Amantani Island
Amantani Island
4.5
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Helena M
1 contribution
Sept 2023 • Friends
The island is very beautiful, an interesting cultural immersion experience but with some reservations, some activities seemed a bit theatrical - normally local families wouldn't do it, and they seemed uncomfortable with it. Furthermore, they had to wear typical clothes and if they didn't follow the rules they would be fined by the agency that hired them.
I believe that the experience has everything to be incredible, as it helps families financially and this has become a livelihood for them, however the way it is currently done is a bit theatrical.
Written 6 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
okeats
13 contributions
July 2022 • Family
Stunning scenery, amazing people and culture. Very cold so pack a warm jumper and hat. If ypu are staying with a family then bring a gift and join un the dancing g and fun. No phone signal or WiFi.
Wonderful memories.
Wonderful memories.
Written 19 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChendyArts
12 contributions
Feb 2013 • Solo
I went without a tour and stayed for 3 nights in early February. I speak Spanish and was able to navigate through the process without any problems. The independent boat captains seem to have organized themselves a bit, because instead of asking around at individual boats or paying the captain directly, now there's a ticket office at the dock. They call it the "colectivo" to Amantani (similar to the minibus or taxi colectivos, just on the water instead of the road). I got to the dock (via mototaxi, ~2 soles from the hostel Inka's Rest, a place I would not stay again) just before 7:30am the morning I wanted to depart. That's earlier than you really need to be there, but I wanted to scope things out.
There was the usual sketchy-looking guy who approached me as soon as I got out of the mototaxi--"Taquile? Amantani? Uros? Amantani?" I ignored him and walked down the dock to inspect the ticket offices, but it turned out that he legitimately did work for the boat that I wanted to take. I think my ticket was about 30 soles round-trip and included a 40min stop on Uros on the way to Amantani and a stop on Taquile on the way back. It's valid for 15 days, if you find yourself inclined to stay for that long!
There were about 15 of us on the boat. I'm susceptible to motion sickness so I chose to sit in the middle of the open bench at the very back of the boat. The wind can be quite cold and the sun very harsh, so dress accordingly if you decide to sit outside. The last hour or so getting into Amantani was really rocky, to the point where people were vomiting over the side, and those who had stashed bags on top of the boat were worried that the lake would swallow their belongings. I survived vomit-free, without pharmaceuticals, thanks to my back seat and the exposure to constant fresh air.
We got to the dock and were dispersed to different families, as many people have described in previous reviews. The general protocol seemed to be that you go home with the family, have lunch, rest a bit, and then most people walk up Pachatata and Pachamama later in the afternoon.
NOTE: If you go independently of a tour agency, you WILL NOT get dressed up in traditional garb and you WILL NOT attend the party with live musicians. This is only for people on tours. You may see this as either good or bad--some people on the colectivo boat were disappointed, and some were relieved.
Another independent female traveler and I had been assigned to go home with a woman who we quickly discovered was not ready to receive guests. She'd actually appeared at the dock when we arrived to inquire about news from Puno but was told to take us in, because apparently not enough families showed up to receive the number of guests that had arrived. She didn't have lunch ready, was obviously preoccupied with other things, and was super pushy about having us buy her merchandise ("are you sure you don't like anything that I have? are you sure you don't want to buy anything from me?"...AWKWARD). The other girl with me was only planning to stay one night, but I'd come with the intention of staying more. I found the boat captain when we all met up again at Pachatata later that afternoon and told him that I wanted to stay on the island but not with my present family. He immediately understood and said it was no problem.
The next morning I packed up all of my things and headed back down to the dock, where other people who were only staying a night also showed up from their respective houses. After the other families had dropped their guests off and gone home, and before the boat set off again, the boat captain handed me off to a new family.
The new family was fabulous, and I've considered looping back to that area over the course of my travels just to stay with them again. They are the familia Borda, in the community Villa Orinojon. Nice and clean accommodation, charming, caring, warm family, just a great experience all around. If you go independently like I did, you can ask to be taken there. Tours won't let you choose. Some boat captains may try to tell you that the Bordas have died (seriously) or they no longer exist and you should stay somewhere else, but that's just because they're promoting their own interests. Message me if you want details for contacting them directly. Considering the bad first night I had, I'd definitely arrange things with the Bordas beforehand.
There are actually more things to do and see than Pachatata and Pachamama, but most tourists only stay a night and never get to them. There are ruins that most natives on the island seem to know of but no one seems to know much about. For instance, I tried one afternoon to find the funerary caves, where apparently mummies had been found. I did find some cave-like structures where the map indicated, but I didn't see any markers or indicators of the site. I've posted a photo of the map; I don't know why it's not more readily available. I had a fabulous time exploring the island--big enough to have plenty to discover, but small and accessible enough to be fairly easy to navigate. As a single female traveler I never felt threatened or unsafe exploring the island on my own. I also went with my family to their potato fields and saw magical little corners of the island that I never would have discovered on my own.
The going rate when I was there was 30 soles/night, which included accomodation and all meals, and I drank the boiled water. I know a lot of people who actually gave their families more because they were so pleased with their stay.
It was really cold at night, and I used my sleep sheet to supplement the blankets, though I'm sure they would've given me more blankets if I'd asked. The sun can be fierce during the day--do not underestimate its scorching power. There's no running water but the Bordas have a nice modern bathroom with toilet and sink fixtures--you just have to use the bucket to supply the water! The first woman I stayed with had a similar setup but not as nice, and without a readily available water supply. There's enough power from solar panels to power some light bulbs at night but not to charge electronics, so bring extra batteries or juice them up before you go. You'll see power lines on the island, but they're non-functional.
To get off the island, I just told my host family the night before I wanted to leave, and they called the boat captain to see whether a boat was coming in to the nearest port. It's good to know that there are actually 4 ports on the island (see map), so you may have to plan to leave a bit earlier in the morning if a colectivo is docking somewhere else. Luckily for me, there was a colectivo coming into the nearest port, and I boarded without any issues.
It is nice to bring some gifts for the family--I know mine were appreciated. I brought salt, black peppercorns, some assorted spices, some nice colored pencils and a notebook, hierba luisa tea (which doesn't grow on the island), and a little scholastic illustrated dictionary. Rice would be appreciated, but I just couldn't bring myself to add that kind of weight to my bag!
Feel free to message me if you have any questions. I did a lot of research before I went and wasn't able to find a whole lot about getting there independently, so I hope this helps!
There was the usual sketchy-looking guy who approached me as soon as I got out of the mototaxi--"Taquile? Amantani? Uros? Amantani?" I ignored him and walked down the dock to inspect the ticket offices, but it turned out that he legitimately did work for the boat that I wanted to take. I think my ticket was about 30 soles round-trip and included a 40min stop on Uros on the way to Amantani and a stop on Taquile on the way back. It's valid for 15 days, if you find yourself inclined to stay for that long!
There were about 15 of us on the boat. I'm susceptible to motion sickness so I chose to sit in the middle of the open bench at the very back of the boat. The wind can be quite cold and the sun very harsh, so dress accordingly if you decide to sit outside. The last hour or so getting into Amantani was really rocky, to the point where people were vomiting over the side, and those who had stashed bags on top of the boat were worried that the lake would swallow their belongings. I survived vomit-free, without pharmaceuticals, thanks to my back seat and the exposure to constant fresh air.
