Cayaya Birding Anmeldelser 

Wir (deutsches Ehepaar) haben mit Cayaya Birding eine 18-tägige ornithologische und naturkundliche Reise durch verschiedene Regionen Guatemalas, von der Küste bis ins Hochland auf 3.800 m ü.NN., unternommen - und es war atemberaubend schön!
Die beiden Eigner, Knut Eisermann und Claudia Avendaño, haben mit uns gern ihr umfangreiches Wissen und ihre Kenntnisse über Flora und Fauna Guatemals, aber auch über "Land und Leute" geteilt. Sie sprechen deutsch, spanisch und englisch. In entlegenen Landesteilen, z.B. im Hochland in der Sierra de los Cuchumatanes oder in den Maya-Stätten Tikal und Yaxhá wurden wir außerdem von lokalen Guides begleitet, so dass wir unwahrscheinlich viel über dieses interessante Land gelernt und erfahren haben. Stets waren Knut und Claudia hilfsbereit, kompetent und super freundlich, wir hatten viel Spaß. Die Reise war perfekt geplant und durchgeführt von den beiden, die Hotels und Lodges waren superschön, das Essen immer sehr lecker und der Transport sehr komfortabel in einem modernen Allradfahrzeug. Mit der Ausdauer und Hilfe unserer Begleiter konnten wir mehr als 320 Vogelarten sehen und bestimmen, darunter seltene und schwer zu fotografierende Arten wie den Zapfenguan, Rosenwaldsänger, Guatemalazeisig, Goldman-Waldsänger, Tränenwachtel, und natürlich in voller Schönheit, mehrere Exemplare des Nationalvogels Quetzal. Auch Säugetiere konnten wir beobachten, allen voran die nicht zu überhörenden Brüllaffen, aber auch ein Graufuchs lief uns vor die Linse bzw. vor das Fernglas.
Alles in allem - unsere Wünsche und Vorstellungen von der Reise wurden zu 120% übertroffen!
Vielen Dank an Knut und Claudia.

We did two birding day tours in Guatemala with Cayaya Birding (Finca El Pilar & Mirador Del Rey Tepepul) and had an amazing experience.

Our first tour (Finca El Pilar) was with Knut. He took us along a very nice, forested trail where we saw a large number of birds in a short span of time. He then took us to an area near his cabin where we observed many species of hummingbirds and other birds perched near a watering hole. We were able to take a bunch of pictures from close range. Knut shared a wealth of information on the birds we were able to sight. He provided us with a bird list where we could check off the birds we had seen. This was useful for us to track the many species of birds we observed during our trip to Guatemala.

Our second tour (Mirador Del Rey Tepepul) was with Benjamin. Our goal on this tour was to see and take pictures of the Resplendant Quetzal and we had made a stop in Santiago Atitlan specifically so that we could sight this incredible bird. This is not the best time of year to spot the Quetzal, so we were very pleased that we were successful on that front. We sighted a male Quetzal and stayed in that area for a long time and were able to take some very good pictures. The day was windy, so we were not able to spot a lot of other birds. However, it was a wonderful hike through a lush forest, with some amazing vistas, and we enjoyed it a lot. Benjamin also took us to a picnic area where were able to see all of Lake Atitlan and the surrounding volcanoes.

Communication with Cayaya Birding was excellent from the beginning. Claudia provided a ton of information, and this was very helpful for us to plan the itinerary for our Guatemala trip.

We highly recommend Cayaya Birding for anyone wanting to do bird tours in Guatemala.

Our day at Finca el Pilar was a highpoint of our week hiking and birding in Guatemala. Knut was easy-going, interesting, friendly, sensitive to our birding needs and 'style', and of course he's an absolute expert in his field. Highly recommended!!

I recently spent a full day birding with Claudia at El Pilar outside of Antigua. It was an excellent experience! I am an experienced birder but have not been very active in recent years. My goal was to learn what birds can be expected in the Antigua area. We identified nearly sixty species, including 6 species of hummingbirds and 10 species of warblers. Claudia is very knowledgeable about the birds as well as other flora and fauna. Overall, it was a terrific day in the field!

My son and I did a half-day birdwatching trip in the El Pilar nature preserve, only a few minutes from our hotel in Antigua, with Knut as our guide. It was the highlight of our trip to Guatemala! We saw 50 different species of birds (my son counted) all while enjoying the gorgeous natural beauty of El Pilar. Knut has a powerful spotting scope so we had great views. He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of the local birds and is excellent company. We had a great time. Thanks again Knut!

Knut was the perfect host, as usual, and found me every target bird species I requested. The meals and accommodations were quite satisfactory as well.

This was an incredible experience & not to be missed if you come to Antigua. I definitely recommend a few bird tours with this group.

Claudia communicated with me extensively over email to schedule a private, full day tour out of Antigua to visit Tecpán and El Pilar.

On the day of the tour we traveled with Knut, first to Tecpán to see the pink-headed warbler and many other wonderful high altitude birds. The second stop was Finca El Pilar where we had decent luck with weather and got to target more life birds for me, succeeding on good looks for several.

Knut has unsurpassed ornithological expertise and experience in this country. His knowledge and skills in the forest were exceptional. Simply put, he knows all of the birds and where to find them. It was also impressive in how rapidly he could get a scope on each bird even in dense vegetation.

The tour included very pleasant stops for breakfast and lunch. We very much enjoyed Knut's company with plenty of time at each location to seek out as many birds as possible. We also got to meet Claudia to end the day among hummingbirds.

I will book with Cayaya Birding again while in the country and definitely recommend them to my birding friends.

This was a once in a lifetime experience as a birdwatcher and human being! In a few days we learned so much! We even got a mini-course in photography. In only four days we were able to enjoy, capture and begin to comprehend the beauty and diversity of the birds of Guatemala. At any time did we feel rushed. Never was seeing a species target a touch-and-go experience, so much natural history knowledge!!!We feel so thankful and honored to have had this experience!!!

Knut and Claudia are the most knowledgeable, gentle, humble and self-effacing bird natural history guides we have been led by in years and years of birding! Their kin bird awareness is spectacular, their skills with the scope as well! They meticulously craft a plan/itinerary targeted to your specific needs and birding level. Nothing is left to chance, everything is calculated with precision, love and care and it shows so much! Everywhere they go they are received with love and care and that makes one feel not only safe but also so welcome! Our hearts were left full of joy, a big sense of accomplishment and with our batteries re-charged!

Highly recommend. The tour guides are amazingly knowledgeable and know where to go to see your target birds. They will make sure you have a great tour whether you are an expert yourself or a casual birder

Claudia was an excellent guide, helpful considerate, really expert and insightful. We had an excellent morning birding at the nature reserve near Guetemala City.

We stopped for breakfast on the way and saw a long list of excellent birds. Really good day, would recommend these guys to anyone.

Great pre trip info and payment online and secure. Very professional outfit, really enjoyed the experience.

Claudia's knowledge of birds was incredible-as was her knowledge of plants, geography and history. She is a kind a gracious person. Do not hesitate - book now to learn more about Guatemala's beauty.

The guide was friendly and knowledgeable (had studied biology and focused on birds). She knew the good birding sites and was able to access them earlier than other visitors. I told her I'd love to see a trogon and she was able to spot one.