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The sophisticated
and strikingly-contemporary lodge is designed as the ideal springboard
for exploring the biodiverse world of its
private reserve.
A hideaway in the clouds
only accessible to its guests and located on a high plateau,
Mashpi Lodge features views of the forested mountains on one
side and the forest right up close on the other through its
floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
The Lodge, built with the
latest techniques in sustainable building and employing
hydroelectric power in the near future, is designed to blend
beautifully with its surroundings.
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It features
contemporary, minimalist decor, mixing warm earth
tones, notes of bright colour, clean lines and
striking angles and vistas: a luxury cocoon amid the
cloudforest with the natural world just beyond,
ideal for contemplation and relaxation.
Mashpi Lodge is intimate,
accommodating a maximum of 44 guests in 22
understated yet luxurious rooms, including 3 "Yaku"
suites and 19 "Wayra" rooms. |
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At the lodge’s northwestern
corner, a beautiful outside terrace with a pergola
roof extends, with tables and seating, with another
more intimate terrace with lounge chair-seating
nearby – a wonderful location for a morning yoga
session. Nooks with picture windows and lounge
chairs also invite nature into the Lodge at every
opportunity.
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On the first floor, the
Reading and Learning Area, with an extensive
collection of books on the country, is used by
guides and the resident biologist for talks and
presentations, deepening knowledge about the forest
and its denizens. Close-by, the small boutique sells
a range of books, guides, clothing and crafts, as
well as essentials for guests, and there’s a
computer with internet access. WiFi is available
throughout the lodge. |
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The Wellness Space
features a Jacuzzi framed by eye-catching carved
wooden panels, open to the breezes and sounds of the
forest, perfect for relaxing after hikes, while
specialized massages and treatments using natural
local ingredients such as earth, stones, herbs and
leaves from the Reserve are given in an adjoining
room, leaving guests refreshed and revived. |
Rooms & Suites
Mashpi lodge is designed to completely immerse you in the
cloudforest, while keeping its creatures safely at bay – a
luxury cocoon amid the clouds and tumbling mountains. The rooms,
arranged over three floors, all face north, with
floor-to-ceiling glass windows, some on two sides, with the
forest just a few meters away.
You wake up to a
captivating view awash with greens and browns, with trunks,
branches, vines, leaves, birds and clouds all around. It's a bit
like being in a capsule, observing life beyond from the comfort
of your bed. Open the window, and the sounds of bird and frog
calls wash over you. The rooms' lighting is subdued, hidden LED
lights running along the handsome wooden bedheads providing a
magical touch.
All suites and rooms include:
Closets with safe deposit boxes,
Bathrooms with luxury amenities and hairdryers,
Desks, chairs and furniture,
Bathrobes and slippers.
Yaku Suites..
The lodge’s three Yaku suites extend over an expansive 37 square
metres (400 sq ft). They are located on the first floor, at the
lodge’s northwestern end. Each features a large bathroom with
twin washbasins and a Philippe Starck-designed
bathtub-with-a-view. All of them have king-size beds, stylish
easy-chairs and coffee tables, designer rugs, desks and lamps.
Wayra Rooms...
The 19 Wayra rooms all cover a generous 34 sq
m (366 sq ft). Fifteen Wayras have two full-size beds, three
rooms located at the end of the northwestern wing (next to the
outside terraces) and the rest along the southeastern wing. Four
of the 19 feature king-size beds. For families or groups of
friends, three pairs of Wayra rooms inter-connect, two pairs on
the second floor and one pair on the ground floor, each with a
king-size bed connected with two full-size beds.
Fine Dining in the
Forest...
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The Lodge's towering, two-story
Dining Room offers a dramatic setting for a lively
gourmet experience. Here, Mashpi's chefs draw from
the diversity of Ecuadorian cuisine and ingredients,
making the most of its location between the coast
and the Andes: the best of both worlds.
Dishes are conjured with herbs,
spices and plants from the surrounding rainforest,
as well as from delicious regional ingredients such
as a vast array of tropical and temperate fruits
(think papaya, watermelon, pineapple, mango,
naranjilla, guanabana, blackberry, apple,
peaches...) and palm heart, coffee, manioc,
chocolate and plantain.
