CLIENTS -
What a few of our clients have to say...

See article “I jaguarens rike” by Rune Bjoernstad and Torunn Johnson (Hamar, Norway) 10—16 September, 2007

See article “Tales from a traveler,” by Cynthia Henry, 1-19 September 2007

Let me say first off that we had an absolutely wonderful time in Brazil.

All the guides we dealt with were excellent, well-informed and thoughtful. We saw incredible butterflies (esp. at Rio Cristalino) and birds (everywhere we went) and even had two separate jaguar sightings (of three jaguars in all) during our time in the Pantanal (Jaguar River Lodge) --plus an unanticipated close-up encounter with an iguana that dropped from a tree on top of the boatman's hat!

Everywhere we went was amazing in its own distinctive way. Rio Cristalino is incredibly special: the absence of electricity after 10 or so made it possible to see the fantastic star-studded skies with a brightness and clarity not available when there is artificial light nearby, and the lookout tower (being acrophobic, I had a hard time w/ it but was very glad I persisted and made it to the top at dawn) offered amazing views over the forest canopy. We saw several different kinds of monkeys there as well as incredible birds and (when we were walking through the forest and near the water) amazing butterflies.

Giuliano, Fabricio and Helder were all terrific as was Alfredo/Fred, who often accompanied us as well (his broken English was better than our minimal Portuguese and other guides translated--he obviously knew the place incredibly well) Chapada dos Guimarinas, where we went with Fabricio, offered very different but also very beautiful sights (though the walk to the falls was very hot--luckily we tho't to get water!), and the accommodations were quite pleasant. Arriving at Iguassu at almost 3 am was not so pleasant (nor were our couple of long stays in an overcrowded waiting room in the Sao Paolo airport), but the falls and our time there were stunningly beautiful--and staying on the Argentinian side was very good. So, we were extremely glad to have made the trip and basically pleased with the arrangements made by Focus Tours. We had another couple of weeks on our own, part with friends in Rio & Angra dos Reis and part in Porto Alegre at a conference (Carl) and giving a talk at UNISINOS & meeting colleagues (Sally). We were especially impressed with the Floresta Amazonica & Rio Cristalino Lodge staff, who made sure that the TAM airline people got us hotel accommodations when our flight from Sao Paolo did not make it to Cuiaba in time for the daily flight to Alta Floresta. As we stayed one night less at Floresta Amazonica than planned (and TAM paid for our accommodations in Cuiaba).

Sally and Carl Ginet (Ithaca, NY, USA) 6-20 June 2007

Focus Tours was wonderful for giving me personal attention in my tour of colonial cities and Brazilian culture. They worked with me to set up the itinerary I wanted, and paid attention to the smallest detail. The guide's knowledge of Brazilian history and culture went beyond the usual superficial coverage of large group tours, because she lives in Brazil and knows it first-hand. The hotels and restaurants were wonderful too. I highly recommend Focus Tours to anyone who wants to truly experience Brazil.

Betty Dabney (Baltimore, MD, USA) 7-21 July 2007

Doug,
I am home after a fabulous trip. We all loved Fabricio and his spotting skills are just outstanding. The drivers (whether car or boat) were also just great and helped in spotting wildlife. The accommodations were wonderful and, more importantly, strategically located for a variety of wildlife viewing. The entire trip produced well over 200 bird species and Fabricio's skill with the scope enhanced the bird watching. He even spotted a new one for himself in Caraca--the red roughed fruit crow. For the land portion of the trip, Fabricio maximized our time in the field and had us out for two night drives some evenings.  This land part was quite mammal-rich, with most viewing at night.  In addition to the plentiful caiman and capybara, we saw 2 ocelots, a jaguarondi, a quick view of a jaguar, some iguana, a tegu lizard, a little and a giant anteater, many crab eating foxes, 5 crab eating raccoons, over a dozen coatis (some in the day), 4 peccaries, 2 tapirs, quite a few giant river otters, an agouti, and several of the various deer. We saw 7 jaguars on the Paraguay River.

