SEPT 2012 127 Costs and time constraints were jettisoned to safeguard the forest. This extra care, along with difficulties building in the face of heavy rains and flooding, pushed the hotel’s opening back for months before it finally took place in April. Among the environmental measures employed, the steel frame and walls were pre-assembled as much as possible in Quito, panelling for the hallways was sourced locally, and LED fixtures were installed to reduce power consumption. The centrepiece of the property is an aerial tramway, set to open in November, that extends for two kilometres just above the treetops and the clouds. While a gondola is not a new concept for wildlife reserves, it is often built by clearing a road with chainsaws and using bulldozers to transport supplies. Sevilla would allow none of that. Every bag of cement and steel beam was carried across the jungle canopy via cable or, in many cases, overland by foot. “We are not what’s important,” says Sevilla. “What’s out there is important. This was a locura, a crazy dream.” That crazy dream is unlike anything ever realized in such a fragile natural landscape. Powered with hydroelectricity from a small plant driven by one of the many surround- ing mountain streams, the 22-room resort is completely energy self-sufficient. The property uses yellow lights to avoid attracting insects, treats wastewater biologically, composts organic material and recycles solid waste. Electric buggies transport guests around the Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve with little noise and no emissions. Yet luxury has its place, too: Jacuzzis and massage rooms, cocktails infused with local fruits, Wi-Fi, yoga rooms, and cozy lounges for watching films. “We have built a bubble here,” says Sevilla, “a bubble of security from the mosquitoes and frogs.” Step outside of the bubble, and natural wonders abound. After a sunrise cappuccino on the terrace quetzal spotting, we set off down a trail a few minutes from the lodge. On a naked branch sticking out from the forest’s edge, there’s a tiny black dot. “It’s a thrush,” says the guide who spotted it. Another pulls out his binoculars. “No, it’s an owl.” On closer inspection, with the help of a textbook, we learn that it is a cloud forest pygmy owl. After birding in the Ecuadorian forest for nearly two decades, this guide has never seen one. “I think that just made our day,” he says. ↑ The spare steel and glass struc- ture, by Alfredo Ribadeneira, affords full-height views of the forest. ←← The lodge offers a springboard to and a refuge from its unique natural surroundings, best appreci- ated on guided walks and, soon, via an aerial tramway. ← The spacious dining room serves hyperlocavore gourmet cuisine.
An inviting outdoor terrace on the third floor serves as an
intimate retreat with stunning views. The contemporary interior, by
Diego Arteta, feels at once warm and clean lined. The lodges 22
rooms accommodate up to 44 guests. Among the offerings are three
suites featuring tubs- with-a-view.
HOW TO GET THERE Mashpi Lodge is kilometers northwest of the
capital of Quito, about three hours drive from Mariscal Sucre
International Airport.
THINGS TO DOThe resort is situated on a , - hectare private
reserve, surrounded by a new, , - hectare municipal r eserve, in a
patch of biodiverse Andean rain and cloud forest called the Choc.
Atypical day includes guided excursions through out the reserve.
Local guides lead day and night time hikes, to their own butterfly
house or through the surrounding cloud forest. The Mashpi
Rainforest Biodiversity Reserv e is home to between
and bird species, suchas toucans and motmots; thousands of
varieties of insects and orchids; as well as monkeys, peccaries and
even pumas. What sets Mashpi apart from other luxury wilderness
lodges in the region is its access to remote parts of the reserve
and the canopy the most species-rich segment of the forest via
sophisticated skyways. An aerial gondola, opening in November,
connects one mountain to the next, and allows for leisurely
open-air viewing with minimal impact on the forest. Theres also an
aerial bicycle, a sort of slow-moving two-wheeler perched on a zip
line, which resort owner Roque Sevilla developed from a drawing
inPopular Mechanics.
FOOD AND D INING The cuisine emphasizes hyperlocavorism. Sta ff
in the on-site gourmet kitchen forage, grow their own herbs,
process chocolate from the local cacao trees, and opt for
bio-dynamic foods like pineapple and passion fruit, which they
serve in multi-course con-temporary and Ecuadorian menus, paired
with South American wines.
Rates at Mashpi Lodge are $, per person for two nights/three
days and include all meals, transportation and guided excursions.
mashpilodge.com.
