Cuenca

Today was mostly a travel day, so I’ll spare you the details and keep it brief(ish).

Our original plan was to hike to Copal Falls before heading back to Quito Airport. That was until we discovered we wouldn’t have access to our rooms afterwards, and the idea of sitting on a plane for an hour in clammy hiking gear sounded was not appealing. Thus, the Beta Plan was activated: a luxurious sleep in.

Naturally, our internal alarms ignored the memo and had us up by 7:00 a.m. anyway. Breakfast was as pleasant as ever, and it was lovely to linger over coffee while soaking up our final glimpses of the misty Mashpi forest. Packing took far longer than it should have. How the heck did we fit all our stuff in our suitcases previously?!

Our private transfer arrived early, and by 11:30 a.m. we were winding our way back toward Quito. The smaller car meant a faster drive, and a packed lunch plus a strategic nap made the 3.5 hours pass quickly.

LATAM staff at Quito Airport were wonderfully friendly — efficient, helpful, and cheerfully determined to prevent us from touching a single kiosk ourselves. Security was a breeze, and before long we found ourselves ensconced in the SALA VIP Lounge, thanks to Priority Pass via our trusty AMEX Platinum. The lounge was spacious and calm, the food was average but edible, and each boarding pass came with two free alcoholic drinks — a clever way to maintain both order and decorum. Wi-Fi was slow, but luckily we had our own data. The highlight of my lounge experience was raiding the kids’ soft-serve station and topping my ice cream with a slightly crumbled Biscoff cookie I’d found in my bag. Resourceful? Yes. Proud? Also yes.

Goodbye Mashpi

Our packed lunch had a simple but tasty chicken wrap, a juice popper, a bag of chips..

...and this yummy brownie

Our private transfer

Such a great thing to have at an airport!

The very spacious and light filled lounge

Lots of seating for different functions

There were smaller food and drink stations

Ceviche was a must

DIY biscoff sundae

Our 8:35 p.m. flight to Cuenca was smooth, and by the time we touched down, night had fallen over the city’s red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets. Cuenca immediately felt different - calmer, cultured, and beautifully preserved. Known as the “Athens of Ecuador,” it’s a UNESCO World Heritage city celebrated for its colonial architecture, leafy plazas, and a river or two that always seems to appear just when you think you’re lost.

Our home for the next few nights was Itza Boutique Hotel, a lovingly restored 19th-century building just steps from Parque Calderón. It’s all high ceilings, carved wood, and a central courtyard that looks like it should have its own string quartet. After check-in, we decided to skip the late-night wander and instead redeem our welcome drink vouchers at the rooftop bar. The city twinkled below us, the air was crisp, and the mood was decidedly “we made it.”

Day 6: One forest, one flight, one very fancy scoop of soft serve.

The internal stairs

Just inside the lobby

Whiskey room

You can read here too if you wish

The rooftop bar. Thank goodness it was enclosed because by now it was only 11 degrees outside!

Lots of pretty details

View of the cathedral from the roof top bar

Rooms were small but comfortable. Old spanish style buildings sometimes means no windows to the OUTSIDE

Bathroom. Again small, but clean and modern

And one must not forget to look up!

Journey to Mashpi Lodge

The view from our room - Mashpi Lodge

We left Quito behind, this time heading 110km northwest to Mashpi Lodge — a luxury ecolodge tucked deep inside Ecuador’s cloud forest. The cloud forest, also known as The Chocó, is famous for two things: relentless rain and ridiculous biodiversity. Mashpi is lush, misty, and absolutely teeming with life. Seventy percent of the forest here is primary growth, which basically means it’s been around forever and looks it.

Our transport from Casa Gangotena left right on 8:00 a.m. (yes, on time - well done to the other 6 passengers). The 3.5-hour journey wound through mountain passes and hairpin bends, so if you’re prone to motion sickness, do yourself a favour and pre-game with whatever miracle meds you swear by. But I promise you it is worth it. When Mashpi finally appeared, it felt like the forest exhaled around us — green stretching endlessly in every direction, mist curling around the treetops like it was straight out of David Attenborough documentary. 

