Lily- we had a wonderful time with David and Pedro in Yucatan. Both are 5-star. All went smoothly, at least from our perspective. David added a lot to the trip by taking us to archeological sites and introducing us to the Maya Caste war and the cult of the Talking Cross. We all feel that the itinerary would be improved by spending either one or two nights on Cozumel rather than having to catch the early ferry from Playa. Also, we found our hotel in Playa to be very noisy at night due to the bar scene right outside. I feel that the hotel was not well managed. Other than that- perfect. Thank you for setting up the trip and introducing us the David and Pedro. Best wishes to you and Benedicto, Trent

Dear Lileana, We are all now safely home and a little rested after the long journey. We would like to thank you very much for all your hard work in making our trip to Guatemala such a success. Maynor, Melvin and Aaron and everyone else at Birding Expeditions all looked after us very well. We were very impressed by the standard of hotels and the excellent food throughout Guatemala. What made the tour so special was the fabulous scenery in your country and of course the many excellent birds. We saw just about everything we had hoped for so please thank again all your guides for all their hard work on our behalf. Thank Edwin too for all his careful driving and all those early starts. We cannot recommend Guatemala highly enough. Be assured everyone we meet will hear all about Volcan Fuego, Tikal and of course Lake Atitlan and the Horned Guan as well as the other great birds we saw and places we visited. We wish you all future success and hope that many more birders learn of the great things to see in Guatemala. Many thanks again and best wishes to all Richard, Diane, Paul & Rob.

Dear Lileana, Benedicto, Maynor, and the team, Back home, and back to the wind and the rain of wet and dreary Wales. Already, I find that I am longing for a return to some of your Guatemalan sunshine. During our return journey we exchanged notes, emotions, conclusions, and many thoughts about our tour of your splendid world of birds. For all of us, out visit to Guatemala has been one of pure joy, delight, and satisfaction. Expert guidance, wonderful accommodation, an array of birds almost beyond our imagination, and lists to return with and to cherish. We have all enjoyed a truly memorable visit, and one that has been so well supported by the team. Maynor's knowledge of the birds is encyclopaedic, both sight and sound, and provided such excellent guidance at every step. Aaron is a simply brilliant spotter and locator of birds, and he was endlessly patient as my elderly eyes took time to locate the bird that he was pointing out. He needs just a little more time, a little more English practice, and a little more confidence, and he will quickly become a real asset to the company. He will make the grade. Edwin drove us with skill, safety and comfort throughout the trip. Equally helpful with their considerable skills and abilities were our other, local guides. Josue, Cruz, Giovanni, Romulo, Carlos and Julio all imparted their wisdom and knowledge, and each in their turn made valuable contribution to our pleasure and information. Equally important were the ladies who cooked and cleaned, the friends who drove boats and cars, the accommodation, the pleasure of sharing your country. We thank you, and all of them, most sincerely for such a splendid trip, and one that will live in memory for many years to come. We thank you also for the generosity of our final evening together, and our fine dinner in your company. This was a very considerable bonus that we had not expected, but one that was most gratefully received. Finally, I will look forward to our next meeting, most likely at the British Bird Watching Fair in August. If, on that occasion, or on any other occasion that brings you to Britain, you are able to find a few spare days to visit Wales, it will be my great pleasure to offer you the hospitality of my home. My thanks once more, and from us all. Ian. Kay, David and John.

This birding and nature and cultural tour company was responsible for all of the arrangements and guiding for our group's 2 week birding trip throughout Guatemala, and they were absolutely fantastic! Maynor Ovando was a wonderful bird guide as well as an extremely knowledgable and interesting cultural guide, and his expertise and warm personality added immensely to our experience. Aaron de Leon Lux was a simply amazing birding guide--energetic, smart, personable, and able to conjure life birds out of thin air! The company even sent him with us on our Tikal extension, at the last minute, simply to make sure we were well taken care of. Cornelio Chable was a terrific birding guide at Las Guacamayas. Our additional guide in the north, Benedicto Lucas, was also a good birding guide as well as a fountain of fascinating information about Tikal. I can't say enough good things about this company--they went above and beyond for us!

My husband and I spent a half-day birding with Aaron and Lester de Leon from Martsam Travel near San Cristobal and at Finca El Pilar. The sites were about 30 minutes from our hotel in Antigua. Aaron and Lester picked us up right on time and Aaron drove carefully on the bumpy road, through hillside villages and road construction crews, towards the Agua volcano to San Cristobal El Alto and Finca El Pilar. We had never birded in Guatemala, so almost all of the 50 or so species we saw were new to us. Both young men were enthusiastic and generous with their knowledge of birds and butterflies. They were excellent spotters, both by ear and sight, and respectful of the birds. Our list included: Black vulture, sharp-shinned hawk, white-winged dove, Inca dove, collared trogan, blue-throated mot mot, emerald toucanet, acorn woodpecker, green-fronted woodpecker, golden-olive woodpecker, paltry tyrranulet, tufted flycatcher, Hammond's flycatcher, yellowish flycatcher, rose-throated becard, blue-headed vireo, brown-capped vireo, bushy-crested jay, Stellar's jay, black-capped swallow, bushtit, rufous-browed wren, band-backed wren, brown-backed solitaire, clay-colored thrush, blue-and-white mockingbird, worm-eating warbler, black-and-white warbler, crescent-chested warbler, MacGillivray's warbler, Townsend's warbler, rufous-capped warbler, Wilson's warbler, red-faced warbler, slate-throated redstart, white-naped brushfinch, white-eared ground sparrow, white-faced sparrow and white-winged tanager. And at Finca El Pilar's hummingbird feeders: Rivoli's hummingbird, green-throated mountain gem, rufous sabrewing, azure-crowned hummingbird, berylline hummingbird, white-eared hummingbird and a ferruginous pygmy owl near the parking lot. It was a luxury for us to have guides spotting for us. I really recommend hiring Aaron and his brother Lester instead of wasting time on your own. We would have missed 80% of the birds while we tried to identify them – even after studying our guide beforehand. Their English is excellent, as well, by the way. I also recommend the restaurant where we stopped for a snack and rest, Cerro San Cristobal, for farm-to-table cuisine and a stupendous view.