Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia TRU Group 2008 through 2020-Salar de Uyuni lithium-containing salt lake is large but it is challenging to harvest and process. Salar de Uyuni is located in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia. Many companies in the town of Uyuni offer salt flat tours. Seems slightly on the high side. What’s more, tour agencies in Tupiza have a reputation for being far more responsible, with vehicles kept in better conditions and generally a high-standard of guides being employed. salar de uyuni bolivia - salar de uyuni stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. They offer many tour options leaving from and Uyuni, including one from La Paz to Uyuni via lesser-visited Sajama National Park, where you can see Bolivia’s highest peak and visit pre-Incan burial sites before visiting the salt flats. Guatemala It is an amazing place. Salar de Uyuni. Alternatively, if you’re coming from Argentina, you can get a bus north from Villazon. Water underneath the salt flat continues to evaporate under the heat of the sun, leaving behind more salt on the surface. Once, when we had a problem at the terminal due to a “Dia de Peaton” (Pedestrian Day… a fun Bolivian tradition that can be a bit less fun if it interferes with your travel plans), the website even refunded our tickets for lost time. We're getting quoted anywhere from $450-$600 pp. Again, this story believes that the mountains were once people and that Tunupa and Kusku were married. Salar de Uyuni er verdens største saltslette med en overflate på 10 582 km². My biggest suggestion, especially if you opt for a private tour, is to be upfront with your guides about exactly what you’re hoping to get out of the tour. The options are either an hours-long bus ride—not including likely delays—down a bumpy highway full of hairpin turns, or flying into Uyuni from La Paz which could potentially turn out to be the worst flight ever. Tours are generally marginally more expensive (everything is in Chile compared with Bolivia!) Prices and (probably!) Most guides want you to be happy with your experience; I’ve found that being clear about what we wanted out of our tour was best for everyone. Dried up ancient lakes have produced several salt flats – including Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, containing 10 billion tonnes of salt. From San Pedro de Atacama, the most recommendable agencies include Chilean company Cruz Andina Travel and the Bolivian company Estrella del Sur Expeditions. Tour guides should speak English; be sure to confirm this when you book. An array of jaw-dropping sites surround this marvelous landscape to produce one of the most extraordinary and unforgettable tours you will ever experience. Water from the surrounding mountains gathered here because there was no drainage outlets in the Altiplano. Salar de Uyuni is one of South America’s most phenomenal attractions. Many people visit Salar de Uyuni in the hope of seeing the mirror effect. 25× větší než solná pláň Bonneville Salt Flats v Utahu v USA).Nachází se v departementech Potosí a Oruro na jihu Bolívie v blízkosti hřebenu And v nadmořské výšce 3650 m. Shot in Uyuni, Bolivia. You can arrange to drive back to Tupiza or instead stop in Uyuni; both companies also can terminate the tour across the border in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Read More, Argentina LATAM has also just announced daily direct flights (2.5 hours) from Lima to Calama, costing from $81,000 CLP ($122 USD). Worldly Adventurer – aka Steph Dyson – is a bilingual freelance travel writer and guidebook author from the UK. On the north east side of San Pedro, Ckuri Atacama (Los Laureles 170, $48,000 CLP ($78 USD) double) has really beautifully-furnished bedrooms with shower rooms, large double bed and a small dining area with your own fridge and plates and cutlery for you to serve yourself breakfast (it’s not included in the price). Located between Potosi and Oruro, near the crest of the Andes, Bolivia. Warm clothes for sleeping… especially a pair of good, thick socks! Unique Bolivian wildlife, such as Darwin’s rheas, vicuñas, vizcachas, and, of course, flamingos. Some 40,000 years ago the enormous Salar de Uyuni was covered by Lake Minchin. While the scenery flying past your window will be beautiful, the fact is you will probably sit for hours per day jostling around in a 4×4 vehicle down precarious roads. If you’re going to stay in Uyuni for multiple days, you might as well go big and see all there is to see! I'm glad you enjoyed the trip. Despite the warm weather and blistering sunshine during the day, this part of the world is very cold at night with temperatures often falling well below freezing and sometimes even as low as -15 C. For more information on tours of Salar de Uyuni click here. I’ve used this website multiple times and my reservations have always been honored. Tours are a little more expensive than those from Uyuni, starting from around $195 USD per person. However, the real treasure for the locals lies