We got to the dock and were dispersed to different families, as many people have described in previous reviews. The general protocol seemed to be that you go home with the family, have lunch, rest a bit, and then most people walk up Pachatata and Pachamama later in the afternoon.
NOTE: If you go independently of a tour agency, you WILL NOT get dressed up in traditional garb and you WILL NOT attend the party with live musicians. This is only for people on tours. You may see this as either good or bad--some people on the colectivo boat were disappointed, and some were relieved.
Another independent female traveler and I had been assigned to go home with a woman who we quickly discovered was not ready to receive guests. She'd actually appeared at the dock when we arrived to inquire about news from Puno but was told to take us in, because apparently not enough families showed up to receive the number of guests that had arrived. She didn't have lunch ready, was obviously preoccupied with other things, and was super pushy about having us buy her merchandise ("are you sure you don't like anything that I have? are you sure you don't want to buy anything from me?"...AWKWARD). The other girl with me was only planning to stay one night, but I'd come with the intention of staying more. I found the boat captain when we all met up again at Pachatata later that afternoon and told him that I wanted to stay on the island but not with my present family. He immediately understood and said it was no problem.
The next morning I packed up all of my things and headed back down to the dock, where other people who were only staying a night also showed up from their respective houses. After the other families had dropped their guests off and gone home, and before the boat set off again, the boat captain handed me off to a new family.
The new family was fabulous, and I've considered looping back to that area over the course of my travels just to stay with them again. They are the familia Borda, in the community Villa Orinojon. Nice and clean accommodation, charming, caring, warm family, just a great experience all around. If you go independently like I did, you can ask to be taken there. Tours won't let you choose. Some boat captains may try to tell you that the Bordas have died (seriously) or they no longer exist and you should stay somewhere else, but that's just because they're promoting their own interests. Message me if you want details for contacting them directly. Considering the bad first night I had, I'd definitely arrange things with the Bordas beforehand.
There are actually more things to do and see than Pachatata and Pachamama, but most tourists only stay a night and never get to them. There are ruins that most natives on the island seem to know of but no one seems to know much about. For instance, I tried one afternoon to find the funerary caves, where apparently mummies had been found. I did find some cave-like structures where the map indicated, but I didn't see any markers or indicators of the site. I've posted a photo of the map; I don't know why it's not more readily available. I had a fabulous time exploring the island--big enough to have plenty to discover, but small and accessible enough to be fairly easy to navigate. As a single female traveler I never felt threatened or unsafe exploring the island on my own. I also went with my family to their potato fields and saw magical little corners of the island that I never would have discovered on my own.
The going rate when I was there was 30 soles/night, which included accomodation and all meals, and I drank the boiled water. I know a lot of people who actually gave their families more because they were so pleased with their stay.
It was really cold at night, and I used my sleep sheet to supplement the blankets, though I'm sure they would've given me more blankets if I'd asked. The sun can be fierce during the day--do not underestimate its scorching power. There's no running water but the Bordas have a nice modern bathroom with toilet and sink fixtures--you just have to use the bucket to supply the water! The first woman I stayed with had a similar setup but not as nice, and without a readily available water supply. There's enough power from solar panels to power some light bulbs at night but not to charge electronics, so bring extra batteries or juice them up before you go. You'll see power lines on the island, but they're non-functional.
To get off the island, I just told my host family the night before I wanted to leave, and they called the boat captain to see whether a boat was coming in to the nearest port. It's good to know that there are actually 4 ports on the island (see map), so you may have to plan to leave a bit earlier in the morning if a colectivo is docking somewhere else. Luckily for me, there was a colectivo coming into the nearest port, and I boarded without any issues.
It is nice to bring some gifts for the family--I know mine were appreciated. I brought salt, black peppercorns, some assorted spices, some nice colored pencils and a notebook, hierba luisa tea (which doesn't grow on the island), and a little scholastic illustrated dictionary. Rice would be appreciated, but I just couldn't bring myself to add that kind of weight to my bag!
Feel free to message me if you have any questions. I did a lot of research before I went and wasn't able to find a whole lot about getting there independently, so I hope this helps!
Written 15 March 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rowan H
Cairns, Australia1,721 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
Isla Amantani is the least frequently visited of Peru's Lake Titicaca islands. Most experience it as the overnight segment of a 2 day 1 night tour encompassing Uros-Amantini-Taquile and costing around 90Sol. It is also possible to visit it independently, although this would be done for an improved experience rather than fiscal reasons as the cost works out to be similar.
Accommodation on the island is almost exclusively homestays, although apparently a couple of B&B’s now exist. There is a rotating system organised by Amantini community lodging which allocates tourists to one of around 50 homestay families who provide a bed and meals (largely vegetarian) overnight. You will find you are most likely to be grouped with at least one another couple. These families are friendly but speak no English. The houses lack running water and therefore you won’t have the opportunity to have a shower and have to use a bucket of water to flush the toilet. That being said the homes are still quite comfortable. Every night there is a party in which your host family will dress you in tradition clothes. To be honest, this is probably one of the low points of a visit as it feels undeniably staged and tacky – luckily there’s alcohol (beer). There is an unstated expectation that you provide your host family a present when you visit – I suggest fresh fruit as this is something that is difficult for locals to acquire. They may also have a slight expectation you purchase some of the handicrafts they display.
The main activity is to hike to the top of this scenic island for both the ruins of Tiwanaku (Pachatata/Pachamama) and scenic 360 degree panoramic views over Lake titicaca. The locals will line the path with handicrafts, which can be a bit annoying. This path takes around 45 minutes but due to the elevation of 4000m, is quite exhausting.
This island is less commercial than the others and is your best chance for a semi-authentic experience on these very touristy islands. Please take the time to rate my review.
Accommodation on the island is almost exclusively homestays, although apparently a couple of B&B’s now exist. There is a rotating system organised by Amantini community lodging which allocates tourists to one of around 50 homestay families who provide a bed and meals (largely vegetarian) overnight. You will find you are most likely to be grouped with at least one another couple. These families are friendly but speak no English. The houses lack running water and therefore you won’t have the opportunity to have a shower and have to use a bucket of water to flush the toilet. That being said the homes are still quite comfortable. Every night there is a party in which your host family will dress you in tradition clothes. To be honest, this is probably one of the low points of a visit as it feels undeniably staged and tacky – luckily there’s alcohol (beer). There is an unstated expectation that you provide your host family a present when you visit – I suggest fresh fruit as this is something that is difficult for locals to acquire. They may also have a slight expectation you purchase some of the handicrafts they display.
The main activity is to hike to the top of this scenic island for both the ruins of Tiwanaku (Pachatata/Pachamama) and scenic 360 degree panoramic views over Lake titicaca. The locals will line the path with handicrafts, which can be a bit annoying. This path takes around 45 minutes but due to the elevation of 4000m, is quite exhausting.
This island is less commercial than the others and is your best chance for a semi-authentic experience on these very touristy islands. Please take the time to rate my review.
Written 22 January 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aj_hamilton16
San Francisco Bay Area, CA49 contributions
A review of our we booked our overnight trip in Lake Titicaca.
