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Amazon Tours - Testimonials



Tucano

Max Crandall (Cruise on Tucano, Jan 2009)
The guides were great they really knew where we were going and were fun to be with and knew a lot about what we saw.

I had a wonderful time. It isn't like what you see on TV or read about but that is why you travel to see for yourself. When someone asks how I liked a trip I usually say it was all right, but this trip to the Rio Negro was really great, It was one of the best weeks on a tour I have ever had.

Sacha Lodge - Ecuadorian Amazon

Kathryn B. Maltby (Sacha Lodge + Cruise on Encantada, Dec 2008)
The Encantada though small was very clean with a friendly and professional staff.

There was always someone to meet us either at the airport or our hotel who was very friendly and had all the documents necessary for our trip. On the boat and at the lodge our daily excursions were extremely well planned out and our guides very friendly and knowledgeable.

Both on the Encantada and at the Sacha Lodge our guides made the trip special for us. They catered to our interests and needs and really made the trip the fantastic and fun experience it was for us and our kids.

The food on our ship was surprisingly good for how small the kitchen area must have been. The food at the Sacha Lodge was absolutely delicious - there was lots to choose from and plenty of it.

We loved the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon Rain Forest. We would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for adventure, beauty, and a memorable time.

Dennis Beck (Sacha Lodge + Hiking Galapagos, Feb 2009)
This is the first time we've done a "guided" tour and I can't say enough good things about Adventure Life. We would recommend them to friend and would not hesitate to use them again.

Marissa was very helpful and responsive on a timely basis. Casa Aliso was great - wonderful hotel and very helpful staff. Sacha and Hacienda Pinsaqui were awesome.

Sebastian was our Galapagos guide and he is terrific. Luis was our guide for Cotopaxi and Otovalo. He is a wonderful young man and a terrific guide. Sacha guides were great.

Linda Neikam (Sacha Lodge, Feb 2009)
I loved Sacha lodge and will recommend this to all my friends. The Eugenia Hotel had lots of charm and very accommodating staff. We were shocked when we got to the Pinsaqui Hacienda. It was so beautiful that we didn't want to leave. Bellavista is a jewel, rustic but after a half a day we felt like we belonged there.

Every step of the way your staff was waiting for us. We never had to look for them, they were prompt and always interested in making our vacation perfect. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Everyone was so friendly and always, acknowledged us with friendly waves and smiles. I can not think of anyway to improve the service.

The food in Sacha was very good, the food in Bellavista hot and plain. We were so cold sometimes that the hot was all we needed.

Although we packed bug spray and anything else we could think of, generally the various lodges provided us with rain poncho's, boots and umbrellas. I came away with a love for Ecuador, the people and country. I will definitely return.

This trip was one of the best I have ever had and I look forward to traveling again with Adventure Life.

Judy Schneider (Sacha Lodge, Feb 2009)
All of the people we worked with at Adventure Life were incredibly supportive, informed, good-humored and patient. This applies especially to Marissa, who fielded more than a few calls from me in the 2 weeks prior to our departure with grace and humor.

Overlooking the fact that I do not like Ecuadorian food very much, I would say that given the lengths they have to go to to get food to those places at all, they do a very good job. I would rate the food at Sacha and the breakfasts at Eugenia as excellent.

You ask about the friendliness and enthusiasm of the guides. I think you also need to ask about their overall knowledge. At Sacha, our guide was Julio Rojas, and I thought that he was just amazing. And the native guide who worked with him, Donaldo, was incredible, too. Not speaking English, Donaldo made himself understood with no trouble at all. At Bellavista, we mostly went out with the owner and with his friend, Jeanne, who was helping him out in what was obviously a staff crisis. They were very knowledgable as well.

James Kuhn (Sacha Lodge, Aug 2008)
The accommodations at Sacha Lodge were great, the food tasty and plentiful, the guides knowledgeable and effective, and the social experience rewarding. The amount of physical activity was challenging but manageable and exciting. This is a once in a lifetime experience and I highly recommend it.

