What Our Fabulous Guests Say About Us

We ask people who travel with us what genuinely sets Bio Bio Expeditions apart. They tell us that it’s beyond great guides, good food and accommodations. They talk about a magical chemistry of adventure and camaraderie. They tell us it’s about discovery of not only wildness, but of themselves, and renewing their enthusiasm for life. They say it’s to be far away and yet feel at home… and come home and find their lives changed. It’s Bio Bio Expeditions passion to take you to that place.

We are fortunate to have met many wonderful friends from all over the world on our trips. They are often kind enough to share their memories with us. Here are a few of our favorite client “sound bites”:

Chile - Futaleufu

We had an incredible trip on the river. For me actually it was a metamorphosis to a degree. Thank you for all your help and effort – it was one of the best times I have had in years – maybe decades even. It was like being in a dream and we all felt that way. The camp was five star! It may have just changed this ancient man’s life a bit. And Susan , of course, was ecstatic too. – Al Read, Futaleufu 2007. Founder of Geographic expeditions and Exxum mountain guides

Hi Marc & Lawrence. I have to begin by thanking you both so much! I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this trip was for me. I know I sound dramatic, but it was life altering for me. I had an outstanding time and can’t wait till Zambezi.Gosh. I can’t tell you what a transition it was for me to return to NYC. Sub zero temps, the fast pace, and well my cuisine has taken a huge nose dive… I miss the river, snowcapped mountians, full moons, and most importantly the members of your team. I just wanted you to know what a great crew you’ve gotten together. – Ira Shetty. Futaleufu 2007

Marc, you have been a pleasure to work with. We know that our vacation last year was a once in a lifetime opportunity – neither of us had ever been on a vacation that long. We put ourselves in your hands and you and Bio Bio overachieved every step of the way.
Allan Levin Futaleufu 2006

Marc, It was tough getting back from the Fu. Right into the work load I left behind. Fortunately. I have John’s video, photos, e-mails from new friends, and memories of the trip to keep me sane!You are lucky to have such a great group of people that you work with. Although - I don’t think luck has anything to do with it. You and Lawrence put together a terrific program and treat each member of the team as an equal. It is no wonder you are successful and will continue to be into the future. I wanted to thank you again for a great trip. It was an adventure that meant more than just fun - it was a reminder of the life style we forget about. I have already begun talking to my wife about future possible trips. I will continue to stay in touch with you and your staff.One part of the trip that stands out for me was getting the opportunity to fish with Alex and work on the techniques of fly fishing. He took to it quickly and together we had a lot of laughs, good times and great conversation - both on the water and in the bar.

I hate to admit it but Greg “Doogie” was right. It was a trip of a lifetime. – Craig Hoffend - Futaleufu 2007

The Fu is ‘FUN!’ Big water, blue skies, great group, horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking, hot tubbing, massage, sauna, happy hours, card games, great food, and of course world class rafting…wow! Riding a horse, galloping through a meadow, surrounded by the snow-capped Patagonian peaks. I had never seen anything so beautiful. It made me cry. Thanks to Bio Bio for the excellent rafting, the in-camp luxury, and an overall unforgettable experience! – Linda Parker, California

Our family enjoys a vacation filled wih adventure and BIO BIO EXPEDITIONS certainly exceeded our expections on the Futaleufu River in Chile. The base camp is set above the turquoise waters of the river and surrounded by mountain peaks of Patagonia. This truly is paradise and best of all, the Bio Bio group does not have to share it with lots of other people. The rafting experience was fantastic and compares very favorably with the Colorado through the Grand Canyon. But there is so much more to this trip: horseback trips up the Rio Azul valley, funyak trips down that tributary of the Fu, mountain biking, quiet walks through the picturesque countryside, exploring waterfalls, relaxing in the hot tub, and partaking of gourmet food and wine. The owners, Marc Goddard and Laurence Alvarez-Roos are great people and have hired a crew that have the comfort and safely of the clients as a top priority. This adventure was so much fun that we have booked another trip with Bio Bio next year. Futaleufu 2004

Traveling to Chile with Bio Bio offers an experience you won’t forget for a long time. Marc and Lawrence and the rest of their crew welcome their guests with open arms and treat everyone as if they were a part of their family. Rafting down the Futaleufu, kayaking down the Rio Azul, horsebackriding, fly-fishing, mountain biking, jogging, wine-tasting, hiking, hot-tubbing and eating exquisite meals with Bio Bio and friends is something everyone should experience. I can’t wait to go back! Futaleufu - 2004

One week in the Bio Bio Camp on the Fu “has recharged my batteries, cleaned my soul and cleared my mind. The entire experience is as good as it gets. I will treasure it all my life and wish everybody could have one week with Bio Bio. First rate in every way. Thanks for sharing your dream with us. The Best” – Michael Gosselin

Bio Bio crew – Thank you for sharing your bliss. I came an over-exhausted New Yorker. I leave remembering what peace” and “happiness” are all about and where they live in me.” Love and thanks – Grace Gardark

