A new eco-reserve is afoot in the Ecuadorian Andes: Mashpi Lodge, in the 2,600-acre Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve, which protects a small slice of the Tumbez-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity area.
Set high on a plateau, 3,116 feet above sea level, with magnificent views of the lush rainforest and valleys beneath, the lodge is surrounded by newly discovered species of orchids and 500 species of birds as well as monkeys, peccaries and puma.
Built using sustainable techniques and with hydroelectric power, the 22-suite, highly contemporary lodge is designed to blend into its surroundings with a spa using local ingredients in its treatments.
The restaurant at the lodge will serve organic Ecuadorian cuisine using exotic ingredients from the rainforest such as naranjilla, papaya, palm heart, coffee, chocolate and plantain. Trained local guides will take treks and night walks and an environmentally-friendly ariel tram will glide
guests for two kilometres through the forest.
Seven nights from £2,555pp with three nights at Mashpi Lodge, and three in the new Casa Gangotena in Quito, with flights, originaltravel.co.uk