“Thank you for your wonderful trip report, it was comprehensive, full of great pictures and informative. We have just got through all of our pictures and have some unknowns that we are going to send you, yet all in all, the trip was a great experience for us both. We would like to send you and Jane trip a trip report so you may upload it on the MBT website, we can provide pics as well, but many are not as beautiful in the camera as they are on the computer screen!We look forward to touring with you soon, we were happy in all respects and want to make sure both you and Mindo Bird Tours get the credit for superior guiding, excellence in planning and attention to detail. As soon as I am ready to go with pics and all, I will send you a draft to upload to the website.Send my greetings to Lorena, Jane and Miguel.”9-28 June 2011, AS, New Jersey, USA
“What a wonderful time.The birding was matched only by the meals and the wonderful company!Thank you so much for putting together this tour for myself and my father.” 2 January 2011, GL, Urbana, Illinois, USA
“It would be very difficult to exceed my expectations for this trip, but so far that has been the case.I expected great birds.But more than birds – great food!Great guests we have come to know, terrific guides, very comfortable lodging.Your hospitality made us feel at home immediately.You have been great to work with us in planning this trip of a lifetime.Many, many thanks!”2 January 2011, DL, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
“I would like to wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year and to thank you for an excellent trip.As I never got around to obtaining his email address, please would you pass on my best wishes for a very happy new year to Dusan and thank him for showing us the birds so successfully. He did a great job.We were both delighted with the trip and hope to travel again with you some time.”27 December 2010, BP, Belgium
"Hi Jane, we had a wonderful trip to S. Ecuador. Everything you arranged worked out perfectly. Juan Carlos is wonderful and we really enjoyed meeting him. He was prompt, cordial, helpful, and very pleasant. The drivers to and from Copalinga were great, too. We loved Copalinga and enjoyed being able to stay put there for 11 days. Saw great birds. Catherine is the best and she cooked wonderful meals for us. My sister came back to El Paso with me for a few days, so we are going to start thinking about the next trip (probably Dec. 2011). Hope you have a very happy and healthy new year." 17-30 December 2010, JP, El Paso, TX, USA
“My apologies for taking so long to say a huge thank you for organising so much of the recent trip. There have been a number of things for me catch up on not least that I was very keen to assess the success of the trip ! It is ridiculous in more ways than one but I have doublechecked and the total number of lifers since first hitting Sao Paulo was exactly 800 ! And how about quality ?!And I have to take full credit for everything ! What an arrogant conceited young man will surely be your reaction. But think about it.I did recognise early on in our correspondence that you were perfect for the job, that you could be relied upon completely to make a thorough itinerary which would produce 300 of them in Ecuador plus another couple of hundred or so in Peru and Colombia (by the way I do not seem to have Diego's report ) and that arrangements would be practically flawless so yes all credit due to myself for making such a wise decision. HA. Between the two of us I have to admit that your selection of guides played a large part in the operation with Dusan of course being outstanding. With all sincerity I am very grateful to you for a heck of a lot. Many thanks indeed for everything.Let me wish you continuing success and that you will especially enjoy good health throughout the coming year.”19 September - 16 December 2010, CC, South Africa.
“Thanks for a wonderful week – warm hospitality, exciting “new” interesting birds, beautifullodge & surroundings!Hope to come back again.”26 November 2010, AM, Lafayette Hill, PA,USA
“ With much appreciation we had an excellent time in Ecuador.Thanks for making our stay comfortable and delicious.We´ve added hundreds of birds to our life list.´Til next time!”26 November 2010, JD´A & KH, San Mateo, CA, USA
"Just wanted to again thank you from both Marcia and I for arranging such a wonderful tour of Northwestern Ecuador - Dusan was a wonderful and knowledgeable bird guide - his expertise allowed us to identify approximately 350 birds during our week trip. Las Gralarias Guest House was very comfortable and the meals were great. We enjoyed all the different reserves and areas of birdings that were included in the tour. We will have many enjoyable memories of our stay and experiences during the week. We hope to be able to join another bird tour next year in Ecuador and will contact you to make those arrangements. In the mean time - Happy Birding - keep the bears away -." 25-31 October 2010, NR, New York City, NY, USA.
