'Dear Gijs, the tour to the Missions was great! The guide Iver and the driver Franc were great company and we had a good time together. Iver did a terrific job of explaining not only the missions and their history but also, the social history and culture of the indigenous people, the geology of the region, economics and much more. We would have missed so much without having him along to explain everything.The restaurants we visited were great and the hotel in Conception was wonderful. Franc did a great job of safely navigating those treacherous roads. I would recommend the tour to anyone!Thank you for treating us so kindly. When we get to Bolivia again, we hope to do another Ruta Verde tour.'
USA'Dear Gijs, I just wanted to thank you for arranging an excellent tour of the Missions. Jose was delightful company and a very good driver. The visits to the Missions churches were fascinating. I particularly enjoyed looking around the museum and mission complex with Milton, who was a close colleague of Hans Roth. We had a very good guide for San Miguel, San Rafael and Santa Ana. The hotels were all comfortable and the food good. I just hope that these sites receive more visitors in the years to come - they definitely deserve to be at the top of any tourist´s agenda for Bolivia.Many thanks and kind regards, Simon'
UK'Ruta Verde is a Tour Operator based in Santa Cruz , Bolivia , run by a charming Bolivian lady, Maria Eugenia and her very efficient Dutch husband, Gijs Dijkshoom.Last august we (my wife and me), while visiting this beautiful country, called on Ruta Verde as to organize a tour to the Jesuits Missions region, east of Santa Cruz. I knew the Missions for having visited the place in 2002. During that trip I had met a man in Santa Anna who told me that there were some descendants of Alcide d'Orbigny in the area.D'Orbigny (1802-1857) was a very important French scientist, father of the micropaleontology, and had been sent by the Paris Muséeum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Southern America as to make a complete inventory of the natural resources of this continent. He spent 8 years of his life (1826-1833) visiting Brazil , Argentina , Chile and Bolivia where he stayed 3 years, riding his mule from west to east and north to south. During the wet season, the country being impossible to travel, he used to settle his base in the Missions region. He was 28/30 years old, rather handsome and the natives being very pretty he obviously left behind one or more descendants.It happened that A.d'Orbigny was my grand uncle and being short of time in 2002, as to deepen my quest of cousins, I decided to come back this year and proceed with my quest.Ruta Verde, in the person of Gijs, took us in one of their very comfortable 4 WD Toyota to San Javier, San Ignacio, Santa Anna, San Miguel, all jewels of the Missions churches built by the locals under the control of Jesuits during the 18th century. I strongly recommend the visit, even if you have no cousins to meet there, but who knows?Thanks to Gijs, we found a "nest" of d'Orbigny at San Ignacio. It was very exciting and touching to meet these people who were far from thinking meeting one day some cousin from overseas after 176 years. Thank you Gijs for your very efficient help and your smooth driving across the "Chiquitania". I will never recommend strongly enough the readers of these lines to use Ruta Verde's services. These people are great!'
France´Trip was wonderful, mostly because of the guide Iver! He is so knowledgeable and quite gracious. I felt a special kindred spirit with him because of his love and commitment to the environment, his independent spirit, his knowledge of language, history, culture, and his personal experiences that he shared with discretion and respect. The car was very comfortable, the hotel beautiful and the ride over the train bridge was very fun!! Keep up the good work and may God be with you as you struggle in your country for calm and justice.´
USA´In May 2007, Ruta Verde organized a wonderful trip for us to visit the missions and Flor de Oro, the lodge in the north of Noel Kempff Mercado national park.The original plan was to visit the missions, Los Fierros and Flor de Oro, but after flooding knocked out a key bridge and various roads near Los Fierros, Gijs efficiently re-organized everything, arranging a week in the north after our mission visit instead, and to our good fortune, accompanied us.A simpatico guide drove us from Santa Cruz up to the mission area, where we stayed in a beautiful hotel (Chiquitanos) in Concepcion. After walking around Concepcion, visiting the church and museum, we headed to San Ignacio, where we stayed two nights, so that we could tour the nearby mission "circuit". The mission churches are very beautiful, interesting and well worth visiting. The relative remoteness of the mission towns, which surprised us, really added to the experience of being there.A small plane picked us up in San Ignacio and took us to Flor de Oro, a journey of about an hour and a half over miles of pristine jungle, ´la Meseta´ and 2 big waterfalls.Flor de Oro is remarkable, and a week was almost not enough! The staff are wonderful and the food fabulous. We spent three days up one of the side rivers hiking to, and swimming in, two enormous, exquisite waterfalls. En route we saw myriads of birds, butterflies, turtles, caiman, monkeys, an anaconda and a tapir. The rest of the time we were based at the main lodge overlooking the Itenez River. Each day, when Roger, our guide, took us walking or by boat, we learned a little more about Amazonian fauna and flora. There were capybaras, various monkey species, extraordinary birds, big and small, huge termite nests, tarantulas, and of course, many pink river dolphins. Giant water lilies were in bloom and orchids poured off the trees.There is always an animal sighting highlight on a trip like this, and ours was when we perched on a small viewing platform and watched 70 peccaries clacking their teeth and rolling about in a salt lick a few feet below´.
South Africa´Any mention of Ruta Verde brings a smile to my face. Let me say first that I am a university Spanish instructor (Indiana University Southeast) accustomed to roam the world, particularly, although not at all limited to, where Spanish is spoken. So we can say that at 60 yrs, of age, with some 50 countries under my belt, I've been around the block a few times. Gijs and his lovely wife Maria Eugenia are definitely keepers. From where I sit I can not overstate their value. Knowing something of the obstacles of functioning in South America, I can honestly say that the 2 of them have all the right stuff to deliver a wonderful experience. Maria Eugenia is a university educated crucena native to Santa Cruz who has lived in Europe and Gijs is a delightful, big, quality orientated Dutchman. You can't beat his prices. My own time to visit the missions was limited to only 1 day due to my work commitments in Paraguay so we made the longest trip to only one destination. I would definitely recommend at least 3 days and arrange them according to Gijs' suggestion. He knows the route and details very, very well´.
USA´I had a wonderful experience. The Missions were amazing, especially as have seen the ruins in Paraguay and one Mission in Argentina (in the modern town of Alta Gracia). Your tour was as promised. The car was very comfortable and the guide attentive. The meals were ample. I was able to go to Mass every day.Sucre was the jewel. Lourdes is among the best guides I have ever had and she tailored everything to my interest. Sucre as a city was a destination in itself. The Hotel Glorieta was very comfortable and there were lots of dining options.Potosi was worth seeing and Lourdes saw that I saw every Church which was possible to see. I shortened the Mines part (I'm a little claustrophobic) but am very glad that I saw Cerro Rico.I am glad I followed your advice and did not try to do Sucre/Potosi in one day. Two nights/two days was just perfect (in fact, Lourdes took me a short tour on Monday morning to the City colonial museum).I came home amazed at the Bolivian people. They are much more diverse than I expected, very gentle and warm and easy to speak with. The setting seems much more secure than other places I have been (like Guatemala and parts of Mexico) in that there was little overt police, private guards and bars on all windows, etc. I am very happy to have sampled Bolivia and feel much richer for it.Again, Gijs, I would give Ruta Verde all "As" (or stars or meets and exceeds expectations). May more Americans sample your marvellous (adopted) country. Thanks.´.
USA´Hi....we absolutely loved the tour, every bit of it...well done..wonderful guides and driver...wonderful all in all...the guide was SENSATIONAL...gracias por todo..mkt´
USA´Nos han gustado mucho los dos tours. Los chóferes y guías muy bien en ambos casos. Los hoteles nos gustaron mucho y todo ha salido muy bien. El Salar y Lagunas espectacular. En general muy bien todo. Muchas gracias!'
