Birds and mammals of the Andes

We had a wonderful tour with Santiago! He was prompt, professional, and had a great eye for spotting birds, etc. He was also flexible on the pick up time as we wanted an earlier start. We were hoping to see Andean bears but the weather wasn't very cooperative and neither were the bears. The number and variety of birds that we saw was amazing though. Our favorites were the toucans and the long-tailed slyph. He took us to a private cloud forest where we also had a tasty lunch. The weather was a bit chilly even for those of us used to cooler temps and we were glad we had the layers we did. Santiago also saved the day for me as I had forgotten to charge my camera batteries. He happened to have an extra one that I was able to use while mine was charging at the ranger station. He also provided suggestions for the best camera settings to capture the birds we saw.

Our family of four enjoyed a great day with Santiago, getting into the Ecuadorian outdoors and learning about Ecuador through his perspective and knowledge of the plants and animals. We were lucky enough to see and get photos of an Andean bear, watching it forage and eat the plants it likes. We also saw various birds in different habitats, including hummingbirds at a lodge, purchased some handmade local gifts, and sampled Ecuadorian food at lunch in a small village. Santiago was easy to talk with, very knowledgable about his country and the wildlife we were out to see, and we look forward to booking another tour with him in the future.

Santiago was a terrific guide! I enjoyed my day with him very much. He was attentive, informative and very passionate about conservative. His views and mine were very well matched. When I had a brush with altitude sickness he was quick to respond and took us to a lower elevation immediately. He also arranged for me to plant a tree that he tells me will be a canopy tree in 20 years! Santiago is an Ecuadorian gem and I highly recommend him!

Santiago is one of the most knowledgeable people we have ever traveled with. Not only does he know birds, he knows history and geographic info, info about volcanoes and ecological issues in this area and much more. We saw birds we will never see again - the rufous bellied seedsnipe, Andean potoo, several unusual hummingbirds and more. He is very personable and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Santiago was a superior guide - it is obvious that he is very proud of his country and more than eager to share his knowledge about history, cultures, and many more topics. We were interested in photography of birds and mammals and he worked tirelessly to find new species for us. Although we didn't see the spectacled bear, we returned to the same viewing spots several times in case a bear was visible. Santiago speaks excellent English and is a very safe driver. We would highly recommend him!!!