Mashpi Lodge is your private reserve base for exploring
Without a doubt, Ecuador gives the feeling that “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
One of the most biologically diverse countries on earth is not a place for the faint of heart.
The capital city Quito is an ultra-high elevation set amidst 17 active volcanoes. Nearby, you can straddle the Equator and explore the Ecuadorean Amazon basin rainforest.
This is a place to swap your daily humdrum for hummingbirds hovering in a cloud forest. When the birds go quiet for the evening, take a night walk to admire tiny night frogs and lush green leaves spread out larger than a newborn’s blanket.
Private Reserve
The luxury 24-room Mashpi Lodge is perched on a plateau in the misty surroundings of a private, protected reserve that’s a three-hour ride (much of it on unpaved roads) from Quito. The structure is incongruously modern, featuring a vast amount of floor-to-ceiling glass (how did they ever get it here?) so guests can connect with the natural world between guided outings with passionate naturalists.
Ornithological Utopia
Bring or borrow binoculars for the best birdwatching in Ecuador. The Andean Cloud Forest surrounding Mashpi Lodge is a bird lover’s paradise where every waking moment is punctuated by sightings. Since the lodge opened in 2012, more than 400 of the country’s 1,600 aviary species have been spotted and identified within this Chocó Forest eco-system. Of these, 36 are endemic—that is, exclusively regional birds that are not found elsewhere on the planet.
Armed with bananas as a feeding magnet, your guide escorts small groups of guests for the best birding opportunities. Take a mostly flat 30-minute trek to the Life Center where a 260º observation deck is ideal for birdwatching.
Don’t miss the Hummingbird Garden where these “tireless fairies” like to hang out, sharing their intimate space with brilliantly colored pairs of toucans and rose-faced parrots. On any visit, about 15 species of hummingbirds may come into view, including the Velvet-purple Coronet, Empress Brilliant, and White-whiskered Hermit that we observed.
Intimate Perspectives
For stunning views of verdant mountains, flora and fauna, forest, and waterfalls, take a seat on The Dragonfly. You’ll glide over the canopy of treetops in an open air gondola, hushed and magical, hundreds of feet above the sound of rushing streams and waterfalls.
Feeling fit and ready for more exploring, take 162 steps to the top of the 85-foot Observation Tower to learn more about the forest. Or, pedal your way across the lush canopy on an aerial tandem Sky Bike.
A final thought on Mashpi Lodge—This is the way to upgrade how you connect with the planet, visiting the Earth’s most biodiverse region without sacrificing the comfort of a luxury stay.
Images: Laurie Jo Miller Farr