El Suzanne Estate Birding & Nature Reserve Tour
El Suzanne Estate Birding and Nature Reserve is a gated private estate. We welcome all who wish to preserve wildlife and forests. We offer two options - bring your own guide or allow us to offer you our preferred experienced guides.
Options
Bring Your Personal Guide!
Duration: 3 hours
Ice Tea
What's included in El Suzanne Estate Birding & Nature Reserve Tour
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Begin your tour 2 hours before sunset on the Manor Del Suzanne terrace overlooking forested fields as your guide spots and points out hummingbirds and other forest birds. Head out before dusk to enter the trail to explore the forest floor (home to red brocket deer, ocelots, agouti, turtles, tegu lizards, and other reptiles) and its amazing canopy. Exit the trail to spend the last 15 mins of daylight overlooking the river in the hope of spotting river otters, caimans or the noisy Grey-cowled Wood-Rails. Begin the evening stroll along Poui Walk after the sun has set. Pause at the shallow pond just before the entrance to the trail where hopefully during the rainy season, it will be teeming with life (be sure to bring a torch light and suitable footwear). Look out for Night Jar's as you walk towards the Grove where you pause to listen for owls and the sounds of other wildlife that forage at night. End your tour on the terrace with a glass of refreshing ice tea, before departing.
Inclusions
- Ice Tea is served on the terrace after the tour.
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- On arrival, parking is to the left of the driveway. The entrance to the lodge and the garage is to be kept clear. Kindly reverse park towards the Vervain hedge off the terrace. We offer this area because the west lawn with the vintage ornament and the grass verges of Suzanne's Way are not vehicle friendly because of the clay soils and high rainfall; even during the dry season. So as you turn off the Cumuto Road, please drive only on the gravel /oil sand road, even though there may be puddles of water; Suzanne's Way is compacted. Do NOT attempt to turn or park on the lawn with the Vintage garden ornament (the soil is always moist even in the dry season) or to pull onto the grass verges to avoid muddy puddles.
- Please stick to the gravel road which is compact even if there may be puddles. Avoid the grass verges where the clay soil retains water and wheel traction is very poor.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- Keep right and follow the gravel road for another 200 meters past the Chinese bamboo hedge and the old storage shed until you get to Manor Del Suzanne and El Suzanne Rainforest Lodge at the top of the bluff. You may also use Waze to drive to El Suzanne Estate, Cumuto Rd, Cumuto