We booked our trip through Edgar Adventures, they are based out of Puno and have good reviews. We originally paid $10 extra to have a "small group" ... one word of advice, don't ever pay extra for any small groups ... on any hand, they refunded the $10 after the tour.
The bus will pick you up at 7:45am and you meet as a group at the port to board the boat. They advise you to bring a gift of food for your host family, and you can buy this at the port. We took a bag of dry pasta, a bag of rice and a can of condensed milk. The family was very very happy to receive this.
The first stop on the boat is about 30 mins from the port, at one of the many small islands that make up the Uros Islands. This is a group of floating islands in the lake - truly amazing!!! You stay here for ~ 1 hour. The local people of the island do a demonstration on how the islands are built and maintained. It is the strangest sensation, walking on the reed, it feels like a water bed. There are 100's (I think) of floating islands, so you will only get to visit 2 of them. The people on the first island were kind enough to welcome us into their homes, which are very small huts made of the same reeds as the island itself. The houses have to be rebuilt each year. One thing that was very surprising to see, was inside one of the houses there was a TV and a radio!!!! Years ago the government donated solar panels to the islanders, and this is where they get their power. These islands are amazing, a must see. Then you keep going for ~3 hours by boat - this can be a rough trip, and long, so be sure to take a book and sit outside in the back of the boat.
Once you reach Amantani, you get introduced to your host family. Normally it is 2 - 3 tourists with each family. You go back to their homes, and get situated. They speak some spanish but mostly Quechua, for this reason, I would get the Lonely Planet Quechua Phrase book. Quechua is nothing at all like Spanish, not even similar, so we did use the book a little bit.
The house we stayed in was made of adobe and appeared to have been added on to many times. Our family had 2 rooms that were used for this type of tourist visit.
There is an optional 1 hour hike, where you go to the highest point on the island to watch the sunset and take it the beautiful vistas.
You have dinner at the families house - normally is soup, main course (which is cheese, potatoes) and of course tea. After dinner, the family brings out the traditional dress for us. They have a 'party' at the community center. All of the tourists get dressed up in the dress of that island. The woman wear the bright colored tops and shirts (with a very tight band around the waist to keep the skirt up!!!) and the men wear a poncho and the traditional hat. The dance was pretty fun, although I must say dancing at that altitude can leave you winded very quickly.
We all slept very soundly that night, the cold air, all the dancing and exhaustion. After our breakfast (at 7:30), we all met down at the dock again to get back on the boat to go on to the next island, Taquille.
It is 1 hour, I think, to get to Taquille, again it can be rough. Once you get off the boat, it is a long walk up to the town, close to an hour, the first part is very tiring, but you can stop and rest along the way. After the first 15 minutes of strenuous climb, it evens out, and is a beautiful walk.
Taquille is a beautiful island, and has a central Plaza. The dress here is very different and distinct from Amantani. One interesting thing to point out, is that all of the men here knit! They all have wool around there necks, in their pockets and are always knitting some sort of hat, etc. It is fascinating. They also were interesting hats that all have different meanings: single, married, chief, etc. We had a nice lunch on the island, where they served trout or a vegetarian option - eggs. We stayed on the island a few hours and then started the walk back down the other side to get to the boat. The views from the town are amazing, beautiful.
The boat ride back to Puno is approx 3 hours, and again, it can be rough.
I would definitely not miss this overnight stay in Lake Titicaca, it was a wonderful experience.
We booked our trip through Edgar Adventures, they are based out of Puno and have good reviews. We originally paid $10 extra to have a "small group" ... one word of advice, don't ever pay extra for any small groups ... on any hand, they refunded the $10 after the tour.
The bus will pick you up at 7:45am and you meet as a group at the port to board the boat. They advise you to bring a gift of food for your host family, and you can buy this at the port. We took a bag of dry pasta, a bag of rice and a can of condensed milk. The family was very very happy to receive this.
The first stop on the boat is about 30 mins from the port, at one of the many small islands that make up the Uros Islands. This is a group of floating islands in the lake - truly amazing!!! You stay here for ~ 1 hour. The local people of the island do a demonstration on how the islands are built and maintained. It is the strangest sensation, walking on the reed, it feels like a water bed. There are 100's (I think) of floating islands, so you will only get to visit 2 of them. The people on the first island were kind enough to welcome us into their homes, which are very small huts made of the same reeds as the island itself. The houses have to be rebuilt each year. One thing that was very surprising to see, was inside one of the houses there was a TV and a radio!!!! Years ago the government donated solar panels to the islanders, and this is where they get their power. These islands are amazing, a must see. Then you keep going for ~3 hours by boat - this can be a rough trip, and long, so be sure to take a book and sit outside in the back of the boat.
Once you reach Amantani, you get introduced to your host family. Normally it is 2 - 3 tourists with each family. You go back to their homes, and get situated. They speak some spanish but mostly Quechua, for this reason, I would get the Lonely Planet Quechua Phrase book. Quechua is nothing at all like Spanish, not even similar, so we did use the book a little bit.
The house we stayed in was made of adobe and appeared to have been added on to many times. Our family had 2 rooms that were used for this type of tourist visit.
There is an optional 1 hour hike, where you go to the highest point on the island to watch the sunset and take it the beautiful vistas.
You have dinner at the families house - normally is soup, main course (which is cheese, potatoes) and of course tea. After dinner, the family brings out the traditional dress for us. They have a 'party' at the community center. All of the tourists get dressed up in the dress of that island. The woman wear the bright colored tops and shirts (with a very tight band around the waist to keep the skirt up!!!) and the men wear a poncho and the traditional hat. The dance was pretty fun, although I must say dancing at that altitude can leave you winded very quickly.
We all slept very soundly that night, the cold air, all the dancing and exhaustion. After our breakfast (at 7:30), we all met down at the dock again to get back on the boat to go on to the next island, Taquille.
It is 1 hour, I think, to get to Taquille, again it can be rough. Once you get off the boat, it is a long walk up to the town, close to an hour, the first part is very tiring, but you can stop and rest along the way. After the first 15 minutes of strenuous climb, it evens out, and is a beautiful walk.
Taquille is a beautiful island, and has a central Plaza. The dress here is very different and distinct from Amantani. One interesting thing to point out, is that all of the men here knit! They all have wool around there necks, in their pockets and are always knitting some sort of hat, etc. It is fascinating. They also were interesting hats that all have different meanings: single, married, chief, etc. We had a nice lunch on the island, where they served trout or a vegetarian option - eggs. We stayed on the island a few hours and then started the walk back down the other side to get to the boat. The views from the town are amazing, beautiful.
The boat ride back to Puno is approx 3 hours, and again, it can be rough.
I would definitely not miss this overnight stay in Lake Titicaca, it was a wonderful experience.
Written 18 October 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Interlingua
Chittagong City, Bangladesh4 contributions
Dec 2013 • Solo
I was on Amantani in December 2003 and loved it. But many of the people in our group really disliked it. What do you get? You get to visit a village and stay in someone's home. We had three men sharing a very large room (5 meters by 20 meters) which was right next to the home of our hosts. The countryside on the island and also on the nearby shores of the mainland are fertile, hilly, and beautiful.