A full bar offers specialty fruit
cocktails and natural energetic drinks. A
carefully-selected wine list features mainly Chilean
and Argentinean vintages. |
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Chocolate-tasting with
single-source, organic Ecuadorian chocolate is a
feature of Mashpi's gourmet experience. |
Exploring the
Reserve
The wonders waiting at Mashpi Lodge will
delight the worldliest nature lover. Perched at 900 m (3,116
feet) above sea level and surrounded by lower montane rainforest
and cloudforest, the Lodge is surrounded by a profusion of plant
species, from ferns and bromeliads to hundreds of orchid
species, many newly-discovered. A staggering 500 species of bird
– including some 36 endemics - are estimated to inhabit the
forest, fluttering through the canopy. Monkeys, peccaries and
even puma make their homes inside the Reserve crisscrossed with
waterfalls between dramatic, verdant hills.
Canopy Gondola Adventure...
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The highlight of
anyone's trip to Mashpi is the 'canopy gondola', or
aerial tram. The two gondolas on the system will
glide guests through and above the forest canopy on
an exciting exploration of the Reserve's ecosystem.
The gondola cable system extends over 2 km (1.25
miles) between two end/boarding stations, with one
tower in the middle for possible embarking and
disembarking.
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On the way out, it will travel dramatically above
the trees' upper canopy and on the way back through the forest
understory, at a very slow pace. Each way takes about 30 minutes
to complete. The
canopy gondola's route enables guests to explore different areas
of the Reserve as well as appreciating the trees' ecosystem from
root to tip, creating a complete vision of the various
life-zones and types of forest within the Reserve. The first
time guests board the system, they will enjoy a round-trip
journey of discovery, taking around two and a half hours in all
to complete. The system can then also be used by guests to
combine hikes of varying difficulty with travel by gondola. On
return journeys following a hike, if the other gondola is empty,
guides can stop if the group spots a creature in the forest,
enabling exciting, prolonged observation of plant and animal
life. The gondola carries six guests, plus their Naturalist
Guide. It is roofed, with rotating seats, safety rails and
places to hang day-packs. The gondola will ready for guests at
the end of September.
Nature Trails...
As you
enter the realm of the rainforests, you will become aware of
Life at every step: mushrooms and "fox fire" fungi below, tree
trunks festooned with orchids, lichens and mosses, giant ferns
reaching up to the light above, coiling vines, swirling mists
and clouds of moisture. And then, from nowhere, comes the sound
of rushing water, a waterfall amid this glistening, green world,
where you can wade through rivers, walk along their banks,
revive your senses...
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The two main trails are the
Howler Monkey and Cucharillo (named after an oak).
Both link up with the Cotinga Tower of the canopy
gondola system. Along the trails, guests will learn
more from both their Naturalist Guide and Local
Guide about the myriad plants, insects and animals
that inhabit this biodiverse universe. The guides
will enthusiastically share their knowledge of their
characteristics, behaviour and uses. Due to Mashpi's
mountainous topography, trails are rarely flat. The
Howler Monkey (mainly primary forest) and Cucharillo
(mainly secondary), although short – 2 km and 700 m,
respectively – are steep. The trails' steepness is
an advantage since the hillsides enable more light
to penetrate the forest, thereby increasing the
diversity of plants and animals that one can observe
at each stratum. Both trails have been specially
adapted to make walking easier, using embedded
recycled plastic crates to create steps and firm
paths. The way back uphill on both these trails can
be aboard the gondola, reached by wading through the
shallow river in rubber boots, and walking the
connecting trail to the Cotinga Tower.
