Original subtitles

Imagine staying the night deep in the desert,

sleeping underneath the stars...

..lodging in an airship hidden in a forest...

..or holidaying in a resort perched on top of a glacier.

In this series, we venture across the globe...

It's literally built into the rock. You wouldn't even know it was here.

..to reveal some of the world's most unique hotels,

hidden in the most surprising places.

Even people who are from here, they have no idea that this is here.

From reinvented bunkers and converted jumbo jets...

I've never experienced something like this.

It's just a really cool place.

..to floating hideaways and futuristic escapes.

It's like nothing I've ever seen before.

We meet the teams who keep them running...

We're inviting people to create unforgettable experiences.

..and the guests living their dreams...

This is an entrance you don't normally see, isn't it? Wow!

..as we explore the world's most secret hotels.

This time, we meet the owners of a historic landmark

that has been transformed into a secret seaside escape.

People walking along the coastal paths probably don't even realise

that you can stay here.

We check into the only 747 jumbo jet hotel in the world.

We wanted to go to the cockpit suite

because you can play at the pilot's space.

And we travel deep into the Ecuadorian jungle

to a unique wildlife retreat.

It's like you get into the forest and, suddenly, you find

this incredible building in the middle of nowhere.

But our adventure begins in Jordan

in the Middle East.

Four hours' drive south of Jordan's capital, Amman,

and 60km east of the nearest town

is a place the locals call the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum.

It's a vast 720 square-kilometre valley

cut by ancient rivers into the sandstone and granite rock.

The summers here are extremely hot,

with temperatures soaring to over 40 degrees Celsius,

while the winters can be cold, with snow.

Deep in the heart of the valley,

looking more like a large cluster of spacecraft on Mars

than luxury desert accommodation,

is an unexpected and well-hidden secret...

..the Bubble Luxotel Wadi Rum.

This resort was built in 2019

by three brothers descended from the Bedouin tribes

who have lived in the area for centuries.

It is designed to immerse guests into the desert experience,

inside a bold alternative to traditional tents.

One of these brothers is Musab Nawafleh, the general manager.

This is a new experience for everyone.

We have many international tours coming from all over the world.

The 20 domes are made from recycled plastic,

and can sleep 30 people

in either twin, king-size or family bubbles.

Inside, there are three connected spaces -

a living room with a panoramic window,

a bedroom with transparent roof,

and a bathroom with private toilet.

With no fixed frames, the bubbles rely on a continuous air supply

to stay inflated, like a balloon.

Two airtight doors create an airlock

to stop the bubbles deflating when guests enter and exit.

The resort also has a restaurant,

kitchens and communal areas.

The bubble units sit on top of wooden platforms,

so they are above the ground,

which can get hot during the day and cold at night.

This helps regulate the temperature of the accommodation.

They are cleverly designed to blur the boundaries

between inside and out.

80% of the dome is transparent,

including the lounge and the top of the bedroom.

The bathroom has solid walls for privacy,

and there are blinds or curtains that the guests can close

to block out the world.

Each bubble is inflated by a quiet fan

that sits in a soundproof box four metres away.

This air blower is necessary for the bubble to keep its form.

It also constantly renews and filters the air inside,

prevents condensation and regulates the temperature.

It is vital that one of the two doors to the airlock entrance

stays closed when people go in and out, so the bubble remains inflated.

The hotel sits within a UNESCO Heritage Site.

The desert landscape here has deep, narrow gorges and towering cliffs.

It is just over 100km from the ancient city of Petra,

Jordan's most visited tourist attraction.

To protect the beauty of the desert,

all cars are parked in a secure area 5km away,

and guests are brought to the hotel in four-by-fours.

The international clientele, mostly European and American,

are all searching for a magical desert adventure.

We love unique experiences,

and we were searching for something that was cool,

and we saw a picture, and we were, like, "We have to go there."

It's like nothing I've ever seen before.

It looks like a fancy hotel room anywhere else,

except when you look out your window and see the scenery.

But there's nice hardwood floors and a really nice bed.

Something about staying in a tent

in a place where there could be scorpions

a little bit freaked us out,

so being in an enclosed bubble is really a perfect way

to see the desert without worrying about that.

It feels like you're in a suburb on Mars.

Watching the sun rise over these little bubbles felt

like an otherworldly experience.

It looks like it's from a movie.

I mean, it feels like it's from a movie, even walking around.

Guests can make the most of the interstellar location

by exploring the desert off-road in four-by-fours,

or even from the back of a camel.