Why didn't the other people like this experience? Many complained there was "nothing to do". Well, guide books make it clear that this isn't some theme park. It's an island with seven villages mostly made up of very poor people. Don't expect Cancun. Some complained about the food. I can still hear some of them whining about "Quine-oh-ah", which was how they insisted on pronouncing "quinoa" (kin-wa). Again, both the guide books and the people in Pundo selling the tickets make it very clear that visitors will be eating what the villagers eat: quinoa, vegetables, maybe some seafood (maybe). Some complained that they got tired climbing up the hills. Had they not paid any attention to the fact that Titicaca is 3,800 meters above sea level?
Some people (both in my group and here on TripAdvisor) complain that the villagers were aloof. In my experience, if visitors show some interest in people and speak to them in a kind manner (and not as if they are peons or servants), they are very friendly, albeit a bit shy, I helped the two daughters in the host family with their English and also with their Spanish. They have no English text book in school and said they actually often don't even have any teacher of any subject, so they were eager to have me give them some useful expressions and to translate these into Spanish.
At the party in the evening, some visitors had the nerve to complain that the music was live! They had wanted CDs and techno and flashing lights, this on an islands that, at the time, lacked electricity.
I wish I could have stayed longer. I would have loved to teach some classes for a few days in the village school and also to hike from one village to another. The host father offered to take me out on his boat, but we didn't have time.
So, this is not Costa del Sol, it's not Times Square, it's not Disney. It's a group of villages of poor people who've opened up their homes and lives to outsiders. With just the smallest amount of respect and openness on our part, the villagers will respond with warmth and curiosity. Although dozens of foreigners stay here every day, the villagers are still eager to know more about them, largely because most of the foreigners just stick together and seldom really try to talk with the villagers. If you show an interest in them (take their photo AND show the photo to them, help them with their English by pointing to things and telling them the words, ask them about their families), they will respond in turn.
Why didn't the other people like this experience? Many complained there was "nothing to do". Well, guide books make it clear that this isn't some theme park. It's an island with seven villages mostly made up of very poor people. Don't expect Cancun. Some complained about the food. I can still hear some of them whining about "Quine-oh-ah", which was how they insisted on pronouncing "quinoa" (kin-wa). Again, both the guide books and the people in Pundo selling the tickets make it very clear that visitors will be eating what the villagers eat: quinoa, vegetables, maybe some seafood (maybe). Some complained that they got tired climbing up the hills. Had they not paid any attention to the fact that Titicaca is 3,800 meters above sea level?
Some people (both in my group and here on TripAdvisor) complain that the villagers were aloof. In my experience, if visitors show some interest in people and speak to them in a kind manner (and not as if they are peons or servants), they are very friendly, albeit a bit shy, I helped the two daughters in the host family with their English and also with their Spanish. They have no English text book in school and said they actually often don't even have any teacher of any subject, so they were eager to have me give them some useful expressions and to translate these into Spanish.
At the party in the evening, some visitors had the nerve to complain that the music was live! They had wanted CDs and techno and flashing lights, this on an islands that, at the time, lacked electricity.
I wish I could have stayed longer. I would have loved to teach some classes for a few days in the village school and also to hike from one village to another. The host father offered to take me out on his boat, but we didn't have time.
So, this is not Costa del Sol, it's not Times Square, it's not Disney. It's a group of villages of poor people who've opened up their homes and lives to outsiders. With just the smallest amount of respect and openness on our part, the villagers will respond with warmth and curiosity. Although dozens of foreigners stay here every day, the villagers are still eager to know more about them, largely because most of the foreigners just stick together and seldom really try to talk with the villagers. If you show an interest in them (take their photo AND show the photo to them, help them with their English by pointing to things and telling them the words, ask them about their families), they will respond in turn.
Written 29 December 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eran suh
8 contributions
Nov 2019 • Solo
Amantani independently
I followed one of the posts here from six years ago and did amantani independently.
As you do it without an agency you're money goes straight to the hosting family.
Also don't forget to bring some things for the family - fruits /rice/spices /things for children (PLEASE Don't bring sweets, dental care is a problem over there).
So the procedure is cery easy - just go to the port to the office called amantani
Pay about 30 soles.
Embark at 8 am.
You will get to uro (half an hour sailing) for and hour (for eight soles you could take the Reed boat there)
After an hour in the Uros you'll embark to amantani (about 2 hours, prepare for a long boat ride).
The boats are very comfortable and it's a good idea to climb to he roof and get some sun.
I'm Amantani the captain will partner you to a family. (mine was Serafina, very nice old lady!)
The price for the home stay today in 2019 - 50 soles. (includes lunch dinner and breakfast.
You'll eat lunch and go to look around pachatata and pachamama (you'll have an awesome view! look for the mountains of Bolivia!)
AN IMPORTANT TIP: I planned on return after dark so I pinned the house in Google maps. (also the hosts give you their name on paper so the residents could give you directions).
I traveled a bit around the island and got back after dark. The sight of the building storm and lightnings in Bolivia was something to behold from the darkness of amantani. (there is no lighting on the island so bring a lamp with you)
Ate a nice dinner and then - sleep time. (p.s no phone chargers, bring a power bank!)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: if you do it without an agency you won't go to the dancing. (I asked my hosts and they said that it's in the other side of the island, around hour walking, so I just didn't do it)
Wake up 6:30 for breakfast, 7:30 on the boat again. After an hour arrive to Taquile Island. You have three hours to look around, not that much to see (there are some ruins though, and the men weave there which is cool).
Recommendation: if you're not hungry just buy a bit of food in the island and wait with lunch till you get back to puño.
In 11:30 embark, and around 14:30 get back to puño. Get ready for a long sailing.
Summery: amantani is by far the most authentic and nice island. If you have some basic Spanish, don't afraid to go solo and and get hosted by locals!
For any question, pm me.
I followed one of the posts here from six years ago and did amantani independently.
As you do it without an agency you're money goes straight to the hosting family.
Also don't forget to bring some things for the family - fruits /rice/spices /things for children (PLEASE Don't bring sweets, dental care is a problem over there).
So the procedure is cery easy - just go to the port to the office called amantani
Pay about 30 soles.
Embark at 8 am.
You will get to uro (half an hour sailing) for and hour (for eight soles you could take the Reed boat there)
After an hour in the Uros you'll embark to amantani (about 2 hours, prepare for a long boat ride).
The boats are very comfortable and it's a good idea to climb to he roof and get some sun.
I'm Amantani the captain will partner you to a family. (mine was Serafina, very nice old lady!)
The price for the home stay today in 2019 - 50 soles. (includes lunch dinner and breakfast.
You'll eat lunch and go to look around pachatata and pachamama (you'll have an awesome view! look for the mountains of Bolivia!)
AN IMPORTANT TIP: I planned on return after dark so I pinned the house in Google maps. (also the hosts give you their name on paper so the residents could give you directions).
I traveled a bit around the island and got back after dark. The sight of the building storm and lightnings in Bolivia was something to behold from the darkness of amantani. (there is no lighting on the island so bring a lamp with you)
Ate a nice dinner and then - sleep time. (p.s no phone chargers, bring a power bank!)
