In late October / November 2023 I completed an 8 day Woodpeckers, Owls and Grouse tour with my partner, a gentleman from Denmark and in part a lady from Kent. The tour was led by Dimiter Georgiev. We weren’t aware the lady would be joining the group (which was absolutely no problem) however it meant that cost for the tour was reduced slightly which was a welcome surprise. Dimiter met us at the airport and had us swiftly on a way stopping for refreshments as we went. Throughout the tour I found him to be a sociable, easy to get along with, great company and perhaps more specifically an excellent and competent birder with a tenacity for targeting the specific species we were looking for. He also has an admirable passion for the environment and preserving nature and the worlds resources. He was not adverse to pulling any of us up if he considered we were talking too much or too loudly – frankly, I needed the telling off occasionally and certainly do not hold it against him. The accommodations we stayed at and locations we ate at were all perfect and Dimiter took time to explain what some local dishes etc. were to ensure we were getting what we thought. So, the million dollar question, if I were undertaking another Eastern European tour (both Romania and Azerbaijan are particularly tempting) would I call upon him and Neophron Tours for the trip? Answer, absolutely I would, no reservation whatsoever. He is an excellent and particularly knowledgeable guide and, having birded in Central & South America, North, East and West Africa, Asia and the Far East and Australasia I think I have enough experience of guides to know a good one from a bad one and Dimiter is excellent. Well done Dimiter and thank you for a very enjoyable and successful tour. Now to check my bird list targets for Azerbaijan 😊. Colin S.

Dimiter Georgiev is an excellent - and patient - guide and an amazing birder! He was very generous in sharing some of his favorite birding places between Varna, Bulgaria, along the coast to the Romanian border. In two days, we saw almost 80 species new to us in many different habitats. Dimiter is persistent! The pace that he set and the amount of time at each location were just right. Dimiter also shared with us some of Bulgaria's landmarks, history and culture. We learned so much and we will remember our experience in Bulgaria with great detail and appreciation. His tours were the highlight of our visit to Bulgaria!

Minko was a fantastic guide. Great sense of humor, spoke excellent English, and man does this guy know his birds. Adjusted the pace and tour to fit my speed and preferences, and I would happily have him as a guide again anytime.

My husband and I took a 10-day birding tour in Romania with Dimiter Georgiev of Neophron. With just one other birder on the trip, the four of us traveled through the Dobrogea and up into the mountains in a comfortable SUV, which was able to handle rough tracks. We also spent 3 days birding by boat in the Danube Delta, moving past Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans, grebes, terns, and gulls. Even though it was mid-June, with migration over, and birds were almost finished raising their young, we saw 160+ species. The scenery is simply stunning. Accommodations were smaller, nicely-appointed hotels in quiet areas of towns. Each had a restaurant where we ate abundant breakfasts and dinners. Most of our rooms had a balcony overlooking the water or trees, very lovely for sitting to read or converse.

A very knowledgeable guide, Mladen, took us around and gave us good advice on our photography. One of the locations selected was a bit of a washout - it happens, wildlife being unpredictable - but to make up for it, they took us to an extra unscheduled location which was amazing. I plan to use them again one day.

This was our second holiday with Neophron Tours (our first was to Bulgaria last year) and we cannot recommend them more highly. The organisation was exemplary: the whole trip taylor-made to our wishes from the type of hotel and rooms we stayed in, to the itinerary for each day and the nature/wildlife we wanted to see. Our guide was knowledgeable, interesting, respectful, friendly and spoke excellent English. We visited the Danube Delta and wetlands, and the Carpathian Mountains in this trip and saw a huge variety of birdlife, wild flowers, butterflies, dragonflies and mammals (including Brown Bear). Our favourite part of the trip was in the mountains and in the region to the north of the Carpathians where the scenery was stunning and the towns and villages very picturesque. Romania is a fascinating place both historically, culturally and for its nature. At least a week is needed to explore a couple of destinations as the country is so large.

Neophron organised all travel/ accommodation and meals during the tour and also provided excellent knowledgable guides who took us to a variety of habitats where, as a group we saw over 200 species of bird despite the fact that most migration had finished. Accommodation was in small hotels and guest houses which were fairly basic but perfectly adequate, especially since we were only in them for evening meals, sleeping and breakfasts. The days were quite long and some involved quite long journeys but that enabled us to get visit a a variety of parts of the country and make the most of our time. This particular trip had been organised on behalf of one the trip members who wanted to see certain birds for his European list - he saw them all. I am sure Neophron would do an excellent job providing bespoke wildlife trips for people. We thought that the trip was excellent value for money.