Spain'Independent travel on our own schedule has always been our preference. Earlier this year we made the wise decision of allowing Gijs and Maria Eugenia of Ruta Verde to make all our travel arrangements for us to Noel Kempff Mercado. Even though we had four weeks in May to explore Eastern Bolivia it was immediately apparent that a trip to the park would require much planning and coordination of services. We were not disappointed. Words cannot describe this national treasure and it is our sincere hope that this unique area will remain protected. Although the animal and plant life are incredible we were also impressed by the dedication of the stewards of the park, the park rangers. The services arranged by Ruta Verde far exceeded our expectations. Our pilot for the two and a half hour flight was superb. Count yourself among the lucky few should you have the good fortune to visit this remote and pristine corner of the earth. Very few places compare.On the spur of the moment we also asked Ruta Verde to make arrangements for a short trip to the Jesuit Missions. Our only regret is that we did not have more time to explore La Gran Chiquitania in more depth. The landscape is breathtaking and the architecture of the missions astounding. Next time we would like to visit all the missions.'
USA'Hello Gijs! I have wanted to write for well over a week now and let you know that I had a wonderful experience on my tour. Paulo was an excellent driver and guide. The hotel in Concepcion was amazing! (Much better than what I am used to. Loved it!) The restaurants were all great. And the missions, of course, were amazing. Thank you for organizing things so that we could experience the celebration in San Javier.I´ve told numerous other travelers about my experience. There is a Canadian couple that I think will be coming your way soon- Didier and Giselle. I do not remember the name of our guide at the mission in Concepcion, but he was amazing and very knowledgable. He had worked from the start with Hans Roth. If you do organize a tour for Didier and Giselle, please try to set them up with him.Again, thank you. BEDANKT! Go Holanda!'
USA´He visitado varios conjuntos misionales en otros países y este, el de Chiquitos, me parece extraordinario, tal vez el más entrañable de todos. Seguramente por lo remoto que es, la experiencia es sumamente auténtica. Me conmovió mucho estar ahí, y te agradezco a ti y a la agencia porque ustedes hicieron posible este viaje.'
México´Estimada María Eugenia: Una vez aclimatada en mi ambiente, va mi parecer de este conmovedor viaje. En lo atinente a la actividad de la agencia, destaco la excelente disposición del chofer Sr. Iver, atento a complacer nuestra curiosidad en todo el recorrido. Los guías que nos recibieron todos, con sus diferencias, nos han pintado un paisaje muy enriquecedor; ni qué hablar de Milton .... uno de los increibles artífices de la historia. En los alojamientos nos hemos sentido muy cómodas y agradas. La gente y su música y su espiritualidad, nos ha calado muy hondo y estamos más que satisfechas. La saludo con todo cariño, Silvia Bustos'
Argentina´Yo soy Adriana Jou y viaje a través de su empresa a Bolivia, para el Festival Internacional de Mùsica Barroca en las misiones de Chiquitanìa. Quiero contarles que fue un viaje realmente hermoso, que me permitiò conocer un mundo del que no tenìa conocimiento: las misiones jesuìticas en Bolivia, su historia, su restauraciòn a partir de 1975, y su importancia actual. Los conciertos de los que participé fueron excelentes, cada uno con su particularidad, dada por los grupos musicales y los lugares increíbles donde se realizaron. Hoteles y lugares de almuerzos y cenas resultaron de primera calidad en lo relativo a servicios y a atenciòn de la gente a cargo. Nuestro chofer Iver, estuvo siempre presente con una actitud colaboradora y con propuestas muy apropiadas en cuanto a horarios y recorridos. Los guías locales en Concepción y en Santa Ana fueron muy competentes y entusiastas en su trabajo y sus relatos nos permitieron entender y maravillarnos con lo que veíamos. Por todo esto, quiero felicitarlos por sus servicios que recomendaré a otros conocidos míos. Sin más, los saludo afectuosamente. Adriana Inés Jou'´Estimada María Eugenia, me tomé algo de tiempo en escribir este Mail, porque es el tiempo que le llevó a mi mente y mi corazón en aterrizar de este sueño. Que puedo decir ? todo perfecto, organización ,hotelería, chofer, los guías de Santa Ana y Concepción, que me hicieron amar esos lugares . ESOS CONCIERTOS !!!!! que me hicieron volar. Todo, absolutamente todo impecable.. Gracias y nos mantenemos en contacto. Silvia Jau´'Mi nombre es Alcira Jou y soy una de las diez personas que integraba el grupo. No tengo mas que palabras de agradecimiento por la hermosa experiencia vivida. Todo estuvo espectacular. El lugar y el trato de la gente supero mas que ampliamente mis expectativas. Los servicios prestados por ustedes ya sea transporte, hoteles, comidas, conciertos, ha sido maravilloso. Y hasta hoy no he dejado de recomendar a cuanta persona pueda, que viva esta hermosa experiencia. Quisiera hacer una especial mencion para el chofer de la camioneta, quien en todo momento estuvo a nuestro lado, acompañandonos, orientandonos, contandonos cosas sobre este maravilloso país y solucionando los distintos inconvenientes surgidos. Nuevamente agradezco infinitamente hayan organizado de manera tan óptima una experiencia que para mi ya es inolvidable. Quedo a sus servicios y a la espera de información cuando se produzca nuevamente este evento. MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TODO, Alcira I. Jou'
Argentina´Hi Maria, Now that we're back in the UK we just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising such a wonderful trip, it really was seamless and everything from the tranfers to the accomodation was to such a high standard. Particularly high praise should go to Pablo and Julian who were simply wonderful and so generous with their time and energy, they really made the trip extra special. We would definitely recommend you to our friends when they travel to Bolivia, thank you for such a fantastic holiday! Best Wishes, Helen and Peter'
UK´The tour that we went on was wonderful. My sister and I were on a very tight time schedule and arrived in Santa Cruz with NO idea who to go on a tour with. But needing to organize one for the next day. We met the owners of Ruta Verde and were sold! It was so simple to organize; everything was just so easy and uncomplicated. I was originally worried that the trekking would be difficult and that ... well basically I wouldn't make it! But I loved the peaceful walking mixed with the interesting notes on the flora and fauna that we could see. Our guide was so gorgeous; he was honest, genuine and knew everything that we could ever hope to know - the medicinal properties of the plants as well as the behavior of the animals that we could see. The waterfalls were amazing and the views stunning. The spider monkeys and the (ok I'm forgetting the name now.... ManoMono? I know that's wrong, but there was a brown monkey that we chased along a path and watched while he swung throu gh the trees and I can't remember which species he was...If you can figure out who I mean, please fill in the blanks!!!) were brilliant. I was so excited to see the animals in their natural habitat. The spider monkeys were shaking branches in the trees; our guide explained that it was to prove who was stronger to the other males in another tree. At night we sat quietly and waited until the nocturnal animals appeared. Our guide also explained the origins of the park and the inhabitants who live on the outskirts. The food was great. The insight into life in the jungle was simply amazing and a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone.´
Australia´I've done a Bolivia trip (with my lonely planet) for two months. I've been, in 2 months, with A LOT of different tour agencies. Ruta Verde Tour Agency was definitely my favorite. Everything was perfectly organized (which is not that common in Bolivia !) and very sympatic. I took the Amboro park tour for couple of days and I can assure you that it was the best days of my travel. One of the things that I did like the most with this agency is that they hire local guides for most of their trips (which helps a lot of people). So, from my personal experience, you should expect an well organized tour agency with the best prices and enjoy a wonderful trip in the Amboro park with a local guide, from who you will learn unforgettable things...The agency also speak Spanish, English and Dutch. I'm not working for anyone, I'm just leaving this comment because I think that this agency should be known by every traveler in Bolivia. Have a nice trip!´
Canada´What to say about Amboro National Park, the words amazing, beautiful, spectacular, awesome all to come to mind but these superlatives aren't enough, you need to touch it, feel it, hear it, taste it to get the true Amboró experience with Ruta Verde and after you do you never forget it, its fantastic!!! Thanks a million for the experience.´
South Africa'I spent 4 days in Amboro in April with Ruta Verde's excellent, knowledgeable local guide. The trip was well organised and the lowland rainforest considerably different from the cloud forest seen in the higher areas of the park. A four day trip allowed me to explore some of the more remote areas off the beaten track that would be virtually impossible to find without a guide.
