- Overview
- Trip Outline
- Trip Includes
- Trip Excludes
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- Day 1: Transfer in Quito
- Day 2: Visit to Quito Old Town & Guayasamin Museum / Toak chocolate experience
- Day 3: Excursion to Northern artisanal towns
- Day 4: Visit to the Middle of the World Monument (equator) and transfer to Mashpi Lodge
- Day 5: Adventure at the Chocó Cloud Forest
- Day 6: Transfer to Quito airport
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Itineraries
Day 1
Transfer in Quito
Upon arrival in Quito, you will be welcomed by our guide at the airport. You will be transfer to your hotel in the city where you could aclimatize to altitud (2,800 mts) and prepare for the next day adventure.
Accomodation: Hotel in Quito
Meals included: None
Day 2
Visit to Quito Old Town & Guayasamin Museum / Toak chocolate experience
After breakfast, we will visit one of the largest and best preserved colonial centers in South America, Quito’s “Old Town” area was declared the first “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO, in 1978. The tour of historic Quito will start with a panoramic view of the city from El Panecillo Hill with “Virgin of Quito” monument on the top. This visit will give you a chance to appreciate Quito from above, and – if the weather permits – to catch a view of the spectacular “Volcano Avenue,” two parallel mountain ranges containing eight of the country’s ten highest peaks.
We will continue on to the always vibrant Plaza Grande (“Independence Square”), which is surrounded by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace.
We will pass through the San Francisco which is the oldest and most significant religious site in Ecuador. The vast complex includes 13 cloisters, three churches, a plaza, more than 3,500 works of religious art, and a library holding thousands of books and historic documents.
After lunch, we will visit the Guayasamin Museum, home of the most important artist of the modern era in Ecuador. This museum offers the most complete collection of the legendary painter Oswaldo Guayasamín. In addition, the museum exhibits its outstanding collection of pieces of ceramics, bone and pre-Columbian metal. The guide will share Guayasamin’s passion for art and culture and explain the most significant pieces of his private art collection. This is a unique look inside the life of one of Latin America’s most creative minds in this past century.
At this beautiful and eccentric place, we will have the To'ak chocolate tasting. Our guests will be guided through an integral tasting of raw and roasted cocoa beans and four different chocolate editions. Here, we will learn about the different Ecuadorian cacao varieties, terroir, fermentation methods, barrel/aging and how it affects the favor and aroma of the chocolate bar. At the end of the tasting, we will be driven back to our hotel.
Accomodation: Hotel in Quito
Meals included: Breakfast - Lunch
Day 3
Excursion to Northern artisanal towns
In the morning we will begin this trip from Quito, heading north along the Pan-American Highway and making a brief stop in the town of Miralago for a superb view of Lake San Pablo. During this stop, you will also have a chance to taste delicious Bizcochos, a type of cookie or bread baked in a clay oven and covered with local cheese or caramel sauce.
We will visit the town of Otavalo, home to Ecuador's largest indigenous market and one of the best known in all of Latin America. The market sets up every day, allowing you to spend a few hours wandering through its bustling handicrafts market, in addition to its food markets.
In the afternoon, we will go to the Cotacachi – Cayapas Reserve for a nice hike next to the beautiful Cuicocha Lake which translates as the guinea pig lake. It is about an hour’s drive northwest of Otavalo, and is a large caldera lake nearly two miles across.
Long ago the volcano erupted, leaving the caldera to fill up with water. At the center of the lake sits two small islands where we can also enjoy a boat ride around the Crater Lake.
After this visits, we will take you to back to your hotel in Quito to get ready for the next day experience!
Accomodation: Hotel in Quito
Meals included: Breakfast - Lunch
Day 4
Visit to the Middle of the World Monument (equator) and transfer to Mashpi Lodge
After brakfast, we will drive to the north of Quito to the Mitad del Mundo (“Middle of the World”), the monument on the equator that was built to commemorate the French scientists who in the 1830s made history by determining the shape of the planet thanks to their studies at this location.
The highlight of this visit is the equatorial line running along latitude of 0° 0’ 0.” Here, you will be able to stand with one foot in each of the earth’s hemispheres – a great photo op!
After the visit, we will drive around two hours to the Mashpi Lodge. Upon your arrival at the Mashpi Lodge, after having comfortably settled in your room, you will be greeted by one of the lodge’s naturalists who will give you an introductory talk about the cloud forest and its conservation, the planned activities during your stay, and some helpful tips about what to wear and what to take on the excursions.
