Get surprised by these travel tips Ecuador

Just a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital Quito, you will find the Mashpi reserve. The Mashpi Lodge is located exactly in between the cloud forest and the tropical rainforest. This creates a special interaction of nature. Everywhere you look you will see varied, surprising and brightly coloured wildlife. The location of the hotel is therefore the key to an ultimate experience in a varied nature reserve. Examples of animals you may encounter here are the small tree frog, the Choco toucan and the violet-tailed nymph, a small colourful bird.

Ecuador is seen as the country where the cocoa beans originate from. 5,000 years ago the bean was used to honour gods, as a means of payment and as a drink. Today people turn it into delicious chocolate. A visit to Ecuador is therefore not complete without a visit to a plantation where you will get to know the whole process of making chocolate, from bean to delicacy.

‘Mitad del Mundo’ literally means half of the world, or equator. The equator was discovered and mapped out by Charles-Marie de La Comdamine, a French mathematician and geographer, and his expedition members in 1736. Although, as it turns out with GPS coordinates, there is a discrepancy of about 250 metres, it was an extraordinary discovery at the time. Despite the fact that 30-metre-high monument complete with painted line is not in exactly the right place these days, it is quite extraordinary to be in the southern and northern hemisphere at the same time!

A warm welcome by the friendly staff of Hacienda Zuleta is the beginning of an unforgettable stay in this charming, traditional 17^th century farmhouse. This hacienda is still in full operation. And as a Dutch cheese lover you have come to the right place, because Hacienda Zuleta also has its own cheese factory! Enjoy the beautiful antique rooms, a delicious cuisine with traditional dishes from the Andes, a pleasant atmosphere and a variety of activities to choose from every day.