We did a camel ride this morning,

and then, we're going to take off on a six-hour jeep tour

to a bunch of different historical sites,

tourist sites, little markets or bazaars,

so we don't really know what to expect,

but there's a lot to explore out here.

25 members of staff live on site,

providing round-the-clock service for the guests.

But keeping the bubbles clean can be challenging,

especially in the dusty desert climate.

Where possible, housekeeping is done early in the morning

before the heat of the midday sun hits.

First job is to cover the domes to protect them

from the sun's ultraviolet rays, which damage the plastic.

This also helps keep the domes cool during the day

until they are removed before sunset.

Shaban Hamdi Elwani and Rahul Surjit are

two of the housekeeping team.

Shaban has been working in the hotel for the past three years.

Every day, we have 20 bubbles here cleaning.

For the bedroom, I will change the sheets and pillow every day,

and the towels for the bathroom, I send it for the wash for laundry.

I like my job. This is my second home.

This is my family.

Running a five-star hotel in such a remote spot is no simple task.

Food and crucial supplies have to be shipped in

across kilometres of arid desert.

Tankers bring in the hotel's fresh water from a well 10km away.

Every day, we have

three, four, maximum five tanks every day.

Nothing here is easy.

The resort is positioned

some distance away from the national power supply,

so the hotel has to generate

a considerable amount of electricity itself

to provide heating, air conditioning,

and the all-important air pressure to keep the bubbles inflated.

To do this, it makes the most of something this region has lots of.

Now, also, we have a new system, solar system from the sun.

This almost limitless resource can be stored in batteries

to provide enough power to fuel the hotel's infrastructure 24/7.

The hotel's reception area and dining room are also housed

in large, interlinked, pressurised bubbles.

Catering here is another huge logistical challenge.

Food is delivered once a week

from the capital, Amman, 330km away.

Chef Rafatusif prepares everything fresh,

including the hotel's signature dish, zarb.

It's a traditional barbecue cooked over charcoal

in an underground sandpit for several hours

before being dug up and shared.

This Bedouin food in Jordan.

It's rice and lamb

and chicken and vegetables.

Everything is fresh.

Every day at three o'clock,

Chef Rafatusif and his team lower the ingredients

into the underground oven to cook for three and a half hours.

The zarb is the centrepiece for a sumptuous Bedouin feast,

featuring traditional dishes

of shawarma and pickled vegetables,

served in the hotel's 100-seater dining room.

This hotel's true secret is only revealed when the sun sets

and the covers come off the bubbles.

Wadi Rum is so remote, there's no light or air pollution here,

so one of the big attractions is stargazing.

The transparent bubbles enable guests to lie in bed

and see the stars in all their majesty.

When I'm sleeping in the bubble,

I am feeling like I am sleeping in the sky.

It was pretty cool last night. Yeah. You could see some of the Milky Way.

This is a very new experience for the guests to enjoy in Wadi Rum.

It definitely felt secret. We've loved it. It's beautiful.

Still to come, an historic treasure,

reconfigured into a boutique getaway.

This actually isn't the top of the windmill.

There's an even more secret room even further up.

And a unique stay for any aviation enthusiast.

We have the cockpit suite. You can be a captain for a night.

We're exploring some of the world's most secret holiday escapes,

from futuristic getaways built in remote forests

to historic landmarks that have undergone surprising reinventions.

Norfolk sits along

England's eastern coastline...

..a breath-taking sanctuary of natural beauty.

4,000 acres of protected marshland thrives with marine life.

It surrounds one of England's most picturesque country villages,

known historically as Cley-next-the-Sea.

But the locals simply call it Cley.

Cley is a haven for explorers of coastal trails

and secluded river channels.

Its most famous landmark is Cley Windmill.

This 80-foot brick and wood structure has towered

over the town for 200 years.

But many sail by, never knowing

that this building is actually a luxury hotel.

The last working miller left the windmill in 1921.

Since then, a succession of private owners transformed the structure,

first into a home,

then, in 1983, into a hotel.

Today, Varian and Natalie Bush are the custodians

of this historic ten-room complex.

People walking along the coastal paths probably don't even realise

that you can stay here. It has remained a great secret,

and one that I think people are very happy when they find out about it.

I didn't even realise it was a hotel to start with.

All the spaces inside the windmill's complex have been converted

from their original industrial uses.

The six outbuildings that surround the tower

have been transformed into luxury accommodation,

including the Miller's Room, where the miller himself once slept.