In the early afternoon, we will head out on the Napa Trail, which cuts through areas where the forest is regenerating large patches of pristine forest. Because of this, the trail is ideal for demonstrating ecological processes and explaining the importance of forest conservation for the surrounding Choco region. This trail also possesses great scenic beauty and is good for bird watching.
Later this evening, for those guests interested in learning more about cloud forest ecology, various presentations will be given by one of the lodge’s naturalists or its resident biologist. Topics include “Secret Mashpi Wildlife,” “The Trap Camera Project,” and “Choco as a Biological Hotspot.”
Accomodation: Mahpi Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch - Diner
Day 5
Adventure at the Chocó Cloud Forest
Just before the break of dawn, the cloud forest becomes filled with the sound of thousands of birds in search of food. So, for those “early bird” travelers wanting to experience this daily event, they can do so from the lodge’s terrace. Guides will share their skill in handling the telescope to reveal this incredible diversity of bird species and the essential beauty of the cloud forest.
Accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea, this activity begins at 6:30 and last an hour, after which time you can enjoy a full breakfast.
We will then depart at around 8:30 for the "Sky Bike" and the Observation Tower, which are only a 15-minute walk from the lodge. The Sky Bike allows you to explore the forest canopy up close by pedaling this aerial bike along a cable stretched between two points in the forest, around 200 meters (655 feet) apart. Later, you will be able to appreciate even more of this protected forest from Mashpi´s observation tower that rises above the treetops. Reaching a height of 30 meters (100 feet), this is the ideal place for nature lovers to view the complex structure of the forest as well as the incredible richness of species that inhabit the treetops. Visitors have to climb 162 steps to reach the top of this tower – but the striking views are well worth the effort.
Upon your return to the lodge, staff members will be waiting for you with fresh towels and a refreshing natural juice. You can then enjoy a varied and delicious lunch at the lodge’s restaurant.
After eating and relaxing for a bit, we will head out on the Howler Monkey Trail, which goes through an ancient forest where many age-old still trees survive, with the “copal” tree being the most well-known. While hiking along this trail, the local guide will point out whatever wildlife might appear – from colorful birds to elusive howler monkeys. Also during this trek, the guide will explain the ecology the forest and discuss conservation efforts being made to protect it.
This hike will lead you to the lodge’s Life Center, a place where you can learn even more about plants and wildlife that inhabit this region. At the center, you will find out more about the butterflies of the area by being shown the growth process of these creatures from eggs to larva or caterpillar to chrysalis to winged wonders. But in addition to being a site for learning and discovery, the center is also a place where visitors can disconnect by contemplating the views from the expansive wooden deck. You will also have a chance to visit a garden close to the center where you will find many varieties of bushes and fruit trees, including banana and plantain trees, manioc, cacao, hot chili peppers, coffee and wild raspberries.
As the sun starts to go down, the cloud forest begins to transform. The sounds of croaking nocturnal frogs, the calls of night birds and the incessant buzz of insects intensifies. And if you turn off your flashlight, you’ll discover sparkling fireflies and sense bats fluttering by. Looking carefully on the ground, all around you’ll also see the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi (foxfire or fairy fire). Continuing this nighttime safari, you’re likely to hear rustling in the branches above as raccoon-like “kinkajous” scramble though the trees in search of fruit. Following this intriguing excursion, we will return to the lodge to enjoy a delicious dinner.
Accomodation: Mahpi Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch - Diner
Day 6
Transfer to Quito´s airport
This morning’s first activity starts at 6:30 a.m., taking advantage of the fact that many species of birds come near the hotel to feed on the moths that are attracted to the lights. From there, we will walk down the road looking for feeding flocks of insectivorous birds of different species. Forming a single flock, you may see over 20 different species of birds, making this encounter a jackpot for true bird watchers. Accompanied by a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea, this activity lasts an hour, after which time you can enjoy a full breakfast. Following you will have your transfer back to Quito´s airport in order to take your flight back home.
Accomodation: Not included
Meals included: Breakfast - Lunch
- Professional bilingual guide and private transportation for transfers and excursions.
- 3 hotel nights in Quito at selected hotel
- Meals and excursions as specified in program.
- 3 days / 2 nights program in Mashpi Lodge
- International Flight tickets
- Meals not specified in program.
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
- Unspecified expenses like Massages, Laundry Service, Phone Calls, etc.
- Travel Insurance
- Extras &Tips.
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