Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

I never really focused on Bolivia as a destination before I came down to South America, more like a country I had to go through to reach Peru from Argentina. But as soon as I starting chatting up fellow travelers it became clear that, Bolivia, and in particular the unique and alien landscapes of the Salar de Uyuni where an experience not to be missed. In Salta (NW Argentina) I connected with some like-minded travelers who as well were drawn by tales of dazzling white expanses, pink flamingos and endless stars. We did a 4 day tour (for barely over 100 USD!) from Tupiza to Uyuni, traversing expanses of mountains, deserts and miles and miles of salt.


At almost 12,000 feet above sea level the perfectly flat and brilliantly white salt flats cover about 4,000 square miles of southwestern Bolivia and the dramatic surrounding area around the salt flats is equally as intriguing. We aquired a Jeep, a guide and a cook to accompany us on our journey.
On the first day setting out from Tupiza (a small town which boasts being the setting for the demise of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) we drove through stunning canyons and and watched as trees and shrubs gave way to giant cacti and fields of grasses where herding families live in small, spead out compounds and tend to their llamas and alpacas.


After spending a freezing night in one such compound we left behind inhabitable land and continued onto more stark terrain - passing ranges of harsh grey mountains and expanses of deserts that are puncuated with geysers, hot spring and lakes of varying degrees of color. From white, to green, to red and yellow, these lakes take on their hue based on the different amoebas that make their home in the lakes.

The lakes are home to flocks and flocks of pink flamingos with blacktipped wings, whose bright colors pop against the surreal landscape.


Massive rocks of ochre, yellow, coffee, beige and orange rise up from the windswept desert, formed over time by the elements into statuesque shapes, including the famous Stone Tree formation.

And then you arrive at the Salt Flats. About 40,000 years area the area was part of Lake Minchin, a giant prehistoric lake. When the lake dried, it left two modern lakes and two major salt deserts- which contain about 10 billion tons of salt. I was there during rainy season so much of the salt was covered in a thin layer of water which made for wet, salty feet and a world of reflections and mirror images.


Just outside of Uyuni lies a train cemetary. Tracks that go nowhere and the huge bodies of ancient steam locomotives lie stationary. The setting makes for a fantastic photo shoot.


The hallucenogenic landscapes of Southwestern Bolivia and the salt flats are unlike anything else in the world. Shocking and awe-inspiring at once, Bolivia does not dissapoint. Get there!