Barbara Ash (Sacha Lodge, Aug 2008)
It was a dream come true for me. All the staff were very helpful and was very patient in answering my questions which I am sure I asked more then once before I went. I saw birds , sloths, an Anaconda and yes I swan with piranhas and cayman. I am sixty eight as of yesterday and was able to do all the hikes, climb the tree, and the tower, which for me is a very big deal since I am not crazy about heights. Thank Thank you Thank you

Tara Rodarte (Sacha Lodge + Machalilla National Park, Dec 2007)
Everyone at Adventure Life was great! Thank you very much for working through my itinerary and getting all of my requested activities in. Sacha Lodge was wonderful! I would highly recommend it. Can't say enough about the Sacha Lodge staff, cooks, etc. They work hard and behind the scenes to make the lodge comfortable and accommodating. What was one of the most notable aspects...the food! Very tasty! Mantaraya Lodge was also incredible -- clean, great views and very friendly staff.

All the guides were very knowledgeable and showed an enthusiasm for the country and their culture. They shared personal stories making the walks and activities engaging.

It was a wonderful and amazing holiday! Ecuador is a beautiful country with many landscapes. The Adventure Life agent made great suggestions, which allowed me to spend time at the beach, trek Cotopaxi, and explore the Amazon. Perfect mix!

Acaba Family (Sacha Lodge, Apr 2007)
Our tour leaders were awesome!! The crew was very friendly-just fabulous and outstanding service. This tour went beyond our expectations.

David & Turalu Murdock and Wyatt Gould (Sacha Lodge and Otavalo Market, Jun 2006)
The guides were friendly, helpful, enthusiastic, and willing to accommodate our desires and wishes. Our 11 1/2-year-old grandson also enjoyed it! It was a perfect mix of freedom and aid through guides and drivers. We have been in the rainforest and the Amazon before, and this was the best rainforest adventure we have ever had.

Amazon Adventure

Patrick Lengler (Amazon Adventure, May 2009)
The team that organized the Kayak-trip on the Shiripuno river was the best I ever had. I can only express my greatest appreciation to Sebastian, Arturo and our local guide.

Marti de Metropolis (Amazon Adventure, Sep 2008)
Marissa was outstanding. she suggested that I bring educational items and info about my home for the Huaorani community. Fabricio, our guide handed them out. It was a touching experience!

The guides, Febricio, Arturo and Name were beyond excellent. Strong, capable, talented, intelligent, friendly only begins to describe them. I felt safe in very difficult times. Arturo is an outstanding cook. He wanted us to experience the foods of his country. Way more food than I could eat!

It was an adventure trip turned high adventure. Mother Nature and the unpredictable made for a trip that could have been a disaster had it not been for the capable guides and porters! Safe at home, I'll always remember this as my most exciting true adventure.

For true adventure treks, Adventure Life offered very capable guides to keep us as comfortable and as safe as possible. The best of the Amazon rainforest came from those unforeseen times. I've traveled the world and intend to keep going. I'm impressed with Adventure Life and those who you contract with!

Jocelyn Martin (Amazon Adventure, Aug 2008)
Sebastian, our guide, was amazing - he had an easy charm that put us all at ease and made us feel safe on the water and in the jungle. He really knew and understand the Huaranis and the nature of the land.

Andy at Shiripuno Lodge was an amazing guide. he got really excited talking about the plants in the jungle and what they are used for. Our guide at Bellavista was amazing too - he got more excited than we did when he spotted birds.

The tour was an amazing trip. We got to be in the wilds of the jungle without sacrificing comfort or safety. I would recommend it. Amazon Adventurer was sort of like being on Survivor with a personal Chef and group commaraderie. I was really impressed at how environmentally sound everything we did was. The whole trip was about preserving the rainforest, not cutting it down to make it more easily accessible.

Pamela McCarthy (Amazon Adventure, Mar 2008)
Shiripuno Lodge was probably the coolest place I have ever stayed. What an incredible experience!

Alex, our tour leader in Quito, was really great. He was super friendly and knowledgeable and interacted really well with the high school students. Fabricio, our guide in the jungle, was amazing. He really did make our experience one that we would never forget. I also was extremely impressed that a local Huaorani came with us. That was probably the best part of the trip.

