“With the Covid-19 pandemic expected to impact travel habits throughout 2021, luxury tour operators continue rolling out new options for closer-to-home and private travel. Among the latest entries: more domestic itineraries from luxury cycling tour operator DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. and private tours of the Galapagos by Metropolitan Touring.”
“Metropolitan Touring’s Mashpi Lodge has recently partnered with Rainforest Connection, the first real-time eco-acoustic monitoring company.”
“Un enorme portón de madera al más puro estilo Jurassic Park da la bienvenida al visitante. Luego de atravesarlo, todavía quedan 20 minutos en todoterreno por un sinuoso camino de tierra. La frondosidad abruma […]. “
“South American tour operator Metropolitan Touring, which focuses on travel to the Galapagos, Ecuador, Peru and Colombia, is offering similarly flexible bookings. The company currently requires just a 10%, with full payment due 60 days prior to departure for Galapagos trips, 30 days prior for stays at the biodiverse Masphi Lodge and 10 days at the historic Casa Gangotena in Quito, Ecuador. And in all cases, trips can be rescheduled without penalty”.
“In Ecuador, my hotel in Quito, Casa Gangotena, arranged to have a testing agency come right to the hotel. “
“During the month I spent in Ecuador in December, 2020, I experienced all of this, and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I can’t wait to go back”.
“For biologists at Mashpi, it means that instead of having dozens of species experts spend months sifting through thousands of hours of audio, the technology will process three months of audio in mere minutes.”
“Francisco Dousdebés, corporate social responsibility manager for Metropolitan Touring, talks with James Shillinglaw about how his tour company addresses social responsibility and sustainable tourism for each of its cruise, tour and hotel products.”
“As the first company to offer Galapagos cruises, Metropolitan has a fleet of three ships and long experience in guiding visitors around the islands. But the company also offers a hotel in the Galapagos, a luxury hotel in Quito, and an acclaimed lodge in the cloud forest near the city.”
“Dominic Hamilton, director of communications for Metropolitan Touring in Ecuador, talks about the trip his company planned for Insider Travel Report, including a tour of Quito, a four-day Galapagos cruise on Isabella II, a stay at Finch Bay Lodge on Santa Cruz, a stay at Mashpi Lodge in the cloud forest and more.”
” In the course of the cruise, guests see many if not most of the exquisite wildlife in Galapagos, including sea lions, marine and land iguanas, Galapagos penguins, blue- and red-footed boobies, and many other bird species. Plus they get to see the vastly different geology and plant life of these volcanic islands.”
“Sobrevuela la selva del Chocó ecuatoriano en el telesilla de Mashpi Lodge”.
“Located in the heart of the Ecuadorian cloud forest, the Mashpi Lodge aims to protect 15,000 hectares by 2040. To reach this target, the lodge has partnered with the tech organisation Rainforest Connection […].”
“La propuesta de Mikuy es llevar la esencia de nuestra gastronomía a los hogares, junto con instrucciones detalladas y recomendaciones exclusivas para servir y emplatar.”
“Metropolitang Touring, empresa que ofrece los paquetes turísticos denominados ‘Escape’. Mediante el acompañamiento de guías profesionales, pretenden brindar a los ecuatorianos una experiencia diferente para conocer el país de una manera profunda y auténtica.”
“Metropolitan Touring, meanwhile, announced this week that it is among the first companies to resume trips to the Galapagos.”
“Galapagos specialist Metropolitan Touring has resumed operations in the Galapagos archipelago, one of the first major tour operators to return to the region off Ecuador’s coast following a five-month pause triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Te llevamos, junto a nuestros guías expertos, por el Ecuador que no conocías, a vivir experiencias que despertarán tus sentidos.”
“Mikuy es el primer delivery de cocina ecuatoriana y mestiza, un proyecto del Hotel Boutique Casa Gangotena, creado para acercar lo mejor de la rica y variada cocina ecuatoriana a los hogares de todos los habitantes de la Capital.”
“Metropolitan Touring diseñó una nueva línea de paquetes para el turismo interno denominado Escape, que emplea toda su capacidad operativa y el profesionalismo de sus guías para ofrecer a los ecuatorianos una experiencia diferente, sin salir de nuestras fronteras.”
“Casa Gangotena continúa coleccionando reconocimientos. En esta ocasión, Tavel + Leisure, la revista de viajes más grande de los Estados Unidos, galardonó a Casa Gangotena como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica, en los premios World’s Best 2020, en su edición 25.”
