The crown jewel of Bolivia’s desert southwest is undoubtedly the Salar de Uyuni, a vast “salt flat” renowned for its otherworldly, mirrored aesthetic, a seemingly never-ending horizon hopelessly divided between the starkest white and deepest blues you’re ever likely to see. As is the case with most natural wonders in South America, the only way to see the Salar is to join an organized tour. Literally dozens of agencies in Uyuni offer tours departing daily, so shop around throughly and use the tips I provide here to aid you in making your final selection.
When and Where to Book
No picture can come close to portraying the majesty of the Salar de Uyuni.
When I was initially researching my trip to South America, several travel blogs I came across recommended booking tours in advance of my arrival in Uyuni — and some even went as far to suggest I book before I left the United States. If you’re considering this option, I advise you strongly against it. As is the case for other popular South America tours — such as the “Inca Trail” from Cusco, Peru to Machu Picchu or boat trips through Iguazu Falls in Brazil or Argentina — booking in-person and on-location is always cheaper and affords you greater freedom and flexibility.
Indeed, when you arrive in Uyuni’s central plaza — or, alternatively, the neighboring small town of Tupiza — you will literally be surrounded by travel agencies offering tours to the Salar. Although salt flat tours, for the right price, are fully customizable, most tourists sign on for pre-packaged three- or four-day expeditions. When shopping around, the best means of ascertaining price differences between agencies is to ask for their prices on these set-itinerary tours, even if you plan to customize yours.
The Fine Print
With so many agencies offering essentially the same tour — and usually, at similar prices — differentiating between them on a deeper level might seem an
The second day of your tour takes you to several of Bolivia’s sulfur lakes.
arduous task, particularly if your Spanish is limited.
One of the first questions should ask is whether or not the entrance fee to Avaroa National Park — a sum of 150 bolivianos as of March 2011 – is included. Nearly all salt flat tours pass through this national park and if you haven’t pre-paid your ticket, you’ll be required to purchase one before you’re allowed to enter. This takes only a second, mind you, but paying for your ticket in advance saves you some trouble, in addition to helping you sort out whether or not a given agency is actually cheaper than its competitiors.
You’re likely to see flamingos in southwestern Bolivia, but not all of them will still be alive.
Another perk certain agencies offer is the ability to transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile after the tour, free of charge. When investigating this option, make sure the agent agrees to get you a Bolivian exit stamp before you leave Uyuni, as the Bolivian side of the border with Chile isn’t always manned. Additionally, ensure he gives you a ticket to board the bus that takes you from the border to San Pedro’s town center — this is crucial, as I explain in the next section.
A guide will cook all your meals for you over the duration of your tour, so make sure and express any dietary preferences to the agent before you depart. It also doesn’t hurt to pick his brain about the types of food and beverage to which you’ll be privy if you possess the Spanish prowess to do so. Most of the places you stop and stay are quite literally in the middle of nowhere, so it’s important to make sure you’re OK with your options — or option, as it were — prior to booking.
Lincanabur Tours: A Word of Warning
I don’t typically use this blog to recommend against anything, but I offer you a warning: do not book a tour with Lincanabur Tours in Uyuni, the agency
Laguna Colorada’s blood red hue derives from an overgrowth of algae on its surface.
Lonely Planet recommends in both its “Bolivia” and “South America on a Shoestring” guide books.
This agency proved to be unprofessional and dishonest in a number of ways. For one, it was significantly more expensive than its next-cheapest competitor. While my group was waiting for our meal at the hostel the first night, I peaked my head over to the people next to us — who were already eating — to inquire about how much they paid. While we’d each shelled out Bs. 850 (including entrance to the national park), they each paid just Bs. 750.
After answering my question, the group went back to enjoying a sumptuous feast of roasted chicken, sauteed vegetables and warm bread, crowned by a bottle of red wine. To the dismay of everyone in my group, our meal — for which we waited more than an hour, without any beverages and only stale, saltine crackers to tide us over — for an embarrassing pasta concoction made with overcooked noodles, watery sauce and a can of mushrooms I saw a drifter pass our driver before night fell. Our tour guide and “cook” Marta was unapologetic, both for the delay and the poor quality of the food.
Warm yourself up on your last day by taking a dip in natural hot springs.
Although we did enjoy one acceptable meal before tour’s end — out of the seven we ate — several other factors turned me off to the Lincanabur experience. For one, we spent the vast majority of the time in the Jeep, stopping for only a few minutes at each attraction before continuing on our way. Despite the fact that I’m somewhat fluent in Spanish, I had to practically beg our tour guide to explain the importance of certain features to us. When we arrived at the crimson Laguna Colorada, for example, she didn’t anticipate that we’d want to know why it was, you know, red.
In the case of Lincanabur, the “three-day” label is also a bit misleading. As I’d opted to transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, I knew I’d only be enjoying part of the third day, during which the rest of the group would need to make it back to Uyuni. What I didn’t know is that this would occur at 9 a.m., a lukewarm aguas termales with the sole activity among the promised 10 I’d have time to enjoy. The others in my group informed me their journey back was uneventful and rushed.
The final nail in the coffin, however, occurred when I arrived at the border. As our jeep approached, Marta casually
Don’t be shy about asking your driver to stop for photos, or for any other reason.
reminded me that I’d need the ticket her boss gave me to board the bus to San Pedro. I repeatedly informed her that I was never given a ticket, which caused her to become impatient and eventually outright angry with me. I got pretty pissed off too, I’ll admit, and it was only by a stroke of luck that one of the waiting drivers was willing to take my word and transfer me without the ticket I never got.
Again, I’m not talking shit for the sake of talking shit: I do understand that things don’t always function as they’re supposed to in out-of-the-way places like Bolivia. But if you take only one piece of heaps of advice I offer on this site, make sure it’s this one. You will absolutely regret choosing Lincanabur.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
