"Five Stars!!! I recently returned from an 11 day Birding trip to Ecuador, with Ecuador Birding Journeys, and I am overjoyed with the experience! This was my first trip to South America and the wealth of habitats-- from the high Andes mountains to the Napo River/Amazon area-- surpassed my expectations! Gonzalo Nazati, our bird guide, is a talented birder and artist, who was very good at managing our fairly large group of birders. He was patient, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and always had a field guide ready to review any difficult species. He was skilled with the scope to help us see distant birds as well. It was obvious that Gonzalo really knows and loves the birds but also enjoys meeting new birders too. We were thrilled when he also got a “lifer” hummingbird on this trip! Sarah Dettman does a fantastic job of arranging all the logistics, so that I was able to truly relax and focus on the birding. Her narration during bus rides was very enjoyable as I learned so much about Ecuador! She and her husband Eloy think of everything needed for comfortable travel. They also prepared a small tour book that I referred to frequently, as it had “birds of the day”, a checklist, and a map which really helped me focus on the expected species for that date. Another thing that I really liked, is that Ecuador Birding Journeys works with local farmers who are passionate about preserving their land for the native plants and wildlife. At one location, we even had the option of planting a tree on the property. This is the best of Eco-tourism! The trip organization and itinerary were very well outlined, and we birded in iconic locations such as Mindo, Refugio Paz de las Aves, Reserva Zuro Loma, Reserva Amagusa, and many other fabulous bird sanctuaries. We did a few boat rides, including one on a lagoon, that really brought us close to Hoatzins and other iconic bird species. We spent time in the high Andes, and got great looks at the spectacular Ecuadorian Hillstar hummingbird. My hope was to see over 400 species during my time there. Our group as a whole saw 443 species; and I personally saw 412 and took photos of over 200 of them, which is by far the most I’ve ever seen on one dedicated birding trip. The beauty of the scenery and the sheer number of Tanagers and Hummingbirds alone would be enough—but on top of that, we saw numerous Owls, Potoos, Antpittas, Ibis species, Toucans and more! I highly recommend Ecuador Birding Journeys and hope to return someday."  - K.W.  Wooster, Ohio