I have stayed at Mashpi Lodge and forked over the $1000 a night fee just to see if all the hype was worth it, and, basically, it is if you can afford it, which I could for three days, but that was it. Very luxurious, plunked down in the midst of the Chocó biosphere, with all the habitat intact. The room was extremely comfortable and the food was great. I was there mainly to photograph birds, and here I encountered the same thing I have with other high end lodges, namely that you can't do anything outside without being accompanied by a guide, which ain't cheap. I tried to explain to the management before I got there that I didn't need a guide to be with me while I spent hours photographing hummingbirds, I just needed access to their feeders. They interpreted this as complaining about the guiding fee, which was high, but was not the point. So I did have a guide with me the entire time I was at the feeders. He was a nice, knowledgeable guy, but he was wasting his time watching me. This is so different from other ecolodges in Ecuador, such as Tandayapa, Guango, or you name it, where you can walk the trails to your heart's content. If you want a bird guide, you can arrange for one. I'm not sure what the thinking is; perhaps the clientele who stay at these super expensive places are so litigious that the management is afraid the guests will sue if they stub their toe, or are so helpless that they can't do anything for themselves outdoors without being led around. Maybe someone can explain it to me, but I thought it was a great waste of resources.