UK'Buenos Dias Gijs; The Amboro trek definitely met my expectations. It was incredible, in large part due to the epertise of the guide. He really is a great guide. I don't know from first-hand experience, but I strongly suspect that he is one of the best guides in the business. He is very patient, calm and observant. I'm a fair bird-watcher, etc. but I don't think I once spotted a bird or monkey before the guide did! --- and his sure-footed waltz up the stream boulders is a joy to watch.We stayed four nights at the Rio Macuñucu cave and did day-hikes. We saw green-cheeked parakeets (like my Tikka!), lots of Mitred parakeets (red head) and we often saw the Military Macaws who nest in the cliffs. We saw two types of monkey, lots of other kinds of birds, lots of trees and vines; went swimming, great hiking, and the food was great.Overall, I loved the trip and would (might?) do it again.
USA'My wife Uschi Janssen and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Parque Amboro (2-4 September 2010). Our guide Julian was most helpful and really made an effort to show us the diversity of wildlife. We were lucky to see small monkeys and a lot of different birds including all kinds of parrots and tukans. Do?a Roci prepared nice meals at the caba?a which, while very basic, is a pleasant place to be. Wild pigs crossed our path and we saw traces of the panther. We will not forget the quietness at night and the sounds of numerous birds. Many thanks and best wishes. Jan Tuit´
Netherlands'Hallo Gijs, even een mailtje om te laten weten dat we erg genoten hebben van de Refugio Los Volcanes. Alles was echt super goed geregeld. Van het vervoer van en naar de Refugio, de wandelingen met de nodige uitleg over de omgeving en ook het eten was heerlijk! We hebben nog een kleine week in Samaipata doorgebracht waar we hebben gerelaxed bij Marga en Pieter op hun kleine landgoedje La Víspera. Nu weer terug in Sucre, waar het wel net zo warm, maar zeker de helft minder groen is. Groeten van, Alex en Ariana´
Netherlands´In July of 2008, my husband and I travelled to Bolivia with the express purpose of visiting Noel Kempff Mercado, a Bolivian national park listed as both fascinating and virtually inaccessible. After much research, we decided upon traveling with the tour company, Ruta Verde, as they came highly recommended by various books and other sources, particularly as pertained to meeting the needs of European and American travelers. Our research paid off in a spectacular trip. We were flown to Flor d'Oro by a pilot with over thirty years of experience (and as we are both pilots, we were reassured by the quality of both the aircraft and the pilot). We saw two jaguars, two families of river otters, capybara, caiman, and birds too numerous to list. We had comfortable lodging (though the camp is in a bit of a state of disrepair) and the food was excellent. Our guides were knowledgeable and passionate about the park and about their work. I only wish that we could have stayed for a month and then flown to the southern part of the park (Los Fierros), which is currently inaccessible. As to Ruta Verde, they are everything the guidebooks say and more - and unlike many of the guidebook writers, we have direct experience of their services. They are a full-service travel agency: smart, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful. They have extensive understanding of multiple cultures (and languages) and they understand their market and their product. We were accommodated at every turn, from simple requests for air travel arrangements (which turned out not to be so simple, but were made so by Ruta Verde's thoughtful management), to more complicated and highly individualized requests for local tours. Bolivia is a challenging country for first-world travelers. Without the thoughtful help and guidance of Ruta Verde, visiting Noel Kempff could be disastrous. We love the country - loved the trip - and love Ruta Verde, who is now our first choice for travel in eastern Bolivia. We will definitely return.´
USA´Gijs, we had a fantastic time in both Flor de Oro and Refugio Los Volcanes. The organisation of the trip was first rate and totally efficient. The pilot you chose for us was amazing. We were particulary glad that you were able to be so flexible and tailor the trip to our requirements. We had no idea that the flight would be such fun. Thanks again.´
UK´In May 2007, Ruta Verde organized a wonderful trip for us to visit the missions and Flor de Oro, the lodge in the north of Noel Kempff Mercado national park.The original plan was to visit the missions, Los Fierros and Flor de Oro, but after flooding knocked out a key bridge and various roads near Los Fierros, Gijs efficiently re-organized everything, arranging a week in the north after our mission visit instead, and to our good fortune, accompanied us.A simpatico guide drove us from Santa Cruz up to the mission area, where we stayed in a beautiful hotel (Chiquitanos) in Concepcion. After walking around Concepcion, visiting the church and museum, we headed to San Ignacio, where we stayed two nights, so that we could tour the nearby mission "circuit". The mission churches are very beautiful, interesting and well worth visiting. The relative remoteness of the mission towns, which surprised us, really added to the experience of being there.A small plane picked us up in San Ignacio and took us to Flor de Oro, a journey of about an hour and a half over miles of pristine jungle, ´la Meseta´ and 2 big waterfalls.Flor de Oro is remarkable, and a week was almost not enough! The staff are wonderful and the food fabulous. We spent three days up one of the side rivers hiking to, and swimming in, two enormous, exquisite waterfalls. En route we saw myriads of birds, butterflies, turtles, caiman, monkeys, an anaconda and a tapir. The rest of the time we were based at the main lodge overlooking the Itenez River. Each day, when Roger, our guide, took us walking or by boat, we learned a little more about Amazonian fauna and flora. There were capybaras, various monkey species, extraordinary birds, big and small, huge termite nests, tarantulas, and of course, many pink river dolphins. Giant water lilies were in bloom and orchids poured off the trees.There is always an animal sighting highlight on a trip like this, and ours was when we perched on a small viewing platform and watched 70 peccaries clacking their teeth and rolling about in a salt lick a few feet below´.
South Africa´Gijs, we had an awesome time up in Flor de Oro! We already want to go back in the wet season! The staff did a great job showing us around, and, as you said, the food was excellent.´
USA´Cette année, nous avons décidé d'effectuer un grand voyage en famille pour faire découvrir à nos enfants la Bolivie, pays où nous avions vécu plusieurs années auparavant. Vu son caractère unique et fascinant, nous avons décidé d'inscrire au programme le Parc Noel Kempff Mercado malgré son éloignement, avec les coûts et les complications qui en découlent.Six mois à l'avance, nous nous sommes adressés à la Direction du Parc, à l'ONG qui fut chargée de sa gestion et à toutes les agences de voyages qui proposent de visiter Noel Kempff.Vu notre connaissance préalable du pays et le fait que nous voyagions avec des enfants, nous avons été très exigeants à tous points de vue et spécialement quant au programme de visites. Outre la zone nord (Flor de Oro), nous tenions en effet à visiter la zone sud (Los Fierros), ce qui n'était pas simple vu le manque d'entretien des infrastructures et la rareté des visiteurs.Ruta Verde Tours s'est révélée l'agence la plus à l'écoute de nos souhaits, la plus compétente et la plus flexible, tout en étant la plus économique. Tous les préparatifs se sont déroulés par son intermédiaire à notre plus grande satisfaction.Le voyage lui-même a été une expérience exceptionnelle de toute beauté que nous recommandons vivement à tous les amoureux de la nature sauvage. Ceux qui ont un esprit pionnier et aventurier ne manqueront pas la partie sud, ceux qui rêvent de jours plus calmes au milieu d'une faune aquatique paradisiaque privilégieront la partie nord et ceux qui comme nous veulent tout connaître combineront les deux et ils ne le regretteront pas.Ruta Verde Tours et son directeur Gijs Dijkshoorn nous ont très bien conseillés pour mettre sur pied ce voyage hors du commun et ils ont tout organisé, de l'hôtel à Santa Cruz à la poursuite du périple vers le Parc Amboró, en passant par l'incorporation successive de deux parents qui nous ont rejoints en cours de route.Nous les remercions chaleureusement et recommandons leurs services à tous les voyageurs qui cherchent un opérateur attentif à leurs souhaits qui maîtrise parfaitement le programme et les coûts.´
(Suisse)´Hola Gijs; El Parque nos ha parecido una maravilla, todo es precioso, hemos visto varios muchos animales, y nunca habíamos visto tanta variedad de vegetación. Las cascadas son excepcionales, tal y como habíamos previsto.Me queda por resaltar la dureza de la caminata por la selva hacia la cascada Arco Iris. No todas las personas pueden hacerla. Tiene partes de subida muy difíciles, y mi padre casi no la pudo acabar. Fueron casi 5 horas por trayecto! Pero pese a la aventura creo que mereció la pena. La selva es muy bonita, y las cascadas, espectaculares. En resumen, el viaje nos ha parecido duro, pero precioso al mismo tiempo.Ahora nos vamos a pasar un par de días a Samaipata, a descansar, antes de volver a España. Gracias por todo.´
España´Hola Gijs, te escribo para felicitarte por la organizaciòn del viaje que hicimos en agosto a Noel Kempf.Todo fuè perfecto y el lugar es maravilloso. Si me lo permites te irè enviando algunas fotos. La comida, la atención, las excursiones...todo bièn. Tendremos que repetir para ir a las cascadas.Un abrazo´
España'Independent travel on our own schedule has always been our preference. Earlier this year we made the wise decision of allowing Gijs and Maria Eugenia of Ruta Verde to make all our travel arrangements for us to Noel Kempff Mercado. Even though we had four weeks in May to explore Eastern Bolivia it was immediately apparent that a trip to the park would require much planning and coordination of services. We were not disappointed. Words cannot describe this national treasure and it is our sincere hope that this unique area will remain protected. Although the animal and plant life are incredible we were also impressed by the dedication of the stewards of the park, the park rangers. The services arranged by Ruta Verde far exceeded our expectations. Our pilot for the two and a half hour flight was superb. Count yourself among the lucky few should you have the good fortune to visit this remote and pristine corner of the earth. Very few places compare.On the spur of the moment we also asked Ruta Verde to make arrangements for a short trip to the Jesuit Missions. Our only regret is that we did not have more time to explore La Gran Chiquitania in more depth. The landscape is breathtaking and the architecture of the missions astounding. Next time we would like to visit all the missions.'
