How do we do it?

By knowing our localities and using leaders whose experience allows them to outperform others where it matters — in the field.

 

Small-group birding for everyone

High Lonesome offers tours to suit everyone, from the birding beginner to the experienced traveler and from teenagers to seniors. Whether it’s the unspoiled wilderness of Alaska or the mountains and jungles of Ecuador, we will take you to the world’s most special places and show you the amazing birds that live there.

Our tours are all-inclusive from the point of departure. That means the price covers lodging, meals, beverages (except alcohol), transportation, gratuities, taxes and guide services. It’s your vacation too, so we try to choose the most comfortable hotels available and eat in restaurants that provide interesting, regional cuisine.

We use comfortable vans and buses providing everyone with a window seat. Most often, we will be using 15 passenger vans with only eight people on-board. Our standard policy is one guide per eight participants.

 

We are environmental advocates

We are strong advocates of habitat protection and donate a percentage of our earnings to conservation organizations annually. And we aren’t focused solely on birding. We take a special interest in each destination’s culture and natural history, always respecting the need for preservation.

 

Safety and Security

We carry $1,000,000 General Liability Insurance as well as $1,000,000 Commercial Auto Liability.

Most Federal sites where we schedule tours require Commercial Use Authorization/Permits. These include National Park Service; Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife (National Wildlife Refuges), and US Forest Service. We obtain and maintain all current Federal CUA’s/Permits.

Our High Lonesome Guarantee

Many tour operators set a minimum tour size and then cancel a tour, sometimes at the last minute, if that number of bookings is not reached. At High Lonesome, our policy on whether the bulk of our tours will run is simple and direct.

All continental US tours are guaranteed departures!

We rarely charge a small-group supplement either and try to avoid doing so whenever possible. While we reserve the right to add a charge if the number of confirmed bookings is less than four, we further guarantee that any such supplement will not exceed 10% of the tour price.