Uros Qhanita Lodge

Spending a night with the family at Uros Qhantany Lodge gave me a much more authentic feel for life on the reed islands than the tourist show I’d seen on the other islands. I’d first taken the tourist boat to see the floating islands, then they picked me up and brought me here. It was a great stay and an amazing adventure. Highly recommend it if you want to experience island life for a night.

The family running the place is incredibly kind, but after seeing all the glowing reviews, I feel other travelers should know what to expect. You have to take a taxi to the pickup point, which is basically a trash dump, and arrange things with them in Spanish by phone beforehand. There were dog fights there too. The rooms are very basic: one light, no other electricity, and no plumbing. There are lots of blankets, but outside the bed you’ll need your winter jacket. The outhouse is literally in the room, its door doesn’t shut all the way, and the smell gets in. There’s no running water in it either. They leave two bottles there when you arrive, and those are also your drinking water. I got there at 7 pm hungry and paid for dinner. There’s no menu, and you just get what they’re making, with no way to get other food. They served a big plate of meat and vegetables with sauce, but because I’m vegetarian, I got a child sized portion of steamed vegetables and a few pieces of potato, with no seasoning, oil, spices, butter, nothing. I went to bed hungry and disgusted, then left early the next morning and cancelled my second night. On the boat out, I saw a bunch of white tourists on the other island weaving grass with other white tourists, and had to roll my eyes. Sorry, but the hosts are spending their days entertaining tourists for money. This didn’t feel like a special authentic experience to me. If you enjoy being uncomfortable and see tourist traps as authentic local experiences, you might love it.

It could be scary for some people, and it’s a long way from the city. There aren’t many food options or any power outlets, and the concept takes a lot of work. Still, it’s a good fit for adventurous travelers curious about daily life among the Uros. Just don’t expect comfort.

It felt very artificial. The island’s "president" gave us a two minute explanation and couldn’t answer our questions, then a minute later started selling us his products at exorbitant prices. Compared with Taquile, for example, this place seemed more like a Disney cash machine and had nothing authentic about it.