Mashpi Lodge — Hotel in Pacto

During our 3 night stay, we were confused about what was going on, and felt like we were on our own to figure out what to do. Our experience at the lodge did not live up to our expectation or the price.||We arrived in the evening on a private transfer around 6PM. We were welcomed and checked in, and were told there was a night walk but we should probably skip it since we had been traveling all day, and we should come back to the front desk after we unpack and eat dinner so we can talk about what we were doing the next day. ||The rooms are spacious and well appointed, and housekeeping was perfect.||After dinner, we returned to the front desk and shared with the front desk that we had just arrived and were looking for instructions about our stay. A male took us over to the map and described the different excursions, and which one was embarking the next day. They also shared there was a birdwatching workshop at 6AM out on the terrace.||We woke up early for the workshop, and it turned out to be instruction on how to use the binoculars, which we already knew.||We did a nice walk along the waterfall, and our guide Stuardo was great at spotting birds and telling us about the area. On the gondola ride, our guide was kind but only spoke Spanish so we were not able to get information on the hour ride.||For the afternoon excursion to the hummingbird garden, we needed to get back for a spa appointment in the evening, which we mentioned but ended up running a bit late and rushing. I would have expected the front desk to inform the guides about this ahead of time, but they did not know. The quantity and diversity of hummingbirds was incredible, but it felt a bit artificial to watch them drink provided sugar water. At the end of the day, our guide let us know what was available the following day but we had to dart off for the spa.||The spa was great, we had two relaxing massages.||At one point we got a beer at the bar midday, and one of the staff asked if we had done a drone zoom-out video. We did not know that was an option - apparently something you typically do upon arrival. It came out really cool, we were glad to have been in the right place at the right time.||The following day, our last full day, we did the sky bike and life center. The sky bike was similar to gondola - great view over tree tops, though not much to see in terms of wildlife. The life center was interesting, but like the hummingbird garden, centered around human provided food which made it feel unnatural. ||On our way back, we learned from other guests that there was an orientation upon arrival, which included instructions on how to book a hot tub in the forest. What? We had no idea that orientation or a hot tub existed. The guests shared other details about the lodge’s mission and efforts that would’ve been great to know from the beginning of our stay. By this point we were frustrated, because we felt like we had been uninformed on the lodge’s offerings, but we were leaving early the next day so there was no point in asking for it now. ||Our night walk with Paul was awesome - lots of creepy crawlies and frogs, and we were amazed at what he could spot. And early in the morning before we left, Stuardo took us on a private birdwatching walk while others spent time at the hummingbird garden, which was really interesting.||Overall the food was beautifully presented, healthy, and plentiful - appreciated the multi-course small portion format and ability to try many different things. A few dishes were outstanding and had unique flavors, but overall we were not amazed. Many of the dishes lacked distinctive taste and seasoning, or were too sweet. Our server Edison was a highlight of our dining experience - he was thoughtful, attentive and kind. The cocktails and beer were highlights too. ||I left critical feedback on the survey at the end about how not receiving orientation negatively affected our experience, and I did not hear back about it. ||While there were highlights to the trip like Stuardo, Paul, Edison, the spa, and the room/housekeeping, overall we felt under-equipped to make the most of our experience. For this price, the hospitality and attention to detail...

Our stay at Mashpi was magical. Our entire stay was perfect and we could not be happier with our experience. When first arriving at Mashpi, you have a short briefing session to learn about the hotel, the explorations, and the way the hotel works. This briefing was much appreciated and really made us feel at home! The food and cocktails were wonderful (with lots of options for different dietary needs), and the wait staff was so helpful (a special shout out to Darwin, who waited on our table for every meal during our stay--he was outstanding). The spa services were amazing (my husband and I had a massage at a waterfall and it was such a unique and peaceful experience!). The front desk workers were friendly and helpful. It was lovely chatting with them and getting to know them! The room was beautiful--my husband and I were lucky enough to stay in one of the Yaki suites, and the bathtub was AMAZING. The giant floor to ceiling windows were gorgeous. But most of all, our guide, Santiago, was just the BEST. He really made our stay memorable and we learned so much from him. He took special care to make sure everybody in our group was happy and safe and accommodated. His passion for nature and conservation really reflected in the knowledge he passed on to us. He was such a a kind, genuine, and welcoming person!

