10 great places to be awed by a rainforest

— -- After almost 20 years of photographing rainforests, Thomas Marent, whose work appears in the coffee-table book Rainforest, remains fascinated by their "incredibly high biodiversity, all the bright colors and extraordinary weird shapes." In honor of World Rainforest Week, Marent shares his choices of the world's best rainforests.

Fiordland National ParkNew Zealand

"This is the most beautiful landscape of rainforests because everything is covered by moss, lichen and ferns," Marent says of this temperate rainforest in the south of New Zealand's South Island. "But it is poor in biodiversity because of its cold climate." doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=38468

Danum ValleySabah, Malaysia

"Scientists say that the Danum Valley in Sabah (on Borneo) is the hot spot of the rainforest in Asia," Marent says. "There are lots of carnivorous pitcher plants and the largest flower in the world, rafflesia," which can weigh 15 pounds or more. Danum Valley also is home to more than 275 bird species and more than 100 species of mammal, including giant flying squirrels, gibbons, bearded wild boars, flying frogs, the Asian elephant and the Sumatran rhinoceros. "Unfortunately, (the area) is highly dangerous because of ruthless logging."

The Southern New Guinea Lowland RainforestsNew Guinea

"The rainforests in New Guinea have the paradise birds, the largest butterflies in the world and some other weird insects," Marent says. "It is hard to get there, and there are almost no tourists — just scientists and missionaries."

Gondwana RainforestsAustralia

In this region on Australia's east coast, "there are some interesting endemic species, like the bower birds and cassowary," Marent says. "And it has good access for visiting the forests." whc.unesco.org/en/list/368

East Coast of MadagascarMadagascar

The rainforests on this island off the east coast of Africa are disappearing because of farming and timber harvesting, Marent says. What remains, he says, is a "paradise for chameleons, weird geckos and, of course, the lemurs, which are very threatened." rainforestfoundationuk.org/s-Madagascar