“La Casa Gangotena, fue reconocida como uno de los mejores hoteles del mundo, galardón entregado por Travel + Leisure, una revista de viajes de los Estados Unidos, que lo distinguió como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica.”
“Tavel + Leisure, la revista de viajes más grande de los Estados Unidos, galardonó a Casa Gangotena como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica, en los premios World’s Best 2020, en su edición 25. Casa Gangotena es el único hotel ecuatoriano en formar parte de esta importante lista.”
“For a truly epic nature adventure, look to the Galapagos Islands, one of the most biodiverse regions on earth.”
“Ecuador’s most established tour operator, Metropolitan Touring, owns three Galapagos boats as well as three spectacular eco-lodges – Mashpi Lodge, Casa Gangotena, and Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel.”
“Mashpi Lodge offers guests a luxurious escape that’s rooted in nature and sustainability.”
“Por Todos, a country-wide emergency fund spearhead by Metropolitan’s Touring chairman, Roque Sevilla, providing food and essential items to vulnerable people…”
“…we’ve done the research and identified some of the world’s most remote resorts that you may not have stumbled upon on your own—and all the better that they also happen to be great home bases for diving of the mind-blowing variety”.
“When the Covid-19 crisis spread to Ecuador earlier this year, the Metropolitan Touring chairman took matters into his own hands and set up Por Todas, a country-wide emergency initiative supporting the country’s most vulnerable people.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs and swimming pools.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs, and swimming pools.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs, yoga rooms, and swimming pools.”
“We Galapagueños are concerned because the islands depend primarily on tourism, and now people are afraid of Covid-19 here, even though we have followed all safety protocols and people have bee respectful of the rules”
“Fees generated support initiatives in the reserve and with locals in the area, including ground-breaking research projects like this one and in-depth studies to help mitigate the effects of climate change.”
“This news reminds us that there is still much of the world awaiting discovery, and there will be many more beautiful new sites for us all to set our eyes on once the lockdown is over”.
“Ecuador’s extraordinary Mashpi Lodge is an eco-wonder set deep in the amazing Chocó-Andean Cloud Forest.”
“Head of Metropolitan Touring’s Holding Group Launches “Por Todos” Initiative to Aid the Needy & Bolster Healthcare in Ecuador During COVID-19 Pandemic.”
“Xandra Pérez es de Basauri y lleva ocho años viviendo en Quito. Nos muestra Casa Gangotena, uno de los hoteles más prestigiosos de la ciudad, y la iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús.”
“Head to Ecuador’s Mashpi Lodge to experience 6,200 acres of cloud forest, soaring through the treetops on the Sky Bike and Dragonfly Canopy Gondola.”
“Luxury eco-hotel, Mashpi Lodge, located deep in the heart of the Ecuadorian Choco ecoregion, is delighted to announce the discovery of a new species of orchid.”
“The Galapagos Islands have been famed for their bounty of unique and diverse wildlife since Charles Darwin’s discoveries in 1835.”
“Casa Gangotena, a restored Neoclassical mansion converted into a 33 – room boutique hotel on Plaza San Francisco.”
“The new species was found in the protected Reserve surrounding the hotel by the Lodge’s dedicated Research & Biology team as part of their ongoing mission to protect and preserve this sacred corner of the Choco region.”
“The lodge is a luxurious sanctuary after a day of exploring, but the views don’t stop inside – floor to ceiling windows allow you to enjoy the forest’s natural beauty at all times, even from bed.”
“Lepanthes mashpica deemed endemic to Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve within the Choco Ecoregion of Ecuador, one of the most diverse and threatened forests in the world.”
“Why a walk in the forest is the perfect antidote to anxiety.”
“En algunos puntos, unas cascadas y pequeños remansos sirven de escenarios paradisíacos donde hacer un alto y darse un chapuzón”.
“Lo mejor es que de aquí se sale concienciado y con un espíritu naturalista bien arraigado.”
“Roque Sevilla, chairman of Metropolitan Touring, has raised USD $11 million for the most vulnerable communities in the Galapagos, the Amazon, Cuenca, Esmeraldas, Quito, and the Central Highlands.”
“Get back to nature at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador and enjoy everything its beautiful location within the Mashpi Nature Reserve has to offer”.
(La Pinta) “Newly renovated, this 48-passenger vessel has one of the top five guest-space ratios in the Galápagos. I could always find a quiet spot, with communal areas including a sundeck, library and bar/lounge area”.
