Every year more and more backpackers head to southern
Bolivia to see the Bolivian salt flats and the various other natural wonders scattered
between the mining town of Uyuni and the Chilean border.
The only way to take in these sights is by 4x4, with tour lengths
ranging between one and five days. We chose the three day option which took us
over the salt flats, past the red lagoon and down to the thermal baths near the
Chilean border before returning via San Cristobal.
Whilst there are some amazing landscapes to see, with large distances to travel, basic facilities
and extreme temperatures it can be a challenging experience at times. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of
your Bolivian salt flats tour.
1. Do some background research on tour companies
Online message boards are rife with stories of less than
reputable companies taking tourists into the desert from the dusty town
of Uyuni and drivers' lack of sobriety is an issue that crops up again and
again. Our driver from Empexa Tours (who as far as we know was as
dry as the salt flats throughout) made light of this himself, asking me if I
was worried he was going ‘to go off and get drunk’ when he picked up on my
anxiousness to be back in Uyuni in time for our night bus.
Clearly its hard to establish the trustworthiness of a
driver prior to the tour but by doing some background research you can at least
have an idea of two or three well-known companies in Uyuni to choose from, even
if you’re not planning on booking in advance.
Our tour with Empexa was very good, apart from some confusion at the beginning when there was no driver or jeep for us! We think this was the fault of the third party site we booked with (boliviatravelsite.com.
2. Choose the right length tripOur tour with Empexa was very good, apart from some confusion at the beginning when there was no driver or jeep for us! We think this was the fault of the third party site we booked with (boliviatravelsite.com.
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Driving through the desert on Day 2 |
The majority of tour operators will provide a choice of three different tours and largely follow the same route down to the border with Chile and then back again in a circle. If you’re just interested in seeing the nearby salt flats, the ‘one day’ option will be fine. This is usually combined with a visit to the train cemetery.
Most two day tours will take in the Ollague Volcano and perhaps one of the flamingo lakes. Although pleasant enough, for us, these were some of the less essential sections of the tour. Many of the must-see attractions like the Red Lagoon, thermal baths and the Tree of Stone are down towards the Chilean border and only inclwuded in the three-day option.
Unless you’re really only interested in the one day salt flats option, go for the three day rather than the two day tour. For the sake of one extra night it would be a shame to miss so many fantastic sights.
3. Prepare for lack of Wifi
Technophobes and old-school travel purists will love it;
everyone else will hate it. The Bolivian salt flats and the surrounding areas are some
of the most remote places on earth and Wifi is still a mere pipedream. Organise
any important texts/emails/blog updates in Uyuni and then embrace a rare
opportunity to disconnect from the technological world!
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| Definitely no heating or Wifi here |
4. Pack clothes for all temperatures
For most, one of the main allures of the Bolivian salt flats
and their surroundings are the wide open expanses and unspoilt natural beauty.
But, with any wide open space there are some strong winds which can be
chilly, even when the sun's beating down.
With much of days two and three of the longer tour spent in desert
terrain, temperatures fluctuate hugely. Days can be very hot and there is little
to no shade. As soon as the sun sets, the mercury plummets; it’s bitterly cold
until sunrise and unless you’ve paid extra, the accommodation will be very
basic.
Our accommodation on the second night was barely any warmer than outside.For such a wide range of temperatures, the best option is to have multiple layers to hand and just remove or add them as needed.
Our accommodation on the second night was barely any warmer than outside.For such a wide range of temperatures, the best option is to have multiple layers to hand and just remove or add them as needed.
5. Have everything you need in the jeep at the start of each day
Depending on the amount of available space in your jeep,
your rucksack may be secured under a tarpaulin on the roof during the day, so
remember to have everything you need for the day inside the jeep. I left my
bathers and towel inside my large bag on day three and could only go knee-deep
in the thermal baths.
One essential in-jeep item is sun cream. Whilst it doesn’t
always feel particularly hot in some of the more windswept parts of the trip, there
is no natural shade and you’ll soon end up the same colour as the Red Lagoon without it.
Wet wipes are also a lifesaver. There are no guarantees of a
shower at any point (unless you’ve splashed the cash for better accommodation) and
deserts are generally pretty dusty places.
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| Have anything you need during the day in the jeep - not on the roof |
As impressive an array of sights as there is to see, with
such huge distances to cover there will still be a lot of hours spent rattling
along a dirt track with not a lot to keep you amused. Between us and one of our
tour companions we had a decent selection of music..until he left to catch a
lift to Chile during the third day and our phone batteries died.
Our driver seemed happy to rely upon less than ten
songs-worth of Bolivian pop music for the rest of the trip, but after the tape
had been repeated multiple times we were beginning to question our sanity. That
said; it was arguably still better than chart music in the UK.
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| Heading out onto the salt flats on Day 1 in our jeep |
In an attempt to save time we decided to catch a night-bus
to and from La Paz directly either side of our three day tour. This proved to
be one of our bigger mistakes!
A night bus in Bolivia is not the relaxing experience that it
might be in more developed countries. Bolivia’s roads are primitive at best,
resulting in a jarring, bumpy overnight ride - definitely not conducive to
a good night's sleep. An unwelcome 3 am breakdown and bus change in Oruro also didn’t
help.
Having barely slept, when we arrived in the blinding morning
sunshine in Uyuni the last thing we wanted to do was spend three days in a
jeep. Similarly, after spending said three days in a jeep, the very last thing
we wanted was a sleepless nine hour bus ride back to La Paz!
A far better option is to spend a night either side of the
tour in Uyuni. If money’s not an issue, you could even consider flying in and
out from La Paz.
Read the full account of our three day tour here > 3 Days in the Wild: Salar de Uyuni and Southern Bolivia