Last photo of roses I promise! Near reception at Casa Gangatena

Hummingbirds just on the side of the road near out restroom break

Long drive...

You know you're rural when you have to share the road

You know you're close when the road changed from asphalt to slush and the mist starting rolling in

Inside, the lodge was sleek and glassy but still managed to feel warm and welcoming — all modern lines and rainforest views. Check-in was a masterclass in efficiency: a quick drone video (because if you don’t appear tiny against an ocean of green, were you even there?), a short intro about the lodge and forest, and a neatly organised activity schedule to keep everyone’s FOMO in check.

Lunch rolled right into our first guided walk at 3 p.m., which wrapped up just in time for happy hour at 6. Then, because apparently we hadn’t had enough adventure, we grabbed our torches and headed out again for a night walk at 7. By dinner, we were happily exhausted and deeply smug about our decision to stay three nights.

Mashpi runs like a well-oiled eco-machine. All meals are included, along with daily guided explorations in the morning and afternoon. Optional extras include night walks (yes, please) and educational talks in the evening. There’s even a “refreshing station” with cool towels and drinks after hikes, plus a drying service — because humidity here sits at a solid 95%, and it rains every single day. Every. Single. Day.

Two species are unique to this area — the Mashpi frog and the Mashpi magnolia, the latter lending its scent to the lodge’s toiletries. You can even buy them (the toiletries, not the frogs) to support local conservation efforts. Our guide, Estuardo, has worked here for eight years and grew up in a nearby community. He told us how the lodge has completely reshaped the locals’ relationship with the forest. These days, 70% of the staff come from surrounding villages, local produce is prioritised, and the lodge supports community projects in education and infrastructure. It’s eco-tourism done properly — the kind that walks the talk.

Estuardo also had the kind of eyesight that made the rest of us question our own evolution. He could spot a camouflaged frog from 20 metres away in the dark while I was still trying to find my torch’s “on” switch.

And that night walk? Honestly, it was far more fascinating than I’d expected. I can now add "frog" to my list of obsessions.

Day 3: Three and a half hours, 247 mountain bends, zero regrets.

The Albanys are suckers for welcome drinks. Naranjillo and lemongrass

Refreshment station

Dining room

The briefing room. Also the room where presentations/talks are given

Complete with tea/coffee station

Reference library

New species found in Mashpi

I'm on a mission...NEED to see it

The adventure schedule

List of adventures

Map of the adventures

Modern, but the forest always in sight. All interior spaces are kept at 23 degrees celsius to reduce condensation on the glass

Some of the guest rooms. Rooms have de-humidifiers to help keep guests comfortable

Lunch - ceviche. Drink is guayusa, lemon verbena and passionfruit lemonade

Quinoa crusted fish

pumpkin panna cotta

Our room

Backpack and water bottles provided in case you didn't bring any

Bathroom

In-room educational material

Prior to adventures, they put out snacks for you to bring

Fresh fruit on the left, dried fruit and nuts on the right

Each room has their own show rack

The lodge provides rubber boots

When you come in, there is a hosing station

Bug spray, well we are in the forest. It passed the Belinda smell test.

Afternoon walk. And so begins the biology lessons

Even the branches "love" the activities

Wild berries. So vibrant but not edible

Millipede

It is like a "mudroom". You change shoes here, and gather/meet your guide

Happy hour! Mashpi - excellent drink. Pineapple, kaffir lime, basil, chardonnay and ginger

Nightwalk. Or as Mal puts it, CSI Ecuador

Estuardo helping me in my selfie quest. Spiny devil katydid

Here's what they look like front on

Vine snake

Rain frog

Can't remember the name of this one lol

Yellow footed frog

Rain frog but a different species. Sorry Estuardo I wasn't listening...

Butterfly with transparent wings!

This is why we need boots

What a great night walk!

Moth

Cloudy Forest - tangerine from patate, pears, ginger, egg white, angostura bitters

Fig cheesecake