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Lisa_Ussh
My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of joining Norman on an overnight Pampas tour from Rurrenabaque, and it was definitely an experience we will never forget! The drive to the Pampas from Rurrenabaque is about 3 hours, but is part of the experience, and we stopped regularly along the way for Norman to point out animals and teach us about the environment. Norman is the most passionate and knowledgeable guide, and it was so special to learn about the area from someone who has grown up there and who is clearly so proud of his roots. The accommodation was simple, but clean, and the location on the rivers edge, unbeatable! We also had our own chef, and I can assure you, you won't go hungry! In the 2 days we were there, we did about 4 boat trips on the river, including sunset and sunrise trips, and swimming with the infamous pink dolphin! I can highly recommend this tour, and recommend using Madidi Expeditions/Norman as your tour operator, especially since most of the proceeds go back into protecting the environment and supporting its community.
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GiggityGabby
We went on a four day tour into the amazon with Norman. Can I just say that Norman is the most amazing guide/person/friend - he has so much knowledge and experience of the land and wildlife. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about all the different animals and birds. We started the tour from Rurre where we took a jeep out to the jungle where we started the journey by foot. The trekking wasn't too hard, we went at an easy pace and stopped frequently for food/refreshments/swims. We spent the first three days learning about the flora and fauna and getting glimpses of rare animals that you don't see on just any tour.On our last day we did a tour of the Pampas and got to swim with Cayman and pink river dolphins. It was all up such an amazing experience all thanks to Norman. I would recommend this tour to everyone!
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gabatron
We took a 3 day tour of the pampas after meeting Norman, our guide, through Madidi Jungle. He is super enthusiastic and knowledgeable and we couldn't have enjoyed our trip more. We saw a staggering variety of wildlife thanks to Norman's keen eye and had comfortable accommodation and an excellent (and enormous) buffet at each meal, even pancakes for breakfast. We also enjoyed the nocturnal boat trip and awaking to the howler monkeys dawn chorus each day!Apart from the fact that we enjoyed the tour, what set it apart for us was Norman's continued dedication to implementing environmentally friendly practices in the pampas, not only with his tour but through new regulations with the local community to prevent all agencies from contaminating the waterways/handling and feeding animals etc. if you want a tour with a local who really cares about protecting this beautiful environment, giving back to the community and is passionate about giving an excellent tour then we would highly recommend Madidi Expeditions!
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Leafjane
Norman is an outstanding guide. Brilliant local knowledge, animal calls, plant and ecology explanations. He has a great sense of humour and goes above and beyond to be a welcoming and helpful guide. Thanks so much Norman. We fell in love with your part of the Amazon.
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Gn0cchi
We had a great time doing the 4 day Pampa tour. Excellent service, perfect guide and superb ambiente! We could recommend this to everyone who would like to get a nice Djungel experience in the middle of the rain forest. A nice feeling is also when you're lying in your bed in the lodge and listening to all the voices of the animals around you. A MUST for everyone who would like to feel the real south america. A special thanks to our guide Norman Valdez and his team for making our trip such a perfect adventure!! Gracias hombre!All the best, Claudio, Suiza
