Be immersed in the deep green forest of one of the world's richest bio-diversity hotspots. Mashpi Lodge brings together first-class service with the natural and cultural wonders of the Ecuador. Only guests of the lodge can access this cocoon of luxury among the rooftops of the Ecuador's rainforest. Hike the nature trails, explore by the lodge's sky bike, get a different perspective from the observation tower, and observe the wildlife around Mashpi Lodge.
Highlights
Discover the magical unseen world of the Mashpi forest on a night walk
Stay in the heart of one of the world's richest bio-diversity hotspots
Explore the rainforest by trail, sky bike, observation tower, and gondola
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
The adventure begins between 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM when you will be picked up from one of the designated Quito hotels (Swissotel, JW Marriott, Hilton, or Casa Gangotena). Start the journey along the western flank of the Andes next to the "Middle of the World" which marks the equatorial line. Continue west, following the course of the Rio Blanco passing the archaeological site of Tulipe and farming communities along the way.
Arrive at Mashpi Lodge mid-morning to settle in and enjoy lunch. With the help of the expedition staff, choose from the offered activities and plan them at your own pace. The afternoon could behold a hike through the forest or gliding above the canopy on the Dragonfly cable car! When darkness falls, your guides will take you into the night to search for frogs, snakes, and even tarantulas.
The dawn light brings with it an opportunity to view the "early birds" of the rainforest. Observe a variety of fascinating bird species as they search for food while you enjoy a cup of morning coffee. Later this morning, you will take the 15-minute walk to the Observation Tower. Looming above the treetops, it allows guests a unique perspective of the surroundings. From the tower, guests can opt to take a tandem Sky Bike ride above lush forest, then across a river and gorge. Other activities, such as nature walks, hikes to waterfalls, or just more wildlife observation, can be enjoyed before lunch.
This afternoon at the Life Centre, explore the life of butterflies, flower species, birds, and mammals of the area. The fruit feeders at the Centre draw a wide variety of animals, so this is the perfect place to see many different species in one place. Guests can also choose to sit in on educational lectures or visit the nearby orchard of banana trees, cacao, coffee, wild raspberries, and more!
Day 3: Mashpi Reserve | Quito
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Take advantage, yet again, of the morning hours to seek out mixed-species feeding flocks of birds on a guided walk. In a single flock, you may see over 20 different species! Return to the lodge for breakfast invigorated by this unique encounter.
Around 8:30 AM, guests will head out on a beautiful 2-hour hike to Copal Waterfall. Pass orchids, bromelias, and moss-covered trees before reaching the spectacular 165-foot waterfall.
Return to the lodge by 11:00 AM and prepare for check out. Leave for Quito at 11:30 AM with a complimentary box lunch and be dropped off at one of the same designated Quito hotels.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $600 + Internal Flight Cost, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
We were a group of three that initiated our research by independently searching for the best agency to help us in the somewhat complex experience of traveling to the Galapagos. We chose adventure life because they were the most responsive in the website provided the most comprehensive overview of the trip. Their reviews were also very good.
Adventure, life splits up its booking process in two parts. First Jeff, the booking agent helped us decide which experience best suited are interests. We chose a small 14 to 16 group sized yacht. Once the booking was made with Jeff, we were handed off to Coleene, who oversaw the complex process of assembling all of the necessary documents and making sure we had everything we needed to make the trip go smoothly. The adventure, life website, then becomes your personal place of reference for all things related to your trip from door to door. It’s a lot of information to assemble, especially for three travelers, but the website makes it easy and Colleen‘s gentle reminders kept us on track. In all, from the beginning, we had four months from the time we started our research till the time we departed. We felt that was, a good amount of preparation time and don’t think it would be wise to do it in less than four months. Mostly because I think you have more options with that amount of time. There were others on our trip that took six months and more from the time they started planning.
The trip itself was outstanding. We ended up on an excellent yacht (Galapagos Angel II) with a great group of guests that we were able to connect with and put together a really nice google photos album to share.
Jed
3 months ago
Great Experience! My trip planner, Jane, was available and knowledgeable. She made suggestions that suited the kind of adventure travel I like, still keeping within my physical limitations. She was very forthcoming with all of the details I requested. And she was always pleasant to speak with.
Charlene West
5 months ago
My travel consultant went out of her way to make sure everything went smoothly, everything from the flight reservations to the final booking.
johnw
9 months ago
We have told everyone we know about Adventure Life. What a great company to work with and no detail is missed. Call them for your next adventure!!
Paul Rupert
9 months ago
Clara was great to work with. She presented lots of options and always responded promptly. And she found excellent options within our price range.