Day 1 at the reserve was extremely productive with 6 sightings between 1:45 pm to 5:45 pm. It took 11 hours to see the 7th jaguar on Day 2. I was able to get photos of 5 of the jaguars. The capybara were more relaxed along the river, allowing better photos and the wood stork rookery was amazing. It's nice there were opportunities to see the Hyancinth Macaws on both the land and river parts of the trip.

Lynn Crawford (Cudahy, WI, USA) 5-22 August 2007

From Greg and Mary Beth Dimijan, from Dallas, Texas, photographers.  Private tour Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Alta Floresta with Focus Tours from 2 to 18 December 2004
 
Our trip to the Brazilian Pantanal with Doug and Alessandra was a skillfully organized exploration of the intricate natural history of the Pantanal.  Doug's knowledge of animal behavior, plants, and habitats enriched the experience and enabled intelligent exploration.  We were disappointed in the scarcity of jaguars and giant anteaters, but this was no fault of Doug's.  There is a chance factor that all visitors must acknowledge. 

Doug's efforts to find elusive animals were excellent, and if they had been within sight he would have found them.  He is a very competent guide and addresses the needs of his clients with personal interest and depth.
Greg Dimijian  and Mary Beth Dimijian

 
Jon and Beth from California - USA,  on Pantanal tour with Focus Tours from 30 December 2004 to 4 January 2005:

Our trips was terrific.  As a couple with some experience in jungle adventure (Tambopata, Peru; Kapawi, Ecuador; El Peten, Guatemala & the Usumacinto Mexico area) we found the personalized guiding to be scientist/ biologist quality.  From the minute we met him, we could tell that his knowledge was extraordinary.  Charming and friendly, he knew bird calls, species, color, habitat and locale of all shapes and sizes of birds in the area.  Introducing us to a new and interesting culture and region, we had his undivided attention.  Our five days in the Pantanal led us to see animals that I had been searching for years: tapir, jaguar and giant anteater.  We were surprised also by southern tamadua, anaconda, coatimundi, and hawks and owls as well as potoo and a variety of fantastic other birds such three species of ibus, jaburi stork, hyacinth macaws as well as the rare king vulture and many other species!  Just sitting down to write this letter makes my heart jump with joy thinking of our experiences.  One of the most amazing experiences was when the guide called out to a jaguar that had ran by us. In the dark of the night, the jaguar called back to us exactly the call he had just given.  It was a bone chilling few moments.   When we turned our night lamp on the road behind us, the jaguar was 40 feet away and loping toward us interested.  Wow!  The next night, the guide promised us that we would see tapir, one of my favorite animals.  Incredibly, we saw this very unusual beast.  We were floored with amazement! 

An expensive trip, this adventure was worth every penny.  Eduardo’s family took excellent care of us, with great meals and clean rooms, at the Jaguar Ecolodge.  The ubiquitous mosquito and humidity during our December visit presented some challenges.  For those of the readers with a true interest in animal and bird species of the Pantanal, who are willing to sacrifice some comforts for a rare travel into nature, we recommend Focus Tours whole heartedly. 

Jon and Beth Rutchik, Mill Valley, California

 
Michelle Niedermeyer and family, from Connecticut - USA, on Pantanal River trip from 28 July to 2 August, 2006
 
As far as the Pantanal River trip, it was fantastic.  I traveled with 4 other people and we all really enjoyed the trip.  Our primary purpose of this trip was to see wildlife and birds.  To say that we met this objective is an understatement.  Both our guide and the boat driver were extremely knowledgeable and committed to helping us see as much as possible.  We saw hundreds of birds; and our guide was able to name each one, as well as to provide us with additional information regarding behavior, habitat, whether it was migratory and sometimes even an imitation of the particular bird’s song.  The mammals we saw were incredible.  We saw marsh deer, tapirs, giant river otters and jaguars.  In fact, we saw 11 jaguars in one day.  In each case, we saw the mammal for at least several minutes, and in some cases for 10 to 20 minutes.  There was one jaguar in particular that we watched walk along the bank for quite some time.  This gave us the opportunity to really watch this animal up close.  Because we were in a boat, we were able to get quite close to the animals without disturbing them. 