IMPORTANT NOTICE: if you do it without an agency you won't go to the dancing. (I asked my hosts and they said that it's in the other side of the island, around hour walking, so I just didn't do it)
Wake up 6:30 for breakfast, 7:30 on the boat again. After an hour arrive to Taquile Island. You have three hours to look around, not that much to see (there are some ruins though, and the men weave there which is cool).
Recommendation: if you're not hungry just buy a bit of food in the island and wait with lunch till you get back to puño.
In 11:30 embark, and around 14:30 get back to puño. Get ready for a long sailing.
Summery: amantani is by far the most authentic and nice island. If you have some basic Spanish, don't afraid to go solo and and get hosted by locals!
For any question, pm me.
Written 10 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noname08
France133 contributions
We talked to various agencies and they quoted various prices ranging from $130 to $250 per person to do the tour to the floating islands of Uros, Amantani to stay with a family then the next day on to Taquile. They told us we were too late to go on the cheaper tour and that we would have to go on the more expensive private tour. We decided to try our luck directly at the harbour.
Got to the harbour and there were various little offices and the usual people outside vying for our business, which always feels a little dodgy, but in this case is absolutely fine. We ended up choosing a company called Amantani who went to the three islands but it would only cost us 30 Sols (£6 or $9) for the boat and 30 Sols for the overnight with the family, a huge difference to the prices we had been quoted by the agencies! This company is good because it operates with the people on the islands as a collective, so everyone benefits rather than just a few, as with the agencies. We went with our captain, called Sister, and boarded and set sail.
Our first stop was on a little island where a family of 11 lived and they took us out on their huge reed boat and gave us a history of their island, boat and their ancestors. We were out for about 30 minutes, the only problem was he only spoke Spanish so we were ok but others may not be, although people were translating for those who were interested. The other little problem for me was that when we got back to the island we were charged 10 Sols (£2, $3) for he trip, whilst not much I would have appreciated being given the choice. We were then shown how they love and allowed to have a look in tier reed houses which was interesting. Then there was the usual selling of trinkets, but absolutely no hard sell there, unlike Cusco. We then set sail for Amantani, and were waved off by the wife.
The sail to Amantani took about 3 hours, but the chairs were comfortable and the kids amused themselves sat on the roof relaxing.
We got to Amantani and were met by some of the locals dressed in traditional dresses. The captain then allocated each group to a family and off we went. It's quite a walk up to the houses, not helped by the altitude but the ladies understand and stop for breaks along the way. We got to the various houses and were shown our rooms, basic and with no heating but clean and with lots of blankets.
Lunch, dinner and breakfast are all included in the room rate. We had time to potter about then lunch was ready. Lunch consisted of an omelette with different types of potatoes and coca tea, simple but it did the job.
These are simple folk with very little, but they are so lovely you really can't complain and if you don't understand this then maybe you should just go to the agencies.
We were lucky enough to be staying on the last night of a week long festival so we got ready and headed over to the next town with the lady if the house. The festival was wonderful and we were finally able to take pictures of the locals in their wonderful outfits without having to lay for privilege.
Dinner that night was a simple affair of soup and pasta but did the job. By 9pm we were in our room and everyone went to sleep as there wasn't much to do. We were there in winter so without heating it got pretty cold in the room but once under the 4 blankets we were fine and slept well.
Up at 6.30 for breakfast of pancakes and coca tea the the lady of the house accompanies us back down to the port for our next leg of the trip over to Taquile.
If thee is any part of the trip you should avoid at all costs it is Taquile. After Amantani it was a huge disappointment as , before getting off the boat, the captain warned us not to take pictures of the locals and that we would have to pay to see the village! So despite this we walked the 150 or so steps through some lovely arches they overlook the sea to the top where we were greeted by a not very smiley man who we had to pay 8Sols to. We then wandered into town, which is not very pretty, to the main square where a number of tourists had congregated looking bored as there's absolutely Nothing to do. There's a small artisanal market selling the usual trinkets and a couple of snack bars. The thing that struck me the most about Taquile was how the people really don't seem to like the tourists, we were always polite and would say good morning to people as we past but more often than not we were just blanked. For an island built on tourism this struck me as a bit silly of the locals. We had just come from a lovely island where the people were genuinely pleased to see you so it was a bit of a shock. If I were to do this tour again I would definitely avoid Taquile, a waste of time and money.
Back on the boat, 3 hour ride back to Puno. A wonderful experience for the kids, and me to see how other people live with so little but welcome you into their homes and give you so much.
I have some numbers for the Amantani cooperative and will happily pass them on to you should you want to go and visit this wonderful place
Got to the harbour and there were various little offices and the usual people outside vying for our business, which always feels a little dodgy, but in this case is absolutely fine. We ended up choosing a company called Amantani who went to the three islands but it would only cost us 30 Sols (£6 or $9) for the boat and 30 Sols for the overnight with the family, a huge difference to the prices we had been quoted by the agencies! This company is good because it operates with the people on the islands as a collective, so everyone benefits rather than just a few, as with the agencies. We went with our captain, called Sister, and boarded and set sail.
Our first stop was on a little island where a family of 11 lived and they took us out on their huge reed boat and gave us a history of their island, boat and their ancestors. We were out for about 30 minutes, the only problem was he only spoke Spanish so we were ok but others may not be, although people were translating for those who were interested. The other little problem for me was that when we got back to the island we were charged 10 Sols (£2, $3) for he trip, whilst not much I would have appreciated being given the choice. We were then shown how they love and allowed to have a look in tier reed houses which was interesting. Then there was the usual selling of trinkets, but absolutely no hard sell there, unlike Cusco. We then set sail for Amantani, and were waved off by the wife.
The sail to Amantani took about 3 hours, but the chairs were comfortable and the kids amused themselves sat on the roof relaxing.
We got to Amantani and were met by some of the locals dressed in traditional dresses. The captain then allocated each group to a family and off we went. It's quite a walk up to the houses, not helped by the altitude but the ladies understand and stop for breaks along the way. We got to the various houses and were shown our rooms, basic and with no heating but clean and with lots of blankets.
Lunch, dinner and breakfast are all included in the room rate. We had time to potter about then lunch was ready. Lunch consisted of an omelette with different types of potatoes and coca tea, simple but it did the job.
These are simple folk with very little, but they are so lovely you really can't complain and if you don't understand this then maybe you should just go to the agencies.
We were lucky enough to be staying on the last night of a week long festival so we got ready and headed over to the next town with the lady if the house. The festival was wonderful and we were finally able to take pictures of the locals in their wonderful outfits without having to lay for privilege.
Dinner that night was a simple affair of soup and pasta but did the job. By 9pm we were in our room and everyone went to sleep as there wasn't much to do. We were there in winter so without heating it got pretty cold in the room but once under the 4 blankets we were fine and slept well.
Up at 6.30 for breakfast of pancakes and coca tea the the lady of the house accompanies us back down to the port for our next leg of the trip over to Taquile.