USA´Having umed and ahed about whether or not to attempt a visit to Noel Kempff on a budget that couldn't afford a plane we made the decision that we would go with our friends to Santa Cruz and see what was on offer. What we found was that out of the 4 companies we asked about tours only 2 came anywhere near what we could afford and only one of those was straight up about the costs. That company was Ruta Verde. We were quoted one price for a standard 7 day trip to the Noel Kempff Park , the costs for extra days were equally transparent. unlike some other companies there were no hidden costs (except of course the very reasonable fees for renting equipment, such as tents and binoculars), we were provided with as much water as we wanted and plenty of top notch grub. Our guide was great, despite what he described as poor English it was miles better than any of our Spanish and was always happy to talk. His background as a biologist really shone through as he was constantly pointing our plants animals and insects with a boyish enthusiasm that was really infectious. Both he and the local guide we met up with in la Florida were more than happy to allow us flexibility in the schedule and this gave a much more relaxed atmosphere. We never felt like we were pressured into doing anything, nor we were ever rushed, except to escape the bees...which none of us minded at all.The time spent in the park was fabulous. From arriving in la Florida we really started to get a sense of how remote we were, especially on the night time walk to see huge frogs, glowing bugs, fishing bats and to hear the snap of an alligators jaws somewhere in the river. Upon arriving in at Los Fierros, we attempted to make it the waterfall, but we foiled by some very large trees on the road. Slightly disheartened at this set back we were much relieved to hear we would go when we got back from the Meseta and to make sure this happened the guide and the boys spent all afternoon clearing what turned out to be up three trees. That evening we went on a night walk and despite only seeing a fox, the sounds of the jungle were more than enough entertainment. the morning before we left for the Meseta was one that started with us being awoken by the loud squawks of parrots in the trees outside our hut. that excitement over we headed for the Meseta. The walk up was hot but not too hard and the views more than made up for what little discomfort we felt. The view from the top was amazing, miles and miles of jungle beyond our sight. It's no surprise that this place inspired the The Lost World (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). The red rock faces and the rich green of the jungle really did give the impression of being in another time and place. After all that jungle it was something of a shock to find ourselves on open savannah with the odd oasis of palms and parrots dotting along the various water sources. Camp was in a small jungle clearing and dinner was enjoyed by all. The following day saw us swim in a divine water hole that was so refreshing it seemed a shame to have to walk back down. however on the way back we came face to face with a monkey, who checked us out, decided we weren't his mates and promptly swung off into the jungle, king of the swingers, jungle vip, indeed.On the way home we encountered both the incredibly cool armadillo and the rather huge anteater. Serious highlights indeed. As a final trip we made it too the waterfall and it was more than worth the wait, my personal highlight of the trip, though the armadillo runs it close. the water was freezing and the swim didn't last long but the waterfall itself was so grand that it didn't really matter, add to that the 6 foot plus boa that was just chilling by the lake and you have yourself a very good trip indeed.All in all I have to say money well spent indeed. Go and do it because well not many people do and it won't be there forever. Can't recommend Ruta Verde enough, they did all they said they would and all with a smile.´
UK´In October 2006, we visited Bolivia, Santa Cruz, and met Gijs, a friendly, cheerful Dutchman, and his wife Maria Eugenia. They enthusiastically told us about Noel Kempff and the tour they could arrange for us. We were quickly convinced as we saw pictures of previous tours and we understood the program and the conveniences with which we would be fitted.The first day of our tour we met our guide. He lives in Santa Cruz and visits Park Noel Kempff a few times a year as tourist guide and as a biologist studying the maned wolf in the park. He picked us up in the morning at our hostel in Santa Cruz with a 4x4. This convenient pick-up was full of necessary equipment for the trip: gasoline, water, spare tires, cd-player and a cool box. That day we drove to Concepcion for our first overnight stay. Along the way we stopped at a Jesuit Mission church in San Javier.After a very short night we continued our journey along the dusty roads to La Florida, a picturesque village at the border of the park. We enjoyed a nutritious meal at one of the local families before getting drunk on Singani (very recommendable spirit) at the waterside of the Rio Paragua.The next day we pitched our camp and headed for El Encanto, an amazing waterfall, surrounded by steep high cliffs. Heated by the long walk, we fancied a swim, but after discovering a 2 meter Python, we decided dipping our toes would cool us enough. On our way to El Encanto we were shadowed by a group of Spider Monkeys, curiously throwing branches down at us.During our time in the park we also visited La Meseta, a table mountain in the middle of the park. This climb is challenging 800 meters, but with the help of coca leafs and peanuts, offers extraordinary and magnificent views from the top. During the trip you will encounter jungle at base level and tundra and dry land on the top. On top of La Meseta there is a second base camp. Be sure to bring a really cold beer to celebrate accomplishing the mission to the base camp.The next day, we were able to really discover the Meseta and found a motorcycle and a crashed airplane, the heritage of a former secret coca laboratory, which Noel Kempff discovered and caused his death. We walked a couple of hours to a beautiful waterhole for a swim and a drink. We needed a rest before struggling back to the base camp.The next day were went back to La Florida to get the necessary sleeping hours in hammocks and at night we went for fishing and alligator spotting in a canoe. We caught our breakfast for the next morning.This tour was a great experience, but after 6 days without shower, we very much looked forward to the two day trip back to Santa Cruz. We have had 8 unforgettable days!´.
The Netherlands´Hi Gijs, got back from Noel Kempff today and wanted to let you know we had a great time. The accomodation and meals were great but most importantly our daily tours were fantastic. Fernando was a briallant guide and great bushman. Pepe the pilot was very friendly and always had a smile on his face. We saw many interesting birds, mammals, snakes, frogs and insects and took many great pictures. Thank you for all your assistance and I will recommend the trip to anyone heading to Bolivia in the future.´.