““Orchid lovers will rejoice exploring this dreamscape fame for its exotic fauna and flora”.
“… a stay here means you can hike and trek to explore the uncharted wilderness of this biodiversity hotspot, where you can swim in waterfalls and rocks pools that feels totally prelapsarian”.
“Mashpi Lodge, this strikingly modern boutique hotel helps to conserve one of the world’s prime biodiversity hotspots.”
“Get ready to fully immerse yourself in the Ecuadorian jungle, where the forest meets the sky.”
“C’est le lieu idéal pour un retour à l’état sauvage.”
“Tra cielo e terra, c’è una funivia che fa fare un viaggio magico: quaranta minuti di full immersion nella bellezza della natura.”
“At Mashpi Lodge, you will be able to immerse yourself in the flora and fauna of the cloud forest.”
“The Yaku Suite at Mashpi Lodge has been included in a compilation of the 137 most beautiful and romantic suites in the world.”
“Mashpi Lodge is a luxury hotel perched in the Andean Cloud Forest of Ecuador.”
“Casa Gangotena – Built 1924 as a family home, the Art Deco mansion now provides a unique hotel experience.”
“Mashpi Lodge provides the perfect opportunity for families to re-connect and bring teenagers back down to earth.”
“The Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel, the only beachfront property in Santa Cruz Island.”
“Mashpi is beautiful and modern with clean wooden lines, concrete floors and acres of glass that ‘cocoon’ you.”
“Arriving at Finch Bay on Santa Cruz island is delightfully romantic.”
“(Mashpi) “The forest is a cacophony of noise: full of squeaks, buzzes and chirps of a million insects and frogs.”
(Casa Gangotena) “It is a perfect base in the capital ad has a super restaurant””
“One of the island’s longest-standing hotels, Finch Bay is the closest you’ll get to a Galapagos beach club.”
“Nel Mashpi Lodge, immerso nella splendida Choco, uno dei posti più verdi e piovosi del pianeta, si può ammirare lo straordinario ambiente da una teleferica a bassissimo impatto che corre sospesa a 500 metri per 2 chilometri.”
“Passengers are on board Santa Cruz II for one reason only: to explore the Galápagos.”
“For luxury travel with a difference, visit an eco-lodge in a tropical rainforest”.
“Not many places marry the luxury of this lodge with the natural beauty of its surroundings.”
“I marvel at the lodge’s construction: it was built without cutting down a single tree.”
“A three-hour drive from Quito delivers you to a 6,000-acre rain forest reserve that’s dripping, squawking, and buzzing with life.”
“Á 110 km, dans la réserve de Mashpi, 600 espéces d’ oiseaux s’agitent, autant que dans toute l’ Europe continentale.”
“Todo aquello que se considera ideal y perfecto suele nombrarse como paraíso, de ahí que las Islas Galápagos sean consideradas como el edén natural mejor preservado de la tierra.”
“I believe people will start choosing more sustainable companies in the future, and opt for destinations that respect local communities, conservation, and biodiversity.”
“A bumpy three-hour drive from Quito takes guests to this spectacular eco-lodge, cocooned within the Chocó-Andean cloud forest in the Mashpi Reserve: a 15,000-acre spread of lush mountainous jungle just waiting to be explored.”
“In the Galapagos, Metropolitan Touring was among the first to resume sailing.”
“We’ve opened two of the three hotels (Mashpi Lodge, in the Choco region, and Quito’s Casa Gangotena, affiliated with Relais & Chateaux), and it is Ecuadorians who are coming.”
“The site is in a remote location so you can enjoy the sounds of nature, including the various bird calls – over a quarter of Ecuador’s bird species live in the reserve”.
“Mashpi Lodge and the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel were included on the top 25 resorts in South America”
“Casa Gangotena was ranked 7th among the 20 best hotels of South America.”
“Metropolitan Touring is the ideal cruise line for those seeking a casual experience in the wildlife hotspot.”
“The site is in a remote location so you can enjoy the sounds of nature, including the various bird calls – over a quarter of Ecuador’s bird species live in the reserve”.
“Tourism is what has made Galapagos not extinct”
“Because I’ll be traveling with Metropolitan Touring, which has taken dramatic steps to protect its passengers – and the Ecuadorian population and environment – and because my trip will focus on exploring remote islands and sparsely populated highlands, I feel safer traveling there than some parts of my own country, where local governments are still fighting mask mandates”.
“Escape se nutre de las experiencias de Metropolitan Touring al recorrer el país entero, abriendo nuevas trochas y descubriendo rincones remotos.”