A few things to note if you are going to Mashpi for the first time... (And these are NOT criticisms): -The road to Mashpi is very windy, and at the part closest to the reserve, very bumpy and possibly muddy. If car sickness is a concern for you, be prepared. -There are some explorations that beginners, those that may not be able bodied, or are not physically active can very easily do (like the hummingbird garden, bird watching, the sky bike, and the hikes off the main road). However, the majority of the explorations require higher degrees of physical exertion (moderate to advanced). I'd recommend getting into a groove of exercising at least a couple of weeks before coming if you wish to embark on some of the more demanding explorations (which are well worth it! The Magnolia Falls hike in particular was a blast, but it would be a significant challenge to those who haven't built up their physical endurance). Also, because some of the explorations are more challenging, I personally wouldn't being children here if you want to maximize the adventure (though they ARE child friendly and have activities just for kids). -Just say "yes" to everything! Soak up the experiences while you're there and fill your days with as many explorations as you have time for and can handle. Nature is unpredictable, so you never know what you'll see! -You do not necessarily have to have cash on hand when coming to Mashpi. You can tip the staff electronically (even for specific staff members) when you settle your bill upon check out. -Rubber boots are a MUST for most of the activities. The lodge provides rubber boots, but if you have special arch support/foot support needs, I'd recommend bringing insoles or your own rain boots. -The lodge also provides binoculars, so if you don't have any, don't sweat it!

TLDR; Mashpi is amazing, go if you can, it's a truly magical and special place, and I hope to...

Overall 4.5/5.

Review from the view of a young-professional couple coming from America with the idea of doing everything in 3 days. I told myself I would leave this review in an effort to shed some light on this place and give others some perspective.

Getting there: 3.5h from Quito. The last 1h is on a very rough, bumpy road that is not for the faint of heart. I write this as someone who is fairly well-traveled including a solo backpacking trip through SA. Transportation was set up at a cost of about $100 a person which I thought was reasonable. Ride there was smooth. Ride back was with a guy who was trying to set the world record for fastest trip from Mashpi to Quito.

The Lodge: Place is awesome. Tucked away in the cloud forest. Away from civilization. The people there are great and they really have the service dialed in. They do a terrible job marketing this place. There are 100 other places in Mindo to stay which are much cheaper. What you are paying for is the all-inclusiveness of the lodge, the abundance of trails of all levels to explore, the "Cloud bike" zip line. Rooms are beautiful. They give you a personalized water bottle and backpack which is a nice touch. The food is decent but was my biggest complaint there. They cater to travelers from all over the world and therefore the cuisine is eclectic and not traditional Ecuadorian food which is way better than what they serve. That being said, it was all relatively fresh and you are paying to not have to worry about GI issues in the middle of the forest. Drinks are good. Full bar and wine selection is limited but not bad. You are paying for a decent spa. Hot tubs are by reservation but worth it after a long day of hiking. Do the massage by the waterfall. Worth it.

Adventures: Trails are well-made and well-organized. We were lucky to have a relatively young group and did the toughest trail with a beautiful waterfall to swim in towards the end. This was about an 8/10 difficulty. The high price tag also include mud boots they give you in addition to rain jackets. This would have been nice to know which would have really saved with packing etc. The hummingbird sanctuary was awesome. Yes, they attract the wildlife with fruit and sugar water, but they do it with the best intentions. Everyone was super respectful of the wildlife. Went to the life-center. Cool place. They go through the stages of butterfly lifecycle. Night hike was also cool although we did it in a decent rainfall. Saw a ton of insects and the elucive glass frog.

Overall, the price tag is a little steep but they need to market this place as a safe, inclusive lodge with 4-5k star amenities/rooms (think automated blinds, giant windows with views of rainforest). You are paying for safety, amazing guides that are super knowledgeable, once in a lifetime experiences (think feeding hummingbirds from your hands) and not having to plan anything while there. It's a well-oiled machine and worth it. I would say 3-4...