beneath the salt flat, where approximately 70% of the world’s lithium reserves can be found. Let them know! At night, the stars can appear in double, reflected by the watery mirror on land. Salar de Uyuni - Salar de Uyuni. Depending on the time of year, these flights can vary between 1,100 and 1,800 BOB ($170-250 USD). Despite being remotely located, visiting the salt flats is feasible thanks to the abundance of tours that operate here. Best Dining in Uyuni, Potosi Department: See 2,935 Tripadvisor traveler reviews of 43 Uyuni restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. It also gave us peace of mind knowing that we had someone we could call if our plans went awry. You can save yourself time and money by taking over-night buses or early morning flights and jumping straight onto a tour without actually spending the night in the town of Uyuni. Finally, those who haven’t had a chance to acclimatize should pick up some Acetazolamide from the local pharmacy in Uyuni. Rainy season in Bolivia is when the Salar turns into the world’s largest mirror, making it, for some, the best time to go! From the remarkable mirror effect and perspective photos to the numerous natural wonders surrounding the landscape, it is no wonder that this part of the world is regarded as a paradise for photographers. A beanie, gloves, and a scarf or buff for those cold, windy days. Despite being in quite an isolated location it can be easily accessed. Rain makes mud, so the going gets tough at points along the road. La Torre are also another highly recommended operator based here. The Laguna Colorado, Laguna Verde, and other Altiplano salt lakes that are home to Andean flamingos. The Salar de Uyuni refers to the world’s largest salt flats, located near the small town of Uyuni, in Southwestern Bolivia. This train connects Oruro with Tupiza (5.5 hours after Uyuni; 56-239 BOB ($8-$35 USD) and Villazon (3 hours after Uyuni) further down the line. Underneath the cemented salt are large reservoirs of lithium-rich brine. Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Plains) – Bolivia. Worldly Adventurer is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and affiliated sites. Salar de Uyuni in southwestern Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flats measuring more than 10,500 square km. She is the author of the brand-new Moon Chile guidebook. Peru For a traveler visiting South America or Bolivia, visiting the Salar de Uyuni is a must. As this water evaporated, high salinity levels caused a thick salt crust to form, leaving behind the impressive salt flat that we see today. On a still day, a thin layer of water covering the salt transforms the salt flat into ‘The World’s Largest Mirror’ reflecting the sky. This lake later transformed into Paleo Lake Tauca and many other smaller prehistoric lakes. $2,670.00 per adult. Another great tour operator is Banjo Tours. I suggest checking for the lowest prices through Skyscanner and then booking directly with the airline. Visiting El Salar de Uyuni between December and March, Visiting El Salar de Uyuni between April and October, Visiting El Salar de Uyuni in late March or late November. El salar de Uyuni es el mayor exportador de saldesierto de sal continuo y alto del mundo, con una superficie de 10 582 km² (o 4085 millas cuadradas). The owners are wonderful and know plenty about the area making them a great first port of call for information about tours or dining recommendations! Most tour companies offer one to three-day tours of the salt flats, lakes and surrounding region. Thanks for all the info you posted, very useful for my upcoming trip in February 2020. If you don’t mind being outside of town and want to see the Salar de Uyuni at night, stay closer to the salt flats at one of the more expensive, salt hotel options near the village of Colchani. Going to a new and exciting place is an adventure AND has its challenges. Take pictures in the famous Salar de Uyuni. The landscape can completely vary depending on the season, meaning that the best time to go ultimately depends on the experience you’re looking for. It’s a journey just shy of three hours and should cost around 15 BOB ($2.7 USD) and a handful of companies run this route. It was a great time. Music Cliff Martinez - I that everybody wants (from the motion picture Solaris) Credits: Sharon Kendelker // Marlène Habérard Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia on Vimeo After Kusku deserted his wife for Kusina, Tunupa was left heartbroken and her tears are said to have formed the salt flats. Blog. It is in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above sea level. It is very rare that you are stuck for long as there are always other cars around that are willing to help each other out so sit back and enjoy some of the most beautiful surroundings this planet has to offer. The LUX awards is the most important Professional Photography awards in Spain and so I am still on a high after receiving this prize and wanted to share more about how this photo came to be. but