Australia´It is a lot of hassle and trouble to go to Noel Kempff National park independently. I went with Ruta Verde. It is a great tour operator in Santa Cruz . The guide is a biologist who works in the park and knows a lot about the nature. During the trip we drove up to 2 Jesuit missions before we went on to the park. The night before we went in we slept at Campemento Florida and our guide took us alligator spotting and night fishing. The first day in the park we hiked up the Meseta and camped there, the next morning we hiked up to a waterfall and had a swim before we headed down. We slept again in a campemento and the next day we made it to a huge waterfall and swam there. On the last day we drove back to Santa Cruz . I have had 7 great days without hassle and worries. The food was good, the guide was great, the accommodation was good and we saw a lot. (monkeys, puma, foxes, butterflies, bugs, trees, flowers and plants). I think it was great value for what you get and would recommend it to everybody.´
The Netherlands´I had a very nice and adventurous trip with Ruta Verde in the remote national park noel Kempff. On the way there we visited the impressive Jesuit missions. So it became a very mixed trip with nature, adventure and culture. The friendly guide (a biologist) could tell a lot about the nature, area and the people. He also happened to be a good cook, a perfect driver and an awful singer. The help in the office in Santa Cruz was great. The office has a nice atmosphere and Maug and Gijs (the owners) were very helpful with finding the right tour for an affordable price. It also helped that they know there way around in Santa Cruz and that they are willing to share all the information you need. If I would have stayed longer I would have definitely booked another trip with Ruta Verde.´
The NetherlandsHa Gijs, de tour naar Noel Kempff was echt geweldig! De locatie was goed, het eten en drinken perfect en het park zelf vonden we echt prachtig! Ook de vlucht er naartoe is heel spectaculair!Fernando sprak geen woord Engels, en wij geen woord Spaans, maar toch heeft hij ons goed kunnen begeleiden tijdens de tochten. We hebben veel gezien: kaaimannen, pink river dolphins, otters, vier verschillende soorten apen, capibara, een zwijn, slangen, tarantula's, prachtige vogels en de meest enge insekten. Veel beter dan de dierentuin! Bedankt voor alle tips en hulp en bovenal bedankt dat je ons aanbevolen hebt om naar Noel Kempff te gaan en niet naar bijvoorbeeld Madidi. We zullen Ruta Verde zeker aanbevelen! Deze tour was duidelijk het hoogtepunt van onze reis door Peru en Bolivia.
The NetherlandsHi gijs, before heading on to sucre while Nathalie is on her flight back home I just wanted to mention that we had a magnificent time in the park, been lucky with the weather and also with wildlife, seen so many animals that this trip will possibly be my most interesting time in the jungle for my entire life. Fernando was a good guide (though sometimes hard to understand his mumbling 😉 ), had seen so many things we would have missed otherwise, and Pepe the pilot was a very nice person, too. And not to forget the food simply delicious (not only for Bolivian standards)!thanks for your honesty about the (monetary and journey) risks, you have been a good 'consultant' to us.take care, Gérard
Switzerland´Gijs, the trip to Uyuni was very good thanks. We were impressed with the overall package and would not hesitate to use your services again. Many Thanks.´
UK´The tour was great...amazing scenery, great hotels and Cecilio and Beatrix were really good guides! Thanks again for organising it at such short notice.´
UK´Bolivia vonden we super! Het was heel afwisselend, van het koude zuidwesten naar de warme Rio Mamore. Uyuni was erg mooi. Ik hou er van om een beetje actief bezig te zijn, dus het was veel zitten en kijken. Maar dit wist ik natuurlijk van te voren en het prachtige uitzicht maakte alles goed.´
The Netherlands´Hi Gijs, The trip was really great, first class. Thanks for all.´
Ireland´Nos han gustado mucho los dos tours. Los chóferes y guías muy bien en ambos casos. Los hoteles nos gustaron mucho y todo ha salido muy bien. El Salar y Lagunas espectacular. En general muy bien todo. Muchas gracias!´
Spain´It was absolutely fabolous! Excellent driver and guide! And transport to Chile! Loved all we saw! Thanks for organising the trip and for answering all my questions!´
Norway´We had a wonderful trip for 3 days and the weather was nice apart from some snow and hail on the last day which made it kind of special. ´
Canada´Hi Gijs, I just wanted to say that we had a wonderful trip. The organisation was perfect - thank you for sorting it all for us. Best regards, Mike´
UK´Dear Gijs, I just wanted to thank you for an incredible experience in the Salar of Uyuni earlier this year. The nature and the people were unforgettable. Ottavio was a great enthusiastic guide. It could not have been better. All the best from Germany, Chris´
Germany´Dear Gijs, we would like to thank you for organising such a fantastic tour for us. We had an amazing time. Wilson was a great driver, very professional yet a lot of fun too. We had heard many stories of people having bad experiences so were a little wary about booking a tour. The food was great and the vehicle was very comfortable. If any of our friends head this way, we'll be passing on your details. Thanks again. Regards John and Paul´
Australia´Dear Gijs, Thank you very much for following through with everything and making this part of our trip to South America go so smooothly. We have had several hassles with other bookings - people not turning up, or no name cards or wrong information etc. It is so refreshing to have everything go right. I shall have no hesitation in recommending you to any of our acquaintances. Regards, Carmen Wells´
Australia´Gijs, de 3 daagse trip is prima bevallen. We waren heel blij met de omgekeerde volgorde. De eerste dag was best lang maar goed te doen. Onze chauffeur Freddy was helemaal goed. Vriendelijk en behulpzaam. En al kon hij bijna geen woord Engels hij deed erg z´n best on alles duidelijk te maken. Dat lukte ook vrij aardig. Wat we onderweg gezien hebben was top maar dat wis je natuurlijk al. Met name de laatste dag, het zoutmeer was indrukwekkend maar ook de lagunes en flamingo´s waren heel mooi om te zien. Van enige ontbering was geen sprake want de hotels waren prima. Ook hier eenvoudig maar goed. Ook het eten was prima. Onderweg en in de hotels.Je zult uit bovenstaand relaas begrijpen dat wij heel tevreden waren. Ook de prijs kwaliteitsverhouding vonden wij okay. Wel lekker dat we ons eigen tempo konden bepalen. Dus heel erg bedankt voor je dringende advies om naar Uyuni te gaan!Groeten, Suzanne en Kees'
The Netherlands´Wij zijn helaas weer terug vanuit Bolivia. Bij u hadden we de nachtbus met Todo Tourismo van La Paz naar Uyuni geboekt en de 3-daagse prive Salar tour met Tayka hotels.De nachtbus was goed. De medewerkers waren vriendelijk, duidelijk en behulpzaam. In Oruro werd ons de mogelijkheid geboden om gebruik te maken van het toilet in het kantoor van de maatschappij, deze was schoon en verzorgd (hadden wij niet verwacht). We kwamen ook nog eens keurig op tijd in Uyuni aan. Van te voren zagen we tegen de rit op maar het is ons erg meegevallen en we kunnen geen punt van kritiek bedenken. We vonden het wel lastig om het kantoortje van Todo Tourismo te vinden, we hadden van te voren een plattegrondje uitgeprint maar zonder hulp van een vriendelijke meneer hadden we het misschien niet op tijd kunnen vinden.Bij aankomst in Uyuni werden we opgewacht door Freddie, hij vroeg of we zin hadden in ontbijt (ja) en hij heeft ons naar een hotel gebracht waar we zeer hartelijk werden ontvangen en waar een ontbijtbuffet klaarstond. Freddie zou ons een uurtje later voor de deur oppikken en had ons uitgelegd hoe we naar het centrum konden wandelen om eventueel een inkoop te doen. Na het ontbijt wilden wij afrekenen met het hotel en tot onze verbazing was dit niet nodig. En dat vat eigenlijk de hele tour samen want het overtrof onze verwachtingen in alle opzichten en af en toe vonden we het zelfs een beetje decadent, zeker toen we later verhalen van andere reizigers te horen kregen, die hadden zelfs zo afgezien dat we het gênant vonden om te vertellen hoe luxe wij het hadden gehad (dus dat hebben we maar niet gedaan). Niet alleen de accommodaties waren prima, ook de chauffeur/gids Freddie verdiend alle lof. Ondanks onze beperkte kennis van de Spaanse taal hebben wij hele leuke gesprekken met hem gehad en hij heeft ons veel verteld over de omgeving en de Boliviaanse cultuur. Al met al hebben we paar heel goede dagen gehad en mooie herinneringen opgedaan. Bedankt en wellicht tot ziens!´
