Uros Samarana Uta Lodge

There was a miscommunication with our pick up time that resulted in us hanging out at the airport for an extra 1.5 hrs but it was more the language barrier than anyones’ fault. When we arrived at the port, we had to wait about 30 minutes for the boat to get there as other guests were being returned to the port. The room was 10/10 exactly as pictured, large and colourful with the largest most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. There is even a large oxygen tank in your room should it be required. The bathroom and composting toilet, while not odorless is better than Peruvian public bathrooms. The deck had both a bed with a canopy and nice loungers right on the water. There are propane heaters in the rooms however (and this is a big however) they are NOT rated for indoor use, but rather patio heaters like you see in North America at outdoor restaurants. So I would not even consider leaving it on for any length of time and definitely not sleeping with it on for risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. We opened our patio door and ran the heater for about 20 mins before bed. With the blankets we were more than warm enough. This is also the same case with the propane heater in the dining area. The food was 10/10, lunch consisted of bottled water, trout, quinoa and veggies, peeled tomato and cucumber, quinoa soup, banana and mango. Supper was at 7:30pm: chicken, broccoli, beans and carrots, french fries and the most delicious fried mango fritters. Breakfast was at 8:30 and consisted of papaya, juice, coffee & tea, bread, scrambled eggs and lemon cake.It would have been nice if there were some fruits and tea available between supper and breakfast, and if breakfast could have been earlier or at least some coffee & tea before 8:30. Where I struggle a little bit with our stay is that I understood it to be more of an experience rather than just a hotel stay. This is where it fell short for us. While I am sure it had more to do with the poor weather (it poured and thundered for several hours the afternoon we arrived) it was rather boring. We got there at around 2pm, and were told that maybe in a few hours we could try to go to Uros village because of the rain. We never met Lucy or were shown around the little island where our room was, and instead just kind of sat around in the chill of our room. The weather cleared a little and Cesar brought us to a small island where we got to go inside of a local home and were shown a few of the different typical foods on the Uros islands, and of course given the opportunity to purchase textiles. We took a short boat ride around and Cesar pointed out points of interest like the church, schools and football field. All this probably took about an hour. We were scheduled to leave on a tour with another company in the morning at 9:30. I was hoping we would have a chance to do something in the morning before we left, but there was nothing offered. So we woke with the sunrise at 6am and (thankfully) the weather was better, and whi

We are so glad we chose to stay here. The floating islands of the Uros community are so unique, and I couldn’t think of a better way to experience it than at Uros Samarana Uta Lodge. The room itself was clean and comfortable with a large deck, and the view of the lake from the room was stunning. The real highlight of the experience was Cesar and Lucy. Cesar took us on a tour of the surrounding islands and we learned so much about the local culture, he is truly passionate about his community. In terms of logistics, Cesar will arrange pickup at the beginning of your stay and drop off at the end. All meals are provided, the food was great and the portions were always more than enough. The bathroom was clean with hot water for the shower. There is wifi, though it goes in and out (as expected in the middle of a lake). We only stayed for a day but wish we could have stayed longer. Thank you Cesar and Lucy!!

Our family of 5 came to stay with Cesar, Lucy and their two kids. We brought our two dads (70+ years old) and our son (5 years old). Cesar and his wife made sure we are very comfortable, he arranged to pick us up from a boat ramp in Puno (Kalapajra Port - this is where to locals from Uros go - you see the locals, not many tourists so that alone is already a much more authentic experience vs. the day tours coming out of the main port). Cesar showed us around the community by boat, we got to see how the locals fish, where his kids go to school etc. The place has a compost toilet, it has electricity and at night the beds have a ton of blankets and provide hot water bottles. The food is also very nutritious (using native ingredients such as quinoa dishes). Our son played with Cesar's son and they had a lot of fun. 100% recommend staying with Cesar's family, you will learn and experience so much more than just doing some group day tour.

We stayed for one night at Cesar and Lucy’s lodge. It was a great experience. Cesar and Lucy are originally from Isla del Uros, in contrast to other lodges which are run by not locals. From the beginning to the end of our trip Cesar had everything perfectly arranged. A taxi arrived on time to pick us up at the hotel. Cesar arrived by boat to bring us to his lodge. We were truly surprised by our room with private bathroom and terrace. Cesar took us on a boat tour to show us his Uros community and explained about local culture and customs. Back at the lodge Lucy prepared us a three course lunch, which was delicious! After there was time to swim and relax on our terrace. In the afternoon we made another boat trip and enjoyed the sunset. The three course diner was again very good. As it gets very cold at night Cesar installed a gas heater and provided hot water bottles to stay warm. The bed was very comfortable. The breakfast was excellent, the best we have had so far in Peru. A taxi was arranged to bring us back to the hotel. All was included in the price. We had a great stay and highly recommend this lodge because of the local experience. No need to visit the Uros Islands with an organized tour.

