Bird Watching Cuba Tours Reviews

It was a great trip! Wonderful people and super guides in Cuba. Thank you Authentic Cuba Travel® for arranging this for us. I think our guide Osmin did a great job of planning our adventure in Cuba. I always felt things were under control and he knew what he was doing and where we were going.

Seeing 12 of the endemic species of Cuba and all the other great birds was a big highlight. Also swimming in the cave and under the waterfall. Lobster and shrimp was good too! Fabulous coffee at Maria's cafe! And thanks to all in the group for the fabulous memories!

I still have vivid images of travelling together on the bus, singing Happy Birthday to Bernie and enjoying delicious Cuban cake, chatting on rocking chairs on warm evenings, brilliant patches of red and blue on the Tody and iridescent green on a number of other birds, owls popping out of woodpecker holes in palm trees, and the feel of water pounding on my head and shoulders under the waterfall.

Sheila Ziman

Being a first time birder, all was great. Hikes were nicely varied (from easy to slightly challenging). Nicely paced. The two towns of Cienfuegos and Trinidad were awesome. Wish we had more time to "relax" there (perhaps a meal in town or "night out" rather than at the all inclusive would have been nice).

La Moka was neat to see. Would have liked to visit typical houses or apartments there...or to visit the school briefly. But birding was the priority so I understand we could not have "done it all"!

Birding was great but also loved meeting Cubans. Music at all places was awesome. Food was great quality and much better than expected.

Thank you for some wonderful memories. Authentic Cuba Travel® has been wonderful and efficient at planning this trip and handling all inquiries and logistics! Bernie, great work keeping us all happy with your various options and diplomatic way of dealing with the group.

Jeff Ashley

Osmin, our Cuban escort guide, was a wonderful person to accompany us- so open and giving of his time. He really made the trip a much more meaningful experience. I thought that all the guides were good in their own ways- including Antonio who did much more than birds- which I found refreshing. Great choices!.

I loved the day in Havana and would have chosen to extend if I could have. Seeing so much of the country was wonderful. Happening upon the sugarcane harvest was wonderful. I am glad we got to see the main birds we hoped to see- but the birding itself was the least important part of the trip. Another highlight was our last night together- we could not have been in a better place (Chez...)- great meal, fun waitstaff, great company. Well done!

I think it was very well planned as a birding trip- I just wish it could have been bigger in scope, but that would have meant more time. I would have liked more music, more art, more theatre, and a chance to sit and watch and take more pictures of real people. Considering it was a tour and that is something we never do- we missed some of the independent traveller habits. But you can't have it all. Thanks so much for all the planning and help in getting us to this wonderful place!

Above all I learned so much from this trip and I haven't stopped talking about it since- my friends are getting a little tired of it. It was a wonderful adventure and our fellow travellers were wonderful companions. Thanks to all for the hard work!

Ralph Van Dusseldorp

Thank you all for a great trip- you were all a big part of making it enjoyable. It was a great experience from first contact with Bernie and Yane in Canada to the end.

Bob Kortright

That was a lovely and enlightening trip!

Onelio, our super-guide, was not only gracious and helpful at all times but warm, funny and a font of valuable context about Cuban history, politics and the daily lives of Cubans. As for the stops along the way, I especially enjoyed the ride up the mountain in Russian army trucks to Topes de Collantes, where we saw orchids growing on tree trunks, and the incredible flocks of marine birds at the spectacular Zapata Swamp Natural Reserve. Seeing the eco-friendly farming of the Vinales Valley and wandering among fields ploughed with horses was also memorable.

Hope you’re doing well, Bernie. I enjoyed our cribbage games too!

Jane Dianne Gadd

We thoroughly enjoyed connecting with the people and nature of Cuba during our tour. We left the island with a thorough knowledge of the culture and history of Cuba. We had many encounters with the unique flora and fauna of this island. For example, our tour group saw 22 endemic bird species of this area of the Caribbean.

The leaders were extremely skilled in having us click together as a family group and keeping the adventurous trip running smoothly and on schedule. Great times were had by all!

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. All the best for a successful trip.

Debbie and Dennis Lindeman

P. S. We will certainly be recommending this trip to our fellow nature lovers.

The guides were enthusiastic, passionate, knowledgeable, and made our tour very interesting and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed touring Havana City and Trinidad.

One thing I will always remember is watching the kids either walking to school or participating in classroom activities.

I am not a very passionate birder however to be able to spot and view some of Cuba's most unique birds was an experience I will never forget.

Lastly I enjoyed spending time with some truly wonderful people and sharing my experience with them!! Thanks!!!!!

Debbie Solymar