Salar de Uyuni - Altiplanos - Bolivia Travel Information

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Uyuni is the name of a small town in south Bolivia, which is the starting point for travelers who set out to explore Bolivia's high plains (Altiplanos). The town is situated at the end of a huge salt surface name the Salar de Uyuni. The city itself is nothing to write home about, but the trip to the Salar is unforgettable.

Getting to Salar de Uyuni

There are 3 main places from where you can get to Uyuni:

• Oruro - from Oruro there is a train that goes to Uyuni. There are also buses
  going from Oruro to Uyuni.
• Potosi - from Potosi there is a bus that goes to Uyuni through beautiful sceneries.
  Since Potosi is definitely a city worthwhile visiting, this is my favorite option.
• Villazon - from Villazon (near the border with Argentina) there is a train that goes
  to Uyuni. There are also buses that go from Villazon to Uyuni.

Jeep Trip to the Salar

The Salsr of Uyuni (salt desert) is the name travellers use for a 3-4 days tour of Bolivia's plateau area (Altiplanos). The tour is done using a jeep that goes through breathtaking sceneries. Make sure that you are acclimated to the heights before you venture on this ture, for the tour passed through high terrain (up to 5500 meters above sea level) and might be a bit difficult for those who did not get used to these altitudes.

It is possible to take a one day trip to the Salar (salt desert) of Uyuni, but this trip is just scratching the surface of this amazing place, and is therefore not recommended. The usual trip to the Salar should take 3 to 4 days.

The trip indludes (not in this order):

• Salar de Uyuni - a tour through Uyuni's salt desert (salar), the biggest salt desert in the world.
• Laguna Colorada - a red lagoon with a large flamingo population.
• Laguna Verde - a green lagoon situated beneath a perfect shaped white-peeked volcano. Sometimes the
  wind changes the water to an amazing turquoise color.
• Sol de Manana - geyser and bubbling mud pools area.
• Train cemetery - a place where old trains and engines rest after they retire from service.
• More and more and more...

The route

• Uyuni circle
  This path starts in Uyuni and return to Uyuni in 4 days. This is the cheapest option.
• Topiza - Uyuni
  This path starts in Topiza and return to Uyuni after 4 days. The advantage of the track
  is that you don't repeat the same section twice, however it is more expensive.
• Uyuni - San Pedro de Atacama
  This track starts in Uyuni and crosses the border to Chile to near the village of San Pedro
  de Atacaman after 3 days. The tour can be done also in the opposite direction (from San Pedro
  de Atacaman to Uyuni), but the prices of this direction are much higher.

Costs and Technical Issues

The tour costs about $55-$65, and it includes the vehicle, a driver, accommodation (not fancy places in an understatement) and meals (including mineral water). During the wet season, when the salar is flooded, the tour cost about $10-$15 more. Usually there is no price different between the 3 or 4 days tour.

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