We were on the move again. Leaving Bellavista late afternoon, we headed to my final destination for just about all of the rest of my visit. I was heading to El Septimo Paraiso, owned and managed by Ana Lucia Goetschel who I had met back in August at BirdFair, Rutland.
El Septimo Paraiso is a Country Hotel, located just one hour and a half from Quito, Ecuador; 2 km from the ‘Y’ of Mindo, towards the village. The Lodge has 23 rooms with private bathrooms, hot water (from their own spring) and they are decorated in an elegant vintage-type country style. Click on the image below to visit their website:
I arrived on New Year’s eve….. and straight into New Year in the lodge! It looked beautiful and I was soon immersed in the celebrations, with a drink (juice of course!!) in my hand and chatting to many of the other guests who had been invited to the evening. The place looked beautiful…
We had a wonderful evening of excellent company, absolutely delicious food and what a way to see in 2020!
I was awake early, keen to explore my new location. I was in a truly beautiful room. #gallery-21962-7 { margin: auto; } #gallery-21962-7 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-21962-7 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-21962-7 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
I awoke to the calls of the birds right outside my window, it was just beautiful!
There are lots of different areas to relax and chill in this lodge, from inside sofas and seating areas, to seats and spaces outdoors, surrounded by planting, feeders and wildlife! #gallery-21962-8 { margin: auto; } #gallery-21962-8 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-21962-8 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-21962-8 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
There are two restuarants and the food I had whilst I stayed was wonderful.
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There is also a wonderful chocolate shop, called ‘Xocolat’… I would recommend the melted chocolate drink, the muffins and the truffles…. just delicious and you can sit on the patio and watch the hummingbirds… pretty much heaven!
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There are also two pools, one of which is heated, as well as a hot tub.
Being so wildlife obsessed, I never took advantage of the relaxing pool and lounge areas…. not surprising really!
The whole lodge is nestled in the most beautiful grounds, right in the middle of the Cloud Forest.
Numerous trails mean you can wander easily with lots of wildlife watching opportunities. There are over 20 hummingbird feeders all over the site as well as feeding platforms that are regularly stocked with bananas, attracting a range of Euphonia, Tanager and Saltator species.
One of my favourite spots was a large wooden platform built about a ten minute walk from the main lodge. I loved to go there at first light, before breakfast. Sitting in that location as the sun rose, with the sound of birds and the moist air rising over the trees, was an experience I will never forget. The hummingbird feeders were always buzzing with activity and the feeding platform gave me some of my most memorable experiences, to be detailed in a later blog!
This is the first of several blogs from Septimo, as I undertook lots of different projects here with Analu and recorded, photographed and filmed some incredible wildlife! Be sure to sign in again over the next few weeks to see the following posts… so much more to come from this wonderful location!!
