At first we were hesitant to spend a few hundred dollars on a private guide, but it was well worth it! We called the number at 9:30pm and spoke Josh (co-owner with his wife) and he was able to accommodate us with a 7am tour the next morning.
Josh is very knowledgeable with the park and the wildlife. We enjoyed hearing about animal behaviors and how the circle of life goes on in the reserve. Josh was great in spotting animals that would totally escape us otherwise. On our trip we saw herds of bisons, elks, goats, 3 black bears, one grizzly (all bears from a safe distance), one wolf, and a variety of birds.
We hiked a couple miles into the middle of the safari, something that we wouldn't dare do on our own. Not to worry, Josh instructed us on how to be safe and provided us with bear sprays should we ever need it. It was great to get off the roads and immerse ourselves in the fields. We saw a variety of wildlife with provided binoculars and Josh's 90x scope. He provided us with a picnic spread of coldcuts, cheese, artichokes, olives, and special Peruvian peppers.
It was a great day. Josh is very friendly and patient. On top of it he knows how to work a camera and we came away with great photos of us on the DSLR. The guided tour was way above our expectations. Thank you!!