About our tours
Our tours are diverse! We span the globe offering tours that range from
being very focused on birds to those of a more general nature that
also include lots of local cultural interests. All our guides are
not only expert birders but also are appreciative of all nature.
Many of our tours spend considerable time looking closely at mammals,
plants or butterflies. It is not necessary for you to be an experienced
birder; all you need is enthusiasm and our guides will be happy to
help you along!
A typical day with Eagle-Eye Tours
We typically start early, after breakfast at our hotel, to be out when
birding is best. Sometimes we are out before breakfast for a quick search
for a target bird or mammal. We head out by foot, car or boat to a choice
area, maybe forest or maybe a wetland, taking in the sights and sounds
of the morning. We move along as a small group, making every effort to
ensure that the everyone gets to see the beautiful tanager, or majestic
grizzly bear through the spotting scope. We might stop for that important
cup of locally grown coffee before heading further down the road to where
we saw that great bird building a nest last year. Lunches are most often
in the field, usually at a very good birding spot, with a cold drink or
a cup of coffee. We have a chance to share stories and reflect on the morning
adventure. After lunch we carry on in an area, maybe returning to the hotel
in mid-afternoon for a rest, then a shorter excursion to explore another
area. Over our evening meal, we meet as a group to record and discuss what
we saw and review the plans for the coming day. Some evenings we may head
back out for a night tour to experience the nocturnal world of owls, potoos,
frogs and much more.
About our featured birds and mammals
These are the great and often very unique species that we will be looking
for. We cannot guarantee that we will see them, only that there is a good
chance of seeing them. Beyond these exciting species, we are always on
the look out for other surprises-you just never know what we may see!
Tour group size
We believe that small groups are essential for a high quality and enjoyable
experience. Unless otherwise noted, our land tour groups have a single
leader with 4 to 8 people and two leaders with 9 to 12 people.
About our accommodation
and transportation
Typically, our tours stay in modern, comfortable hotels, but this varies
somewhat depending on the tour. On most tours, we stay in beautiful lodges
in the forest with trails out the back door. These amazing settings are
often a highlight of the tour. In other cases, in order to get to the
best locations for birding or wildlife viewing, we may be far away from
a modern hotel and the ‘best room in town’ may be more basic.
In a few cases, we even stay in tents for the full wilderness experience!
For each tour, we have identified the level of accommodation in the tour
summary and on the detailed itinerary. If you have any questions about
accommodation on a tour, please feel free to ask and we can give you
more specifics.
When traveling between birding locations, typically we travel in comfortable
vans or buses, often with local drivers who are familiar with the roads
and destinations. Usually, there is only one vehicle, as the sizes of
our groups are typically small, but occasionally there will be two vehicles
that keep in contact with each other by radio. In some tours, we use
airplane flights to cover large distances and in a few cases we travel
by boat, often with fantastic scenery and wildlife watching along the
way!
About our prices
We will make every effort
to charge the prices quoted in our catalog or detailed itineraries, but
fluctuations in major currencies may force us to change tour prices at
any time before departure. Current prices are listed on our website.
Nearly all fees are quoted in US and Canadian dollars and can be paid
in either currency. Single rooms, as available, will be provided upon
request
for
an additional fee. For participants traveling alone but wishing to share
a room, Eagle-Eye Tours will arrange for a roommate, if possible. If
a roommate is not available, the single supplement will be charged.
Conservation and Carbon emmissions
Eagle-Eye tours
is 'carbon-neutral', meaning we offset all of the carbon emissions produced
from our operations to neutralize our contribution to climate change. Learn
more about our carbon-neutral tours here.
We are also keen supporters
of conservation efforts both locally and globally.
Group discounts
Group discounts are available for groups of 4 or more booking together
on most of our land tours. The group size and applicable discount
are: 4 or 5 people, 5% discount; 6 or 7 people, 7% discount; 8 or
9 people,
9%
discount;
and
10 or more
people, 10% discount. These group discounts cannot be used in conjunction
with any other Eagle-Eye Tours promotion.
What is included in the tour price
The tour price include all lodging, ground transportation, in-country
air transportation, guide services, park and special entrance fees,
ferry costs,
boat charter fees and baggage handling for those requiring assistance.
Outside Canada and the USA, the tour price includes all meals.
Tours in Canada and the USA include breakfasts and lunches, but
do not include
the
cost of evening meals. This allows participants maximum flexibility
to choose the foods and portion size from familiar menus. Tour
fees do not
include any alcoholic beverages, transportation to or from the
tour departure or conclusion points, passport and visa fees, airport
taxes, phone calls,
laundry, or other items of a personal nature. All of our prices
include relevant taxes.
Reserving your space on a tour
To reserve your space on one of our tours, you can download a registration
form, complete it and mail it to us along with a deposit. Deposits
on our land tours are $300 USD/CDN per person. We accept
payment by check, money order,
MasterCard
or VISA. Prices shown online are cash/cheque discounted. Please
contact us for the credit card prices.
Please email or call to arrange payment by credit card. All payments
are insured by the BC Travel Assurance Fund.
Custom tours
Interested in a tour to somewhere we do not have listed or at a
different time of year? We have experience operating around the
world and we have
a pool of extremely talented guides to draw from. Contact us by
email or phone to discuss arranging a custom tour.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Notification of cancellation must be
received in writing. Unless otherwise noted, the following policy
applies: if cancellation is received up to 90 days prior to departure,
full deposit
and any payment, less a $75 USD or $100 CDN handling fee per person,
will be refunded. If cancellation is received between 60 and 89
days prior to departure, 50% of the tour fee is not refundable.
Thereafter,
all deposits and payments are not refunded. Refunds cannot be made
to participants who do not complete the tour for any reason.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact
us! |