If thee is any part of the trip you should avoid at all costs it is Taquile. After Amantani it was a huge disappointment as , before getting off the boat, the captain warned us not to take pictures of the locals and that we would have to pay to see the village! So despite this we walked the 150 or so steps through some lovely arches they overlook the sea to the top where we were greeted by a not very smiley man who we had to pay 8Sols to. We then wandered into town, which is not very pretty, to the main square where a number of tourists had congregated looking bored as there's absolutely Nothing to do. There's a small artisanal market selling the usual trinkets and a couple of snack bars. The thing that struck me the most about Taquile was how the people really don't seem to like the tourists, we were always polite and would say good morning to people as we past but more often than not we were just blanked. For an island built on tourism this struck me as a bit silly of the locals. We had just come from a lovely island where the people were genuinely pleased to see you so it was a bit of a shock. If I were to do this tour again I would definitely avoid Taquile, a waste of time and money.
Back on the boat, 3 hour ride back to Puno. A wonderful experience for the kids, and me to see how other people live with so little but welcome you into their homes and give you so much.
I have some numbers for the Amantani cooperative and will happily pass them on to you should you want to go and visit this wonderful place
Written 13 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lotsa T
Honolulu, HI24 contributions
Mar 2013 • Friends
True to advice from locals, we just taxied down to the boat dock in Puno, Peru a little before 8:00 AM to make our own immediate arrangements to visit rural Amantani Island.
There are no cars, little electricity, and plenty of friendly hospitality on Amantani Island.
Immediately we were "greeted" by officials from the Amantani Island cooperative who escorted us to their little office by the pier, took down our official information (names, passport #'s,), # of nights we wanted to visit, etc., and assigned us to families on the island.
A fellow tourist translated our English into Spanish that the islanders could understand.
In a few minutes, we had paid our 30 soles/person for round trip 4 hour boat trip to Amantani, including a stop at the floating Uros Islands.
The 30 soles per person/night was payable directly to the island families we were to stay with.
That included room + 3 meals/day.
The boat was very nice - small, with individual cushioned seats with white fresh head rest covers. You could also opt to go on top for open air vistas, or sit out back in the uncovered section.
The dock was very busy for about half an hour while all the tourists were getting escorted and settled into the collection of small boats that would deliver us all to our destinations.
Security personal were there observing everything and keeping order. It was very well organized.
I did not observe any life vests on the boat - maybe the seat cushions were flotation devices?
In all events, be sure to have sun protection if you burn the slightest. The UV is very high on Lake Titicaca. We all used sun screen. I bought a sombrero hat with wide brim for 10 soles from a lady on the dock, and I had a veil to cover my pale skin from the intense sun. Plus I had strong UV protection sunglasses.
(On my first trip on the lake, I got severe sun poisoning on a cloudy day - not realizing the intensity of the sun on that water.)
The boat had a TINY TINY bathroom on board.
The trip was beautiful and expansive - as I find all crossings on Lake Titicaca.
****
As soon as we arrived at Amantani, local ladies in their full regalia were on dock to greet us and escort us individually to our different homestays. There were lots of smiles and laughter. They looked very happy to welcome we gaggle of tourists onto their island and into their homes.
The 3 of us friends were taken to a large house 5 minutes form the dock. There were also 3 men going to the same house. So we had one room with 3 females, and another room with 3 male travelers. We had met them on the boat and enjoyed their company, so it was a good match.
Our rooms were on the 2nd floor with big glass windows overlooking the lake.
Beds were comfy, double-sized, and plenty of blankets. Only 1 tiny pillow/bed though. There were 4 double beds in our room, plus one oversized stuffed chair.
The 3 men tourists spoke differing degrees of Spanish and helped us communicate with our host family - who spoke the local language plus Spanish. We spoke only English amongst ourselves.
The rooms were large and spacious, with big windows. Ours overlooked Lake Titicaca and was on the 2nd floor. A little solar electricity system gave us light after dark.
The bathroom was clean and nice and had toilet paper (not usual in Peru). We had to empty the toilet by filling a pail from a 55 gallon water barrel outside the bathroom door. 2 young boys were seen bringing water up from the lake in a container in a wheel barrow and filling the various water containers in the house. This house had 8 rooms. There was no shower.
The kitchen was clean and had a gas stove. We didn't see any refrigerator.
We ate in a large dining room - with 2 tables end to end. The table was covered by a pretty woven cloth.
The ladies of the house were excellent hostesses and cooks. Mother and daughter. Mother also had a small shop by the dock, and a large garden. Daughter was a nursing student in Puno - home on holiday. Father was one of the boat captains.
Meals were joyous and festive - with we 6 visitors from 4 countries and our local family. Much laughter, fun and sharing.
Food was fresh and simple - much (if not all) from their bountiful garden: Corn, potatoes, quinoa, beans... The dock stores had fresh fruit, water, sweets, and drinks we could purchase if we wanted. We rejoiced with the arrival of some fresh mangos - for 1 sole each!
We arrived to a big plentiful fresh lunch. After siesta, we were told the activity would be a walk to the top of the island.
Hmmmm.... that turned out to be quick a hike - uphill at 2.5 miles high altitude. Even after 5 days in Cusco, 2 in Puno, I still wasn't up for that altitude. After huffing and puffing up the village streets and being very winded, I encountered 2 men on horses - for hire. We hired the 2 horses and guides for 25 and 20 soles each to get our bodies up the steep hillside. Now the horse was huffing and puffing...
I was glad for the ride.
My hostess later told me she also hired the horse to go up the mountain - also for 20 soles. Nice to know there was no tourist rip-off pricing going on.
At the top was an ancient Tiwanako temple. Had I known the extent of the "walk" and the time involved, I would have opted for an all day easy walk (taking a picnic lunch and sun protection and plenty of water) to get to the top to see BOTH temples and have time to explore.
As it was, it got dark 2 hours after we started out, and we were dragging back to our homestay after dark, hoping not to trip on the uneven streets. It was really a quick photo-op trip.
The sunset we saw coming down was extraordinary. I would have like to know what we were in for, and planned to really see the ancient sites. Instead, it was more like a contest to see how fast we could get up, and then get down - all before dark.
It was a shame, for towards the top were lots of island crafters with really beautiful alpaca items. I would have liked time to shop for gifts from some of them - but had neither time nor energy to do either.
I opted to stay a 3rd night. I spent the extra day relaxing in the deep calm and peace of the island. After seeing my friends off on the 8 AM boat, I walked along the shore. Finding a small sandy beach, I went for a quick immersion in the magical lake. For sure, it was COLD! Sitting in the warm sun after the cold dip, eating one of those large JUICY mangos is a treasured memory of lifetimes. Beautiful butterflies skipped around and some small yellow flowers smelled intoxicatingly delicious.
My host family dressed me up in local fancy woman's clothes after dinner. We all laughed and took pictures. My hostess quite admired my hat which was knit by my friend back home and made of mohair - a very exotic fiber in the land of alpacas! She admired the expertise craftsmanship of my neighbor's skill.
I slept VERY well that night, and the next morning caught the 6 AM local boat off the island, and continued my journey down hill back to Cusco along the Path of the Sun.
The locals on the boat made sure I got the connecting shuttle van to the Puno bus station. One of them then accompanied me to the ticket counter, helped me purchase my ticket, and saw that I got on the right bus back to Cusco.
My friends reported they had been similarly looked after the day before when they left Amantani Island.
I highly recommend the Amantani homestay visit program.
It is a very special time with some very special and loving people.
There are no cars, little electricity, and plenty of friendly hospitality on Amantani Island.