standards of tour operators are often better and it saves you having to take the long and uncomfortable bus across the border from Calama (Chile) to Uyuni. They also offer a visit to a salt factory and end their three-day tour with a hike through a giant volcanic rock valley, which was one of the highlights of our trip. This means that altitude sickness can play a decisive factor in whether you enjoy your time here or not. San Pedro de Atacama is the most visited town in northern Chile. It’s also centrally located and easy to walk or get a taxi anywhere in Uyuni. Salar de Uyuni is the worlds largest salt flat, spanning 4086 square miles (10,582 sq. Acesta e situat în departamentele Potosí și Oruro în sud-vestul Boliviei, lângă creasta Anzilor, la o altitudine de 3656 m deasupra nivelului mării, în apropiere de hotarul dintre Bolivia și Chile.. Salar de Uyuni s-a format ca rezultat al transformărilor dintre câteva lacuri preistorice. In an attempt to care for her baby, she flooded the plain between them with her milk so it could be fed. Where to stay in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, Keep Reading: 25 Unusual & Unmissable Things To Do In La Paz, Bolivia, Keep Reading: 28 Essential Things to Know Before Traveling in Bolivia, Keep Reading: Monkeys and Macaws in Rurrenabaque and Madidi National Park, The more expensive (and more comfortable). A final alternative for visiting the Bolivian salt flats is from San Pedro de Atacama, a town across the border in Chile. Local advice to relieve the symptoms of altitude is to chew on coca leaves. The landscape is entirely flat, bar a few small islands such as Isla Incahuasi, which only accentuates its surreal beauty. Group tours or a private tour are also options. Tell them! Thank you! Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable body of water, is located at the border with Peru, and the country’s largest … One thing you can expect from all tours is to spend a substantial amount of time in a car. This spectacular landscape lies at an elevation of 3,656 metres above sea level, near the crest of the Andes. For those on a smaller budget, La Casa de Matilde (Avenida Pedro de Valdivia, $13,000 CLP ($21 USD) dorm, $55,000 CLP ($89 USD) two-bedroom mini apartment) is really homely and has comfortable dorms (all single beds and no bunks). The train graveyard… a strange, but cool homage to Uyuni’s commercial past. While rainy season visits are great for photographers, there are also some downsides to visiting during this time. However, flights are often the same price and significantly more time efficient. Her expertise and ability to hear what we wanted gave us a great jumping point for planning. It’s located in southwest Bolivia at … You can either end in Uyuni (from $125,000 CLP ($180 USD)) or back in San Pedro de Atacama ($150,000 CLP ($215 USD)). : Salt Flats of Uyuni) in Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flat and has a surface of 10,582 square kilometres. Copyright © 2021 Worldly Adventurer | Privacy Policy | Bamboo on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, This article may contain affiliate links. Saltsletten er omtrent 25 ganger større enn Bonneville Salt Flats.. Every one of Steph’s recommendations panned out to be incredible pieces of our trips and we would highly recommend her! The Altiplano is a high plateau formed during uplift of the Andes Mountains. You also might miss out on some of the activities, like riding bikes across the flats. Visits can be done as a day trip or a multi-day tour, with lengthier tours venturing further into the remote landscapes up to the Chilean border. These include the Hotel Palacio de Sal (Orillas Salar de Uyuni, Colchani, double 1,076 BOB ($156 USD)) modern lodgings that are supposedly the first salt hotel in the world, and Hotel de Sal Luna Salada (Orillas Salar de Uyuni, Colchani, double 945 BOB ($137 USD), which even has salt floors! Worldly Adventurer is a website that gives you the tools to travel in a different way through South America: to have a deeper connection with countries and their people; to go beyond the beaten trail; and to have more meaningful, responsible experiences along the way. That way, you can be sure to get the times you want and a lie-flat, or “cama,” seat if you are traveling overnight. The milk eventually turned to salt, leaving behind the miraculous Salar de Uyuni. Because there are fewer tourists starting from here, you may need to wait a day or two for a complete group of tourists to form (you need at least four in your group before you can depart). Legend has it that the mountains surrounding the salt flat were once giant people and that the mountain goddess Yana Pollera (the nearest peak to the salt flat) was involved with both Thunupa and Q’osqo. The first night’s accommodations with have hot showers (a big plus! Salar de Uyuni and Mt. 8 talking about this. A night in a hotel made out of blocks of salt. My suggestion is to choose a three-day tour option. In order to get to the Bolivian salt flats, there are several