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Life
Center... |
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Close to the lodge, the centre is
conceived as a place for learning and discovery, but
also where guests can disconnect, where they can
contemplate the views, lie back in a hammock, read a
book, enjoy a fresh fruit juice or a brew of
locally-grown coffee. Guests will learn more about
the butterflies that inhabit the region, being shown
the process of these creatures from eggs to pupae to
chrysalis to winged wonder. Some 200 species of
butterfly have been identified to date in the
Reserve, with nearly a dozen observable at the
Centre. |
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Other points of learning
include various species of frogs and toads inside
glass terrariums, as well as dozens of species of
orchids, bromeliads and passion flowers all around
the structure. Close to the Centre, we have
established an area for growing medicinal plants
(ideal for a reviving herbal infusion) and beyond,
many varieties of bushes and fruit trees, including
banana and plantain, manioc, cacao, tobacco, coffee,
coca, bread fruit and heart of palm. These attract
all sorts of wildlife, from birds to rodents to
mammals – making for easier observation from the
comfort of the Centre's expansive wooden deck. Most
of the interpretation at the centre will be imparted
by local guides or people involved with the project
from local communities. Guests will find ingredients
from these gardens in the dishes prepared at the
restaurant.
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Night
Walks...
The Mashpi forest is transformed at night, with far
more activity than during the day. Optional night
walks will head out from the hotel after dinner to
discover its nocturnal creatures and their
behaviours, ranging from moths as big as your hand,
to miniature glass and tree frogs, croaking toads,
birds, owls, rodents and mammals, and even fox fire,
an Avatar-like luminous fungus. It's a magical
world, often astounding at the micro level, and
seldom explored, ready to be discovered in expert
company.
Observation
Tower... |
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There are few easier or better
ways to appreciate the beauty of the Mashpi Reserve
forest and hills than climbing the Observation
Tower. Here, guests are able to enjoy an exciting
bird's-eye view and the dramatic panoramas that
surround the lodge from the observation tower. This
is a metallic structure, with a staircase that
climbs to about eight-stories high (26 m or 85 ft),
ideal for wildlife observation, particularly at dawn
or dusk. Species that can be spotted here include
toucans, woodpeckers, barbets, tanagers and parrots
as well as raptors. Several towers are planned
within the Reserve. The first lies a 10-minute walk
from the lodge.
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Aerial
Bicycle... |
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Located close to the hotel, the
aerial bicycle makes for an original and exciting
way to explore the forest canopy up close. Designed
for two people to use at once, one person pedals the
bike along a cable stretched between two points in
the forest, around 200 m (655 feet) apart, crossing
a gorge above a river flowing between rocks and
trees below. Silent, easy-to-use and fun, it's an
activity for children over 8 years-old accompanied
by an adult, providing guests with another chance to
observe the natural world close to the lodge and
even spot its denizens. Several bicycles are planned
in the Reserve.
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Hummingbird Viewpoint...
The forests of Mashpi boast 22
hummingbird species identified to date, inhabiting
different specific altitudes, with around 16 species
alone observable by guests. In order to make it
easier to see these amazing creatures, a shelter
with seating provides the ideal setting, feeders for
the birds strung from its roof. The site is located
at a natural viewpoint, which, on clear days,
provides breathtaking views of the Reserve's
forested hills.
Refreshing Waterfalls... |
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Water is key to life in Mashpi,
and there's nothing like a refreshing dip at the end
of a walk. Several rivers cross the Mashpi Reserve
close to the hotel, many forming beautiful small
waterfalls, cascades and pools. The water
temperature is between 18 and 20°C (64 and 68 F).
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Leks... |
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Leks are places where certain
bird species gather to take part in fascinating and
often elaborate displays to seduce females. One has
to imagine them like the bird equivalent of a
youth-club disco. Males, often brightly coloured,
engage in vocal, mechanic and choreographic
"performances". They provide an incredible
opportunity for us to view certain species,
capitalising on their regular schedules which allow
us not only to know where but when they will
display. We have found four leks to date: two of the
Long-Wattled Umbrellabird, (Cephalopterus Penduliger),
one of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola
peruviana) and one of the Club-Winged Manakin (Machaeropterus
deliciosus). These leks can be visited but require
very early starts in some cases and long walks in
others. |
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Specialist Activities...
Mashpi is an exciting place for photography and
botany (particularly orchids) in general. Special
interests can be accommodated upon request.
Transport within the Reserve...
Electrically-powered buggies are
employed within the Reserve to carry those guests
who wish to use them from one sight or attraction to
the next, thus reducing the impact on the forest and
its creatures.
Combine with a luxury Galapagos
cruise... |
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