We stayed at Cesar's Island for two nights. The experience was great. We arrived in puno really early in the morning and Cesar was really attentive and arranged to pick us up and welcome us with breakfast. With Cesar we learned a lot about the community. The room was big and clean and the food was great. Cesar's family will make sure that you have a great experience.

Uros Samarana Uta Lodge Charming, Comfortable, Local Let’s be clear from the outset. You come all the way to Peru, you want to learn about the culture and meet locals, travel to beautiful Lake Titicacca, and you’re going to stay in a large hotel run by some chain??? Really??? Cesar, Lucy and kids are as local as you’ll find!!! Don’t panic when you try and find on maps and you see the red marker in the middle of the water. It’s because his home is in the middle of the water!!! Let’s get started. Contacting Cesar is as easy as can be. He’s quick to respond to emails and whatsapp. He answered our questions and we quickly made our reservations. Arrival: Make sure you have his phone number with you for your driver. The traditional port is about 15 minutes north of town. There’s no way we would have found if we had rented a car. He was at the dock waiting for us and our bags were quickly loaded onto the boat. You really must arrive during the day (though his boat has a big light if you do come later). We came late in day and the views with the sun low as we approached his island were spectacular. You won’t believe it, but his island actually has several houses on it. And, yes, it’s floating. We were greeted by his wonderful family and bags were quickly brought to our room. We had a quick overview of island and settled into comfy chairs looking out. Room. It’s just like the pictures but they just don’t do it justice. Clean with lots of windows. Don’t expect the Ritz, but there was nothing lacking. Bed was amazing (how do they get it out there?!?!?!). Towels soft. Bottles of water at bedside. OK, the composting toilet took a bit to get used to, but only due to my city mind! There really is a full shower with lots of hot water. Not sure if I was imaging it, but I think I could feel the water motion as I fell asleep! Meals: There is another house that is the meeting/dining room. Meals were delish and definitely local. Lucy is the food maven and does a great job. This is also the room where you can recharge cell phones/tablets/camera. You can’t plug in your laptop. Internet was fine for email/whatsapp, but downloading any file took a long time. (but you’re not there to spend time on the web!) Duration: We were there two nights and one day. I would definitely plan on two full days. One day you’ll go on tour of the community. They really have schools, churches, a medical clinic and even a small soccer field. You can use the second day to go to Taquile. Departure: we had to leave at 6a (ughh), but Cesar was ready, Lucy had a light breakfast, and our taxi was waiting to take us to the airport in Juliana (a full hour drive). A side note. Weather was great, but there was a late season thunderstorm and watching the lightening over the shore was spectacular! A totally wonderful, authentic experience. This is the place to stay.

Our family enjoyed a couple days of relaxation at Cesar and Lucy's Lodge after a big hike on the Incan trail. Cesar and Lucy were so organized and took care of every detail- sending a taxi and then picking us up at boat landing. We stayed in the quadruple room where everyone in our family enjoyed their own bed. The food was delicious and when it got cold at night, Cesar brought us each a hot water bottle for our beds. We really enjoyed the educational tour Cesar gave our family - learning all about how the reed islands are built and the culture of the islands. The lake is absolutely beautiful and this family is very special!

This was my favorite part of our entire trip! I've traveled quite a bit and I've never had an experience like this. It was the perfect mixture of relaxing, enjoyable, and cultural. There are a few other lodging options in the Uros reed islands, but this is the only one that is run by a true Uros family. Cesar, his wife, and his two adorable kids really make this experience perfect and memorable. They picked us up on a boat, drove us to their beautiful island that is in the perfect part of the lake with insane sunset views (see my picture below), and showed us our room. I was expecting the rooms to be more similar to tent camping, but they were really nice! The king size bed was so comfortable, the bedding was great, the rooms have electricity and a portable heater in them. The best part of the very private cottage we stayed in was the porch out front that had panoramic views. It was so relaxing and peaceful to sit on the daybed and read. The next day, Cesar and his daughter took us out on a traditional reed boat and explained the culture and history to us. Then, we hoped on another boat to get a tour around the islands. Cesar, and his parents, grew up in Uros and to say he knows everyone and everything is an understatement. All of our meals were incredibly made by Cesar's wife. We had chicken, veggies, rice, and fries one night and then a delicious breakfast with an omelette, pastries, bread, and fruit, followed by a lunch of fresh caught fish (I don't even like seafood and I ate ALL of it - so delicious!). Overall, Cesar and his family took great care of us and it was so much more accommodating than I expected it to be... especially for a reed island floating in the middle of a lake. We recommended Cesar's lodge to someone else we met on our trip and they also LOVED it. Keep in mind that the island can be quite cold at night, but there is a heater in the room, plenty of blankets, and they gave us a hot water bottle to put in the bed to keep our feet warm.