options. It’s still pretty spectacular, and the expanse of white stretches on forever! Hiking and sleeping at 3,600 metres (about 12,000 ft.) above sea level can get pretty chilly, especially at night. Save time, stress & money with a customized travel itinerary planned for you by a South America expert. Want some extra time on the salt flats for pictures? It is recommended to bring warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag if your tour is over one day long as these tours involve a night’s stay in very basic accommodation. Con el personal 100% comprometido con el turismo. Stretching across 10,582 square kilometres of the Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. Guyana Salar de Uyuni nebo také Salar de Tunupa je největší solná pláň na světě, jež byla dříve dnem jezera.Má rozlohu 10 582 km² (přibližně jako rozloha Libanonu, resp. The Salar de Uyuni is amazing at any time of year, but how your trip looks depends entirely on the season. Three-day tours start from around 1250 BOB ($180 USD). Uyuni is a year-round destination.So the best time to visit depends on what weather you prefer. The Salar de Uyuni is located in Bolivia's Altiplano. We took Salty Desert Adventures. It does seem a little high though, so I suggest you contact a couple of other tour companies to get comparable quotes. This is also because you’re taking a route northwest (whereas those from Uyuni are taking a loop west). Whereas tours from Uyuni all take the same route and mean that you can expect to be in a procession of other 4WD vehicles packed with tourists and who all get out at the same spots at the exact same time, as there are only two tour agencies departing from Tupiza, you’ll likely only see a handful of other cars during your trip. Located at an altitude of 3,656 m above sea level in the Daniel Campos Province, this region is remote, unique, and inhospitable. On a three-day tour you can expect to see and experience the following: Another alternative is a four-day tour from Tupiza. If you want to save time, and avoid the twisty, turning Bolivian roads, the flights from La Paz to Uyuni are only about an hour. In fact, a… Those who are lucky enough to experience this natural wonder will tell you how difficult it is to distinguish where the sky ends and land begins. This company’s guides are fluent in English and were very helpful. If you’re visiting Bolivia, chances are, the Salar de Uyuni (aka the Bolivian Salt Flats) is on your must-see list. Salar de Uyuni: a journey across Bolivia’s remarkable salt flats 3 min read • Published Jan 10, 2013 The world's largest salt flat - Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni - is a surreal realm of mirages, where the bone-dry landscape reflects the sky like a mirror… Tunupa and Salar de Uyuni (Tunupa), Bolivia Many times in the long course of my travels I have been asked the questions: What is your favorite sacred place, or where is the most beautiful place you have ever been? To be fully prepared for the Bolivian salt flats, you’ll want to pack the following when visiting the Salar de Uyuni: Sunscreen and a sun hat to block those rays! Steph (the founder and editor of Worldly Adventurer) saw the salt flats via a tour from Tupiza with Tupiza Tours. Most choose to experience the salt flats via a guided tour. Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world's largest salt flat, or playa, at over 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) in area. Be sure to take along some props for your perspective photos, like a frying pan or toy dinosaur! Reviews. In total there is an estimated 10 billion tonnes of salt here. 4,136 Reviews 495 Q&A. Your final day at the Salar de Uyuni also starts at sunset, meaning you get the absolute best views of this grand natural site – and get to appreciate it before the hordes of vehicles from Uyuni arrive! Conditions on a tour of the Salar de Uyuni are variable. If you get car sick easily, take medicine and sit in the front seat! Private tours are obviously pricier but grant more flexibility; to meet new people and save money, go for the group option! Flights take around two hours 10 minutes. If taking a tour of the salt flights from San Pedro de Atacama, the most efficient means of getting to this town is by flying into Calama, a city situated 100 kilometres northwest. The rate of evaporation is ten times more than precipitation, meaning that Salar de Uyuni is a never ending salt source! However, to get here from southern Chile, departures are more frequent to nearby Calama. The natural beauty and uniqueness is something you’ll never forget! Train Graveyard Explore the old, rusting train carriages that have lay on the outskirts of the deserted town of Uyuni since the collapse of the mining industry in the 1940s. While there are many tours and companies to choose from, I highly recommend Quechua Connection. flamingoes in lagoon at the salar de uyuni in bolivia - salar de uyuni stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Buses to here from the Chilean capital, Santiago, cost