This trip was seriously one of the best trips that I have ever been on. We really got a taste of the local culture and environment and learned a lot about the Amazon.

Marcus Frank (Amazon Adventure and Machu Picchu by Train, Sep 2006)
I can't say enough good things about our guides, particularly Washi, who I know consider a friend in Peru. He helped us with good local restaurant selections, and even invited us for a rare delicacy prepared by his mom-cuy. All the guides brought their culture to us by sharing their wealth of knowledge, experience, and other local interactions that helped bring Peru closer to us. Victor had a haunting way of finding things at night in the jungle that was simply amazing. I also came to realize how much trust and comfort there was in his presence as he navigated us through the jungle paths and the waterways. Your guides are the best! Overall, the tour was very good and we will definitely use Adventure Life again for future South American travels.

Narcisse Bakhsh (Amazon Adventurer, Aug 2004)
2004 was wrapping up without any major adventurous trip to seal it and that is not a detail to overlook! Sooooo, I stared imagining the world with all its treasures and fascinating places to discover. I pulled out my magic lamp, started rubbing it hard to wake the genie up & have him plan my next journey. In other words, I typed "traveling in the Amazon" on Google! Ha! Just looking at the list of travel choices gave me a high, similar to what a shopaholic would feel in a mall, the day after xmas!

STOP

After a bit research, I found the perfect trip: Ecuador, 8 day kayaking trip on the Amazon! Wooohooo! Hey, the saying: "if you wish for something hard enough, it could happen" is actually true! Such a simple, yet rich trip - a river and a jungle, the Amazon. Easy to imagine, yet mysterious trip - only paddling all day, what kind of trouble would I get into? Relaxing, yet nerve wrecking - sound of nature and nothingness, the indigenous tribes and the gizillion flies. I was sold! Ecuador August 2004 was going to be my next adventure!

Since keeping the best for last is not a rule I follow: I willl share it with y'all now: My best friend and partner in crime, Maria decided to join me. What a blessing, without her this trip would not have been as fulfilling and exhilarating as it became.

August 22, 2004, Maria and I head to Quito, Ecuador.
As soon as we got ... Read All

Debbie Dyson and John Goss (Amazon Adventurer, Jan 2004)
Excellent! Felipe (guide) was great at sharing info. Arturo was wonderful at organizing equipment, food, etc...Thanks for a great trip!

Dave Layne (Amazon Adventurer, Jan 2004)
Both Arturo and Felipe wer terrific! Couldn't have asked for better people. It was amazing how much and how well prepared the food was on a camping trip. Arturo did a great job.

Susan Willis (Amazon Adventurer and Galapagos, Jan 2003)
Alfredo was an excellent kayaking guide. On the river, I felt totally safe, had a fun, amazing experience...Thank you for providing amazing experiences for my son and myself.

John Sainato (Bellavista Lodge and Amazon Adventurer, Aug 2002)
Richard and Gloria, owner/managers of Bellavista, treated us like family from the first moment we arrived, until dropping us back in Quito after our visit. Bellavista was so relaxing and educational; I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Ecuador.

From Bellavista, we moved farther into the interior of Ecuador and deep into the rainforest of the Amazon Basin. Here we would spend the next week camping and kayaking on the Shiripuno River and visiting with the Huaorani, an endangered tribe of indigenous people who make their homes in the rainforest. During this very adventurous week our guides Alfredo, Fabriso, Raoul, and Moi shared with us an experience that could never be matched.

All in all, I would have to say that the time I spent with my son this summer was the best thing I ever did and will not soon be forgotten. I highly recommend to any parents feeling a distance growing between themselves and their children, spend some time completely removed from distractions, one on one with your child. The rewards of doing this will far outweigh the expense.

Wildlife Odyssey

Roberta Koenig (Wildlife Odyssey trip with a Galapagos cruise on the Millennium, Jul 2008)
Our accommodations were excellent at all points along the tour. Our hotel in Quito was good, and we were very impressed with Sacha Lodge and the Millennium. Food, accommodations, services, etc.