“La propuesta de Mikuy es llevar la esencia de nuestra gastronomía a los hogares, junto con instrucciones detalladas y recomendaciones exclusivas para servir y emplatar.”
“Metropolitang Touring, empresa que ofrece los paquetes turísticos denominados ‘Escape’. Mediante el acompañamiento de guías profesionales, pretenden brindar a los ecuatorianos una experiencia diferente para conocer el país de una manera profunda y auténtica.”
“Metropolitan Touring, meanwhile, announced this week that it is among the first companies to resume trips to the Galapagos.”
“Galapagos specialist Metropolitan Touring has resumed operations in the Galapagos archipelago, one of the first major tour operators to return to the region off Ecuador’s coast following a five-month pause triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Te llevamos, junto a nuestros guías expertos, por el Ecuador que no conocías, a vivir experiencias que despertarán tus sentidos.”
“Mikuy es el primer delivery de cocina ecuatoriana y mestiza, un proyecto del Hotel Boutique Casa Gangotena, creado para acercar lo mejor de la rica y variada cocina ecuatoriana a los hogares de todos los habitantes de la Capital.”
“Metropolitan Touring diseñó una nueva línea de paquetes para el turismo interno denominado Escape, que emplea toda su capacidad operativa y el profesionalismo de sus guías para ofrecer a los ecuatorianos una experiencia diferente, sin salir de nuestras fronteras.”
“Casa Gangotena continúa coleccionando reconocimientos. En esta ocasión, Tavel + Leisure, la revista de viajes más grande de los Estados Unidos, galardonó a Casa Gangotena como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica, en los premios World’s Best 2020, en su edición 25.”
“La Casa Gangotena, fue reconocida como uno de los mejores hoteles del mundo, galardón entregado por Travel + Leisure, una revista de viajes de los Estados Unidos, que lo distinguió como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica.”
“Tavel + Leisure, la revista de viajes más grande de los Estados Unidos, galardonó a Casa Gangotena como el Hotel #1 de Ciudad de Centro y Sudamérica, en los premios World’s Best 2020, en su edición 25. Casa Gangotena es el único hotel ecuatoriano en formar parte de esta importante lista.”
“For a truly epic nature adventure, look to the Galapagos Islands, one of the most biodiverse regions on earth.”
“Ecuador’s most established tour operator, Metropolitan Touring, owns three Galapagos boats as well as three spectacular eco-lodges – Mashpi Lodge, Casa Gangotena, and Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel.”
“Mashpi Lodge offers guests a luxurious escape that’s rooted in nature and sustainability.”
“Por Todos, a country-wide emergency fund spearhead by Metropolitan’s Touring chairman, Roque Sevilla, providing food and essential items to vulnerable people…”
“…we’ve done the research and identified some of the world’s most remote resorts that you may not have stumbled upon on your own—and all the better that they also happen to be great home bases for diving of the mind-blowing variety”.
“When the Covid-19 crisis spread to Ecuador earlier this year, the Metropolitan Touring chairman took matters into his own hands and set up Por Todas, a country-wide emergency initiative supporting the country’s most vulnerable people.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs and swimming pools.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs, and swimming pools.”
“Metropolitan Touring, which operates Casa Gangotena, Mashpi Lodge, and Finch Bay Galapagos in Ecuador, will only open 50 percent of its hotels’ hot tubs, yoga rooms, and swimming pools.”
“We Galapagueños are concerned because the islands depend primarily on tourism, and now people are afraid of Covid-19 here, even though we have followed all safety protocols and people have bee respectful of the rules”
“Fees generated support initiatives in the reserve and with locals in the area, including ground-breaking research projects like this one and in-depth studies to help mitigate the effects of climate change.”
“This news reminds us that there is still much of the world awaiting discovery, and there will be many more beautiful new sites for us all to set our eyes on once the lockdown is over”.
“Ecuador’s extraordinary Mashpi Lodge is an eco-wonder set deep in the amazing Chocó-Andean Cloud Forest.”
“Head of Metropolitan Touring’s Holding Group Launches “Por Todos” Initiative to Aid the Needy & Bolster Healthcare in Ecuador During COVID-19 Pandemic.”
“Xandra Pérez es de Basauri y lleva ocho años viviendo en Quito. Nos muestra Casa Gangotena, uno de los hoteles más prestigiosos de la ciudad, y la iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús.”
