Our expedition team, invites you to live a memorable experience!
Our Mission
We provide unique experiences in some of the most exciting and biodiverse destinations in Ecuador and Brazil. Our aim is to create unforgettable life changing experiences with deep connection with nature, exploring unique habitats and breath-taking landscapes; and an authentic understanding of the local culture. With a firm conviction that responsible tourism is a powerful tool to promote environmental awareness and conservation, we share our passion for nature and contribute to local initiatives of conservation and long term sustainable development. Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips provides customized experiences with tours designed to meet our client’s needs and interests.
Our Vision
We offer unique nature experiences, promoting sustainable development in fragile and threatened ecosystems through ecotourism, education, birding, research, and photography, by supporting locally managed ecotourism projects, supporting long term conservation in the ecosystems where we operate our tours.
Potential in Tourism
We strongly believe that responsible tourism is a powerful tool to resist the pressure of the wrong exploitation of natural resources and at the same time promoting the well-being of the people and their cultures, with a positive impact on the living quality of the local communities.
Our Team
Santiago Salazar
Santiago Salazar was born in Quito. English speaking tour leader, birding guide, naturalist and photographer, who began his experience as a guide 21 years ago, when he worked as the resident guide at the Bellavista Cloud Forest Reserve in Northwestern Ecuador, this was his first school in the world of ecotourism. He has worked in environmental education programs , as an assistant and volunteer in scientific research and monitoring of wildlife conservation projects, surveying and mapping nests, as well as banding birds in the Chocó Bioregion and in the Galapagos Islands.
Gabriela Zambrano
Born and raised in Ecuador, mother of a Born and raised in Ecuador, mother of a wonderful, adventure-seeking 15 year old. Gabriela studied Biology at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. She first became involved in tourism in 2008, when she had the chance to work as a tour guide in the Amazon. In 2013, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to continue her studies in Phytopathology and got her Master of Science degree from University of Florida.
Jose Enrique Zambrano
José Enrique is our cultural immersion expert, as well as one of our naturalist guides. With over 20 years of experience guiding in tropical rain forests of Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, he has made an important amount of connections and learned about the ancestral cultures of our region. He holds a degree in Environmental Management and Tourism and is a certified National Guide.
Paul Zambrano
Born and raised in the Ecuadorean coastal province of Manabí, Paúl left his hometown right after high school as an exchange student in Texas for a year. Back in Ecuador he got his BS in Ecotourism and Ecology and got his National Guide License at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Quito. Since 2003 he started his guiding career. Later, he started working as a Trip Leader in Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, Hawaii and Virginia.
Juan Carlos Figueroa
With Mexican roots but raised in the warm city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Juan Carlos is a passionate biologist and naturalist guide specialized in birding and wildlife photography tours. He is an enthusiastic naturalist with a lifelong interest in wildlife, which evolved at the age of 20 into an absolute fascination with birds. During the last eight busy years he has devoted himself entirely to birding, worked as a guide at different important birding destinations like Bellavista Cloud Forest in northwestern Ecuador.
Ricardo Barbosa
Ricardo is one of our Atlantic Forest specialist in Brazil, He is a journalist by profession, although his life took a turn in 1989, when he decided to make a drastic change in life style to pursue his true passion for birds and nature. Living in Brazil all his life has served him as a major school in the world of birds and conservation, and allowed him to build up an amazing knowledge of Brazil's natural wonders.
Numbers speak For Themselves
1919
Satisfied Clients
21
Years of Experience
992
Completed tours
Neotropical Nature & Birding Trips
Combines expertise in the tourism sector and professionals in sustainability and conservation. We provide customized experiences with tours designed to meet our client’s needs and interests.