between $25,000 CLP and $48,000 CLP ($36 USD to $70 USD) and take 22 hours. She now lives between Europe and South America and, since 2014, has been travelling throughout this continent, authoring guidebooks, writing for international travel publications and creating comprehensive travel guides for Worldly Adventurer. This reputation also extends to safety; drink-driving can be a real issue on the Salar, so it’s essential to book with a company that is reliable and takes the safety of their passengers seriously. When Yana Pollera became pregnant, the two male volcanoes fought tirelessly and tenaciously over who the father was. Expect to pay around $30 BOB  ($6 USD). This spectacular landscape lies at an elevation of 3,656 metres above sea level, near the crest of the Andes. Bolivia From La Paz, it’s also possible to take a four-hour bus to Oruro and then hop on a train to Uyuni, another six or seven hours away. This means that altitude sickness can play a decisive factor in whether you enjoy your time here or not. A trip to Salar de Uyuni is unforgettable- and unfortunately, so are the transport options to get to the town of Uyuni. Queremos mostrar maravillas únicas al sur de Bolivia. Her advice and wide array of options also allowed us to be flexible. The drivers of these cars are well experienced and used to breakdowns so if issues do arise there’s no need to panic. These tours can … You might get lucky and find a part of the salt flat that is dry and a part that’s covered in water! For vaguely up-to-date bus timetables, check out this website. If you want to experience the incredible richness of natural beauty and diverse landscapes that Bolivia has to offer, a tour of El Salar de Uyuni is a great way to do it! If you choose a three-day tour, those will take you up to 4,500 metres (almost 15,000 ft.)! This marvellous reflection of the sky is most likely to be seen during the rainy season (December to April). This magical corner of the world is complete with vibrant colored lakes, bubbling geysers, crazy rock formations and quinoa producing villages. Although it attracts many visitors, it remains one of the world’s most unspoilt and natural landscapes. Bolivia COMIBOL develop Uyuni lithium salar lithium brine evaporation pond li carbonate pilot plant weather station Uyuni TRU Group plant site li car Spreading out over 11,000-sq.-km, Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world. At this point, the town exists practically solely to accommodate tourism to the salt flats. If you want to take a bus, unless traveling during a really busy holiday weekend in South America (like Carnaval), you can probably walk right into any bus station in Bolivia and purchase tickets at the counter. Tunupa, Bolivia Sacred Mt. Salar de Uyuni este cel mai mare deșert de sare din lume, având o suprafață de 10.582 km². Transfers are timed to pick up passengers from the arrivals hall just after flights land. Excluding the cacti-filled islands, ‘Isla Incahuasi’ and ‘Isla del Pescado’, the landscape is completely flat which creates an endless horizon that is optimal for all sorts of crazy perspective photos. Does that sound about right? Salar de Uyuni is famed for its massive scale and mirror-like appearance during the wet season, an effect that has lead it to be named a natural wonder of the world. To be fully prepared for the Bolivian salt flats, you’ll want to pack the following when visiting the Salar de Uyuni: To be honest, I would suggest not actually staying in Uyuni. What should you pack for visiting the Salar de Uyuni? There are four of us and we'd like our own vehicle and nicer hotel accommodations. Dry season in Bolivia lasts from around April to October and during this time, the salt flats look less like a giant mirror and more like… well, a giant salt flat. Chile up-to-date prices and timetables can be found on this website. Alternatively, you can take a tour from Tupiza, a town located some 200 kilometres south of Uyuni. However, it can also be accessed via other parts of Bolivia and Chile as well as Peru and Argentina. When should you visit the Bolivian Salt Flats? Cover photo full. Colombia Tours departing from Tupiza take a different route to those leaving from Uyuni; because fewer tourists choose to start their salt flats tours from here, you can guarantee you’ll see fewer other tourists during most of your trip. One good option is the Toñito Hotel (Av Ferroviaria 60, double 500 BOB ($72 USD), which offers private rooms with hot showers, heaters in the rooms, and yummy pizza downstairs in the Minuteman Pizza restaurant. The world’s largest salt flat, it a truly amazing sight to behold. While we have experienced many different guides during our Bolivian travels, our best by far was from Banjo. Night skies are also guaranteed to be clearer because of a far lower chance of rain than in rainy season! Layers of salt are sandwiched between sedimentary deposits that reach a great depth of 10m in the centre of the flat. The once bubbling towns of San Antonio de Lipez and San Cristobal