middle of the Amazon is a moment I will never forget. Hurtling along the Jatunyacu River in between steep mud cliffs with the loud buzzing noise of the jungle I felt like I was starring in my own version of Jurassic Park. ‘You can just imagine a teraductile flying overhead,’ Ben quipped. ‘The light, the scenery, the air, the people, it’s really unlike anywhere else in the world’. Trip of a lifetime: I was lucky to join adventurer Ben Fogle on a tour of Ecuador . Satey briefing: Ben watches on as our white-water rafting guide Gabriel gives us the lowdown . Setting sail on our Amazon adventure: Ben and I, on the right of the boat, receive instructions from our guide . I was invited to accompany 40-year-old Ben on a trip to the country where his life of adventure and travel all started. Ecuador has long-been associated as a gateway to the much more popular Galapagos Islands or simply a pit stop on a tour of South America. But from the bustling city of Quito to the stunning Andes, the Amazon jungle and the sublime beaches, it's much more than that. Ben’s first trip as an 19-year-old, unable to speak a word of Spanish, saw him spend a sobering night in a Quito prison cell and endure 15 rabies injections in his stomach after getting bitten by a dog. However the incidents did little to phase Ben as he says it was that trip that he decided he wanted to make a career out of travel. ‘I never believed I would do it,’ says Ben, husband to Marina and father to Ludo and Iona. Taking a breather: I prepare for the next stage of our descent down Cotopaxi volcano . The food: 'Guinea pig intrigues me. I'm still trying to master it. I’m an animal lover so actually one of the hard things I always have is embracing local food.' The people: 'In the South American countries the people are very friendly. The weather: 'We went from the Amazon where it was very hot to the chilly Andean Mountains. The light and sky is incredible in Quito.' Favourite moment: 'I've done white-water rafting a few times but this time was really amazing.' Weirdest moment: 'Getting whipped by nettles in the middle of a market near people eating their chicken and rice was a strange but memorable experience.' Scariest moment: 'When I first came to Ecaudor I was arrested and put in a  cell for a night for not having my passport on me. I was also bitten by a dog and had to have loads of painful rabies injections in my stomach!' The changes: 'Ecuador has changed unimaginably since I first came here. The infrastructure has vastly improved and it’s so much more geared to tourists.' ‘It’s gone in a strange convoluted way. It’s hard being away from home but I love my job. I love meeting people and exploring and experiencing new places.’ It was a place on BBC reality show Castaway in 2000 that propelled Ben into the spotlight. Since then he's raced 160 miles across the Sahara desert, rowed across the Atlantic Ocean with Olympian James Cracknell and presented numerous programmes including Countryfile, Crufts and Extreme Dreams. For the last 18 months he's also become a Worldwide Touring Ambassador for Virgin Holidays and using his vast experience he helped curate the itinerary for this trip. He's packed a lot into his 40-years but tearing down Cotopaxi Volcano on a mountain bike was a first for us both. He climbed the mountain as a teenager but this time took a more exhilarating route down. He said: ‘Everyone assumes I love everything but if you look at the history of all the adventure things I’ve done like they are usually slow. It was a bit scary but that’s what makes it so fun.’ Next up was a spot of horse-riding at the historic Hacienda San Augustin de Callo, which is built on the site of an Inca Palace. The current owner, glamorous Mignon Plaza, inherited the property from her grandfather, Leonidas Plaza, two-time president of Ecuador. Food for thought: Cow hooves and roasted guinea pig are popular local dishes in Ecuador . Llama selfie: I grabbed one of the friendly animals for a quick photograph . Llamas roamed around the hotel’s beautiful cobbled courtyard so I grabbed one for a selfie. Adventure sports aside we also took in the culture of the magical country. The voyage started in Quito, the highest capital city in the world, perched at 3000m on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active volcano. The Casa Gangotena Hotel, situated in the old town overlooking the Plaza De San Francisco, was a great place to recharge our batteries and adjust to the altitude. Joining  local travel film Metro Adventures we enjoyed a walking tour of the historic centre, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which features 40 colonial churches and chapels, including the stunning La Compania de Jesus church which is decorated in gold. 160 years in the making: The stunning La Compania de Jesus church was painted in gold leaf by hand . Bizarre medical practice: Ben Fogle gets his torso whipped by Señora Rosa in San Francisco market . I also witnessed bizarre scenes at the nearby San Francisco market where local healers whip willing punters with stinging nettles to raise energy levels. Ben took the plunge, stripping down to his underpants in between displays of meats from cow hooves to llama and paying $10 for the privilege. Afterwards angry red welts covered his body. He said: ‘It was a very strange but memorable experience. She said a had bad energy and a lethargy and a problem with my breathing which could be the altitude or from my recent bout of pneumonia. 