I found the guide to be very accommodating and truly invested in our group having the most rewarding trip possible.  For example, one evening he brought out a telescope so that we could see the planets and stars.  As another example, he gave our group some lessons in photography, especially in shooting wildlife photos.  He was very generous with his knowledge, not just of the birds and animals but other topics as well.  We saw our 11 jaguars on the 4th day of the trip. The itinerary for the 5th day was similar to the 4th, I am sure so that the guests have the best opportunity to see wildlife.  However, in our case, our guide provided us with some additional options for the 5th day; given that we were traveling with 2 teenagers this was very thoughtful.  Most trips I have taken would have stuck with the itinerary regardless of the actual experiences of a particular trip.

The lodge was very nice; food great, rooms comfortable, bathrooms clean.  Again, I found the people at the lodge very accommodating; paying attention to what we ate and did not eat and adjusting the menu accordingly.  The picnic lunches were very good, hot meals were cooked rather than cold sandwiches during the picnics.  We enjoyed and utilized the facilities during our stay; including the pool and pool tables, the field out back for football games.  The transportation to and from the lodge was on time, vehicles safe and clean. 
Michelle Niedermeyer

Hi Douglas,

Thank you for the most extraordinary tour! I was amazed that everything came out without a single hitch. Fabricio was, as you know, fabulous. For such a youngster, he is amazingly mature and boy does he know his birds (in English- he admitted he was still learning many of the Portuguese names!). Fabricio helped us in sighting no less than 254 different species of birds, including 8 different Macaws (we had only seen the Scarlet Macaw in Costa Rica before), almost all great sightings with the binoculars and many with his excellent scope. We saw 15 different parrots and parakeets and three new trogons. Some of the unforgettable sightings included the Harpy Eagle, the Guira cuckoos, the King Volture, the Purpule Galinule, all the macaws, trogons and parrots, the Rufus-tailed Jacamar, the Plum-throated and Spangled Cotingas, the Laughing Falcon and Swallow Tanager.

And of course, we didn't just see birds. We saw the Collared Anteater, for types of monkeys, numerous Capybaras, the Crab-eating Fox, the Giant (and Southern) River Otters, the Tyra, the Ocelot, and Marsh and Red-brocket Deer, ..., and, what you may have been hold your breath over, three dazzling, sun-drenched jaguars! Our first sighting was nothing short of mind-blowing. It will remain in our memories for the rest of our lives. Coming around a bend in the river, in the early, late afternoon, on a sandbar 10 minutes away, was a big male just as surprised to see us as we him! We stared at each other for a few seconds until he figured out he had to swim across 20 meters of water to reach the far bank and thereby to disappear. We watched him for at least 30 seconds, maybe 45, and lament only we did not come to our senses fast enough to grab our cameras and snap some great photos. At least we were ready and did get some good shots during the next two sightings.

Thanks again to you and all the good folks at Focus Tours!

Peter & Elaine Hebard - Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 19, 2006

"Our bodies are back from the Brazil Tour; our souls are still there. It was a tremendous experience and we are quite certain that we would not have seen so much without the guidance and excellent spotting of Miguel. Several times it was so exciting that my glasses fogged up! For example, when we watched two jaguars playing with each other in the grass on the edge of the forest in the afternoon, and for at least 20 minutes."

Giesela Witzenhusen, Chelsea, MA. 1991

I'm writing to thank you for the most incredible trip I have ever experienced! I now know what the word 'awesome' truly means. What a fantastic country! I never imagined anything as extraordinary as we discovered...What really made the difference though were the people. I can't say enough about our guide, Antonio. He was knowledgeable, articulate, accommodating and funny. Many of the people we came into contact with at the various places made the difference, especially at Leirinhoís, Serra do CipÛ and the Caratinga Biological Station...Thank you for your assistance in making it hassle-free, educational and oh-so-enjoyable. Please accept a standing offer to recommend Focus Tours by phone or in writing to any prospective travelers."

Donna Capilla, Atlanta, GA, 1994

"I wanted to let you know that the tour with Miguel was excellent. He was very knowledgeable about the birds, other wildlife, history and culture of the area. He was unfailingly pleasant and helpful and tried very hard to accommodate our every wish. I was very impressed....I was very impressed with the wildlife and your tour organization, and will pursue various travel ideas [with the Arizona Zoological Society]."

