You Can Ride A Bike Through The Treetops At This Rainforest Retreat
Deep in the 3,200 acre Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve near Quito, Ecuador, eco-tourists can experience a unique immersion in nature. Visitors can stay in a beautiful, glass-walled lodge totally surrounded by lush greenery, including hundreds of orchid species, and explore the many trails, waterfalls, outlooks and wildlife habitats the Reserve has to offer. Why hike though, when you can fly? On a one-of-a-kind Mashpi Sky Bikes, that’s exactly what you can do.
The Sky Bikes are human-powered tandem bicycles suspended in the rainforest canopy by a cable more than 200 metres long and at some points, more than 60 metres off the ground. The Sky Bike is the perfect vehicle for exploring the stunning Andean cloudforest – riders can cross rivers with ease and observe tree-dwelling animals up close (apparently, critters are less shy when viewed on their turf), including upwards of 500 bird species.
The Sky Bike is completely noiseless, and unlike a zip-line, the ride can be as fast, or slow, as you want – sometimes, it really is better to take in the beauty of nature without an adrenaline rush.
(All images: Mashpi Lodge)
