pandachris
Well-known member
Hi folks
My partner has a major birthday in about 18 months time and I'm thinking of taking her to Colombia for her present, if conditions allow it. I'm after a bit of guidance.
1. What's a good time to visit? We're reasonably flexible. February is normally not convenient but I'd quite like it to be early in the year so that it's close to her birthday, which is late December.
2. We will have about 3 weeks, perhaps a bit more. I'd like to visit the El Dorado Lodge for several days. What other locations are recommended? We've not visited South America but have had bird/wildlife holidays to Costa Rica and Cuba. Whilst we would be delighted to see some endemics, we won't be specifically chasing them. We are also keen to see other wildlife. Our budget is probably reasonable. We're not bothered about luxury but hopefully won't be desperate to save every penny. Also how do I book El Dorado Lodge? The ProAves website doesn't seem to offer the option. Do I need to use booking.com or similar?
3. What field guides, apps etc. should we get? My partner's Spanish is pretty good so we're not restricted to English language.
4. Having done a little research I'm thinking I might fancy a few days in Leticia simply to be able to visit Brasil and Peru. Any good birding nearby?
5. We're not averse to hiring guides although we do like to find birds for ourselves. Are there any guides that forum members particularly recommend?
6. What else should I be asking?
I'm keeping this a secret from her for the time being. I don't think she looks at BirdForum very often so hopefully this should be safe. I'll probably reveal the info for her next birthday. I can count it as a present, which is useful because being so close to Xmas means I have to work twice as hard to come up with surprises.
My partner has a major birthday in about 18 months time and I'm thinking of taking her to Colombia for her present, if conditions allow it. I'm after a bit of guidance.
1. What's a good time to visit? We're reasonably flexible. February is normally not convenient but I'd quite like it to be early in the year so that it's close to her birthday, which is late December.
2. We will have about 3 weeks, perhaps a bit more. I'd like to visit the El Dorado Lodge for several days. What other locations are recommended? We've not visited South America but have had bird/wildlife holidays to Costa Rica and Cuba. Whilst we would be delighted to see some endemics, we won't be specifically chasing them. We are also keen to see other wildlife. Our budget is probably reasonable. We're not bothered about luxury but hopefully won't be desperate to save every penny. Also how do I book El Dorado Lodge? The ProAves website doesn't seem to offer the option. Do I need to use booking.com or similar?
3. What field guides, apps etc. should we get? My partner's Spanish is pretty good so we're not restricted to English language.
4. Having done a little research I'm thinking I might fancy a few days in Leticia simply to be able to visit Brasil and Peru. Any good birding nearby?
5. We're not averse to hiring guides although we do like to find birds for ourselves. Are there any guides that forum members particularly recommend?
6. What else should I be asking?
I'm keeping this a secret from her for the time being. I don't think she looks at BirdForum very often so hopefully this should be safe. I'll probably reveal the info for her next birthday. I can count it as a present, which is useful because being so close to Xmas means I have to work twice as hard to come up with surprises.