The Cloud Forest Trips & Tours

Travel north west from Ecuador’s capital, Quito, and you’ll hit the Andean Highlands, a land of luscious, pristine cloud forest where nature runs wild. Sitting at a breathtaking 2000-metres (minimum) above sea level and almost bang on the equator, the ‘clouds’ are formed by cooling humid air from the Amazon, and this particular section is one of the most diverse cloud forests on the planet. Vertiginous and almost inaccessible to humans, it’s a safe haven for critters of all shapes and sizes as well as some seriously interesting flora. Today, much of the terrain is protected by private reserves and a handful of thoughtful eco-lodges host guests every year. Visit and be one of them to spot the wild and wonderful birdlife (hummingbirds are the star of the show), ascend to the very tip of the canopy on an aerial tour, hike and swim by cellophane-clear waterfalls, mountain bike through the thriving ecosystem, and gawp at delicate orchids and glowing fungi…