de Lipez are flooded in history and captivating stories. Salar de Uyuni offers an unforgettable experience at any time of year. If your schedule doesn’t permit this option, however, there are plenty of hostels in Uyuni that you can visit. The vast expanse of white, glistening salt stretches across 10,582 kilometers of the Altiplano and can even be seen from space. Hello - thank you for the detailed info. Those who visit have the option to do a one day, three day or four day tour depending on your prefered length of exploring and where you want your tour to start and finish from. The best way to see this incredible vista is by taking a three or four day 4×4 tour across the salt flats. A rise in temperatures coupled with a change in climate from wet to dry caused the water to slowly evaporate. bolivia, potosi province, salar de uyuni salt pan - salar de uyuni stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. Lasting from around December to March, you’ll definitely want to visit if you’re hoping to snap amazing reflection photographs, where the horizon seems to completely disappear and the sunsets are spectacular. The lithium contained in the brine is likely to be processed into lithium carbonate. The two-bed mini apartment is great for groups or families as it has a kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. Salar de Uyuni tours from San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), Recommended tour guides for El Salar de Uyuni, Recommended tour guides from San Pedro de Atacama, Top tips for taking a tour to the Bolivian Salt Flats. The Salar de Uyuni (engl. Uyuni also has a small airport. Read my, Where to Stay in Lima: Chic & Modern Selina Lima, How to Get to Patagonia: A Complete Travelers' Guide. What can you expect from Salar de Uyuni tours? Steph. Lots of amazing photos that we took. The largest salar (salt flat) in the world, Salar de Uyuni, is located within the Altiplano of Bolivia in South America. Wikipedia | Google | Google Images | Flickr. Den ligger på punaen sørvest i Bolivia i departementene Potosí og Oruro omtrent 3650 meter over havet.De rikeste mineralforekomstene i saltsletten er halitt og gips. From the bus terminal in Calama, buses leave hourly for San Pedro de Atacama; Tur Bus has the most frequent departures. ), while the second night is spent near the hot springs, where you can enjoy an evening soaking under the Milky Way. km) in south-western Bolivia. We loved the Uyuni Salt Flats. Very helpful. Don’t care so much about the train graveyard or the Laguna Colorado and want to spend more time in the hot springs? If you’re more of a planner like me, use Tickets Bolivia to purchase your tickets ahead of time. While 4WD vehicles and drivers are well-equipped to handle the terrain, more mud means a greater risk of getting stuck. Aeropuerto Internacional El Loa (CJC) receives around a dozen flights from Santiago with carriers LATAM (expensive), Sky Airline (low cost) and Jet Smart (super low cost). As the only travel blog dedicated to responsible, adventure travel in Latin America, Worldly Adventurer seeks to inspire you to venture beyond the beaten trail and find a deeper connection with the countries you encounter along the way. If you’re in Chile and want to pop across the the salt flats, a tour from San Pedro de Atacama makes the most logistical sense. Salar de Uyuni is located in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia. Patagonia If you are short on time and funds and only interested in seeing the salt plains themselves, a one-day tour will suffice. Unlike traditional deserts, which have sand in abundance, the Salar de Uyuni features vast expanses of glistening white salt. Be aware that it’s winter during these seasons, so you can expect temperatures to drop to below freezing once the sun goes down (around -6°C or -22°F). Venture through Bolivia stopping to enjoy quaint colonial towns, go deep inside the rich silver mines and embark on an unforgettable expedition through the vast and blinding-white salt flats of Uyuni. If you book at least a few weeks in advance, you can secure flights for as little as $33,000 CLP ($48 USD) – although with Sky Airline and Jet Smart, you are required to pay for cabin baggage and hold luggage in addition to the quoted fee. Chott el Djerid, Tunisia. They can also drop you in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile for an additional cost of around $10 USD. If you want to take a tour starting in Tupiza, it’s a four-hour bus journey from Uyuni, with buses leaving a couple of times each day from the bus terminal in the latter. Unfortunately, the salar has a tendency to flood during the rainy season, causing some parts of it such as Isla Incahuasi to become inaccessible. The journey costs $3,000 CLP ($4 USD). Being able to carve out an in depth plan with someone that has been there that you can trust was extremely helpful. Salar de Uyuni is one of the harshest environments on the planet for vehicles, meaning that there can occasionally be unavoidable issues with the vehicles.