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Having known Chris for many years, we knew this was going to be a great tour. And it was. Chris is personable with a delightful sense of humor. One always feels comfortable around him. He takes excellent care of his birders (clients) by ensuring them what the daily plan is, where we are going and why. His birding skills are beyond excellent. He makes sure everyone sees the bird, if possible, explaining what we’re looking for and where. His ability to provide directions is a skill that goes a long way to making the bird spotting pleasurable and possible. Chris’s keen hearing ensures that birds that aren’t being seen have the potential to be called into view. Rockjumper is fortunate to employ Chris, an extraordinary individual. We look forward to traveling with Chris in the future.

JM & MW, Honduras 2015
Hi David. Just to say that we couldn’t have had a better trip. The more I think about it, the more remarkable it was. We couldn’t have asked for better encounters with our target birds and the mammal experiences were memorable. Thanks!!!
The entire entourage was impressed by your skills and leadership. I’m glad we could make this happen. Looking forward to future trips.

DD, Private Uganda
I cannot possibly say enough good things about Chris Sharpe; he did a spectacular job on this tour! His knowledge of the birds of the region is comprehensive, and he was very good about letting us know about their natural history in addition to field marks and ID. He was very enthusiastic and handled everything with unflagging good humor. Chris made sure we knew what to expect on each excursion and worked really hard to ensure that we all had the best possible chances to see those skulky and exciting forest birds. He would give us good guidance such as, “Strange as it may seem, right now you really want to be watching this piculet rather than that macaw,” and seemed remarkably good at keeping in mind who had seen what as we went along. He worked well with a group with varying levels of expertise, and was very patient with those of us struggling to get to grips with an outstanding number of new species. I don’t want to leave out our local guide on this tour … [who] was a great asset, very knowledgeable, personable, enthusiastic, and helpful.

KH, Guyana II 2014
Markus is an exceptional guide, and I enjoy his dry wit. Despite a knee replacement only 3 months ago, I took this tout at this time in a large part because Markus was the guide.

JN, Ghana 2015
Mark’s depth and breadth of knowledge of European birds is amazing, but I was also impressed with his ability to adapt to changing local conditions. One particular incident, where a rarity showed up which required quickly redirecting the group, was handled directly and skillfully. Plus, as a Yank, I enjoyed his English humour.

TT, Morocco
Loved Clayton, his bird skills and all-over knowledge of everything.

Sri Lanka 2013
The trip sounded good in the write-up but far exceeded our expectations. The pelagic trips were outstanding. The number of participants was perfect. Erik knew the birds and their calls/sounds and was very effective in getting everyone to see the birds. He called many pelagic IDs well before other people had even spotted the birds. Erik’s skills in managing the participants showed and his sense of humour added to his effectiveness. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

DM & SM, New Zealand
Our Rockjumper guide was Rich Lindie. The word “excellent” does not begin to cover the outstanding quality of his technical and interpersonal skills. Rich is the personification of enthusiasm for what he does. Extensively knowledgeable about both flora and fauna (in particular of course birds), he was at all times professional and friendly. In addition, Rich has a great sense of humor and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and hearing about some of his amazing experiences in international travel, living, teaching and guiding. What an interesting and talented young man. We were very fortunate to have him as our guide.

R
I highly recommend Forrest Rowland as a remarkably talented birding guide with exceptional birding skills, knowledge and helpfulness to get everyone on the bird.

RF, Cuba
All around great fun trip, with logistics and plans for upcoming activities presented clearly and in time for proper preparation. Clayton was very prepared and we enjoyed traveling with him very much.

FB, Guatemala
Forrest Rowland was the consummate birding tour guide. He was very personable and friendly and a top-notch birder with excellent skills for getting us on the birds. He kept us informed about all logistical details. We will seek him out for another Rockjumper tour.

CR & SR, Cuba
Our Madagascar experience surpassed our wildest dreams. We didn’t even realise it was a ‘birding trip’ but David ensured that we saw much much more. The birds were great anyway, especially the pursuit of the magical Helmet Vanga! An unforgettable experience!

HH, Madagascar