82 October 2013 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | travel Ecological ESCAPES by ANKITA MAMGAIN Your pick of the best ‘nestled in nature’ destination receives a defeating blow when the concrete jungle comes haunting through processed food on the menu, soda cans in the mini-bar and plummeting stocks on TV. Fret not; here are some green ghettos that redefine being one with nature. MASHPI LODGE, ECUADOR Described as a cocoon in the clouds, this ecological getaway has been voted one of the best in the world. Forbes magazine calls it ‘the most luxurious new jungle retreat’. Its enormous windows make you feel like you’re suspended mid-air with a dreamy mist punctuating the deep woods. A little over two hours northwest of Quito, the lodge is situated at 3,116 feet on the western slope of the Andes. Mashpi hosts a profusion of flora and fauna, which includes an estimated 500 species of birds, 36 of which can only be found here. The structure rests on recycled, long, steel legs with just enough wood to hold it all together. The lodge provides an exciting setting for photography with a number of nature trails, waterfalls and an observation tower. If luck is on your side, you could even spot an ocelot, puma or a rare cuckoo. Green expectations Mashpi lodge sources its fruits, vegetables and herbs from local farms and will soon run on hydropower. An important job provider in the region, it aims at hiring 80 percent of its employees from surrounding communities. Mashpi helps support 3,200 acres of primary forest area in one of the most understudied cloud forests in the world. Best time to visit With year long temperatures averaging 15 degrees Celsius, there’s no bad time of the year to visit. However months of winter (June, July and August) are particularly pleasant with less rain and sunny afternoons.
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