Wonderful half day birding trip with Manny. Would highly recommend. Manny was conscientious, caring, very knowledgeable. He gave us much insight into the nature, environment and life in the Dominican Republic. The birding was delightful. Manny arranged transportation seamlessly, and took very good care of us. Seriously this was the highlight of our week and we will do another tour with Manny when we return to the Dominican. Great opportunity to get out of the all inclusive and really see some wonderful nature.

We snorkeled, visited a mangrove forest, saw jellyfish and starfish, had a great lunch, relaxed on a sand bar, as well as a beach. We all had a great day! Kiko was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him!

Hiring Explora Ecotour was the best decision I could have made for my trip to Punta Cana. I booked a birding trip to El Parque Nacional del Este, and the owner/guide Manny (perfectly fluent in English and Spanish) was extremely knowledgeable about the birds of the DR and about the flora and fauna in general, and he truly puts an emphasis on the importance of sustainability. Manny is not just dedicated to providing a great experience for his clients, he's devoted to preserving the DR's ecological future. Furthermore, he knows the country inside and out, and his easygoing yet engaging personality made for such an enjoyable tour. I learned so much about the country, its people, its history, and of course its nature. The five hours absolutely flew by, but I was so satisfied with the birds I was able to see. He also gave me some tips about birding near the hotel I was staying at that proved to be valuable advice. 10/10 I would recommend, and 10/10 will hire again for future visits to the island.

We did the National Park of the East birding tour with Manny. Everything was very convenient, including pick up at our resort in Punta Cana. Manny was very knowledgeable and we had a great time. Highly recommended.

My family of four took a birding tour from Punta Cana with Manny. In spite of the heat, it was wonderful! (Manny was good at sticking to the shaded areas. :-)) We saw lots of birds and learned a lot about the island in general. (We also took another tour with this company, to Saona Island- also amazing.) Best way to see lots of different species in a short amount of time. If I ever go back to DR, it will be to take more of his tours.

We had a wonderful tour of Isla Saona with Kiko! We asked to do a lot of snorkeling and he did not disappoint. That day we saw eagle rays, sting rays, barracudas, sea turtles, puffer fish and much more! We had a nice lunch at the beach with delicious pineapple cocktails. Very ecologically minded your guide. We absolutely loved it!

We did a half day birding tour of the National Park of the East with Manny, and it will not be our last for sure. We are firmly in the enthusiastic beginner category of birders (We've only seen about 275 species our first year of birding) and this was out first official tour with a guide, and man it did not disappoint. It's obvious from the other reviews that Manny is a great birder; he knows the endemics of the area intimately, he knew the exact locations birds would show up at, down to the literal foot. Honestly we could stand right in front of a tree branch and wait, and soon enough, here comes the bird. So he's got the skills, of that there is no doubt. But what I'd like to highlight is how great of a person is, how easy Manny was to talk to, and how well we got along with him, as well as our appreciation for the deeper conversations in the car rides to and from the park where he helped us get a much better sense of life on the island and how the people in it survive day to day. It was really refreshing and he is also pretty funny, and we are so fortunate to have gotten lucky enough to have met him on such short notice. I hope to be able to take another tour with him when we are back in the DR, and hope someday he makes it to the Northeast so we could show him around our native birds. Thanks again Manny, we had a great trip!

I booked the birding tour in Cotubanamá National Park with the goal of seeing a lot of new life species and Manny delivered! We spent a couple hours on a road and were able to see several very nice endemic species such as Broad-billed Tody, Green-tailed Warbler, Antillean Piculet, and Flat-billed Vireo (among many others!). Aside from the birds (which were great!) Manny was very knowledgeable in regards to other aspects of the history, politics, culture, and ecology of Hispaniola and the Dominican Republic in particular. I learned so much from Manny and plan to book another tour with him the next time I visit the DR!

I went on an ecotour with Explora Ecotour a few years ago, and it was absolutely magical. We saw the rainforest and swam in an amazing pool inside a cave. We also stopped to have lunch made by a great local chef. It was by far the best thing we did on our trip.