Our two guides at Sacha Lodge were great. They managed to tailor our hikes to our capabilities and we were able to see and do all we had intended to. They were friendly, informative and just very willing to lend a hand, especially when I got stuck in the mud.

The food was marvelous. I had hoped to lose a few pounds, but it didn't happen. Sacha Lodge had some of the best food I've tasted outside of a 5 star restaurant. Some of the recipes were unique, but delicious. Three desserts at lunch and 3 different ones at dinner made many of us weep.

Gail and Abigail Malone (Wildlife Oddyssey: Legend, Apr 2007)
The tour was superb. Sacha Lodge was unforgettable, and Pinsaqui was gorgeous. We felt coddled- every detail was attended to. I would use Adventure Life again without hesitation.

Christina Lemes (Wildlife Odyssey and Galapagos Cruise aboard Sulidae, Dec 2006)
I was blown away, especially at the hacienda in Otavalo. Hotel Eugenia was very charming and I loved the Sulidae and Sacha Lodge. All of my tour guides were excellent and extremely helpful. I am recommending this tour to everyone I know. I am highly satisfied with Adventure Life and my tour experience.

Dotty Woodworth (Wildlife Odyssey , Aug 2006)
The pre-departure support from Adventure Life was excellent. I called with a question about items for the orphanage and got excellent information. I loved every minute and my photos have made all of my friends jealous.

Manu Biosphere

Susan Marycz (Manu Biosphere + Machu Picchu by Train Tour, Sep 2008)
We had two guides - Boris Bonnett and Miguel (don't know last name - at Manu); I cannot say enough about Boris; as a native of Cusco, he was extremely knowledgeable about the city and all of the towns we visited in the area; his depth and breadth of knowledge were impressive; he was very patient as I asked many questions not only about the subject at hand, but about other aspects of the country; as our guide to Machu Picchu, he was exceptional; his interest in and respect for the Incas was obvious; he gave us recommendations for restaurants and every one we tried was excellent; he was generous with his time and knowledge; Boris is an excellent ambassador for Peru; we have been to many countries and traveled with many guides - he ranks at the top of our experiences. Miguel was also very knowledgeable and it was a joy to walk through the jungle with him; his ability to see and hear things that we initially could not was remarkable; he taught us much about jungle discoveries; he had a wonderful sense of humor, which kept us laughing.

The food varied depending on where we ate; for the most part, the food on the first part of our trip, with Boris as our guide, was quite good as he knew all the good places to go; the food in the Amazon was also good, surprising for being so remote.

I would recommend this trip to others, and already have; it was a wonderful ... Read All

Neil Van Steenbergen (Inca Pathways + Manu Biosphere + Nasca, May 2004)
I got back from my 25 days in Peru just a week ago. My enthusiasm level for you and your help was high before I left, it was high during the trip and it continues to be high. I am so happy about my trip and about all that you did to make it happen.

I continue recommending you. Before I left, I asked you to send a catalog to two friends. Please send one to a third friend, you can use my name if you wish.

Back to the trip, I keep thinking I’ll forget something I want to tell you… I am very grateful for your pre-trip help and guidance and handholding. It was a pleasure to talk with folks who were not only knowledgeable and had been in Peru but who also seemed to be genuinely interested in me and care about me and my dreams. Thank you.

I liked the three separate parts of my trip: the Nazca extension was on my own (with support as needed), the Inca Pathways with a group, and Manu alone. It gave me a chance to experience Peru singly and in a group and that was a good balance. Entering solo and leaving solo also gave me a chance to feel comfortable at first with Peru and to leave with a chance to slow down and relax in Manu after the trail. It worked beautifully.

