Salar de Uyuni is number 2 on Lonely Planet’s one of the 10 natural sights not to be missed. It is the largest salt lake in the world, located on the Bolivian plateau on 3,800 meters, about 350 km from La Paz.
How to get there
It is the most popular resort for tourists coming to the lake Uyuni, even if you can stop in Tupiza you should not be far away from that spot. Uyuni has a small airport served by Lineas Aereas Canedo with departures from Cochabamba for 1 hour and 1/2 flight, and since it is a small company, it is said that this facility is for the duration of your trip. You can go by bus from La Paz (12-15 hours) or from Potosi (6-7) hours, even there the companies standard are different from ours, it is not uncommon that there are cancellations, delays or problems down the road. By train, you can take the Expreso del Sur Railway Andina, or rent a 4 × 4 in La Paz and Potosi, even if this option is strongly discouraged for logistical and climatic conditions of the trip.
Tour operators
The tour operators rely on local tour operators, able to extricate transport, with the local laws and customs, the language of the highlands, etc.. etc..,this advice dictated by good-sense, and whoever has already been there, even if it means staying trooped with other tourists at this point, group by group, perhaps it’s better to travel with a group of friends that you trust. Even there, be careful to choose the tour operator. Even the hotel, such as Palacio del Sal, can come to the rescue, by taking the station and tour operators to offer you trust.
Tips
It seems strange, but drivers need to pay attention to the little sober. Beware of altitude sickness, especially if you arrive by sea level locations (one day of acclimatization and the Coca Leaf Tea will help). The safest way to travel is the dry season, from April to November. Come equipped; hats (preferably also cover the ears), sunglasses and sunscreen (for the lips), layered clothing (cold night), change for the pay toilet, flashlights, lots of batteries, thermos for hot drinks and water bottles for water, photocopies of travel documents are a need.
By Ina K
Photos: Lion Hirth | Ezequiel Cabrera | Anouchka Unel | Luca Galuzzi | Ricampelo | Alfredobi | Alicia Nijdam | timsnell | furlin | GirlUnmapped | macield | mavik2007 | psyberartist | wallygrom.
