Sachatamia Lodge

If you are looking for a place to get close to Hummingbirds, here it is. the feeders were full of them, at least 10 varieties. The food was excellent and the employees were extremely friendly. the rooms were well appointed with all of the necessities.

Great visit to the lodge as part of Ecuador Bird Tours. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Clean rooms, hot showers, delicious food. Loved the atmosphere and well kept grounds. Plenty of places for birding on the grounds. Lots of hummingbird feeders, tanager feeders, wetlands, and a big tower up in the trees. Saw plenty of birds everywhere we looked. Our meals were included and did not disappoint. The outlying cabins/rooms could use wifi, it was hard to study for the next day's birding and communicate with family back home given the only wifi was in the main lodge. Also it was weird to have to put little booties over my shoes, but I finally started to just remove my shoes and not worry about it whenever I went inside. Super fun times, centrally located for birding around Mindo and environs. Oh, they do have a decent bar and similar prices as Quito for drinks. Definitely recommend and would return in a heartbeat!

We spent for two nights as part of a six-week South America trip and this was one of the very best places we stayed in. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful with a very strong sense of customer service. The whole lodge and surrounding outside areas are extremely well kept, clean and tidy. The lodge is nicely finished with wood and some attractive artwork; and there is a very pleasant restaurant and small lounge area. A good selection of drinks is available and we found the meals, from an extensive menu, of good quality and reasonably-priced. On check-in, we were offered a choice of rooms and the double we selected (in the main building) was very comfortable, well finished and with good views across the forest. The shower had good flow and temperature. The walls were, however, a bit thin and we could hear people in other rooms. There are some nice seating ares outside the lodge with great views and feeders which attract a good variety of birds including Hummingbirds and Tanagers. Agoutis are also regular. There are trails to follow through the forest and, a short walk from the lodge, a hide by a moth blind which attracted some good birds especially at first light. Sightings here, included Long-wattled Umbrellabird, Masked Trogon, Rufous Motmot and Mottled Owl. A map of the trails would have been useful. We thoroughly enjoyed our short stay here, and would definitely recommend it!

We got a taxi from our hotel in Quito . €80 for the 2 hour drive . Lodges are very clean and comfy. The settings are truly breathtaking. We saw Hummingbirds , Capybara, Tucans plus lots of other birds all from the front of the hotel . Breakfasts were amazing- fresh juices , omletes , crepes , fresh fruit , plus much more . The lodge is about 20 minutes drive from Mindo so can’t walk - this was the only disadvantage. So we had all our meals in the hotel -food was varied and good price . The view from our table was fantastic. We did the canopy walk with a guide from the hotel . Borrow the hotels welly’s - you will need them . The zip lines were good but didn’t always feel very safe - but hey Ho we lived to tell the tale !! The walk was step and challenging. The hotel arranged a taxi to take us to the cable car and chocolate factory. Both trips were great . Driver was very good . It rained most afternoon- well we were I.n The cloud forrest !! The hotel provided us with big umbrellas. So we used the pool and hot tub. Gave us towels . Pool was lovely and warm . This was the perfect end to our trip !! So glad we stayed here

In late February we were on a bird-watching tour and exploring the western Andes, staying at Sachatamia Lodge for four nights. It is a good location to drive to nearby birding hotspots (they may look close on a map but often took 60+ minutes to get there). On two mornings we had to leave the lodge well before sunrise to see birds that are most active at sunrise (eg” Cock-of-the-Rock lek). Completely unexpected by us, the lodge staff served both a cold and hot breakfast; one morning was at 4:30am and the other at 5:00am!! The accommodations of the lodge are split between the main building and various cabins spread out across their property. We stayed in Cabin #6, which was a good five-minute walk to the main building. The cabin was quiet, clean and comfortable with modern bathroom fixtures, a small table with chairs and a couch (also a TV that we never turned on). There is minimal/no space to unpack your luggage – we used the couch. There was a small heater in the room which we did not use – in fact, we opened the windows and let fresh air circulate. There are enough outlets for charging equipment. Water bottles were provided – and refills available at the main lodge. Since the lodge is located in a rain-forest, they provide umbrellas and rubber-boots (and cleaning station), if wanted. They have a policy of removing or covering your shoes with disposable shoe-covers before walking indoors at both the main lodge and in your cabin. Meals were typical American/European dishes with spicy house-made salsa on the side as well as plenty of local fruits and juices. Laundry service was available with a same-day turnaround (recall paying about $10.00 per load) - they gave us a plastic bag to put our laundry in the night before and you drop it off at the main lodge in the morning. A couple of staff members were able to communicate in English. Word of caution – some of our tour group were assigned rooms in the main lodge, above the lounge and dining area. They complained about hearing noise from these common areas and from neighboring rooms. Finally - they have several bird and hummingbird feeders; to include a "moth attracting sheet" with a hide that all provide excellent bird-watching.

Wonderful lodge above Mindo that we used as a base for three days of birding. Cabins were very comfortable, good sized bathrooms, comfortable beds & seating with plenty of plugs for electronics. Lodge was splendid with friendly staff & excellent meals. Great place if you don't want to be in town.