Ecuador Cloud Forest lodge
| country: | Ecuador |
| location: | Cloud forest |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From US $355 (2 days) excluding flights. Price based on 2 passengers travelling |
| more info: | Price includes: Bilingual naturalist guide, private transportation, accommodation, entrance fee to El Monte, all meals |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
photo gallery
1of3
1of3check out similar holiday ideas...
introduction to Ecuador Cloud Forest lodge
What makes El Monte so special is its small size and personal touches.
The lodge which has 3 cabañas and a total capacity of 6 to 10 people, first started receiving guests in 1998. It sits on 44 hectares (110 acres) of land... while the lodge and its garden and cabañas take up about 1 hectare (2.5 acres). The rest of the land is used for nature walks, bird watching or just enjoying the surrounding forest.
El Monte visitors can choose from a variety of things to do. You may decide to go on a nature walk (which range from one hour to the whole day) where your guide will point out many species of plants, including many with medicinal properties, and help you spot birds and other wildlife.
Another option is to visit a waterfall, where if you choose you can jump from a 33ft (10M) cliff beside the falls. Even if you decide not to take the leap you can simply enjoy swimming beneath the waterfall in the refreshing waters of the Nambillo river.
The lodge which has 3 cabañas and a total capacity of 6 to 10 people, first started receiving guests in 1998. It sits on 44 hectares (110 acres) of land... while the lodge and its garden and cabañas take up about 1 hectare (2.5 acres). The rest of the land is used for nature walks, bird watching or just enjoying the surrounding forest.
El Monte visitors can choose from a variety of things to do. You may decide to go on a nature walk (which range from one hour to the whole day) where your guide will point out many species of plants, including many with medicinal properties, and help you spot birds and other wildlife.
Another option is to visit a waterfall, where if you choose you can jump from a 33ft (10M) cliff beside the falls. Even if you decide not to take the leap you can simply enjoy swimming beneath the waterfall in the refreshing waters of the Nambillo river.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive to El Monte in the morning. At the lodge a short informal introduction and its nearby garden will be provided by our hosts before lunch. In the afternoon we will take a two hour introductory walk beside the Mindo river and the nearby forest. Our guide will help us to identify exotic birds and will explain about medicinal plants and their local uses. Dinner will be followed by a briefing on the next day’s activities. Includes: Lunch & dinner |
| Day 2: | Today there is an early nature walk. We will be back at the lodge for lunch. Afterwards, there is the chance of another short walk on one of the trails. We return to Quito. Includes: Breakfast & lunch |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
|
Environment
El Monte lessens the environmental impact growing organic fruits and vegetables or buying them locally. This reduces dependency on petroleum used for transport and pesticides and lessens the amount of carbon emissions. Their garden is all hand worked, which not only gives local people a job but also eliminates the need for noisy, polluting, resource burning tractors or tillers, not to mention giving us all a chance for a great workout! Also, all kitchen wastes are composted and recycled back into the garden. Having a spring that gravity feeds water down to the lodge and cabanas is not only convenient but also eliminates the necessity for a pump, not too mention providing clean, fresh, cool water. They have also allowed most of El Monte’s Reserve to regrow sucking in a countless amount of CO2 while releasing O2. El Monte’s spin-off, the Mindo Biological Station (MBS), protects over 6,000 hectares of Primary Cloud Forest that holds a tremendous amount of CO2 and is part of the 19,200 hectare Mindo-Nambillo Protected Forest. Lighting for the main house comes from 2 solar panels (which we are also able to use to charge camera batteries and laptops), kerosene lanterns and candles. A hydroelectric system is in the planning stage. Alternative energy is there. Community Their goal at El Monte has always been to help preserve and protect the biodiversity and natural beauty of Mindo. Together with the people from Mindo they feel they have one of the best examples of ecotourism in the town of Mindo and in the protection of the Mindo-Nambillo Reserve (19,000 hectares). It is a pleasure to see the people progressing in education, health, ability to speak English and other languages, and to have a more stable financial economy, all while passionately defending the local environment. Mindo should be a basic model for like-minded communities here in Ecuador or all over the world. At El Monte they have provided on-the-job training for river rafting and bird guides, cooks and gardeners. Some have remained with us, others have gone on to start their own businesses or work independently. El Monte sponsors and founded the Mindo Biological Station and helped in the beginning of Sani Lodge. Our commitment to not expand our business has allowed us to work in adjacent and distant areas. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
check out similar holiday ideas...