At the base of the tower is the reception room

and the old mill room that, today, functions as a breakfast room.

On the floor above, storage rooms have become two cosy bedrooms.

On the second floor, there's space

for one bedroom with its own private balcony.

At the top of the windmill sits a tightly fitted bedroom,

split between two floors.

I just find it fascinating

that it's been standing for all these years

and so many lives have been lived in it.

It was very exciting when we took ownership of the place

but, obviously, tinged with that is the responsibility

of taking such an iconic building forward for future generations.

Today, Cley Windmill is ranked Grade II

on the National Heritage List for England,

a high-level protected status

that restricts alterations to the building.

But it's this stunning preservation that attracts guests

seeking to stay inside a part of England's history.

To get here, they must navigate windy country roads.

Glimpses of its sails can be seen between houses,

before a discrete turning reveals the five-storey windmill

in all its glory.

From the outside, the buildings still look as they did

when they were first constructed.

Flint stone walls, used for centuries in this part of England,

make up the robust industrial outbuildings.

Peaking inside reveals their conversion

into quaint self-catered cottages.

But it's the mill tower that is most striking.

With its historic curved brickwork,

clues to its function today are hard to spot.

But as guests venture inside,

they are transported into a world of luxury.

A rustic reception area leads to a breakfast room,

complete with a grand original fireplace.

Climbing the stairs reveals two cosy bedrooms,

where once grain and flour were stored.

The windmill's rooms are converted with pure comfort in mind.

Only their names give away their former use.

So, you've got the Barley Bin round the back,

where the barley was stored.

The River Room is great because you can just walk straight out

onto the garden and you can see the river and the boats going past.

The Stone Room, where they would have kept the stones.

So, again, it keeps that link to the past

when it was a fully operating windmill.

Tucked into the tower's second floor,

the Stone Room was once the bedroom

of Cley Windmill's most famous guest.

Summer after summer, this was where

global pop star James Blunt came to relax.

I believe James Blunt's bedroom was Stone Room,

and that's a really cool room

cos it's got its own private balcony.

In 1934, James's grandfather,

Lieutenant Colonel Hubert Blount, inherited the windmill.

It stayed in the family for over 70 years,

becoming a favourite holiday retreat for the singer in his youth.

But today, Cley Windmill's star attraction lies hidden

at the very top of the tower.

Only some guests are lucky enough to get a glimpse up here.

But head of housekeeping, Sarah Roe,

knows this secret part of the building better than anyone.

This has to be the most interesting room within the windmill,

and it's certainly my favourite.

You do not need a key to get into the hatch,

but what you do need is this pulley system

to open the hatch door first of all.

Access to this part of the windmill isn't easy.

Guests must sign an injury waiver before climbing

an almost vertical ship's ladder, which is the only way up,

turning luggage delivery into a unique challenge.

To get the luggage up, there's quite an ingenious little trick.

We just get the bag, clip it onto the winch, like so,

and then, just winch it up.

So, you have to be very careful when you're going up in general,

but, yeah, luggage-wise, that's the easiest way to do it.

At the top, guests are rewarded with a very private space,

with room for not much more than a four-poster bed.

It's smaller because you're actually at the top of the windmill,

but you've got great views over the salt marshes,

right out to the North Sea.

You've got views of the sails as well,

which are pretty close up, being just literally outside your window.

Guests staying in this room have even more to explore

above where they sleep.

This actually isn't the top of the windmill.

There's an even more secret room even further up.

Through a second hatch door is the shower room,

a space shared with the windmill's archaic engineering.

You can't help but notice this original gear mechanism

from when the windmill, in its day, was grinding flour.

It's going to be probably a couple of tonnes of wood hanging,

literally, above your head as you walk up here.

And the second thing you can't help but notice

is the wind rattling through the windows.

It is very atmospheric, but I think that is part

of the unique character of it, basically.

Heat lamps have been installed to keep this lofty room warm

during the winter months,

but it's here the adventure continues.

One final flight of stairs winds round the top

of the huge gear system, out onto the roof.

Once you've made it out here onto the fan-stage,

it's super rewarding.

You've got the best views in Norfolk, I would say.

You've got the whole of Cley in front of you here,

you've got the salt marshes and the North Sea. It is totally superb.

Back when the windmill was operational,

standing up here by the rotating fantail

would have been a thrilling experience.

The sails are the quintessential part of the windmill.

While they do still turn, the mechanisms are all in place,

they are sort of chocked in.

During its working days, the windmill's 80-foot wooden arms

were encased in cloth sails to catch the wind.