Immediately we were "greeted" by officials from the Amantani Island cooperative who escorted us to their little office by the pier, took down our official information (names, passport #'s,), # of nights we wanted to visit, etc., and assigned us to families on the island.
A fellow tourist translated our English into Spanish that the islanders could understand.
In a few minutes, we had paid our 30 soles/person for round trip 4 hour boat trip to Amantani, including a stop at the floating Uros Islands.
The 30 soles per person/night was payable directly to the island families we were to stay with.
That included room + 3 meals/day.
The boat was very nice - small, with individual cushioned seats with white fresh head rest covers. You could also opt to go on top for open air vistas, or sit out back in the uncovered section.
The dock was very busy for about half an hour while all the tourists were getting escorted and settled into the collection of small boats that would deliver us all to our destinations.
Security personal were there observing everything and keeping order. It was very well organized.
I did not observe any life vests on the boat - maybe the seat cushions were flotation devices?
In all events, be sure to have sun protection if you burn the slightest. The UV is very high on Lake Titicaca. We all used sun screen. I bought a sombrero hat with wide brim for 10 soles from a lady on the dock, and I had a veil to cover my pale skin from the intense sun. Plus I had strong UV protection sunglasses.
(On my first trip on the lake, I got severe sun poisoning on a cloudy day - not realizing the intensity of the sun on that water.)
The boat had a TINY TINY bathroom on board.
The trip was beautiful and expansive - as I find all crossings on Lake Titicaca.
****
As soon as we arrived at Amantani, local ladies in their full regalia were on dock to greet us and escort us individually to our different homestays. There were lots of smiles and laughter. They looked very happy to welcome we gaggle of tourists onto their island and into their homes.
The 3 of us friends were taken to a large house 5 minutes form the dock. There were also 3 men going to the same house. So we had one room with 3 females, and another room with 3 male travelers. We had met them on the boat and enjoyed their company, so it was a good match.
Our rooms were on the 2nd floor with big glass windows overlooking the lake.
Beds were comfy, double-sized, and plenty of blankets. Only 1 tiny pillow/bed though. There were 4 double beds in our room, plus one oversized stuffed chair.
The 3 men tourists spoke differing degrees of Spanish and helped us communicate with our host family - who spoke the local language plus Spanish. We spoke only English amongst ourselves.
The rooms were large and spacious, with big windows. Ours overlooked Lake Titicaca and was on the 2nd floor. A little solar electricity system gave us light after dark.
The bathroom was clean and nice and had toilet paper (not usual in Peru). We had to empty the toilet by filling a pail from a 55 gallon water barrel outside the bathroom door. 2 young boys were seen bringing water up from the lake in a container in a wheel barrow and filling the various water containers in the house. This house had 8 rooms. There was no shower.
The kitchen was clean and had a gas stove. We didn't see any refrigerator.
We ate in a large dining room - with 2 tables end to end. The table was covered by a pretty woven cloth.
The ladies of the house were excellent hostesses and cooks. Mother and daughter. Mother also had a small shop by the dock, and a large garden. Daughter was a nursing student in Puno - home on holiday. Father was one of the boat captains.
Meals were joyous and festive - with we 6 visitors from 4 countries and our local family. Much laughter, fun and sharing.
Food was fresh and simple - much (if not all) from their bountiful garden: Corn, potatoes, quinoa, beans... The dock stores had fresh fruit, water, sweets, and drinks we could purchase if we wanted. We rejoiced with the arrival of some fresh mangos - for 1 sole each!
We arrived to a big plentiful fresh lunch. After siesta, we were told the activity would be a walk to the top of the island.
Hmmmm.... that turned out to be quick a hike - uphill at 2.5 miles high altitude. Even after 5 days in Cusco, 2 in Puno, I still wasn't up for that altitude. After huffing and puffing up the village streets and being very winded, I encountered 2 men on horses - for hire. We hired the 2 horses and guides for 25 and 20 soles each to get our bodies up the steep hillside. Now the horse was huffing and puffing...
I was glad for the ride.
My hostess later told me she also hired the horse to go up the mountain - also for 20 soles. Nice to know there was no tourist rip-off pricing going on.
At the top was an ancient Tiwanako temple. Had I known the extent of the "walk" and the time involved, I would have opted for an all day easy walk (taking a picnic lunch and sun protection and plenty of water) to get to the top to see BOTH temples and have time to explore.
As it was, it got dark 2 hours after we started out, and we were dragging back to our homestay after dark, hoping not to trip on the uneven streets. It was really a quick photo-op trip.
The sunset we saw coming down was extraordinary. I would have like to know what we were in for, and planned to really see the ancient sites. Instead, it was more like a contest to see how fast we could get up, and then get down - all before dark.
It was a shame, for towards the top were lots of island crafters with really beautiful alpaca items. I would have liked time to shop for gifts from some of them - but had neither time nor energy to do either.
I opted to stay a 3rd night. I spent the extra day relaxing in the deep calm and peace of the island. After seeing my friends off on the 8 AM boat, I walked along the shore. Finding a small sandy beach, I went for a quick immersion in the magical lake. For sure, it was COLD! Sitting in the warm sun after the cold dip, eating one of those large JUICY mangos is a treasured memory of lifetimes. Beautiful butterflies skipped around and some small yellow flowers smelled intoxicatingly delicious.
My host family dressed me up in local fancy woman's clothes after dinner. We all laughed and took pictures. My hostess quite admired my hat which was knit by my friend back home and made of mohair - a very exotic fiber in the land of alpacas! She admired the expertise craftsmanship of my neighbor's skill.
I slept VERY well that night, and the next morning caught the 6 AM local boat off the island, and continued my journey down hill back to Cusco along the Path of the Sun.
The locals on the boat made sure I got the connecting shuttle van to the Puno bus station. One of them then accompanied me to the ticket counter, helped me purchase my ticket, and saw that I got on the right bus back to Cusco.
My friends reported they had been similarly looked after the day before when they left Amantani Island.
I highly recommend the Amantani homestay visit program.
It is a very special time with some very special and loving people.
Written 4 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fzero
New York18 contributions
June 2013 • Couples
I think there's a lot of misconceptions about the Isla Amantani homestay process that I will try to clear up here.
First off, there are three villages on the island you might stay with. They vary in size and "touristy" level.
There are two ways to homestay. You can have a tour guide or tour company arrange a homestay. Most of them have villages, boats, even families that they work with. From talking to other travelers, it seems in general these are slightly higher quality homestays. Some groups also arrange for other entertainment, village square dances, etc. Only one of the villages has the night dance and if you're not in that village (our unguided homestay was not), then you can't go.
The other way is to go to the dock yourself. There are co-op ferry boats at the dock that arrange homestays as well. It's all very easy, 30 Soles per person for round-trip boat trip and 30 soles per person per night for homestay. The boat captains run a homestay/ferry service too as part of a co-op. However it won't be at the main village and you will only be served vegetarian food. This was what we opted for, and we did not have a great experience.
