Mashpi Lodge

Oh my goodness, this place is fabulous. The rooms are amazing, the food is sensational and worthy of Michelin stars, the staff are lovely, the birds are stunning. Everything about it is remarkable. Is it cheap? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely. You will never forget your visit. I know I certainly won’t. Thank you to Marc, Jonnathan, Edison, Xavier and all who looked after me so well. Worth mentioning that they have a doctor on staff, visits and medication is included and the doctor helped solve my illness. Turns out I was allergic to the altitude meds.

Where to start? I suppose firstly to congratulate the originators of Mashpi Lodge on their vision of buying land formerly used for forestry and converting it into a rejuvenated mix of primary and secondary forest . The fact that they have combined that achievement with creating a five star eco hotel is , considering the logistical issues that had to be overcome, mind blowing. The lodge is at the centre of all the activities which include a large variety of trails and experiences. For us the highlight was visiting the humming bird area where we must have viewed at least a dozen species zipping around and being able to see them feeding completely unperturbed by spectators. The bird life throughout the lodge area was spectacular and as well as hummingbirds , I particularly enjoyed seeing numerous spectacularly coloured tanagers and others. The observation tower gives splendid views over the jungle canopy though, on the morning we visited mist intervened. It didn’t stop us using the bike ride above the treeline which was great fun and let us see the vegetation a hundred feet below! The accommodation was outstanding as was the food and drink- Fernando’s Spiced Guava cocktail was my favourite from an impressive and reasonably priced list. We were very fortunate in having Anderson Fernando as our guide. He was a sympathetic presence with a vast knowledge as well as being a magnificent spotter. He also went above and beyond in having the patience to teach me how to transfer photos from my camera to my mobile. It’s opened up whole new opportunities. A memorable experience all round.

I am absolutely conflicted about our stay at Mashpi. On one hand, the location, hotel, amenities and staff were top-notch. Everyone at the lodge was kind and accommodating, the food and drinks were great, and the space itself is one-of-a-kind. But the real reason we went was to enjoy the cloud forest, with all its wildlife, in a genuine, unadulterated way. In the end, we felt that many of the wildlife-centric activities felt orchestrated. The Life Center was a great place to view birds, but only because the guides had placed a lot of fruit for them to come and eat. The Hummingbird Garden had an overwhelming abundance of hummingbirds, but seemingly only because the guides came bearing gallons of sugar water. We were immediately swarmed once we pulled up. To me, feeding wild birds for the benefit of humans crosses a line. I would much rather happen upon the birds in the wild, even if that means only seeing a few. By contrast, when we went on the night walk, a serious highlight, we found eight frogs, a scorpion, and a kinkajou: just by the guide's searching and skills. I understand the bind the property is in: bring tourists way out on a very bumpy road with the prospect of seeing an abundance of wildlife. But luring birds and other creatures out with food feels misaligned with the sustainable experience they're promoting.