Emblematic Testimonial by Emil and Lily Vacek

Emil and Lily Vacek • May 27, 2026

David made us feel very safe. He was a most wonderful host and we felt like we have always known him. He introduced us to his country, culture, people and, of course, all those wonderful birds he promised he would.

by Emil and Lily Vacek

NSTAGRAM: @emilv_photography, @lily.vacek


"We love birds. Bird photography is our passion. We have watched a lot of YouTube videos about Colombia's nature and birds and wished we could go there. We were a bit worried about the safety since a lot of people in Canada do not think Colombia is a safe place to go to. Emil (emilv_photography) and I (@lily.vacek) decided to book a private bird photography tour with David Casas of Retorno.phototours and hoped for the best.


David made us feel very safe. He was a most wonderful host and we felt like we have always known him. He introduced us to his country, culture, people and, of course, all those wonderful birds he promised he would.



He was very professional, knowledgeable about the birds, locations and worked very hard to find us all the birds that were listed on the Emblematic photo tour. All locations that we visited with David offered lots of birds and we had plenty of time to photograph each and every one of them numerous times.

The icing on the cake was the photo opportunity at La Florida Bosque when Ornate Hawk Eagle showed up in the tree looking for food. David and Emil climbed to the top of the very steep hill to be closer to the bird and got the photos and videos that were out of this world. Thank you David.We would love to go back to Colombia and join David on another photo tour soon. David truly knows how to take care of his guests that are looking for unique bird photography experience".


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