I’ve vacationed with several great outfitters in a few wonderful places in the world of wonderful rivers. No where has the effect been so cathartic and tranquil. When time permits I will return for the excellent food, friendship, adventure and good times. Thank you so very much for this island in the sun and water that renews your soul. – Pete Skinner

Bio Bio Expeditions – the ultimate expedition camp for the outdoor type adventuresome spirit with a young heart. Between the serene beauty of the mountains of Patagonia and the rough and wild waters of the Futaleufu, the memories of wonderful friends will linger in my heart for many years to come. Searching, longing, rediscovering my heart and soul have been replenished by this pristine wilderness. The surging waves and thunderous holes serve my quest for connection with nature’s awesome power. Thank you to all for sharing this wonderful week in my life. All I can see is filed with such unbelievable beauty all I can say is Amen and Thank you (plus the cold beer and copious vino tinto is not so bad either!) – Dr. Stephen Gunther, California

One week on the Fu with the Bio Bio crew marked a huge life affirming transition for me. It was all I expected and more. The food was awesome, the river guides rocked, and the kitchen staff always met me with smiles. Thank you for a fantastic trip and I look forward to seeing all of you again soon! Love – Phil Paley

Thank you for everything! I needed this trip more than I realized. I feel healthier, happier, and refocused. You all have huge hearts and generous spirits. I hope you continue to bring sunshine to people’s lives. Until the next trip….... – Rosanne Palmisano, Colorado

Bio Bio crew – thank you so much for the most exciting adventure I’ve ever had. I look forward to more trips from Bio Bio. Everyone was so helpful and generous, you truly have something special here! – Dave Wilkinson

I don’t want to leave! – Robin

Thanks for such an amazing week in an incredibly beautiful river in spectacular surroundings. The complex ecosystem that constitutes the Futaleufu Valley. Rolando and his family, the verdant mountains, the glorious green – the blue of the river – Thanks for introducing us to all of it! – Jane Conroy

Great trip, and everything surpassed our expectations. 5-Star camping! I’m bringing the kids next time. Fabulous experience! – Craig and Kim Stevens

Thanks guys, you have all been so awesome, friendly, and helpful. I really appreciate how you can make us feel like we are your first guests, and not your last. It’s been an AWESOME experience and really helps you see how small your world can become sometimes. You may have saved my soul. Thanks so much for everything! – Jana Bidner

Dear Marc and Laurence, Thank you for a wonderful Chilean adventure! You anticipated our every need – I’ve never camped in a more luxurious setting! I appreciated your responding to requests for changes in the daily activities and offering so many different options. The short kayaking run I made on the Fu” with Johnny made the trip absolutely perfect. I do want to join you on another journey. I’ll be telling all the paddlers I know in Virginia about Bio Bio Expeditions. I am looking forward to getting the trip video and list of guests. See you on a river, somewhere, before too long!” – Sarah Gravatt

Bio Bio is to be commended for what they have created so that we might share and experience what we have been so fortunate to do – the days spent on or along the Rio Futaleufu. When we arrived, we were strangers. We left part of a family that will be ours forever. Many thanks to a wonderful group of professionals. Until next time – David Land, Georgia

Africa

My expectations for Africa were high, and Bio Bio was able to exceed them in every way. The trip was smooth, spirits were high, the scenery spectacular, and I always felt well taken care of. Thank you. I know the Bio-Bio guides are the best out there. After seeing you work together on the Zambezi, I realize the experience you all have cannot be compared. I would not raft the Zambezi (or any other big whitewater river) with anyone else. The best part about my Bio Bio Expedition was the tone of the trip. The mood was always positive, festive, and comfortable, and this is a tribute to the guides. From the first afternoon when we all met, I knew it was going to be a great group dynamic. – Stephanie Poole

Amazing river, even more amazing guides! As always, one of the best holidays we’ve ever had. Have a feeling that we’ll be back again. Looking forward to our next adventures with you – y’all rock! – Africa. Futaleufu – Marya. Nancy, and Linda. California

California, Galapagos, Peru and Other Destinations

Kudos to Bio-Bio for running one of the best trips I’ve taken in the past decade. – Alan Schick

Thank you all for one of the most memorable and exciting vacations of my life. I have never experienced a group of people more fun, loving, heart warming, professional, and patient. All of my adventures were new experiences for me and now I understand why you are so passionate about what you do and love. You’re the best! – Millie LeRoy, March 2002

What an adventure! Can’t hardly wait to hook up with Bio Bio expeditions again! You guys have a first rate outdoor business! --Guy and Sigrid Gibson

What can I say? Wonderful, excellent trip. Spectacular scenery, and the best team we have ever had looking after us. Great to see a team that works so well, has fun, and joins in with the passengers. The rafting was terrific as was the fishing and food. Great time!! P.S. I’d like to come on another trip! – Fiona Shelton

What an experience for a complete novice. Your staff and the experienced river people were something I will never forget! A once in a lifetime experience I hope to repeat often! Thank you again for my introduction to a heck of a lot of fun! – Dave Beard, North Carolina

