We traveled from Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, east toward the Atlantic Ocean. As we left the city and passed through suburbs and then smaller outlying towns, one thing struck me: there are no fences. There are no concrete walls shielding the houses from the street, there is no razor wire or broken glass trimming the perimeter of shops and homes - which if you’re familiar with South American cities, these accoutrements are the norm. Not in Uruguay.
The rolling green hills, stands of eucalyptus trees and brilliant blue sky make Uruguay a verdant paradise. As if the landscape wasn’t enough, just on the other side of the road is the ocean, golden sand and enormous crashing waves sending sea spray high into the air. Horses galloped across the seemingly borderless pastures on our left, and surfers lined up for the next wave on our right. My first impression - Uruguay has it all.
We arrived at Miradores de Laguna Garzon, the home and boutique hotel built by Pablo and Andi Sosa. Upon walking in, the feeling of being in a feature home in “Architectural Digest” is nearly overwhelming. Andi and Pablo have taken impeccable care with their home and business, applying beautiful touches to even the smallest details. Even our bath towels, tied with twine and trimmed with dried wildflowers, made us feel like royalty. Pablo took us across the lagoon to his most prized property, the Laguna Garzon Floating Hotel. As he toured us through the wooden boardwalks, floating cabins, and restaurant, Pablo explained that he had to bring both power and fresh water to the lodge. The lodge has provided more than a unique tourist retreat, it has also brought electricity to the bordering fishing village, which was without power until the lodge’s construction three years ago. While the luxurious floating cabins were retired in early March for the off season, it was easy to see how this is a place that you could come back to year after year. We enjoyed an Uruguayan Tannat wine under the brilliant southern stars and slept peacefully in the quiet of the countryside. For families and honeymooners alike, the Miradores and Floating Lodge at Laguna Garzon are an experience like no other!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.