My arrival in Lima was about an hour late at midnight. I walked past the first line of taxis and got one from the second line quickly for $12 dollars, a somewhat broken down taxi ... Read All

Andes and Amazon

Brigitte Feicht (Andes and Amazon, Sep 2007)
The Andes and Amazon trip was our first trip to Ecuador. We travel frequently in North America, Europe and Asia independently so this was our first trip with a guided tour and we were pleasantly surprised what a wonderful time we had exploring this beautiful and diverse country under the knowledgeable and personal guidance of our Ecuadorian tour expert. Summarizing this trip in a couple of sentences will not do justice to the lifetime memories we will treasure from this trip for years to come which were made possible by a flawless tour itinerary and organization and enriched by our personal tour guide Luis “the adventure boy,” an incredible young man wise beyond his age. He not only graciously and competently filled the language gap for us, but he also shared his grandfather’s stories about the legends and gave us insights into the daily life and customs of living and growing up in Ecuador.

Besides enriching our learning about Ecuador with historical and cultural data, Luis proved to be invaluable for the demands of traveling around: He negotiated with the laundry places for us, recommended restaurants or activities, made sure we found the right buses, departure points, and connections without any problems and he always knew where to catch the taxi transfers for the haciendas. We enjoyed to travel on the public bus instead of a bus full of American ... Read All

Chalalan Lodge - Bolivian Amazon

Susan Etheridge (Chalalan Lodge + Jesuit Missions, Apr 2009)
The Chalalan was wonderful, amazing they can maintain such high quality so far from civilization. Reasonable Hotel in Santa Cruz but great in Concepcion - amazingly nice place so far from everything.

The people at Chalalan are amazing, superb guide Rigoberto, great food and everyone trying so hard and accomplishing so much. They should be encouraged as what they are doing is very difficult but necessary.

Mercedes is amazing and her driver Javier the safest we have ever had. She speaks beautiful English, knows everyone in the Mission area of Bolivia and has wonderful insight on the area. I was not very excited about this part of the trip BEFORE we did it but LOVED it. There is much to do there and a nice hotel - the Grand Hotel of Concepcion. I would definitely recommend it. Bolivia is like Costa Rica with more historically interesting things to do, much cheaper and far fewer tourists. We were able to go to the Madidi - amazing more monkeys than I have ever seen. The group there are superb. They are from a local village and have intimate knowledge about the jungle. The guides are smart, speak several languages and can actually call animals and birds to them. The lodging is very nice, appropriately rustic but safe, clean and fun. The food was amazing especially since one is so far from civilization. It was very exciting and a definite must for the ... Read All

Kathy Rollins (Chalalan Lodge, Jun 2007)
I had another fabulous trip with Adventure Life! Bolivia is great! The Chalalan Lodge experience is just fantastic. Madidi Park is everyone's dream of a rainforest-lush, beautiful, and filled with wildlife. The trip up the Beni River is spectacular.

Everyone at the lodge was super. Ricoberto, our guide, was knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic. The meals were delicious and the service was great. Every time I got back from a hike someone was waiting to greet me with a glass of cold lemonade.
More than that, the atmosphere was very friendly. I met people from all over, and like me they were fascinated by the area and wildlife they encountered along their hikes. Every evening we spent "Happy Hour" looking up animals in the guidebooks the Lodge has available. This was a fabulous tour!

Bruce Olson (Chalalan Lodge, Aug 2005)
My trip to the Bolivian Amazon rainforest was the adventure of a lifetime! The trip to Bolivia, and my treatment by Beatriz, the highly professional and personable Adventure Life representative in country, was phenomenal. She handled every detail with a personal touch to make the entire trip a smooth and pleasurable experience.

My visit to Chalalan, the eco-friendly safari lodge deep within the rainforest, was a truly authentic and enchanting adventure in this remote area. The lodge has been built and run by the people of the Tacana village of San Jose de Uchupiamonas, a village with over 390 years of history. They make all the visitors to Chalalan feel extremely welcome with their warm and friendly hospitality and professional customer service expertise. They have created a well-supplied camping area in the middle of Madidi National Park, which their village controls under a title granted by the national government.

The entire Chalalan experience was set up so as to give us the greatest possible exposure to the surrounding rainforest and its animal and plant life. Our guides were the most knowledgeable wildlife experts imaginable, with an uncanny knack at finding the wildlife we were most interested in seeing. From tracing down a herd of over100 wild boars to naming and explaining the medicinal use of virtually every plant in sight, our guide ... Read All