“This has been a delightful trip, with the different lodges and habitats…The guide Dusan was a perfect fit for us…Thanks for putting all this together for us and –it was good to see you again!”16 June 2010, K&DW, Panama
“Thanks so much for organizing our recent trip - it was a great success! Special thanks for re-organizing the last few days - all went smoothly and we had no hassles. Sorry for delay in emailing you, but we stopped in Chile on the way home to look for endemics! When we get sorted out will send you a list of sightings at the various places in s. Ecuador.”27 May – 14 June 2010, S&TB, Queensland, Australia(See private un-guided Southern Ecuador trip report: at http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=1856
"We had a fabulous time in Brazil. The birding was unbelievable, the lodging was just great and all the transfers, airplanes, and guides were perfect. We had great food in both places. We had not a drop of rain the whole trip. The Pantanal is a very special place and Cristalino Jungle Lodge is just an amazing place to stay. My Portuguese really came in handy during the trip and I was very glad I studied. Thanks for all your detailed work in putting the trip together for us. It was the best ever." 5-20 June 2010, JEP, Texas, USA
"Thanks so much for organizing our recent rip - it was a great success! Special thanks for re-organizing the last few days - all went smoothly and we had no hassles. Sorry for delay in emailing you, but we stopped in Chile on the way home to look for endemics! When we get sorted out will send you a list of sightings at the various places in s. Ecuador." 27 May - 14 June 2010,S&TB, Queensland, Australia
“Thanks for a wonderful experience. The birding was great, your facilities were exceptional, the transportation was excellent, and the guide was outstanding. Nancy wants to thank you for your adaptation to her special food needs. The food was also fantastic.We certainly will recommend your place to our friends. It will be our number one choice in the Mindo area.We are so glad you made our arrangements. We know at low season when we are the only ones it would have been easier to not have bothered. It certainly was one of the best experiences of our trip. “21 May 2010, JS, Illinois, USA
“Just wanted to thank you again for setting us up with such a great trip in Ecuador.Your planning came off with perfection.You did such a great job and are such a gracious hostess…Hope we can return…”15 April – 1 May 2010, SS, Austin, TX
“Just wanted to thank you again for you great facility and hospitality! I'll be mentioning Las Gralarias in some blogs I'll be doing on my Ecuador trip. And I may get in touch with you within the next year about a trip for my wife and I to Machu Picchu.I'll send you a picture of the screech and and maybe a few others after I get them processed.”17 January 2010, BM, Helena, MT, USA
"All went according to schedule for our return trip, even arrived early in Miami but that just meant that our six hour layover stretched to seven hours. Traveling on miles leads to some strange time tables.We certainly had a wonderful trip, thanks largely to your efforts. Our stay at Las Gralarias was special- you have done a superb job of providing what travelers want and need, making everyone feel quite at home. And spoiled. The accommodations are most inviting and comfortable, the food excellent, and the general atmosphere warm and welcoming. We are very glad we started our trip at your lodge. The other stops on our tour certainly lived up to expectations, but don't quite match the luxury you provide. Overall, our trip could not have been better. Dušan provided superb guiding, and his leadership fit our birding style very well. He could not have been more patient with my slow walking, which did at least speed up a bit over time. His interest in taping and photography allowed us the time to see birds well, not just a quick glance and on to the next. That's something that can be hard to do in a group when others are eager for the next tick. I particularly appreciated his habit of naming every bird he hears, every time he hears it. He has already sent us some photographs that we'll delight in showing. Too bad the umbrellabird went by too quickly for a shot but we had a very good look, and that bird is now at the top of my list! Our thanks for all your efforts in making our birding trip the delight that it was. We'd love to come back- there's always more to see in Ecuador!" 11 January 2010, R&SR, Tucson, AZ, USA
"Our trip to Chile was just amazing. We saw wonderful birds, had fabulous weather, saw beautiful sights, and all your planning worked out just perfectly. Thanks so much for a great trip with such smooth and easy connections and transfers....I must say that our driver from Ruta 9 was exceptionally nice and accommodating. I always have a hard time picking one "best species". Some of the best were Green backed Firecrown; Moustached Turca; Chucao Tapaculo; Austral pygmy owl; Austral parakeet; Black throated Huet Huet; Magellanic Penguin; Chiloe Wigeon; Tawny-throated Dotterel; Yellow-bridled Finch; and more! Road conditions were very good (except the last few miles to Torres) and all the drivers were excellent, especially Alvaro...Thanks again for helping us put together a wonderful trip to a most beautiful country. I loved the Chileans! They have lots of spark and personality and a great sense of humor....We really did love Tinquilco! You are absolutely right, it was off the beaten path and we loved our little cabin...Carlos gave us the cabin that was farthest from the main lodge and it had a great view of the lake. ...Birding right on their property was good and the lake was very pretty. We had a resident Fire-eyed Diucon right outside our window -- that alone kept us warm on cold mornings. Also it had a little kitchen and we could make tea in the morning. .. Las Torres was great. Rooms were very comfortable and the location was great. They had huge buffets every morning and evening, so we had no problems eating. We had a very nice waiter who took special care of us and loved speaking Spanish with me! He only charged us half price for meals because we didn't eat any meat! ...You really picked perfect spots for us and got us right in the middle of the birds. We love that." 16-30 Dec 2009, J&MP, El Paso, TX, USA
"Thanks for everything! All went very smooth, even Tapichalaca – I arrived earlier then expected, there was too much rain so no stops along the way. I did see many birds and even more important, photographed at least 130 species including 8 species of Antpitta! Not too bad. Have to come back to photograph the remainder of the 1600 species. Friends of mine will visit Ecuador next year, will recommend Mindo Bird Tours to them." 7-22 December 2009, MG, Holland
"Sublime stay in a truly special place. A real sense of wilderness when out on the trails on my own. A great hostess who really knows the meaning of the word hospitality. Many thanks." 18-21 Nov 2009, RV, Aberlady, Scotland, UK.
