“Our leaders, Joachim Bertrands and Blair Dudeck, were wonderful, extremely knowledgeable, and very hard-working. Aside from birds, they showed us other wildlife, and made a point of helping us with butterfly IDs and plant information when we expressed an interest. They demonstrated versatility, too, when heavy rain forced rescheduling of our visit to the remarkable cathedral grove in the coastal rainforest. Despite the necessity of a workaround / repeat visit, we still had great views and photographic opportunities for every single one of our target species there – even the gastropod Ariolimax (aka Banana Slug)! I am very impressed that this tour spent all of its time on birding, wildlife and nature observation, and did not squander valuable hours on trivialities. There were a number of optional early morning bird hikes and evening sessions for owls / nocturnal birds. Those who wished could relax in the evening, or sleep in mornings, but why would I select an excellent birding trip and then miss good birds because it was inconvenient?? There was enough time to get a good night’s sleep every day – but I did have to be efficient with my time in order to attend every single event. Kiana at the office was very helpful. As a novice traveller, I had a great many questions, and she was always patient and supportive. In recognition of individuals with special dietary needs, the leaders made an effort to be flexible re meal arrangements. They even managed a surprise impromptu birthday celebration drama during our remote picnic supper site – with full cooperation by our entire cast and crew. An amazing tour, with an array of friendly naturalist-participants from across the continent, and two outstanding leaders. Who could ask for more?”
“Alberta Birds and Dinosaurs Tour - excellent tour, highlighted by Nick and Jody our enthusiastic, knowledgeable and accommodating guides. I felt well looked after by email by Kerstin in client services. From registration to windup dinner a successful tour. I plan on the Rocky Mountain tour with Eagle Eye next year. Behind the scenes tour at Tyrrell was fantastic, adding new birds to my list also great, however I must say the people associated with Eagle Eye are also a standout. Thank you.”
“Great trip with a very good guide. Other travelers were super people. One recommendation: a better van with better air conditioning because it was really a hot time of the year. Lodging was great especially the Ngeti Lodge.”
“I have been recommending this company for a number of years now because of their attention to detail, quick assistance with trip queries, quality of bird guides and their support of Bird Studies Canada.”
“This tour definitely lived up to expectations based on information provided by company. Tour guides were very knowledgeable of the birds of the Prairies, and worked hard to ensure that participants at all levels had a good experience.”
“Well, to say it quickly, this was an excellent tour. The 17 day Costa Rica Eagle Eye Birding tour was an excellent tour. It did seem a bit long but considering everything you are hoping to see, it is not enough. You will be exhausted when done but a happy tired, not disappointed. If you review the bird reports to see what was seen on this tour you will be impressed. It was what they said it would be. There were over 400+ species of birds seen, observed and photographed. I did not see that many, perhaps 300+ but it was NOT due to the outstanding Guide (Joachim Bertrands) and bus driver (Roy ), it was my physical limits. Joachim bent over backwards to ensure everyone got opportunities to view and photograph as many birds as humanly possible. He would go to extremes directing each of us to see the bird. He is a true professional and thoroughly knows and understands this business. Simple stated, Roy our bus driver, could thread a needle with his bus driving skills. I have never felt so safe as with him behind the wheel. Costa Rica is a beautiful country with so much to see. The driving there can be very scary compared to my country and Roy made everyone so safe and comfortable during the entire trip that you never considered that concern. I truly wish I could go again on another but I have realized my limitations and it is not fair to burden others and slow the progress. You should consider this trip as soon as possible if you have the stamina to walk and view so many wonders of the country. Do not wait until you cannot enjoy every minute of the trip, do it now and have memories for your life. There were experienced as well as novice birders on this trip but the guide watched to ensure everyone had a great time. We saw sloth's monkeys and other creatures there. I rate the experience, guide and driver as a 5+ without exception. The lodging is another area. Maybe a 4 star rating overall for lodging. Most were excellent and the food was great. There were a few locations that were not on my to do again lists. Ask the Eagle Eye Tours representatives anything and they will provide answers that hopefully will make you feel good for this trip. Remember, you are traveling to another country and normal life standards may not exist as you think. Be openminded to the entire experience.”
