What an Amazing Day! - We started our birding at daybreak at a cock-of-the-rock lek. The birds were very vocal and easy to spot in the cloud forest canopy. It's difficult to describe the incredible experience. Afterward, Santiago took us to various locations to see an amazing number and variety of hummingbirds and colorful tanagers. Santiago is very knowledgeable about what is where and how to find it. We could not have had a better guide!

Hummingbirds and so much more! - A wonderful, perfectly guided day tour to the rainforest. Santiago is a wonderful guide with extensive knowledge and passion for the local flora and fauna. With utmost enthusiasm, he showed me some wonderful spots in the rainforest teeming with countless tropical bird species. I highly recommend adding a visit to the cock of the rocks. Overall, an unforgettable experience.

Worth every penny and Dario is the BEST! - I'm in Ecuador for work and wanted to get in one solid birding trip during an off day. A colleague recommended Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips by telling me it was founded by a fellow biologist who realized they didn't want to stay in academia and started this company. It really shows, because the people here definitely know their stuff! When I messaged them to see if they had any availability at short notice, they did, for the hummingbird expedition the next day. I said I really wanted to see toucans, and Gabriela said my guide would know and take care of things. And she was right! Dario was absolutely fantastic! He knew all the best spots to see specific species, he knew who to call about what birds have been active in which places, and he made sure we saw endemic species like the Toucan Barbet and Chocó Toucan. He knew every bird by sight and sound too. The hummingbirds were fantastic and plentiful, but we saw so many others as well. I never imagined I'd see an Antpitta so close, or 2 species of Quetzal! More than any other species, I wanted to see a Plate-billed Mountain Toucan. When we missed it at its regular spot, Dario didn't give up. He heard about a potential nest, so we went looking. And when our car couldn't make it up the road, he didn't give up then either. He scouted ahead for the nest and heard the toucans calling. And when we finally got one to come out of cover, it was such a triumph!!! I didn't bring my camera with me, so I was happy to just see the birds without photos. But Dario brought his scope and at every turn offered to take photos for me through his scope with my phone! So thanks to him, I have Amazing photos and VIDEO of 5 species of Toucan, 12 Hummingbirds, Crested Quetzal, Yellow-bellied Antpitta, Golden-headed Quetzal, Toucan Barbet, Cock-of-the-rock, and so many gorgeous Tanagers!! And these photos and video are excellent! I paid extra for the early pickup, and I think it's really worth it. They picked me up from my hotel in Cumbaya at 5, and it was a 2 hour drive to our first stop. I really don't think I would've seen as many species if I hadn't gone with the early-pickup option, especially not the super reclusive Antpitta. There is breakfast included with early pickup. They arranged a packaged to-go breakfast to eat in the car on the way there, and it was really tasty and filling! It included some sides I could snack on later in the morning too (apple, banana chips, oreos). The lunch spot was delicious and had so many great options on the menu. Best part was it had big windows with bird feeders all around. I saw even more hummingbirds, Tanagers, and an Aracari while I ate lunch! It also has a nice overlook where you can look down on the Rio Blanco and the valley if it isn't too misty. Overall my trip was excellent with 0 downsides. Absolutely everything was taken care of. Even something as small as me wanting a t-shirt as a souvenir, Dario knew a place where I could get one with some of the hummingbirds we saw that day! I saw every single bird I wanted to see, and some I didn't even think I would see!

Exciting Tour Private Tour - Hotel picked up was on time. We saw three different humming bird locations and cock of the rock extension was a exciting experience. We got a chance to feed the humming birds and that was magical. Lunch was nice in Mindo. Be prepare for curvy roads and bumpy at times. Santiago was a great guide. Be sure to bring a binocular.

Excellent expedition with hummingbirds and cocks of the rock - This expedition was the third we took with Neotropical. Our guide Dario took us to 3 different hummingbird reserves plus a lek for cocks of the rock (a spot in the forest where the males show off for the females). We walked through cloud forests and actually fed hummers out of bottle caps balanced on our hands. The number of birds (many hummers plus toucans) and the variety of plants was amazing, and our guide Dario knew them all. What a fantastic day! We cannot recommend Neotropical highly enough.

Awesome 7 day adventure with Neotropical Nature and Birding Trips! - Ecuador is an amazing place to visit with it's beautiful scenery, gorgeous birds and wonderful people. Santiago Salazar of Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips is over the top! He's an incredible guide and took excellent care of us starting with the planning stages and throughout the entire experience. We could not have asked for better service. When it was time to say goodbye it felt as if we were leaving family behind. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to Ecuador we would highly recommend Santiago and Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips. This is one trip we would love to repeat and bring our family next time. We have traveled the world and have seen amazing places however, Ecuador is about as close to Heaven on earth as you can get. We can only imaging what God has in store for us in Heaven.

An experience not to be missed - It was a real privilege to cross path with Santiago. His knowledge is incredible and we had a wonderful day, learning not only about birds but the wider ecosystem. Everything was perfect from start to finish, including the fantastic lunch. You are in the very best hands with Santiago and we hope to see him again in the future.

A truly enlightening tour - Santiago Salazar was an excellent guide! He not only knew birds, but also plants, trees, and the ecosystem. I learned so much in one day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience even though I am not a real “birder”.

Thank you Santiago - Our guide, Santiago Salazar, from Neotropical Tours, was extremely knowledgeable, very personable, and responsive to our needs and desires. Thank you for a great birding experience.

Best birding tour - If you're thinking of taking a tour with Neotropical, do it!! Santiago S is an amazing guide and birder, he knew every bird we saw and heard, even if it was just a glimpse. He also made and sent eBird lists from everywhere we went, which was extremely helpful as there was no way I was going to remember all the birds we saw- there were so many! I was able to get incredible photos of hummingbirds, toucans, and others. I'll definitely be going on more tours with them.