Thank you. Thank You! for such an incredible experience. The combination of ingredients on your trips makes it very hard for anyone not to have fun. The river is impossible to describe and so beautiful. The campsites and hiking equally beautiful. The food extra good. But what makes it all so special are the people involved. You have a wonderful group of very caring individuals. Each has something special to contribute and each cares. What I remember most is helping hands. Be it cooking, paddling, climbing, or whatever, there were always hands willing to help. I can not tell you the number of times, especially on rocks by the scouting rapids, that I would be debating where to put a foot next when a hand would appear to help. The energy and enthusiasm that you all exude is impossible to capture in a brochure or video. You are each great and obviously gave us an incredible experience to treasure. Thank You!! Thank You!!Hope to see any and all of you any time you get to the east coast. We may have been badly outnumbered by the west coast, but we will try to change that. Please use us as a reference for anyone who needs selling on the trip. A very happy pair. – Susie and Bill Old, Virginia

We thoroughly enjoyed our Bio Bio Expedition. You all masterminded a total blast, from savory, innovated meals, to finely crafted saunas and of course impeccable guiding both on and off the river. The real testimony to you was your crew who flew from around the world – a really fun group of people! Hope you’re enjoying your other excursions. It is difficult for us to return to grey skies and traffic. Many thanks again. – The Bryans, San Francisco, CA

The river was superlindo. I have never seen such beautiful colored water like that before! Not even in Hawaii. The people were fun, it’s amazing how you can get a group of unknowns to come together, trust one another and get the job done. And lastly, your crew was invaluable. I always felt safe knowing that they were there, if needed. – Julia Medeiros

Thank you for an incredible trip, one which will always bring a smile and laugh to our faces when we remember it and you. The music, food, wine and love made the Bio Bio even more spectacular than it already is. Thanks for getting us home safely. – Mary and Hal

Another heartfelt thank you for opening up new doors for me into the world of whitewater rafting. Aside from the exhileration and adrenaline rush one would expect from this adventure. I had no idea how much I would love the added fringe benefits of beautiful surroundings, great company, comaraderie and new friendships. – Eve Alldrigre

Peru - Inca trail

Now that I’m settled back (sniff) into the ho-hum of Connecticut, just wanted to send you my thanks for putting together such a tremendous experience for us in Peru. We’re all blissed out from the whole thing of course. Machu Picchu speaks for itself in my pictures that I show people (am putting together a Website with all of our pictures; will send you URL if you like) and several friends want to go now. I’m encouraging them to go with you guys because it was first class all the way, with many wonderful touches that enhanced my hiking experience.

What stands out, besides Pierro (I’ll get to him in a minute), were the courtesies and care of the porters who brought us tea and bathing water in the morning, the choice of lovely remote, private camp grounds rather than the tent farms we’d pass where so many people were corraled at night (depressing!), the choice of the Vista Dome train rather than the rickety backpacker train for our trip back from Machu Picchu. Stacey’s wit and good natured guidance of us on the trail when she could have hiked that trail in a rapid pace (given the porters a run for their money maybe?) and the timing of our first sight of Machu Picchu when it would not be crowded with tourists.

Perhaps most of all, given the state of my legs after the hike. I sank to my knees in gratitude (don’t think I’m kidding. Marc) for your choice of a luxury hotel in Aguas Calientes (seemed like one anyway) after our four days without a shower. Can’t begin to describe how wonderful it was to see a bathrobe lying in wait on a fluffy bed, bowl of fruit, little toiletries wrapped like gifts for us and The Shower Itself, which was a religious experience. I still remember the first rush of hot water on my (reeking) self – it’s hardwired into my brain, Marc. There’s more, of course, but that’s what came out of my keyboard first.

As for Pierro, he just wove his big personality through the whole experience; I had the feeling there wasn’t much this guy wouldn’t do to make sure we had a tremendous trip. There he’d be, following behind us hikers panting heavily on the trail playing his flute (I associate some of the steep passages with that music). Along the way he rescued several of us when we were tired or dizzy (and some of us more seriously sick) with a light touch that was at the same time capable and strong. Every time we ate at a restaurant he would be a real part of the group, constantly moving about, entertaining and laughing with us, wanting everyone to have a good time. I like to think we were just a fabulous group to be with, but I think this is Pierro no matter what group he’s with. He just has a warm and generous spirit; we were fortunate you chose him to look out for us the whole time. One last thing: when our flight from Cuzco to Lima was canceled and Air Peru was making everyone crazy, there was Pierro at the front of the line fixing things in rapid Spanish not only for us but for some Americans also in line who were feeling lost; he got them straightened out too, they told me later how much he’d helped them when we were eating dinner together during our ‘extra’ night in Cuzco.

Much longer note than I’d planned and here I am at work (!).., but oh well… you’ve given me a wonderful experience and I wanted you to know. Hope I can take another trip with your organization in the future; if you have a mailing list, please add me to it. To Marc and BioBio-- many thanks!