The Netherlands´Hi Gijs, We're now back in London but I wanted to thank you for all your help in organising our tour across the salt flats, answering all our questions and helping us with bus tickets from Uyuni to La Paz. We had a fabulous time, Fabio our driver was brilliant and despite practically freezing to death in the first hostel/shack (!) we loved it.´
UK´Hi Gijs, it is just a belated email to say thank you for sorting out the Uyuni tour. We had an amazing time, the landscape was incredible and so worth the journey. It was actually the highlight of our three weeks in South America even better than going to Machu Picchu. The tour was very well organised and the guide was excellent, even though he didn't speak a word of English and my Spanish is non existent! We got some fantastic pictures to prove it. Thanks again!´
UK´Hola Gijs solo te escribo para agradecerte el tour maravilloso que tuvimos mi hermana y yo de verdad que ustedes hacen ese viaje mágico y quiero felicitarte por tan buena organización y también a Doris la chica que fue por nosotras al bus y a Fabio el guía-conductor-cocinero-fotógrafo) Gracias por todo.... PD. seguro recomendaré el tour!´
México´Hoi Gijs, We zitten nu in La Paz en zijn net aangekomen met de nachtbus vanuit Uyuni. je bent natuurlijk benieuwd hoe we het gehad hebben en of jouw adviezen juist hebben uitgewerkt. Nou wij zijn wel wat gewend, zo zijn we al in Ecuador, Peru, Brasil, Colombia en Suriname geweest, maar dit overtrof werkelijk alles. We zijn tot de conclusie gekomen dat Bolivia een zeer matige marketing voert en dat het land beter moet worden ontsloten om zodoende voor meer mensen dit natuurschoon openbaar te maken. Overigens begreep ik dat ze bij salar de uyuni bezig zijn een vliegveld aan te leggen. Moet ook weer niet te hard gaan natuurlijk, want dan gaat de charme er ook weer af. Eerst even wat details over de organisatie. We werden de avond voorafgaand aan vertrek keurig door de lokale agent geinformeerd dat we de volgende ochtend om 9.30 uur zouden worden opgehaald door de chauffer en de gids. Ze had dus goed gecheckt of wij inderdaad op de juiste dag gearriveerd waren.De volgende dag stond Maria onze gids en even later Frans(cisco) de chauffeur voor de deur. Maria voldeed zeker en was een prettige gids die erg haar best deed het ons naar de zin te maken en nuttige informatie over te brengen. Haar engels was meer dan voldoende. Frans reed erg safe en had een mooie lexus 450 lx. Zelf heb ik thuis ook een lexus, dus ben enigszins verwend en vond dit wel heel fijn. Gezien de wegen waarover je rijdt en de kilometers die je maakt, heb je dit niveau echt nodig. Onderweg hebben we wat cassette bandjes van Las Carcas gekocht en dat maakt de natuur nog mooier. Conclusie: prettige, zorgzame gids met kookvaardigheden en een safe rijdende chauffeur met een prima auto. Het geld dubbel en dwars waard.En dan nu nog wat over de indrukwekkende natuur. Allereerst moet ik zeggen dat we geluk gehad hebben met het weer. We hadden iedere dag mooi weer en zelfs bij de geisers en rockas de Dhali hadden we geen wind. In Nederland en in de reisgids wordt vaak over slechter weer gesproken. De zoutmeren zijn denk ik in deze grootte uniek. Er lag wat water op het zout, maar was goed te doen. nog wel even plastic schoenen gekocht, anders kun je er niet op lopen en geen funny pictures maken. Maar dat is voor 20 bolivianos in Uyuni zo gepiept. Persoonlijk heb ik het dan na een bezoek aan het zouthotel wel gezien na 3 uur. Zou voor mij geen toegevoegde waarde hebben om nog een nacht te overnachten, ook niet als het zou zijn drooggevallen. Toen door naar treinkerkhof, was op zich wel even leuk. Daarna door naar ecohotel in Sant Pedro de Quemez. Is wel fijn als je niet met 6 man op een kamer hoeft te slapen na toch wel forse tocht.Ook de hoogte speelde de eerste dagen nog een rol, ondanks dat we in Potosi waren geweest. Tijden voor douchen en toegankelijkheid stroom is geen bezwaar. Volgende dag schitterende meren gezien en marktje op de grens met chili bezocht. De laatste dag was het echte hoogte punt. 2e hotel leek heel erg op het vorige. zelfde wijze waren de handdoeken gevouwen en de kost leek ook wel een beetje op de voorganger. Dus goed. Vroeg op, maar inmiddels volledig gewend. Eerst naar de geisers en daar dus geen wind, wat het nog mooier maakt en er was ook voldoende rook. Schijnt ook op dat tijdstop, ik meen 9.00 uur, wat minder te zijn. Daarna naar laguna verde en laguna colorado. Deze meren met hun flamingo kolonies zijn in al hun rust natuurlijk geweldig en zorgen er oa voor dat wij dit het mooiste vinden wat we-ik ooit gezien hebben (en dan heb ik nog niet eens alle landen genoemd die ik in asia bezocht heb) maar vooral de schitterende bergenlandschappen met sterk wisselde samenstelling doen hier nog een schepje bovenop. Via geweldige lavalandschappen naar huis. De stop bij Sant Cristobal vond ik overbodig. De kerk was gesloten en vond ik ook niet indrukwekkend. Ke nnelijk is er weinig te zijn bij de mijnen, als dat we het geval is dan kun je beter daar nog even stoppen. We werden keurig op tijd in Uyuni bij het busstation afgezet en de trip zat erop.We kunnen deze trip van harte aanbevelen aan iedereen. En ik zou zeker niet bezuinigen op de gids, de kwaliteit van de auto en de hotels.´
The Netherlands´Hola Gijs y Maria Eugenia, Finalizamos nuestras vacaciones y queria enviarles un saludo de agradecimiento por lo bien organizado y el apoyo que tuvimos en el recorrido de San Pedro de Atacama a Uyuni. La dificultades causadas por la nieve fueron eficazmente salvadas por la buena actitud y profesionalidad del chofer. Les deseo lo mejor para ustedes y para su empresa. Muchas gracias, Anselm.´
España´Thank you for the trip. We really had a great time, organization and all things were excellent. The Selva Blue Lodge was fantastic, and we will likely come back one day.´
Canada´I had a wonderful experience. The Missions were amazing, especially as have seen the ruins in Paraguay and one Mission in Argentina (in the modern town of Alta Gracia). Your tour was as promised. The car was very comfortable and the guide attentive. The meals were ample. I was able to go to Mass every day.Sucre was the jewel. Lourdes is among the best guides I have ever had and she tailored everything to my interest. Sucre as a city was a destination in itself. The Hotel Glorieta was very comfortable and there were lots of dining options.Potosi was worth seeing and Lourdes saw that I saw every Church which was possible to see. I shortened the Mines part (I'm a little claustrophobic) but am very glad that I saw Cerro Rico.I am glad I followed your advice and did not try to do Sucre/Potosi in one day. Two nights/two days was just perfect (in fact, Lourdes took me a short tour on Monday morning to the City colonial museum).I came home amazed at the Bolivian people. They are much more diverse than I expected, very gentle and warm and easy to speak with. The setting seems much more secure than other places I have been (like Guatemala and parts of Mexico) in that there was little overt police, private guards and bars on all windows, etc. I am very happy to have sampled Bolivia and feel much richer for it.Again, Gijs, I would give Ruta Verde all "As" (or stars or meets and exceeds expectations). May more Americans sample your marvellous (adopted) country. Thanks.´
USA´Bolivia vonden we super! Het was heel afwisselend, van het koude zuidwesten naar de warme Rio Mamore. Uyuni was erg mooi. Ik hou er van om een beetje actief bezig te zijn, dus het was veel zitten en kijken. Maar dit wist ik natuurlijk van te voren en het prachtige uitzicht maakte alles goed.Het flotel Reina de Enin op de rivier was nog veel leuker dan we dachten. We twijfelden of het niet iets te lang zou zijn, 4 dagen op een boot. Maar alle activiteiten die we konden doen, het vriendelijke personeel, geweldige eten en het relaxte dakterras zorgden voor superdagen! We hebben ons enorm vermaakt. En de warmte was na al die kou ook wel erg welkom!Het piranjavissen vond ik echt geweldig (de 1e keer dat we hebben gevist, en doordat ze zo vaak hapten was het heel erg leuk, en lekker!) Tijdens het 'wandelen' in de jungle moest de gids echt een pad weghakken wat het ook avontuurlijker maakte dan verwacht. Tijdens de laatste zonsondergang gingen we met een klein bootje roze dolfijnen zoeken. We hadden geluk dat er wel 50 om ons heen zwommen, daarnaast waren er vele vogels zoals rode Ibis. Het was echt een waanzinnig mooi plaatje, een perfect "afscheid" van Bolivia.De jongen die ons naar het vliegveld in Trinidad bracht heeft ons ook met alles geholen, inchecken etc. Alles was dus prima geregeld!Bedankt voor alle snelle reacties! Dat was echt super. Een paar maanden geleden had ik een paar reisbureaus in Bolivia gemaild om te informeren over de zouttour. Maar de meeste hebben zelfs helemaal nooit gereageerd...´We hebben nog heel veel te zien in Bolivia. Als we terugkomen ga ik zeker bij RutaVerde kijken welke avonturen je nog meer biedt!