The fantail behind them would steer the roof cap

so the main sails faced into the wind.

As the wind blew, the sails turned three vertical shafts

inside the tower that were connected to three huge millstones below.

As the millstones rotated, grains would be ground into flour.

But even when static, the sails are open to the elements

and need constant maintenance.

A new set can cost in excess of £16,000.

They've got at least another ten,

15 years of life left in them, hopefully,

and then, we'll need to replace them.

When the windmill was in use, it sat at the heart of a bustling port.

Cley Harbour committee member Simon Read knows

all about its colourful past.

The windmill itself, obviously, it was built beside the harbour,

and the harbour itself was one of the main exporters of grain.

It's a very old harbour.

In the 1300s, it was the fourth largest harbour in Britain.

There were warehouses all along the front. It was known for pirates.

It had a certain lawlessness about it.

It had its own red-light district, it ran seven pubs, at the time.

It would have been a really lively place.

Today, people come here for peace and tranquillity.

Just a few clues to the windmill's working life remain.

The millstones have been preserved as paving,

and a missing section of roof line reveals where its older sails,

which were longer, used to pass.

Set into this stunning environment, the windmill is a hidden retreat

for those seeking to enjoy the natural world.

We get lots of birdwatchers coming through, so that's really lovely.

You can just do it straight from your own private balcony,

at height, which is a great feature for them.

Decking, concealed among the reeds, is the perfect natural bird hide,

and the tower itself provides

a great height advantage to survey the entire coast.

It is very much cut off up here.

You can have that feeling, standing on the balcony looking out,

that you are on the edge of the world.

Becoming owners of Cley Windmill has been

more than a business opportunity.

Like the Blount family who came before them,

the charm and beauty of this hotel has already made

the Bushes feel at home here.

We received a really lovely, surprising email

from James's father, Charlie,

who expressed how important the windmill was to him and his family.

We're very much part of getting the children involved.

They love being here and it would be lovely

if we could pass it on to them.

Hopefully, it'll be standing here long after we're not.

With the Bush family at the helm,

Cley Windmill's old wooden doors should be open to guests

for decades to come.

Coming up, a jumbo jet that has been transformed into a novel getaway.

I've never experienced something like this.

It's just a really cool place.

There are over 700,000 hotels across the world,

and we're exploring some of the most memorable stays

in the most unlikely locations.

Our next stop is Sweden.

37km north of the capital, Stockholm,

and nearly 40km south-east of Uppsala is Arlanda Airport.

More than 20 million international

and around 5.5 million domestic travellers pass through its doors

every year. It's the largest and busiest airport in the country.

It is so busy here that it would be easy for travellers to miss

the one plane that hasn't moved from its spot

next to the main runway for the past 13 years.

This would normally be a cause for concern, but not here.

There is no turbulence, no holding pattern,

and there's no need for a boarding pass.

But if you want to stay, you will definitely need to check in,

for this remarkable holiday hideaway is the Jumbo Stay Hotel,

the first 747 hotel in the world.

Some people I met from England or other places,

they would just come for a night or two just to experience it.

So, many people have different experiences,

different reasons of staying here.

I met a lot of pilots who have come with their kids

to teach them how to fly a 747.

This aircraft was built for Singapore Airlines in 1976.

When this model first took to the skies,

it was the largest passenger plane ever built,

which revolutionised air travel.

It is just over 70m long with a cabin width of just over 6m,

and could carry over 400 passengers on a single flight.

Fully loaded, it weighed over 333,000kg,

and it could fly 9,800km before it needed refuelling.

It was decommissioned in 2002,

bought by an aviation enthusiast businessman,

and opened as a hotel in 2009.

Ameer Junejo is the proud manager.

I would say it's one of the most unique places in the world.

It's the only 747 which is a hotel and a restaurant.

It's very unique and special.

It's very, very different, you know, than a normal hotel.

The hotel has 32 rooms and 76 beds,

and can accommodate up to 90 guests,

mostly in the belly of the beast.

There are five dormitory rooms,

five standard rooms,

a single suite, the Blackbox Suite,

and in the nose,

the best room on board, the Cockpit Suite.

First class is usually reserved for those with a gold credit card

or a serious amount of air miles.

Today, anyone can pull down their eye mask and put their feet up.

CABIN BELL CHIMES Have you booked

a room with us today? Yes, we booked the Cockpit Suite.

Ah, so you have the whole upper floor for yourself.

