Have you dreamed of walking on the moon? Rocky desert woods, pockmarked streets leading to wind-whipped cities, salt pans spiked with cacti, geysers belching sulfur.
The surreal, sparsely populated landscapes of this area have become one of Bolivia's main drawcards, with hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting every year. While it is possible to do day tours throughout the salt flats, many excursions run for three or four times and go deeper into the Altiplano
Avoid tours which spend a night in a 'salt resort' (yep, resorts made from salt), as those run off the water grid and pollute the local environment. The jumping off point for most trips is your dusty Bolivian city of Uyuni, but additionally it is possible to depart from Tupiza (though this adds another day of travel on the trip).
Another alternative is to begin from the backpacker hamlet of San Pedro de Atacama in Chile - but expect to pay more for the identical itinerary. There are tons of tours to choose from, particularly in Uyuni (where you are going to be swamped on arrival by touts), but a few are far safer and better run than others.
Be certain that you know what is and is not included in the tour, your car is equipped with seatbelts, emergency radio transmitters, and a first aid kit, and your driver and guide possess the proper qualifications. In addition, while it might appear clear, double check that they will be speaking a language that you know!
Bring a camera along with extra batteries. Sunglasses and hat, to keep the warmth off; lip balm to protect from windburn. Flip flops, or another pair of shoes you do not mind getting wet. At night, it gets chilly, especially from May through November.
Bring a towel, if you happen to stop by a few hot springs for a dip. Just a small cash, if you would like to use the bathrooms in Colchani or buy a sour llama statue. Some tours do not include entry to the national parks or islands in their price, either, and so be sure you have adequate Bolivianos with you. Food and water are supplied with any tour, but it is always sensible to have a little something extra to eat.
From May to November, the weather is mild and clear, but the saltpans are baked dry, so there is no mirror effect. From January to April, during the summer wet, the apartments are sheeted in water while mostly drivable; accessibility to Isla Wasi cannot be possible. How to get there? If you are on a budget, night buses run regularly from La Paz to Uyuni, but be ready for a very bumpy ride.
The bus arrives around 8 am, and many tours do not depart Uyuni until mid-morning, so you need to have sufficient time to grab a coffee and walk around. Instead, you can organize private transport, or catch a train from Oruro or Villazon. When planning a visit to the salt flats, it is important to not forget that as they sit 3,650 meters above sea level, some people may suffer from altitude sickness.
Have you been to Salar de Uyuni?
Thank you for reading :) Enjoy your day!!!