Bruce Bohmke, General Curator, The Phoenix Zoo, 1994

"Just wanted you to know that our trip to Brazil was one of the best we've ever taken. Really liked your approach to ecology and can't say enough praise of Miguel as a leader. He was great!" So was Antonio, and we were lucky to have two such excellent and delightful people with us"

Joan Nimick, La Jolla, CA, 1991

"First off, I'd like to begin by saying 'thank you' for making the Swezey's trip so wonderful. When they got home they phoned us right away and couldn't say enough wonderful things about Focus Tours and Doug. They said it was one of the most enjoyable trips they had ever gone on."

International Expeditions, 1989

"I recently returned from a trip arranged by Exodus Expeditions (England) visiting IguaÁu Falls and the Pantanal. We had a wonderful time and things just stayed wonderful for the whole time. The main reason for this (outside the environment!) was that our guide was so good. I am therefore writing to let you know that no praise can be high enough for his contribution to our holiday."

Penny Turner, Thessaloniki, Greece, 1989

"A brief note to let you know how pleased I was with our recent trip to the Amazon with Focus Tours. Everything was well organized and went quite well - better than other trips I have taken in Central and South America...I would be pleased to give you an excellent reference any time..."

Richard Schubert, Bethesda, MD, 1988

"I write to thank you for an excellent tour, very well worth the money and time. Thanks a million; the personalized service on your tour differentiated it from the herd and the size of the party ensured we didn't frighten everything away before we'd seen it."

Anthony Fish, London, England, 1988

"Just a short note to say 'thank you' for organizing our trip. It was excellent from start to finish. Antonio was a super guide, naturalist and companion who worked very hard to make the trip a success. We hope very much to return next year and visit Emas (National Park) for yet more anteaters; 23 wasn't enough!"

Nick & Tracy Burdett, Surrey, England, 1991

"Miguel was wonderful. He was the perfect guide for us: low keyed, but also extremely knowledgeable about not only the birds but also plants and mammals, and just thoroughly agreeable. We'd both like to travel in Brazil or Argentina with him again sometime.

I won't bother to listing all the birds and mammals we saw, but here were lots. The highlight of the trip, - despite Hyacinth Macaws at the roadside - was a Jaguar. Your wife told me when I called that you had seen several on recent trips, but I didn't dare hope. Now, greedy as it sounds, about that giant anteater.....Maybe we could do an Emas/Itatiaia trip some year..."

Tom Arny, Amherst, MA, 1992

"With only three guides, Focus Tours is a much smaller natural history company...but the guides I had were equal to the best I have ever had."

Brayton Polka, Toronto, Canada, 1993

All the group would like to send a sincere thanks to Miguel, Regina and yourself for working so hard to find us the birds. We agreed afterwards it was one of the best tours we had ever organised. I am glad you appreciated our English sense of humour and very much look forward to meeting you and Miguel again in Bolivia.

Peter Smith, Milton Keynes, U.K., 1995

Subj: Trip to the Pantanal
Date: 97-11-21 00:21:02 EST
To: FocusTours@AOL.COM

Dear Doug,

We are back from Brazil and just wanted to add our testimonial to all of your others. The trip was wonderful-a real adventure. Miguel was a fabulous guide. As my husband said, his knowledge of birds and other wildlife was only surpassed by his good humor and patience. This was especially true because he had a bad cold and the daily temperature was about 95 degrees. I have trying to get Roby interested in South American birds and I think Miguel did the trick. We were also happy to have Remus (sp?) as our driver over all of those "high tech" bridges in the Pantanal. Everything went smoothly and I compliment you on Focus Tours. Some friends and I are thinking about Bolivia... Jane Thompson, Minneapolis


Subj: Our trip to the pantanal.....great !!!!!!
Date: 97-11-19 10:47:14 EST
To: FocusTours@aol.com (Doug Trent / Focus Tours)

We could not believe all the animals we saw on this trip!!!! We especially enjoyed our zoo visit as well. Our guide Miguel was definitely instrumental in finding the animals and making sure that we saw them. We got some really good pictures of the animals we saw and several persons at work who are serious birders may be contacting you soon!!!!!!

Miguel was the best guide we have ever had during our many trips to South America.

Susanne Wahlquist, Atlanta, GA 1997