Bolivian salt flats, or commonly known as Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world, measuring nearly 11,000 square km. There are two distinct seasons during which you can visit the salt flats.
- Between December and April - wet season, which gives a spectacular mirror effect
- Between May and November - dry season, which lets you admire the cluttered salt flats and access to a larger area of the salt flats (inaccessible during rainy season)
Although I have only visited Salar de Uyuni during dry season (end of November), I believe both seasons are worth the trip and I would myself, love to go back during wet season.
During the tour, one half day will be dedicated to visiting the salt flats and the Cactus Island (Isla Incauasi), an island in the middle of the flats. Our tour departed in the early hours of the morning, so we had a chance to admire the beautiful sunrise. The flats are so big that you could not see any other cars around. You will then head to the Cactus Island to enjoy breakfast and have plenty of time to take pictures on the salt flats before heading to the famous flags spot.
So, which tour?
A lot of tourist opt for booking their trip last minutes, from either La Paz or Uyuni. I would highly recommend not doing so and instead, book your trip in advance online, especially during high season. A lot of the local agencies will charge you less if you book on the spot, yes, but some of them are not very reliable and you can read a lot of troubling cases where drivers got drunk during the trip.
We were a group of 8 and booked through this platform online for $150,000 CLP (A$322; 200 Eur) per person ALL inclusive, except for the National Park entrances, bring about 150 BOB (A$50; 30 Eur). Whilst we booked through the platform, our tour operator was World White Travel and I believe it would be cheaper to book directly through them as they will not charge commission. I have to say that my experience with them was fantastic, but this is thanks to our two drivers, Epi and Simon - both of them incredibly knowledgeable and passionate to be a guide. Epi would always tell us some facts about the sites we visited and the story behind it. We spoke Spanish so the conversation was easier done, but he spoke slowly for us to understand and repeated when necessary. He was also always asking if we had any questions and he was happy when we got interested. Your driver will be your cook, your guide, your everything during the trip in Bolivia after you have crossed the Chilean border. We were so amazed by Epi's dedication and it made the whole difference. The day on the salt flats, both Epi and Simon did everything to take the best perspective shots for us as well! Simply fantastic times. I would highly suggest to tip your driver at the end.
How long?
Most of the trips departing from Bolivia are 3 days, 2 nights long and will visit some other sites around the salt flats. However, if you decide to depart from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, the tour will last for 4 days, 3 nights.
Pro tips:
- make sure you change your currency BEFORE entering Bolivia; some of us found that BOBs were sold out in Santiago airport and it was almost impossible to change it in San Pedro as we landed at 11pm
- always have BOB change, for the 'inca' style toilets (1-5 BOB)
- be patient, the border crossing from Chile - Bolivia and back is long
- during the dry season, the morning is extremely cold yet the afternoon is boiling; bring clothes accordingly
- walking shoes / hiking shoes are a must (especially when visiting other sites)
- bring sunscreen, the reflection on the salt is very damaging and you will burn!
- bring your own toilet paper
- bring towels for hot springs
- bring at least 1L of water for the first day and snacks
- it is in the middle of nowhere and you will have NO WiFi / data (perfect to unwind) with limited access to electricity; it is better to bring a power bank to charge your phone or camera for pictures
- be prepared for the altitude
This last point is really important. The first night of our tour was spent near Laguna Colorada at about 4,250m above sea level. Despite my previous trip to Peru, I came straightly from San Pedro de Atacama (2,408m) on this one and I did not have the time to accommodate to the altitude. Besides, spending a night at this altitude is a whole different story. Whilst I was given tabs, coca leaves, oxygen, I felt horribly sick and vomited the whole night - even thought I would be dying there. Altitude is no joke if you are not used to it and you should be careful and not force on any physical activities.
Post a Comment