"This has been a wonderful trip made more so by the professional nature of the owner and staff. I have been all over the world and yet this is my first experience in South America. It was wonderful." 9-18 Nov 2009, JS, Wilmot, Ohio, USA
"Thank you for your love of nature and the fabulous job you have done in preserving a bit of paradise here at Las Gralarias. This has been a trip of a lifetime! The birds and the adventures have been wonderful. The food and the service have spoiled us, and Gabriel, Dusan and Jorge have become like family. Keep up the great work...Thanks you so much!" 9- 18 November 2009, VC, Wilmot, Ohio, USA
"Sooo good to see you, Jane, after the passage of five years! Las Gralarias is a bit of heaven, whether the sun shines too much or the fog settles in for days. Everyone raves about the food! We do too, especially the brownies with strawberry ice cream...chicken curry, the crepes, the cobbler...I could go on... I had never been anywhere in Latin America where the moths were so abundant! We celebrated the list of (about) 30!! skipper species. It took work but it was worth it!! The TANAGER FINCH coup-de-grace! Dusan is a super guide, he´s interested in everything. We delight in your sense of humor and your dedication to protecting this place called Ecuador. Richard wants to thank you for the genuine quiet at night (his first good sleep in Ecuador since Sept. 28), the comfy beds, the large bars of soap, real wash cloths and space to lounge around in...Many thanks to you and your staff." 21-25 Oct 2009, SS&RL, Washington, USA.
"Thanks for a great stay. Fine food, wonderful birds, and a gracious staff." 21 Sept 2009, J&SC, Medina, TX, USA
"What a wonderful place, warm and caring people. The food was wonderful especially for a vegetarian. Thank you Jane and Dusan for a memorable trip. The photography was great!" Sept 2009, AM, Chicago, IL, USA
"Enjoyed ourselves immensely. Great food and great birding." July 2009, M&JH, Danville, KY, USA
“Thank you for a wonderful week! Good food, very comfortable lodging and BIRDS!! Unforgettable!” 28 July – “ August 2009, MS, Berkeley, CA, USA
“We had a wonderful visit, so comfortable with great food and service… and of course great organization, advice and hospitality... We saw some great birds, including all the antpittas! Thanks so much – we really hope to visit again! Keep up the great work!” 20 May – 8 June 2009, S&TB, Brisbane, Australia
“Thanks so much for your hospitality and all the marvelous food. The birds and their habitats were stupendous, breathtaking. Thanks also to Gabriel for all his patience and experience. We had a fantastic time.” 21-25 April 2009, TR&AW, New York City, NY, USA
"This was a good start to what looks to be an excellent tour of Ecuador. Wonderful food, outstanding birds and very pleasant people.” 27 January -15 February 2009, S&JD, Ontario, Canada
“We have just returned from our Quito/Galapagos trip and I wanted to write and thank you for the excellent time we had in Mindo. We really loved all of it. The cloud forest was so beautiful and the hummingbirds were to die for. To tell the truth we wished we had stayed longer at Mindo and less at Otavalo. The latter was interesting and a very nice hotel but we would have liked to have had more time to look for birds at your place. I cannot thank you enough for the care you took over our stay and, in particular, about my diet. We thought the food was just wonderful and very much appreciated. I have to say that the Flamingo…was exceptionally well organised and efficient and also gave us excellent food…. We thought the islands were magic and, if anything, exceeded our expectations. None of us was seasick and we had a great bunch of fellow passengers. I hope we might make it your way again. We really did love Ecuador….We wish you very, very well in that lovely place of yours, happy Christmas, and we thank you again so very much for a great experience.” Dec 2008, S&DA, UK
“We had a remarkable trip, and will always remember our first visit to Ecuador fondly….I'm sure that you've already heard from Charley, but we comfortably broke the 400 bird mark on our final day… Charley’s knowledge of the birds was remarkable, and his energy level was really something to see…Mynor and Juan Carlos were sure and reliable drivers, and made that aspect of the trip simple as well. We thought that Las Gralarias was a remarkable property and lodge. You have much to be proud of there.” 1-14 Nov 2008, M&TM, Elgin, TX, USA
“Thank you for planning an extraordinary experience! I loved it all…I loved all the habitats we visited and cannot say enough about the experience at La Selva with Jose. This was my first trip birding outside of the US and I hope to visit you again. Great, great time! Many thanks.” 12-21 Sept 2008, LK, New York City, NY, USA
“We had an excellent trip in the Mindo area during August and September….Our final count was 483 species including the Galapagos islands with 300 species seen during the Mindo leg…We are interested in another trip to Ecuador. We would like to go on the trip from Paramo to the Jungle this time…” 17 Aug-5 Sept 2008, W&KH, Canada
