“I went on the concurrent Eagle-Eye/Birding Ecotours Tours of South Africa consisting in The Cape and The Subtropics. I was impressed by South Africa's development: its roads and tourist infrastructure and that you can safely drink the water and eat salads everywhere. Accommodations ranged from the rustic but appealing Hartnekskloof in Tanqua, to the luxurious Wetlands B&B in Wakkerstroom and Linger Longer in Dullstroom. The rocky drive up the Sani Pass into Lesotho was a highlight for me. Domenic Rollinson was a tireless and thorough leader who had the uncanny ability to remember everything that had been seen that day. He also remembered who among us had failed to see a species so that this could be remedied when a second opportunity presented itself. Remarkably, we logged 9 owl species on these two tours, partly due to Dom's up-to-date intelligence from various sources. Dom also coped well with a couple of flat tire incidents that occurred on back roads. The cancellation, due to high winds, of the pelagic trip out of Cape Town was a disappointment. But that is the weather for you.”
“The tour was well organized with knowledgeable, helpful and friendly guides. The days were full with some early morning excursions and evening owling. The weather was unpredictable, cold and rainy to start, hot and sunny at the end so layers of clothing were required. We saw many species as well as mammals.”
“This tour was excellent. We had snowy weather to deal with but it all went smoothly. The pace was relaxed, individual requests were accommodated. A short and sweet birding trip.”
“The website and items provided by customer service were very informative. Customer service was excellent, particularly as we had to cancel our participation due to health reasons, then I was able to be reinstated on the tour at the last minute as the health issue subsided. The pricing was good. The guides were excellent and coped very well with changing conditions during the tour.”
“Both leaders did excellent jobs of coordinating the logistics, driving the vehicles, including everyone in the activities, and making the tour FUN! On top of all that, they are both excellent birders and birding leaders. This is the first birding tour that I've been on that I wished could be longer. Other tours in the past have not been so.....to the point that on several I wished them done sooner than scheduled. Kudos to Eagle Eye for setting up the accommodations and logistics.”
“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..”
“The people make the difference! Enthusiasm, intensity, sincerity, hustle, desire, sense of fun & humor, energy to go the distance on a very ambitious itinerary.”
“This was the first time I had travelled with Eagle-Eye tours and with a birding group, after travelling to Africa twice on luxury safaris and being a bit dissapointed fellow travellers only wanted to see big game and not the smaller, but equally important, creatures which I appreciate. On this Eagle-Eye tour I felt I finally found 'my people' - folks who wanted to see birds, lizards, frogs, butterflies, snakes, flowers, bugs, bats and lichens - really knowledgeable naturalists. And boy we saw it all. It was a glorious trip. Ernesto our guide was like a nature savant...he knew everything about everything aspect of nature. Once, crouched over with his eyes glued to a spotting scope trying to locate some wee bird in the dense forest he said 'a toucanet just flew overhead' - that's how good of a birder he is. He drew birds in to us often with his own calls - and he knew where to find any bird. He took two of us out on a night time frogging adventure which I hope I never forget (red eyed frogs, brilliant forest frog, hatching dragonflies, cat eyed snake, and bugs galore). If any trip you're considering has Ernesto as a guide - sign up immediately. Our driver Jorge was also great, a lovely man, and good birder himself, and together they made a great team. The accommodations were okay, not luxury (except for our last hotel...and honestly...are you really going for the hotel rooms, or for all the great nature encounters you'll have) and the meals were simple (but as a vegetarian there was always something for me). The rooms were clean and most importantly the hotels were located within great parks/areas for birding - and that's what's most important - I'd give up luxury for location any day. The tour overall was well organized and designed to take you trekking in multiple, safe habitats. The only improvement would be to include one stop for souvenir/artisan shopping - but I seemed to be the only one among my fellow travellers who cared about that, and that's okay. I am definitely considering travelling with Eagle-Eye again, and especially with Ernesto. This was a 5-star trip for me, and that was largely due to Ernesto.”
“I did this trip as part of a ten week holiday and of all the tours this was the definite highlight. Being a small company, I found the direct interaction with Cam a great help to decide whether this was the trip I wanted to do. The trip itself was very well organised and exceptional for the price. The accommodation was in basic tents, but exactly what I wanted for a real outdoors adventure. We were well looked after by the local guides who were very helpful and friendly and made us some very delicious meals - not your average camping food! We saw many Narwhal and about 5 polar bears. I considered a number of other similar trips through other companies, and I definitely think I made the best choice by going with Eagle Eye Tours. Highly recommended!”
“This tour provided an excellent overview of the wildlife and culture of Newfoundland. Visits to seabird nesting colonies were of particular interest and provided an opportunity to see birds that are seen infrequently from the shore, if al all. The scenic coast of Newfoundland was a spectacle in itself. The guides of the tour were excellent. They were extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife and flexible enough to provide alternative activities when outdoor plans were limited by the weather, as sometimes happens in Newfoundland. Visits to museums in the region provided an excellent overview of the culture of Newfoundland. Accommodations and dining in local restaurants were excellent.”
“It was an amazing trip. The guides were outstanding and the group was terrific. We had some very skilled birders on the trip as well as one being a biologist so the trip was also very educational. We learned a lot not only about birds but also the flora and fauna of the areas we were visiting. We did see many different birds including many warblers and shorebirds. One of the highlights of course was to see the incredible numbers of snow geese. We had several opportunities to see these magnificent birds from afar in the thousands, close up and in the air. The whalewatching around Tadoussac whether by boat or on land was fantastic. We have never seen so many belugas. We were also fortunate to see a large group of gray seals at sea. All in all a truly great trip.”
“The trip far exceeded our expectations. Cam was fabulous as the trip leader. The guides were great. The natural beauty was beyond description and the wildlife was amazing. We saw everything we hoped for and more. The trip of a lifetime.”
“The trip was very well-researched and planned, with flexibility when required (e.g. unexpected weather, unsuitability of specific destinations). The support team were always responsive and proactive when communicating updates.”
“I have recently returned from the trip to Panama - Canal Zone and Darien and would highly recommend this tour. I was most impressed with the organizational skills and energy of both guides Ernesto and Kyle. What was most impressive was their extensive knowledge not only of birds but of all things in the natural environment. Every walk was educational including the night walks which were magical. Must also acknowledge our patient, polite and great driver Felix! Thank you Eagle-Tours”
“The fact that the group was small made it very enjoyable. The leaders were excellent. Each of the three locations provided a different experience. Although birding was my main goal the flora in all three locations was unique and interesting. Our days were action packed and rewarding.”
“We loved the variety of habitats and mix of easy-to-see birds at feeders, as well as hard-to-find birds in the field. Our guides, Hector and Jody were a terrific pair, taking us to locations that were rich in birds and unique to Costa Rica. We saw many more Life birds than we expected. The Guides' connections with the local birding community was extremely helpful in giving us opportunities to see birds that we would never have gotten to see. The drive time was broken up nicely, giving us birding breaks and fabulous meals EVERY time! Our driver, Warner, was highly skilled and navigated those mountain roads with ease. We also got the benefit of a wonderful group of like-minded birders who were as excited about this trip as we were! We always felt safe. It was a trip of a lifetime for us!”
“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.”
“This was my first time using Eagle-Eye Tours and it was wonderful from start to finish! The guides were excellent and I had a great time looking for birds and exploring Saskatchewan. The company selected a great hotel to serve as our “home base” for the tour. I also enjoyed the lunch and snack options that were provided while we were out looking for birds.”
Czech