“Overall I had a good trip to Cuba. We had excellent guides, very good looks at many target species, very good transportation and the majority of our accommodations were good to very good; one location for 3 nights was more on the poor side, with no water on one morning and then no hot water in the afternoon. Our needs were communicated to the hotel staff and things were much improved the following morning. I found the food rather repetitive from day to day, lunch was the same as dinner with a protein option. The Restaurants were clean and the staff very good. We saw a good variety of habitats and natural areas. Cuba has some beautiful natural areas and scenery. It would be great if they could develop an eco tourism industry.”
“Everything about the Costa Rica Sampler trip was outstanding. Our guides Ernesto and Paz were excellent. They shared in-depth knowledge about not only the birds and plants but also the history and culture of the country. Accommodations and food were wonderful everywhere we stayed. The itinerary was well planned, enabling us to visit many different habitats. Highly recommended!”
“The Belize and Tikal trip is well organized and executed. Ernesto Carman, the Eagle-Eye guide, is one of the best Central America has to offer. He is the guide most birders hope for and literally birds from dawn to dusk (and sometimes beyond!) Ernesto appreciates that we cannot all keep pace with him and he is very understanding about one taking "personal time" to recharge. The accommodations and meals are quite adequate. Tikal is a very special aspect of the trip. The group has a one day pass and use this pass on the first full day in the park. I would recommend the organizers purchase a two day pass for the group. This would allow, on the second day, for anyone who so wishes, to return to the ruins for another visit.”
“Our guide Ernesto Carmen was extremely knowledgeable and had an encyclopaedic volume of information about not only the birds but also the flora and fauna and entomology of the area. In addition to that he was thoroughly unflappable and always pleasant and helpful.”
“I don't remember any problems, which indicates that the service was fine. Well, with one exception. The suggestions for what to take included rain gear, but I disregarded it, because I figured it was a generic list, and we were going to the tropics not in the rainy season. Wrong. I should have brought a flimsy plastic raincoat - I have several, pinched years ago from the Maid of the Mist - they weigh nothing, and we were in the rain forest! My jacket is water-repellant, sort of, but not really. I got wet! Maybe the list should be tailored to the trip, and this should be made clear.”
“Eagle-Eye Tours was previously unknown to us before booking our tour. We had questions about the tour that were quickly answered with a quick phone call. They were easy to contact by phone and very helpful. There documentation was very good and easy to understand. We would definitely use them again..”
“This was a five star tour. Both are guides where attentive to the needs of the guest and provided helpful in providing tips on identification on birds and went out of their way to help everyone fell part of the group and find the birds.”
“Our January, 2020 trip to Costa Rica was a 10-day "sampler" that immersed us in the astounding diversity and beauty of Costa Rican birds. Our superb guides, Ernesto and Paz, not only displayed an in-depth knowledge of Costa Rica's rich flora and fauna, but they also shared with us the history and culture of Costa Rica, giving us the feeling of truly connecting with this country. The logistics of the trip were carefully designed to visit a variety of habitats over a 10-day span to afford us the best opportunity to see as many birds as possible. We always felt that we were in good hands, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the adventure.”
“Great tour with a small, congenial group. Chris Burney, our guide, went out of his way to make sure we saw the birds we sought. Traveling with people who were respectful of one another and those around us was a pleasure. Puerto Rico is a beautiful place and Puerto Ricans are welcoming people, even as they recover from natural disasters.”
“My South Texas birding adventure was everything I thought it would be and more. Skyy and Adam were fantastic guides, very knowledgeable and helpful, the accommodations were first class, and I came home with so many great memories. Ellen Popkie”
“Everything was great as far as looking for birds and and finding them and giving us photographers time to take good pictures. I wished we could have stayed at the feeders a little longer to get better photos of the evening grosbeaks. Most of the people wished we had a few more restroom breaks. We are mostly older and cannot wait as long as younger folks. It would have been nice to get back for the day maybe an hour earlier so we maybe can relax with our new friends and have a beverage together before supper. The days were long and not much time to unwind. I am so glad that I went. There is no way that I could ever have found some of those life birds (6) by myself.”
“The Manitoba Owls tour was great for me. I found six life birds I had never seen before--Gyrfalcon, Great Gray Owl, Hawk Owl, Bohemian Waxwing, Hoary Redpoll and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Plus Snowy Owl and Ruffed Grouse which I had only seen once previously. The tour guides, Rudolf and Ken, were easy-going and we took our time on each bird. Accommodations and food were fine. Met some enjoyable fellow birders. I was delighted.”
“I had repeated difficulties in communicating with the office during booking and again with instructions on arrival in Mexico. They requested and confirmed my airline flight arrival and departure. I then received no further instruction and assumed I was being picked up at the airport as I had been on previous birding tours with 2 other companies I had been on. No one was there to meet me and I was stranded for 5 hours. I was told they had sent me an email which I know I never received. I do know when an email is sent and not received that you are notified, so I know they should have been aware that I did not receive it. No apologies or further explanation was given. Otherwise the trip progressed well. The bus broke down and did not have heat.”
Dear Judi,
Thank you very much for your feedback on the tour. We are very sorry that you did not receive our email with the final instructions for joining the tour. This is not a situation we would ever want to put one of our participants in. We are, however, comforted that you were able to continue on the tour and enjoyed it.
Based on your experience, we have changed our procedures when sending this final information to help ensure this does not occur in the future.
We are also working to secure a better vehicle for future versions of this tour.
Thank you again for your feedback.
Yours sincerely,
Cam Gillies
President
Eagle-Eye Tours
“Birding in Trinidad - nothing to complain about. Excellent arrangements, leadership. Large amount of enthusiasm, ensured that all participant received quality care Ernesto is an outstanding leader.”
“First rate trip. Guides were knowledgeable, patient, making sure that everyone saw everything. It was obvious that Ernesto knew his stuff exceptionally well, and Kyle was close behind. Would have preferred spending time at the Metropolitan Park rather than the old town.”
“Our Iguazu Falls and Patagonia tour Eagle-Eye Tours was an excellent experience and more than exceeded our expectations. However, we did have some concerns with several accommodations, quality of the food and vans used for transport. While the room and grounds at Iguazu Falls were spacious and quite comfortable, for us the dinners were almost to the point of being inedible. Furthermore, our room at Torres del Paine National Park was sadly lacking. We had no hot water or water pressure for three days. As well the dinners were cold and one dinner in particular was not thoroughly cooked. Several of the vans used for transport had unsafe, bald tires, rear brakes that were metal-on-metal and one did not have a working speedometer. The step into the vans was unusually high, making entering and exiting challenging. We were promised a step, but ti did not materialize. We do realize that we were traveling in third world countries, and do not expect 4 or 5 star accommodations. But we do appreciate a hot shower and edible food. We hope that these issues will be taken into consideration for future trips.”
Czech