Honestly, we felt the process was overly commercialized and fake. It was really more like a bed and breakfast or motel feel than homestay. Despite fluency in Spanish, our hosts were very aloof from us, not eating with us and barely showing us the minimum of contact. We also felt our accommodations were made even more rustic for the sake of tourism. While not as modern as the west, the island has a lot more technology and comforts than the locals let on. The daughter of our host family had a modern cell phone (yes there is great cell reception on the island). Hidden behind their house was a satellite TV dish. Our village definitely had power lines and some amount of power at night. The host family cooked our vegetables in a traditional fire pit, meanwhile, they were cooking fish and lamb for themselves on a very modern gas stove/range around the corner.
We had brought them gifts of rice, oranges, pencils, etc. While they seemed to appreciate it, there are several general stores on the island selling the same things at about the same prices as the dock.
Anyway, it felt oddly commercialized and unsatisfying. The island itself is beautiful but other than subsistence farming, so much of their income must come from tourism that everyone is always selling something. While hiking, we took pictures near a passing flock of sheep and the shepard women starting asking us for money for the picture!
I think if you manage your expectations, it's worth doing and seeing. The travelers we talked to were a mix of disappointed and ecstatic. We had been to much more authentic homestay experiences in east Asia, middle east, and south america, and hoped to spend more time with the family itself. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Our experience did seem to be an exception as we had also heard of better experiences with more friendly (and poorer) families.
First off, there are three villages on the island you might stay with. They vary in size and "touristy" level.
There are two ways to homestay. You can have a tour guide or tour company arrange a homestay. Most of them have villages, boats, even families that they work with. From talking to other travelers, it seems in general these are slightly higher quality homestays. Some groups also arrange for other entertainment, village square dances, etc. Only one of the villages has the night dance and if you're not in that village (our unguided homestay was not), then you can't go.
The other way is to go to the dock yourself. There are co-op ferry boats at the dock that arrange homestays as well. It's all very easy, 30 Soles per person for round-trip boat trip and 30 soles per person per night for homestay. The boat captains run a homestay/ferry service too as part of a co-op. However it won't be at the main village and you will only be served vegetarian food. This was what we opted for, and we did not have a great experience.
Honestly, we felt the process was overly commercialized and fake. It was really more like a bed and breakfast or motel feel than homestay. Despite fluency in Spanish, our hosts were very aloof from us, not eating with us and barely showing us the minimum of contact. We also felt our accommodations were made even more rustic for the sake of tourism. While not as modern as the west, the island has a lot more technology and comforts than the locals let on. The daughter of our host family had a modern cell phone (yes there is great cell reception on the island). Hidden behind their house was a satellite TV dish. Our village definitely had power lines and some amount of power at night. The host family cooked our vegetables in a traditional fire pit, meanwhile, they were cooking fish and lamb for themselves on a very modern gas stove/range around the corner.
We had brought them gifts of rice, oranges, pencils, etc. While they seemed to appreciate it, there are several general stores on the island selling the same things at about the same prices as the dock.
Anyway, it felt oddly commercialized and unsatisfying. The island itself is beautiful but other than subsistence farming, so much of their income must come from tourism that everyone is always selling something. While hiking, we took pictures near a passing flock of sheep and the shepard women starting asking us for money for the picture!
I think if you manage your expectations, it's worth doing and seeing. The travelers we talked to were a mix of disappointed and ecstatic. We had been to much more authentic homestay experiences in east Asia, middle east, and south america, and hoped to spend more time with the family itself. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Our experience did seem to be an exception as we had also heard of better experiences with more friendly (and poorer) families.
Written 3 July 2013
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Hello
What agency did you contact to organize this experience?
Written 20 October 2024
Che lingua parlano le famiglie che ti ospitano? Ci sono anche bambini?
Written 29 January 2020
Boa tarde Silvia, gostaria de saber com que agência vc fez o passeio de 2 dias 1 noite pela Ilha de Amantani e se teve que reservar antes.
Obrigada!
Written 15 June 2019
Yes, though if you are on a homestay visit I would not assume that there will be electricity in the bedroom. The house we stayed in had some electricity but none in our room.
Written 15 October 2018
Do we need to stay a night in Puno or can we go right to the floating islands? How do we book a homestay for amantani island?
Written 23 August 2018
We booked through our hotel (we stayed the night before) and it was cheaper than booking from the UK. I dare say that if we had strolled down to the lake shore we could have saved a little more.
We set off at 6.30am, so for us a hotel stay was necessary.
Written 15 October 2018
With or without a tour? What's the best way to visit?
I've seen a number of different tour companies online offering overnight trips to Amantani ranging from $37 to $75 for the same itinary and with similar reviews. Ive also read a few reviews/ blogs where people have just turned up at the ferry ticket office buying a ticket and paying a homestay directly to a family when they get their (without a tour guide/company), - I speak Spanish so the prospect of this doesn't really phase me.
So in your opinion is the actual tour worth it (or should I DIY it)? If so should I book online (if so any company recommendations?) or book a tour locally in Puno.
Written 6 August 2018
It was part of a tour I was on, so I don't know how it works doing it on your own. I went withs Kaypi Tours, which is a Peru only tour company. If you do go on your own, you might want to bring things for the family - anything from school supplies for the kids, cleaning materials (brushes, sponges, etc) for the mom, food for them to cook, anything else you can think of. I brought a number of things from the States as I asked ahead of time, but the tour group had us make a stop before going there. The food was (of course) fresh, but the toys and other things were kind of cheap plastic. I went to the 99c store here and brought lots of pencils, crayons, coloring books, erasers, pencil sharpeners, etc, etc. I hope that helps. It was a great experience. Oh, also, bring a good flashlight - it gets dark at night and if you take the trip up (and I do mean up!) to the Pachatata "chapel" for the sunset, you'll need it for the walk back.
Written 20 August 2018
We would like to.stay overnight on Amanti island on June 1st but need to catch 6pm flight next day to Lima. How often does the boat comes to pick up back to Puno? Thank you. Elaine
Written 20 May 2018
I think you are cutting it too fine. We got back at 4pm, and it was an hour to Juliaca airport from Puno.
Written 15 October 2018
Bonjour!
J,aimerais bien aller passer une seule nuit a Isla Amanati ? Que me conseillez vous? Passer par une agence ? acheter un billet aller-retour moi meme ? Les heures ressemble a quoi? les heures de départs et arrivée ? Le cout est combien?
Written 24 March 2018
El turismo en la isla es muy organizado, los precios del alojamiento son iguales si los contratas en Amantani que si los contratas en una agencia de turismo de Puno, te recomiendo por lo menos visitar 2 agencias para que te des cuenta del precio real.
Written 8 May 2018
Hi id like to add Puru to our travel plans. I have 3 children, 17, 13, 11 and we would like advice on staying in Puru but have access to this island and other destinations. I will be travelling from England.
Written 23 February 2018
Are you looking for a route around Peru or just a good place to stay around puno? Puno itself isn’t very nice but is a great launch point to spend a night to catch a day trip to the floating island.
For the bigger island I’d advise staying for one day/night (it’s teeny) it’s absolutely gorgeous - no WiFi, no cars, no lights etc.
We stayed in a place called sundown hostel/hotel in Puno it’s a simple hostel but the owner helped us organise staying with a wonderful family in Amanteni which is the best way to arrange a stay
/ transport to the island. We sornt a month travelling around so happy to give guidance where we can :)
Written 24 February 2018
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