Nono Villa Doris
OUR STORY: BLESSED IN THE CLOUDS
Fourteen years ago, Carlos, my Argentinean husband, an intrepid traveler who loved taking me off the beaten path, drove us on a route he discovered that links Quito with the village of Nono and the valley of Tandayapa. It is now known as the Eco-route of the Hummingbird. I fell in love with the amazing green scenery, the wildflowers and the terraces cultivated with corn and potatoes. This ecosystem is called the cloud forest. Imagine a place where the clouds bathe the mountains and hummingbirds play with the flowers! This is what Nono is about.
We decided this was the perfect spot for having a country house. To our surprise big cattle haciendas and tiny adobe houses surrounded this little town, which had been founded in colonial times. At that time none of the houses were for sale. When they were, several neighbors accepted our offers, in which we had to bring cash (no credit cards or checks taken at that time in the village). They then changed their minds, sending us sadly back to Quito.
Three months later on a weekday, my husband came to our office in Quito with great news: he had bought a property for us! After seeing the property, I expressed: “What have you done, Carlos? How could you waste our savings on this?” My husband could see beauty above the mess.
But the land was now ours! The ravine needed to be brought back to life as well as the tiny 40 – year old adobe house. Our dreams started from zero and as I normally say when we have difficult times “let ́s put some heart to it.” Carlos built, re-built, recycled and gave shape to our dreams. The tiny adobe house started with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small kitchen-dining area. After rebuilding a few times, our lovely cottage grew to be the perfect home to accommodate small groups wanting to explore the real Ecuador. The ravine turned into a lovely garden full of trees and flowers, home now to hummingbirds (during season), birds, and animal life.
The visit of a great friend to us, Mrs. Karen Schulman, an American photographer, nature lover and adventurer, changed the destiny of our house. She was surprised by the scenery, the closeness to Quito, the charm of our house and the local people who by then, were already our beloved neighbors. Through Karen we learned that tourists want to see the true soul of our country, experience its people, its culture, its living history.
Villa Doris, named after my mother-in-law who died when we bought the land, is now a wonderful place for our guests to experience what is blessed in the cloud forest. Our staff is well trained, and my husband’s son opened a restaurant in town (which is praised by our clients as one of the highlights of Ecuador). We work with the local women who learned to embroider as a traditional craft, great native guides that want to share their country with you. Learn about medicinal plants, explore walking paths in the forest reserves, horseback riding, biking, visiting a hacienda or birdwatching.
We love what we do and want to share our country with you! Come visit Nono and our lovely home, experience our paradise and take home wonderful memories, the smile of our people and the gratitude of our family who put our soul into making this paradise possible for those who want to be part of the magic.
Carlos, Lorena & Elisa
Nono – Villa Doris
VILLA DORIS COUNTRY GUEST HOUSE
We invite you to wake up to the sounds of the cloud forest and enjoy our dreamy hideaway!
At VILLA DORIS our visitors delight in the charm and hospitality of their exclusive use of the Villa and amenities.
Villa Doris has capacity to host up to 10 people in five lovely rooms.
*Four bedrooms and 3 ½ bathrooms in the main house, all enjoying beautiful views.
* A junior suite in the gardens with fire-place, private bathroom and great views.
* A living area with fire-place and cable TV
* Family room with fantastic views
* Fully equipped kitchen
* Lovely dining room with mountain views
* BBQ area
* Great gardens and parking lot
* Wifi
* We offer private transportation to and from Quito or any other city, upon request.
We offer an array of daily activities to explore Nono and the cloud forest including delicious gastronomic experiences with our Argentinian chef.
VILLA DORIS EXPERIENCES
The village of Nono was the ninth county founded by the Jesuits in the colonial times, and remained as a solitary, almost forgotten town, just 20km northwest of Quito.
Because of this particularity, we can offer you a day tour to an off-the-beaten path destination, where you will learn about Ecuadorian history and culture, meet local people, photograph colorful hummingbirds, wild flowers and bromeliads, and hike while the clouds cover the mountains and the village giving it a mysterious and mystic touch!
Cocktail at our country house and lunch by our Chef, celebrating the organic production of the village and his culinary influences, made of this tour a TOP SELLER for over eight years!