“We went on a 10-day birding tour of Belize and Guatemala with Eagle-Eye Tours and had a wonderful time! The guides were great and the birds were amazing. The company kept us informed and prepared at every step before the trip, and everything went smoothly during the trip. We recommend them without reservations!”
“Great trip! Our itinerary was adapted due to weather, but we still saw many bird species, amazing ocean mammals and other wildlife. A big thank you to Yousif; a very knowledgeable, friendly and excellent guide.”
“This tour has given me enough good memories of places, flora and fauna seen to satisfy my long-held wish to really feel I know at least a little of the wonderfully varied province of Newfoundland. East to West, it changed daily in weather and aspect and we learned what lives where, with the exciting prospect of actually seeing them. Not always granted, nature being fickle sometimes, but not for want of trying - our guides were tireless in their efforts to find what we wanted to see and it certainly was not their fault the creatures did not always oblige! I found some of the days long and tiring, in and out of the vans so much, and some dinners ended up being later than I'd have liked, service was slow although always friendly and obliging. I can't recall having any problems with the hotels, they were all perfectly adequate for a night or two and the owners of some the smaller establishments were delightful to chat with. A very important part of any group is the people in it, and with this tour there was nobody I would have wanted excluded, they were all fun to be with and a pleasure to get to know.”
“Wonderful leaders who share and ensure everyone is getting the most from the tours. Love the small group flexibility - if interests vary - plans can be adjusted. Our only concern would be the USD pricing when this is a Canadian company.”
“Two major holidays offered by Eagle-Eye in coordination with Adventure Canada (2014 Out of the Northwest Passage; 2015 Ecuador-Birding the Andes / Galapagos Islands / Peru: Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu), certainly broadened my horizons. The companies provide advance information on assessing one's own physical capabilities to handle the demands of the tours. Experienced tour leaders are supported by an impressive group of articulate, personable experts in a wide variety of fields: historians, geologists, culturalists, marine biologists, naturalists, ornithologists, archaeologists, artists, photographers, authors. These give classes and are available for further conversations at table, on deck, on shore trips. Any walking tours ashore, led by two+ (local) guides, allow walkers to self-divide into "slow", "fast", and sometimes even "medium" walkers ... particularly important when climbing steep uneven terrain at high altitude (Machu Picchu), manoeuvering cobble-stoned streets at 11,000+ feet (Cusco), or heading off across tundra at 30 feet alt. (Jenny Lind Island). Beyond wonderful memories, the tours have created a lasting interest in and concern for the well-being of the places, the creatures, and the people of these lands.”
“The Far East Russia Ring-of-Fire tour was all and more than I was hoping for. The scenery was spectacular, the birding was great and the guests and crew were a pleasure to be meet. For anyone up for an adventure to a part of the world few get to see, this is the trip for you. The expedition leader and his staff are passionate about Far-East Russia and all the wonders it has to offer. A great experience.”
“Really good tour that incorporated the high end and grassroots experiences. I love that the tour also incorporated a bit of not-to-be missed cultural sites. This was a fantastic bird watching tour. Guides went out of their way to make sure we saw an extraordinary number of species (301 when we expected mid-200s).”
“Extremely professional, adaptable.approachable, educated and friendly staff from both the organizing firm and also from Adventure Canada, coupled with excellent accommodations made this the cruise of a lifetime.”
“More than met my expectations for SERIOUS birding. Our guide, Hector Gomez de Silva, was very good at putting us on target birds and managing al the logistics of lodging, meals and travel, which were first class. His great knowledge of Mexican birds and attention to detail make him a great asset to Eagle Eye Tours. I highly recommend this tour for anyone wishing to see a good number of birds, the various habitats where they are found, and a good deal of southern Mexico.”
“We were exposed to a vast array of marvelous birds, directed by two experienced guides, and taken to a variety of diverse locations to accomplish this.”
Czech