The Netherlands´Het was echt fantastisch. De crew was zo lief en hebben ons echt in de watten gelgd. Dit betekende: heerlijk eten en ik ben dikke maatjes geworden met manolo (de kapitein) waarmee ik samen op visjacht ben gegaan te grote piranha's en catfish´s gevangen. Hugo is een perfecte gids met veel geduld en is zeer vriendelijk. Hebben nog heerlijk gezwomen tussen de dolfijnen (zeker 30 gezien) en nog veel meer. Is echt een aanrader voor iedereen. Zal je wat foto´s mailen als ik thuis ben. Voor de rest complimenten voor de organisatie. Was echt top geregeld.´
The Netherlands´Hi Gijs, Just a thank you for organising our trip. Everything was just dandy. Have a great new year. Warm regards, Laurence´
Australia´Estuvimos muy contentos con el viaje. Muchísimas gracias a usted. Ha ayudado mucho, tenido mucha paciencia con migo y las preguntas de mi familia. Ellos estaban muy contentos con el tour. Era un viaje increíble que nunca vamos a olvidar. Gracias.´
Denmark´Reina de Enin muestra al aventurero que decide navegar a lo largo de los maravillosos rios del Beni: Mamoré, Ibare y Matiquipiro....encontrarás a cada paso hermosos animales tales como grandes aves, capibaras, monos y caimanes....es maravilloso. Y los animales más maravillosos para Mariana (mi hija) y para mí fueron los delfines de río llamados "bufeos", ellos son tan amigales y parecen estar siempre siguiendo tus trazos en el agua....este fue un viaje maravilloso que fue coordinado por un nuevo amigo: Gijs de "Ruta Verde". Reina de Enin muestra lugares mágicos tanto en epoca baja como en epoca alta.....afortunadamente nosotros pudimos ver los rios durante lluvias.....fue mágico. Yo recomiendo este viaje a todos quienes deseen estar en contacto con la naturaleza.´
Bolivia´Dear Gijs, now that we are back for one week, I want to write to you and thank you for the wonderful trip we have done with your company. The Che route was always a dream of mine and you provided the perfect trip. Iver was a very experienced and courteously guide whom we can recommend 100% and Henry was a safe driver who brought us sound back to Santa Cruz. The tour was something special and I will not forget the places that we have seen. Many thanks and best wishes, Brigitte´
Germany´Dear Gijs, La Ruta del Che was wonderful, thank you for your support.´
Brazil´Hi Gijs, we had a great stay at Chalalan Lodge. The staff and guides were professional and friendly, and the food was great. We saw many macaws, monkeys and caimans. I'll definitely recommend Ruta Verde's Madidi tour to my friends. Thanks a bunch for all your efforts to help us with logistics and make our stay comfortable. Keep in touch and we'll plan a visit to our preserve. Best Regards, Ted Muhs´
USA´Hi GIjs, we had a great time at Chalalan. Our guide Yiovanni was so knowledgeable and fun. The setting is gorgeous. The treks and variety of activities is great; the rooms were very comfortable and the food was above expectation and very delicious. We were slightly disappointed with being dropped off at the Rurrenabaque airport/shed at 1:15 for a 2:50 flight. It would have been more pleasant if they had let us hang around town for the extra hour rather than the sweltering hot airport. They might have been confused about the plane times though. But other than that, the whole trip was perfect. Kind regards, Antonia´
UK´Onze reis naar Bolivia was in één woord "onvergetelijk". Het land biedt een ongelooflijke variatie aan natuur, cultuur en interessante mensen en wij wilden daar in iets meer dan 3 weken heel veel van zien. Als je dat allemaal zelf moet regelen is dat onmogelijk, zeker als je rekening moet houden met de Boliviaanse "informalidad".Ruta Verde heeft voor ons een geweldige reis samengesteld, waarbij we heel veel van Bolivia hebben kunnen zien en beleven. Alles was perfect georganiseerd met goed materiaal, kundige locale gidsen en comfortabele en/of verrassende accommodaties. De hele reis verliep voor ons boven verwachting en we zijn nog steeds onder de indruk van alles was we gezien en meegemaakt hebben in o.a. het nationale park Amboró, Samaipata, de Jesuitenmissies, de zoutmerentocht bij Uyuni en de tocht door de Yungas. De service van Ruta Verde was eenvoudig top en ging zelfs zover, dat Gijs bij kiespijn een tandartsbezoek voor ons regelde in een privé kliniek in Santa Cruz vlak voor onze rondreis, zodat 1 goede behandeling kon voorkomen dat onze vakantie in het water viel.Wij kunnen Bolivia en Ruta Verde in het bijzonder aan een ieder aanbevelen die van bijzondere, avontuurlijke en toch goed georganiseerde vakanties houdt.´
The Netherlands´We hebben ontzettend genoten van de vakantie in Bolivia. Jullie bureau had alles perfect geregeld en het is gewoon lekker als het allemaal goed geregeld is en als dat niet zo zou zijn dan kun je altijd Gijs bellen. Wij hebben de eerste dagen een geweldige vakantie gehad, ook al was het best wel een beetje druk in 10 dagen, maar dat wilden wij ook graag. Daarna nog een tour naar Amburo was ook heel erg leuk en goed.Namens de hele familie, hartelijk dank voor de service en wij wensen jullie heel veel mooie jaren nog in Bolivia en dat het maar een beetje rustig mag blijven in dit mooie land met zijn mooie mensen!!Gegroet Gijs en als we ooit weer naar Bolivia komen weten we je te vinden in de positieve manier natuurlijk!!! Verder zal ik iedereen die naar Bolivia gaat jullie bureau zeker anbevelen.´
The Netherlands´Hoi Gijs, we hebben een uitstekende vakantie gehad, heerlijk weer, behalve een dagje in Madidi, veel, heel veel gezien en genoten van alle prachtige dingen die Bolivia te bieden heeft.Ik wil jou en jouw staf van harte bedanken voor alle goede zorgen. Het reisschema was prima, de hotels de beste die er te vinden waren, alles klopte altijd perfect. Geen enkele transfer of reservering gaf problemen en zoals je misschien weet, we komen uit de congres-organisatie wereld, en weten hoe vaak iets niet werkt zoals je zou willen. Onze komplimenten dus. Ook hartelijk dank voor de kwaliteit van gidsen, chauffeurs en materieel.Alles samen hadden we een heel prima reis. Uyuni en omstreken krijgt de hoofdprijs, en Noel Kempf is nummer twee, maar ook de missions en de historische steden zijn erg mooi. We kregen een heel goede indruk van een zeer gevarieerd land.Nogmaals heel erg bedankt voor de uitstekende service van Ruta Verde en misschien tot ziens, ofwel in Bolivia ofwel in Costa Rica.´
The Netherlands and Belgium´Beste Gijs, We hebben een geweldige reis gehad en de combinatie van la Paz en El Oriente was prima. De reis naar de missies en het park waren geweldig! Goed georganiseerd, in de missies genoten van wat luxe zoalst heerlijke zwembaden en mooie tuinen en natuurlijk de interessante cultuur van de kerkjes en musea. Amboro park was geweldig. Prima slaap en eetgelegenheid in een overweldige natuur. De "Padre" kon helaas maar een keer mee, want zijn knieen zijn versleten.Maar hij heeft genoten van de rust en natuur. De mensen in het park zijn alleraardigst, we heben de wandelgidsen en de kokkin bedankt, zowel materieel als met complimenten.Dit zelfde geldt ook voor Iver en de chauffeurs. Iver was een heel goede gids, hij weet veel te vertellen en hij heeft zich goed aangepast aan het clubje bejaarde hollanders. Niks dan lof en ook jij heel erg bedankt voor de prima organisatie.´
