Arashá Rainforest Resort and Spa

Ecuador’s Arashá Rainforest Resort allows guests to experience biodiversity found on only 2.3% of the Earth’s surface with the comforts of a world-class resort. Actually, as winner of World Travel Awards
leading spa resort in Ecuador, Arashá is world class.

Less than 2 hours West of Quito, in the sub-tropical foothills of the Andes Mountains, guests enter a world that appears almost artificial, as it it were a creation of Disney.

Arashá is considered a biodiversity “Hot Spot” with more than 35,000 species of plants and over 150 species of birds. I consider Arashá a dining “Hot Spot” with the best cuisine and service I have yet to find in Ecuador.

Activities include nature hikes, bird watching, artisan workshops, chocolate workshops, spa treatments, swimming, and fine dining.

Chocolate in Ecuador is Fresh, Cheap, and Easy to Make

The chocolate workshop at Arashá is unique because some of the world’s best cacao comes from this part of Ecuador. This is a photo of Cacao beans fresh from the tree. They don’t smell or taste like chocolate until they are cooked.

The cacao beans are dried, often on the side of highways, and then look like this.

The beans are cooked and then a hard shell is removed to reveal perfectly roasted cacao.

The cacao is ground and cooked. At this stage you can add sugar, milk, vanilla, or any other flavor to make your chocolate perfect. Here I am making chocolate.

It’s amazing how few cacao beans are required to make a lot of chocolate. Even better, you can buy one pound of cacao for 50 cents and the local market.

Ecuadorian Residents Get Lower Prices

While making your own chocolate is cheap, Arashá is expensive, unless you are a resident of Ecuador. As residents of Ecuador, Tania and I paid $88 per person for one night in the Jr. Suite with three excellent meals and a long list of activities. According to Arashá’s website, the equivalent price for tourists would be $288 per person, plus tax.

Filed under: Ecuador Lifestyle, Places in Ecuador