My girlfriend and I went on the Saona Island Ecotour, and let me tell you, it was a blast! Our boat guide Kiko was the best and friendliest guide I have ever met! He assures that you experience a great trip to Saona, and establishes a TRUST that you will feel safe while riding his boat. I can't say anymore kinder things about Kiko. As for the trip itself, we rode on the coastal region of the island, stopped at a private location where we were served great food and drinks. Definitely recommend this tour!

Great morning of birdwatching with Manny Jimenes. I was hoping to see a few of the local birds while visiting DR with the family, and the trip with Manny was perfect. I would recommend hiring Explora Ecotour if you want to see the more natural side of the Dominican Republic.

What an incredible experience we had with Manny on our private Saona Island Tour. We learned so much about the Country - the history, the environment, the politics. Manny is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about sharing his love for the DR and the environment with everyone. We went to Playa El Torro (a virgin beach), which was breathtakingly beautiful, calm water, and picture perfect powdery sand. There were not many people there, and plenty of beach to spread out on. Next Manny took us to Mano Juna, a fishing village on Saona Island, where he had arranged a home cooked, authentic Dominican lunch. It was the best meal we had during our entire weeklong trip. The people of the village were welcoming and generous, and it provided a small glance at everyday life for this community. The highlight for us was the Turtle Rescue (Centro Recuperación de Tortugas Marinas) that Manny took us to in Mano Juan. This alone was worth the trip and it makes me sad that many of the tourists to Saona Island don't get the opportunity to visit because it is not at the beach that the big tour companies go to. If you want to experience and learn about the Dominican Republic from a true teacher and leader in ecotourism, look no further. You will not regret spending the day with Manny. This company is the true gem of the Dominican Republic.

A private tour with Explora to Saona was the highlight of my trip to DR. I am from the DR and found this tour to be fun, educational and well designed from start to finish. Oly was responsive during the booking and coordination of pick up. Communication was only by email but with enough time to set up and led to a smooth trip. Manny is a pro. Punctual. Very knowledgeable of the country's beautiful resources and passionate about the environment. His driving was impeccable. Considerate and accommodating to our needs. The captain of the boat ride from Bayahibe to Saona was also a professional, mindful of everyone's safety. Felt safe to enjoy the views of Parque. Nacional del Este (Cotubanamá). Saona? A magnificient, unspoiled island with one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen and also a small town of a few people where we had a delicious, local dish for lunch as part of the tour. There is a small lake in inside island that is few steps from the western part of the island. Highly recommend Explora and trip to Saona Island as a nice day trip. Would visit again and checking out their Parque Nacional del Este visit on the way to Saona.

My husband and I are both big bird nerds; we are not experts but we love adding to our life lists and seeing new birds. We are so glad we found Explora Ecotours! I was most interested in finding the adorable Broad-billed Tody! Explora has several birding tour options and Manny helped us pick the best choice. If you're looking for a specific bird, especially the endemic species, Manny can help you find it! He knows where to find all 32 endemic species living on the island. We booked a private tour to the National Park, Parque Nacional Cotubanamá. It was an easy drive from Punta Cana. As soon as Manny picked us up at the resort, we started learning and never stopped. Throughout our trip, Manny talked to us about all things Dominican! He is an expert in birds but also the many different ecosystems throughout the country. We learned about plants, lizards, sustainability practices in the country, ecotourism, and so much about the Dominican culture. He truly is a wealth of knowledge! His passion to help others explore the beauty the Dominican has to offer is obvious! We really appreciated getting to experience the real Dominican away from the resorts. The island is so beautiful and we are glad to be immersed in nature for part of our vacation. When we return, we will definitely book another trip with him! If you're looking to add 20 birds to your life list in one afternoon, go on a trip with Manny!

Best part of our vacation! Informative and fun. Saona Island is beautiful and I felt like I was getting to see a bit of the "real" Dominican Republic away from Punta Cana. Would definitely book another trip with Manny again.