'Maybe it was the relief of escaping the nettles, but I had a spring in my step and felt revitalised as I left the market.’ Flying the flag: Ecuador's national colours are seen above the Government Palace in Quito's Plaza Grande . Perfectly maintained: The beautiful Plaza Grande in Quito is a place for locals and tourists to relax . We also dropped in more unique local businesses including the famous sweet shop Las Colaciones De La Cruz where we tried our hand at sugar-coating peanuts in a wooden bowl over a hot fire. Carrion’s Restorations is a bizarre business which restores baby Jesus dolls while also doubling up as a facility to treat people with skin conditions. Jesus dolls are traditionally kept in the lounge of all of the Catholic households in Ecuador. Typically they are dressed in the occupation of the family members with a Jesus doctor, a construction worker and even a soldier with a gun among those we saw on sale. We also took part in a culinary masterclass at chocolatier Chez Tiff located in the Calle La Ronda art district. Strange tradition: Jesus dolls are sold wearing the traditional dress of various occupations . The area is home to lots of local artists and a place for children to play with games including hula hooping lining the main cobbled colonial street. After spending time in Quito we visited Guamote’s local market where thousands of indigenous people, dressed in traditional ponchos and hats and accompanied by pigs and llamas on leads, descend every Thursday. One of the busiest corners of the market was a café selling guinea pig. Previously faced with tarantula and rattle-snake, animal lover Ben admits this typical Andean cuisine still mystifies him. Ice cream break: Dulce Place in Calle La Ronda specialises in unusual flavours such as white corn . ‘Guinea pig intrigues me’, he said. ‘I don’t think it’s the tastiest of meats but the locals genuinely love the taste. It’s not something I’ve mastered yet. It’s very fatty.’ Locro (potato soup), Ceviche and a meat selection dinner, served on a hot volcanic rock which you then use to BBQ the food yourself, are other popular dishes we experienced on our journey, mixed down with a Canelazo, a traditional Ecuadorian drink of warm spiced cinnamon mixed with tequila. Cow foetus is also a delicacy in Ecuador but we steered clear of that. Each mealtime we quizzed Ben on his adventures and can report he is much more fun that I had imagined, even trying to help one young man in our party score a date on Tinder. Local life: Locals in traditional ponchos and hats descend every Thursday to Guamote market . Devil's Nose train: The route, which costs £15 per person, offers beautiful views of the Andes . Our tour also included an 800-metre descent on the Devil's Nose train, which zig zags down the spectacular mountainside on the route between Quito and Guayaquil and a trip to the lush hot springs in Papallacta heated from nearby Coxopaxi. Getting lost in the Amazon was an added bonus that was not on the itinerary. Due to a mix up with collection points after our rafting experience, myself, the Virgin Holidays PR and two fellow journalists found ourselves stranded along the edge of the Jatunyacu River. Impressive: Huge bridge which crosses the Jatunyacu River had a Jurassic Park vibe . Out of this world: Ben and I check out the Jatunyacu River before we go white-water rafting . Amazon life: Carly Reed, our lovely Virgin Holiday PR, and I meet the locals . QUITO . Casa Gangotena Hotel . RIOBAMBA . La Andaluza Hotel . BANOS . Samari Spa Resort . PAPALLACTA . Termas Papallacta . Activities arranged by Metropolitan Touring . The 11-day Andes to the Amazon tour with Virgin Holidays is available from £3645pp. For more details visit Virgin Holidays . With no shoes, phone, water or sun cream, we used our broken Spanish to mingle with locals and have a beer. When our mortified tour guide turned up three hours later we were almost disappointed. Ben, who had earlier dashed off to eat whittchety grubs at a local Amazon community during the incident (as you do), told us such moments are what adventuring is all about. He said: ‘I am an optimist so I always see the positives in everything. You got to experience a little bit of local life in the Amazon which is amazing. ‘An adventure is all about taking yourself out of your normal routine and experiencing something new.’ I couldn't agree more.
Ben's life of adventure and travel began on a trip to Ecuador 21 years ago . His first visit saw him arrested by the police and bitten by a dog . But says stripping to his underpants for bizarre medical practice this time was one of his strangest experiences ever . Ben has teamed up with Virgin Holidays to inspire people to go on their own adventures .