“Head to Ecuador’s Mashpi Lodge to experience 6,200 acres of cloud forest, soaring through the treetops on the Sky Bike and Dragonfly Canopy Gondola.”
“Luxury eco-hotel, Mashpi Lodge, located deep in the heart of the Ecuadorian Choco ecoregion, is delighted to announce the discovery of a new species of orchid.”
“The Galapagos Islands have been famed for their bounty of unique and diverse wildlife since Charles Darwin’s discoveries in 1835.”
“Casa Gangotena, a restored Neoclassical mansion converted into a 33 – room boutique hotel on Plaza San Francisco.”
“The new species was found in the protected Reserve surrounding the hotel by the Lodge’s dedicated Research & Biology team as part of their ongoing mission to protect and preserve this sacred corner of the Choco region.”
“The lodge is a luxurious sanctuary after a day of exploring, but the views don’t stop inside – floor to ceiling windows allow you to enjoy the forest’s natural beauty at all times, even from bed.”
“Lepanthes mashpica deemed endemic to Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve within the Choco Ecoregion of Ecuador, one of the most diverse and threatened forests in the world.”
“Why a walk in the forest is the perfect antidote to anxiety.”
“En algunos puntos, unas cascadas y pequeños remansos sirven de escenarios paradisíacos donde hacer un alto y darse un chapuzón”.
“Lo mejor es que de aquí se sale concienciado y con un espíritu naturalista bien arraigado.”
“Roque Sevilla, chairman of Metropolitan Touring, has raised USD $11 million for the most vulnerable communities in the Galapagos, the Amazon, Cuenca, Esmeraldas, Quito, and the Central Highlands.”
“Get back to nature at Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador and enjoy everything its beautiful location within the Mashpi Nature Reserve has to offer”.
(La Pinta) “Newly renovated, this 48-passenger vessel has one of the top five guest-space ratios in the Galápagos. I could always find a quiet spot, with communal areas including a sundeck, library and bar/lounge area”.
““Orchid lovers will rejoice exploring this dreamscape fame for its exotic fauna and flora”.
“… a stay here means you can hike and trek to explore the uncharted wilderness of this biodiversity hotspot, where you can swim in waterfalls and rocks pools that feels totally prelapsarian”.
“Mashpi Lodge, this strikingly modern boutique hotel helps to conserve one of the world’s prime biodiversity hotspots.”
“Get ready to fully immerse yourself in the Ecuadorian jungle, where the forest meets the sky.”
“C’est le lieu idéal pour un retour à l’état sauvage.”
“Tra cielo e terra, c’è una funivia che fa fare un viaggio magico: quaranta minuti di full immersion nella bellezza della natura.”
“At Mashpi Lodge, you will be able to immerse yourself in the flora and fauna of the cloud forest.”
“The Yaku Suite at Mashpi Lodge has been included in a compilation of the 137 most beautiful and romantic suites in the world.”
“Mashpi Lodge is a luxury hotel perched in the Andean Cloud Forest of Ecuador.”
“Casa Gangotena – Built 1924 as a family home, the Art Deco mansion now provides a unique hotel experience.”
“Mashpi Lodge provides the perfect opportunity for families to re-connect and bring teenagers back down to earth.”
“The Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel, the only beachfront property in Santa Cruz Island.”
“Mashpi is beautiful and modern with clean wooden lines, concrete floors and acres of glass that ‘cocoon’ you.”
“Arriving at Finch Bay on Santa Cruz island is delightfully romantic.”
“(Mashpi) “The forest is a cacophony of noise: full of squeaks, buzzes and chirps of a million insects and frogs.”
(Casa Gangotena) “It is a perfect base in the capital ad has a super restaurant””
“One of the island’s longest-standing hotels, Finch Bay is the closest you’ll get to a Galapagos beach club.”
“Nel Mashpi Lodge, immerso nella splendida Choco, uno dei posti più verdi e piovosi del pianeta, si può ammirare lo straordinario ambiente da una teleferica a bassissimo impatto che corre sospesa a 500 metri per 2 chilometri.”
“Passengers are on board Santa Cruz II for one reason only: to explore the Galápagos.”
“For luxury travel with a difference, visit an eco-lodge in a tropical rainforest”.
“Not many places marry the luxury of this lodge with the natural beauty of its surroundings.”
“I marvel at the lodge’s construction: it was built without cutting down a single tree.”
“A three-hour drive from Quito delivers you to a 6,000-acre rain forest reserve that’s dripping, squawking, and buzzing with life.”