The Netherlands´Beste Gijs, wij zijn inmiddels goed in La Paz aangekomen na een geweldige tocht met Wilson van jullie operator in Uyuni. Sucre was heerlijk, de tocht naar Potosi ook prima. Verblijf in Potosi kort maar goed, gelukkig had niemand last van de hoogte. De busreis naar Uyuni verliep ook naar wens, leuk om dat overdag te doen en veel te zien.In Uyuni zijn we op zoek gegaan naar Doris en zij vertelde over de problemen met de toegang tot het park. Gelukkig werden die (voorlopig) opgelost zodat we het oorspronkelijke programma konden lopen. Met Wilson gingen we de volgende dag op pad. Een geweldige chauffeur die alle zaakjes prima in orde heeft. In alles kwam naar voren dat hij het zijn passagiers volledig naar de zin wilde maken. Ondanks het volle programma zorgde hij voor voldoende tijd voor de verschillende onderdelen en wist hij leuke en speciale plekjes voor lunch. De accommodaties waren prima in orde. Met veel zorg maakte hij het eten, smaakvol en van goede kwaliteit. Het kwam erg goed uit dat we met zijn vieren, dus prive, deze trip konden maken. Dat was erg chique, maar ook erg leuk en handig. Een engelse gids hebben we zeker niet gemist. Echt een aanrader deze chauffeur en deze reisorganisatie. De busreis naar La Paz was afzien (teveel mensen en in een veel te warme bus), maar ja dat hoort er ook bij.In La Paz zitten we prima in Hotel Rosario in een familiekamer.Heel veel dank voor het meedenken en de goede service!´
The Netherlands´Gijs, inmiddels zijn wij alweer een klein weekje terug in Nederland, na een zeer geslaagde reis. Wat ons betreft alleen maar complimenten. Van de hoogte hebben wij weinig last gehad, ik denk ook door het verstandige reisschema. Wel soms wat van de buik. Bolivië is een prachtig land, met, dat is ons opgevallen een heel innemende en hartelijke bevolking. Kortom, hartelijk dank voor je goede en attente zorgen. Wij zullen je in voorkomende gevallen gaarne aanbevelen. Groet, Martien en Liesbeth´
The Netherlands´Maria Eugenia, buenas tardes. Muchas gracias por todo el viaje. Nos ha gustado mucho y muy contentos de vuestra organización. Todo fue perfecto y en cada momento teníamos el guía esperando.Gracias y nos quedamos vuestro contacto para poder recomendarlo a otras personas. Un saludo.´
España´Dear Gijs, We have arrived home safely. It was wonderful and spiritually inspiring trip. After Tibet, Eduardo Avaroa Reserve Area in Bolivia is the most beautiful place we have ever seen. We enjoyed each and very place especially the boat ride in the Mamora River. Thank you for everything.´
Myanmar´Hi Maria, Now that we're back in the UK we just wanted to say a huge thank you for organising such a wonderful trip, it really was seamless and everything from the tranfers to the accomodation was to such a high standard. Particularly high praise should go to Pablo and Julian who were simply wonderful and so generous with their time and energy, they really made the trip extra special. We would definitely recommend you to our friends when they travel to Bolivia, thank you for such a fantastic holiday! Best Wishes, Helen and Peter'
UK´Dear Gijs, now that we are back home, I would like to thank you for organizing our trip to Bolivia so well. We had an amazing time (despite the torrential rain over our first weekend!) and found Bolivia a wonderful country - the people are so friendly and it is a country of amazing contrasts. We were particularly impressed by all of your arrangements which worked very well and helped in a big way to make the holiday so successful and enjoyable.I know that some of our friends have thoughts of going to South America for their holidays and I will certainly be recommending Bolivia and Ruta Verde! Once again many thanks.'
UK´Gijs, we have now been back for some time and just want to tell you once more what a great job you did for us in preparing our trip in Bolivia. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Jesuit Missions. The transportation was flawless, the driver fun to be with and the local expert interpretation at each mission we visited very complete. Samaipata and Fuerte were a great day trip for us en route to one of our favourite spots in Amboro National Park where we stayed in the spectacular setting of Los Volcanes Lodge nestled into this incredibly beautiful valley. The accommodations were good and the staff very friendly....not to mention the wonderful meals. We enjoyed walking the trails there. We didn't see too many birds or butterflies there due to the cold temperatures during our stay...but we hope to return someday. All of our transportation connections worked out just fine. Our trip plans continued with you with our unforgettable trip to Uyuni Salt Flats. We had many "corrections" for this trip due to the road blockades that were in force during that time period. You were right there to notify us of changes (even having us paged at the airport in Santa Cruz and ultimately a message delivered directly to us on the plane) in the bus schedule for us that evening to Uyuni. The night trip to Uyuni was challenging to say the least as the bus had to take many detours to avoid road blocks. That meant many rough roads. We survived and ultimately had a great 4 day tour of Uyuni Salt Flats. After we were done we returned to Uyuni only to find out that there were to be no busses to La Paz for an undetermined time. We were 3 of many people facing this dilemma. We quickly made a hotel reservation for that night and began to try to assess what we should do. This is where having worked with you really was an advantage for us. It also showed how committed you are to your clients. We called you from Uyuni to let you know our situation and immediately you responded to do all you could to help us be able to leave for La Paz the next day. We appreciate that you contacted your friend in Uyuni who knew someone who had a car and also had access to gasoline!!! We left the next morning at about 5AM under the cover of dark to advance toward La Paz as much as we could to avoid any new blockades. Fortunately we didn't have any problems. We saw lots of beautiful countryside that otherwise we would have missed! Yes, it cost us to have a private ride back to La Paz....BUT it allowed us to make our plane connections to get to Madidi National Park (arrangements also made by you) and not miss a paid hotel room in La Paz. Also, the driver and his girlfriend were fun to pass the day with. Knowing that they were a known entity through your friend made us feel we were in good hands.You were there when we needed you and we want to thank you so much for being a true agent working for the client and not abandoning us when we needed help the most!!!! We loved Madidi National Park and spent 5 nights there .....the native management at Chalalan does a excellent job of running the hotel and our assigned guide was teriffic. Again, the food was too!! We love to bird watch and he was really attentive to that and very well versed in what was there in the area of the lodge. His name was Rigoberto Pariamo.So, Ruta Verde....thank you for helping us plan our trip. Thank you for supporting us during our trip. We highly recommend you to anybody travelling in Bolivia.´
USA, Austria