Appropriate clothing includes good walking shoes or hiking boots, a sweater or fleece and a rain jacket.
Only 20km from Quito, you’ll find an oasis of peace and tranquility! Surrounded by magnificent mountains, bathed by creeks and waterfalls, decorated with wild flowers, bromeliads and orchids, the village of Nono, located in the cloud forest, is the perfect destination for nature lovers, hikers, birders, photographers and those who enjoy meeting local people and learning about culture and history!
The first day gives you the opportunity to explore the village, hike its paths, meet locals and immerse yourself in the history and traditions of our region. Dinner is served at Tierras del Fuego restaurant where you will be delighted by an explosion of flavors and smells of our land.
For overnight, Villa Doris country guest house is the perfect spot in town to relax while observing the gardens and the amazing landscape of its surroundings.
On day 2, we will drive through the Eco route of the hummingbird towards the valley of Tandayapa, to find en-route one of the most enchanting private reserves in the cloud forest at Alambi. This property has developed trails in the forest to enjoy the exuberant vegetation, its bird and the fascinating adaptations to life in this special environment. Every visit reveals something new even for those of us who are fortunate enough to live in the forest every day!
A typical lunch is served in a local restaurant, to admire the important variety of hummingbirds of the area before returning to Quito.
Itinerary at a glance:
Day 01: Transfer Quito – Nono
Visit to the village to discover this authentic town and its culture and history, including a visit to Sisa Quinde project.
Lunch included / Short hike and visit to hacienda.
Gastronomic experience for dinner with our Chef.
Overnight at Villa Doris Country guest house
Day 02: Country Breakfast
Eco-route of the Hummingbird day tour with lunch at private reserve and the possibility to enjoy the change of ecosystems.
Transfer back to Quito
Appropriate clothing includes good walking shoes or hiking boots, a sweater or fleece and a rain jacket.
This 3- night stay program offers a world full of breathing nature ready to embrace you! If you are a nature lover, be ready to enjoy over 20 types of hummingbirds, colorful native flowers, silver leafy trees and cascading waterfalls!
If you want to see it all, we are ready to take you from a forest at 3.400m to one at 1.400m. Be surprised by the change of ecosystem and ready to explore and enjoy the magic of the cloud forest.
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Itinerary at a Glance:
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Day 01: Transfer directly from Quito airport to Nono village.
Overnight at Villa Doris country guest house.
Welcome dinner at Tierras del Fuego restaurant.
Day 02: Hike at Yanacocha Reserve in the cloud forest with box lunch
Time to explore the village of Nono.
Gastronomic experience with our Chef / Overnight.
Day 03: Eco Route of the Hummingbird and visit to private reserve
Typical lunch. * Tour hosted by Lorena.
Farewell dinner and overnight
Day 04: Breakfast and Transfer back to Quito. End of services.
Note: This program offers the possibility to add on biking or horseback riding tours.
VILLA DORIS & THE SISA QUINDE PROJECT
We are honored to contribute to the development of our community through our guest house. We also support local businesses and programs with our neighbors in an organized and responsible way.
We embrace and aim to empower our local women in an embroidery project named SISA QUINDE. Through their embroidery, they weave their dreams and sew their hopes for a better future for themselves and their beloved ones. Our company believes in the people of Nono and their full potential. We also believe this project helps to make Nono a very special tourist destination.
The women of Sisa Quinde create table runners, tablecloths, mats, cushions and purses that come in a variety of colors and designs, all expressing the festivity of life in the cloud forest. Your visit to Villa Doris helps us achieve this dream and contributes greatly to this effort. For both small and larger groups we display a “mercadito” (little market) of their fine art in our gardens where you can purchase something unique to take home and enjoy.
VILLA DORIS & TIERRAS DEL FUEGO
Marcelo Morillo is our Argentinian chef who has been delighting our clients for the past seven years, preparing superb dishes using the best seasonal products from our region. His barbecues are praised by both our international and local clientele as one of the highlights of Ecuador!
His restaurant TIERRAS DEL FUEGO surprises our guests each night with gastronomic experiences complimented by good chat with the Chef.