And if you need any information regarding anything,

just let me know. OK.

Enjoy your stay. Thank you. Thank you.

We have a restaurant for our customers who are staying with us.

The interior has been reconfigured

and the 450 seats have been replaced with a minimalist and sleek design.

And there's much more than just chicken or beef on the menu.

The bedrooms are spacious and comfy,

laid out across multiple rows.

So, this is one of the normal rooms,

where toilets and showers are shared in the corridor.

Then you have your own compartment here,

which is original from the 747-200 from 1976.

Then the room has a double bed,

so two people can sleep easily here.

Or it can be a single bed up,

so three people can easily sleep here as well.

Then you have your own TV.

One suite is a must-stay

for anyone who's ever dreamed of piloting a 747.

We have the Cockpit Suite.

That's the best suite we have

because this is where everything happens, you know,

when the captain is flying the plane.

So, when you are sleeping here, you can be a captain for a night.

Everything is original there.

So, you have, of course, the bed here,

you have all the instruments there, you have a beautiful view.

You have your own toilet and shower here.

Then, on the left there, you have the first-class lounge,

where you can sit, and you have original seats from the 747.

CABIN BELL CHIMES

Here, at the cockpit, you have all the instruments

and you can come here and you can experience how a captain feels

on a 747, and you can try it out.

You've got some instruments here as well.

And downstairs, we have, in the hatch, when you're moving

these instruments, you can see how it works.

I've never experienced something like this.

It's just a really cool place.

We wanted to go

to the Cockpit Suite because I think it has

the best, like, view. And, yeah,

you can play at the pilot's space.

This decommissioned 747 makes for a remarkable hotel.

Tucked away under the wings

and at a squeeze only large enough for two people are the engine rooms.

You don't need to be a mile high to join this club,

but you will need to travel light,

as each engine room actually fills the space

once occupied by the plane's Rolls-Royce engines.

The turbine used to be here before,

but now, it's a room where one or two people can sleep.

The thrill for the aviation enthusiast doesn't end there.

If you fantasise about wing-walking, then this hotel offers

the perfect stroll, along an observation deck like no other.

Here, you can sit, have lunch, dinner,

or you can just come for ice cream or snacks.

You can see all of the airport from here and, I believe,

this is the only 747 wing where you can walk, sit, eat lunch and dinner.

The attention to detail in this remarkable jet getaway

is second to none.

Every room contains something for those who love to fly.

You meet people from around the world.

For me, personally, also, I have travelled

so many times on a 747 with my family,

so it takes you back in time with the memories you had

with your family, so this is different and special.

It takes a certain type of person to come

so far off the beaten track to visit a plane that is now hotel.

And when they do, it is reassuring to know

that there are exits here, here and here.

Buckle up and enjoy the journey.

Still to come, we journey to Ecuador

to a remote jungle escape.

The fact of being here, so far away from the city noises,

from smog, from the pressure of living in the city,

it makes you relax a lot.

We're exploring the world's most secret escapes,

from hotels hidden in the heart of cities

to far-flung hideaways.

Next, we're travelling to South America,

deep into the rainforest.

Situated on the equator between Colombia

and Peru, Ecuador is

a land of extremes.

From rivers to mountains, it has amazing flora and fauna.

Nestled in the foothills of the Andes is

one of the most starting places of all.

Set within 17,000 uninterrupted hectares of rainforest

is the Mashpi Reserve,

one of the richest biodiversity hotspots on Earth...

..home to 500 species of birds,

300 species of butterflies and moths,

along with monkeys, mammals and toucans.

At the heart of the reserve, situated three hours by road

from the country's capital of Quito, is the Mashpi Lodge.

You're right in the middle of mountains.

The vegetation is extraordinary.

But you have to understand that if it was too easy to get here,

most probably this place wouldn't exist any more.

This unique getaway sits 1,200m above sea level

in a cloud forest, which is similar to a rainforest, just a bit higher.

The warm air rises from the jungle, cools and turns into clouds.

Built between 2010 and 2012,

this sanctuary, in which to observe life in the wild, was the brainchild

of businessman and ex-mayor of Quito Roque Sevilla.

This is a very special place.

When I bought this property 21 years ago,

my intention was exclusively to protect the area.

But later on, we came to the conclusion

that many, many people should come here

and see the marvellous nature that we have here in Ecuador.

And that is when we decided to build a hotel.

Alarmed at the destruction of the rainforest,

Roque bought and rescued 1,200 hectares of land here

that had been earmarked for logging.

