Hummingbird (Observatory) Encounter

Posted By : 333LILIAN
My sister and I did the hummingbird observatory tour with Andes Eco Tours. We were picked up at our hotel at 09h00. The observatory is high up in the Andes mountains about 1,5 hour drive northeast of Bogota. After about 45 min drive, we turned onto a gravel road winding up the mountain. This stretch of the road was very bad, extremely bumpy, with potholes and sharp hairpin bends. People with back and neck problems should take note of this. I have neck problems and I had previous lower back surgery and I was concerned. I half-stood most of the time, to take the shocks on my legs in stead of my back. But I must say, it was worth it. The hummingbird observatory is a must do for bird lovers and photographers. There are different feeding spots and there are chairs and benches where you could just sit and watch the birds coming and going continuously. It was the best spot in Colombia to photograph these small, very fast birds. We had three hours at the observatory and the time flew by. We had an English-speaking guide who showed us the different species of hummingbirds and other birds which could be seen there, in a bird book and then he gave us time to watch and photograph the birds while he hovered in the background to answer any questions we might have. It was a most enjoyable and relaxing morning and I will definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to photograph humming birds. I was also surprised to receive some photos by e-mail a few weeks later that the guide had taken of us at the observatory. Five stars to Andes Eco Tours.
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Posted On : 2024-04-13 05:09:11

Posted By : Pioneer00261007860
The observatory is small, but we still saw lots of hummingbirds and even a couple of other species. Our guide was very informative. I’d recommend this as a good way to experience some of Colombia’s amazing biodiversity close to Bogotá.
Unfortunately the transportation was not so comfortable on the bumpy road, fitting 3 adults in the single back seat of a mid-size SUV.
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Posted On : 2024-02-29 10:41:41

Posted By : Rebecca_B
This was a very nice tour but not ultimately worth the opportunity cost—the hummingbirds were beautiful but with cost and travel time, compared to the other tours and outings I planned, it would have been better to spend the day on one of the park and hiking tours to spot birds and wildlife!
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Posted On : 2024-01-30 19:28:21

Posted By : Turtle661
This is a nice trip. We saw 9 different hummingbirds. two violetear, black and green trainbearer. glowing and coppery bellied pufflegs, Sword billed hummingbird and Great sapphirewing. The great sapphirewing is a large hummer and you see the sapphire as its wings open. The smaller the bird the faster the wings. It is an easy trip. The road is a bit rough in the last few km and the traffic on the way out of bogota cannot be avoided. The guide was nice and told us alot about andes ecosystems etc. If you just sit quiet at the observatory the birds come.
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Posted On : 2023-11-22 19:21:49

Posted By : Julie_S
This is an absolutely must do when visiting Bogota. You get to see the beautiful country and the hummingbirds are absolutely amazing. Juan Carmelo and Hector were the best guides.
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Posted On : 2023-10-14 07:28:30

Posted By : kristindG1785ES
I went to Columbia knowing it has nearly 20 percent of the world’s total bird population, but I had no great plan for bird watching. The trip to the Hummingbird Observatory was an excellent way to see many species of birds. Camilo and Hector were outstanding guides, and we saw 11 hummingbird species, and 26 total bird species. The observatory is very accessible, and most of the time is spent viewing birds, which are abundant at the site.
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Posted On : 2023-09-04 23:09:37

Posted By : Cristina B
Very little organized from the beginning, they scheduled the tour at 1pm and not at 8am as the tour initially said. There was a lot of traffic and we took too long. We arrived and only spent an hour at the observatory. We didn't get to see almost any birds as the target said. I don't recommend it at all. The price is not in line with the quality and the organization of the trip.
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Posted On : 2023-08-28 13:53:52

Posted By : Samuel_M
Hummingbirds!! Guide Miguel Angel and driver Hector were wonderful. They were attentive to every need. My nephew and I enjoyed this tour very much. I would highly recommend Andes Ecotours.
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Posted On : 2023-01-22 20:59:54

Posted By : Eivind_R
The guide Camillo and driver Hector were both great to explain the different kinds of birds. They were both also very nice people. We met the very friendly owner of the Kolibri observatory and she also explained about the birds and the surroundings. I can really recommend this trip for birds lovers and getting close up with the birds.
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Posted On : 2022-07-06 18:35:34

Posted By : Kimberley_K
While the guides were good, the time at the observatory was two hours (not six hours as advertised even with travel time). Communication with the main office was also spotty. I had to ask two times about my pickup time and I was only told on the mid-morning the day before. So I didn't see the response till I was back at my hotel (which was not one of the stops that they had listed. So part of my problem was trying to figure out to get to that stop in time.) I was also never told that I was the only person on the tour, even when we were heading outside of Bogota. When I realized that we were not stopping by the arena as noted, I asked if I was the only one. It was only then they acknowledged it. The observatory was lovely and the guides were friendly-but this was the most expensive tour that I did in my five days in Bogota (at $175) and it was by far, the shortest.
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Posted On : 2022-05-29 05:48:59