It was really a big luck,

because if we hadn't protected this area,

the forest wouldn't be there any more.

Roque worked with local architect Alfredo Ribadeneira

to safeguard this unique habitat and create an eco-hotel

for visitors to experience the beauty of this area.

The biggest challenge, I think, it was in the design.

This was a very difficult design

because you cannot go wrong.

If you go wrong here, it's a mess.

We had to be very careful in the way that we approached the design

and I think that we did a good job.

The remote and delicate site here meant

that the team had to preconstruct

the various elements of the building in Quito.

They were then transported by truck and assembled together on site.

However, constructing a hotel in an area so remote and wet

created additional challenges.

The levels of humidity here are very high,

so we have to use materials that resist humidity,

so mostly, we used glass and aluminium and steel,

so it works very well.

This rainforest retreat has 24 rooms over three floors -

20 doubles and four suites,

each with floor-to-ceiling windows

to take in the exceptional views across the rainforest canopy.

At full capacity, the lodge can host 47 guests,

all looked after by a staff of 85.

There is also a restaurant, library, a spa,

an observation deck and communal areas.

All meals here are served buffet-style in the restaurant.

Keeping the hotel stocked with food and drink is an ongoing challenge

for operations manager Marc Bery.

Working at Mashpi is not easy.

I mean, you have to be willing to go the extra mile to do it.

We are right in the middle of nowhere,

so to get supplies here takes quite some time.

We get our groceries, we get most of it from Quito,

so we have a truck coming here three times a month.

It's a truck that is partly refrigerated.

But then, we try to work a lot with surrounding communities,

so we buy fruits, vegetables,

everything that we can around here,

and that comes at least once a week.

Sustainability is key to running this lodge.

It gets all its electricity from a local hydroelectric power plant,

which is driven by the area's fast-flowing river systems.

Cables buried in a 5km-long trench connect the plant to the hotel.

Storing and processing the rainwater

so that it's safe to drink is another challenge.

We have four different tanks because, since we get the water

straight from the source, sometimes you get landslides, you get mud.

So, you filter those tanks one to the other

until you get the last tank coming straight to the lodge.

So, we have big responsibility to bring in clean water to our guests.

And when it comes to upkeep and cleanliness,

the staff here face an additional battle - humidity.

We have an army of dehumidifiers.

We have 24 rooms and we should have about 18 dehumidifiers,

and we move them from room to room every single day.

To keep it clean, it's a 24/7 job,

because you have incoming guests. They come in from their walks

with muddy boots, with dripping water,

so you have to clean after them all day long.

But if you do it with passion, it's easy.

We love to say that Mashpi is where clouds are born

because, in a sense, they are.

Because of the weather conditions,

you have clouds coming out of the forest,

and it gives something special to the ambience,

this kind of mystery,

because you don't see the whole view of the forest.

And where there are clouds, there is rain.

THUNDER RUMBLES

With over 6m of rainfall per year,

the staff here need to be prepared for anything.

We're right in the middle of a rainforest.

It rains a lot, so sometimes you get landslides,

so roads get closed and you have to react very fast

to clean them up, to open those roads

for your guests, for your explorers.

But what's a little rain when you have a whole rainforest to explore?

The adventurous can take flight in the 2km-long cable car

that soars 150m high above the treetops.

It gives a bird's-eye view, and from hummingbirds to frogs,

this place is a biologist's paradise.

The guided tours into the rainforest are an educational experience.

Rare breeds of butterflies, mammals, birds, fish

and amphibian reptiles have been observed here,

and new species are being recorded.

And so far, we have discovered about two new species

of amphibians, frogs, and about three different species of plants.

So, we have the information

and we share this information with the world.

The site has a dedicated team of biologists

who share their finds with scientists and conservation groups

to help better understand and preserve the ecosystem here.

What is the difference between Mashpi and other places is

that we do actual research,

and this research is very important for the lodge

because that's how we generate all the information

that we share with our guests

and, of course, our explorers.

The lodge is a great place to escape city life

and learn about the natural habitat.

The fact of being here, so far away from the city noises, from smog,

from the pressure of living in the city, it makes you relax a lot.

And that is something that, most of the time, they don't expect

because they think they're going to be coming here

just to walk around and do trails.

Then they realise that it's very, very relaxing.

They leave as new people.

Mashpi Lodge exists to show us a world

we would normally never get to see.

It's like you get into the forest, and suddenly,

you find this incredible building in the middle of nowhere.

And that keeps it secret in the middle of the forest.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media