Should I Take My Expensive Camera To Bolivia

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La Paz to Uyuni is a popular route that thousands of visitors have each year to visit the magical Uyuni Salt Flats. Coined the world'due south largest mirror, at that place are four ways to get to the Salt Flats in Bolivia which nosotros (Gemma and Craig) will look at in this guide.

From the town of Uyuni, you will embark on your Uyuni tour (1-three days depending on your availability) to meet vast landscapes, take fun photos and, hopefully, exist in awe of the incredible Salar de Uyuni sunsets.

As with all the attractions in Bolivia, ensure that you are acclimatised before taking this Due south American highlight. I am confident it volition exist 1 of the nigh memorable, nevertheless somewhat surreal, activities during your trip.

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»You may as well like | What non to miss in La Paz

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How to Get From La Paz to Uyuni

i. La Paz to Uyuni past Plane

Air travel is the well-nigh efficient manner to get to Uyuni from La Paz with the flight duration lasting less than ane 60 minutes.

Two airlines offer this internal route, Amaszonas and Boliviana de Aviación.

Nevertheless, many backpackers avoid this choice because, although the upfront flight cost is somewhat affordable at under $100 USD, the additional costs can add up.

Things to do consider:

• Taxi from La Paz to El Alto Aiport: sixty-70 bs
• Loss of sleep if taking the early morning flight
• Additional night in La Paz, the bus is overnight so saving on one dark's adaptation
• Pre-booked private transfer from Joya Andina Airport to Uyuni, not always enough taxis
• Fear of flight existence late and missing tour the same morning time

Flights don't have off every twenty-four hour period and appear to be seasonal for some days. Prices fluctuate between $50 and $150.

• Pros: Quick
• Cons: Taxis not always bachelor at the airport if connecting to a tour, expensive choice when add upwards fees

two. La Paz to Uyuni by Coach

The overnight motorcoach from La Paz to Uyuni is the about pop style to to the salt desert in Bolivia.

The bus leaves La Paz at 21:00 from the Todo Turismo offices at 102 Uruguay Avenue which is contrary the jitney station.

There volition be a long line of people waiting.

The bus drives overnight, arriving at Uyuni with a bumpy entrance at 07:30.

You tin can reserve your seat and your ticket online then show your due east-ticket to the driver.

Alternatively, you tin can buy in person at the above accost, which is what we did as nosotros had plenty of fourth dimension in La Paz.

250 BS per person, paid by credit card, gets you a long bus ride between the ii locations and two meals – ane as you set off (chicken and rice or vegetarian pick) and 1 in the morning (crackers, yoghurt and marmalade).

If you take whatsoever food allergies or requests, electronic mail [email protected]

There'southward an additional charge for bikes.

During the nighttime there is a toilet finish, bring tissues and hand sanitiser.

Note: the bus has defunction, semi-reclining seats and a blanket is provided. While this is accounted expensive for Bolivia, information technology is a bumpy road I wouldn't want to endeavor using a less comfy bus.

Bus From Uyuni to La Paz

The return double-decker leaves from the Todo Turismo office at 158 Cabrera Street at  twenty:00 getting into La Paz at 6:30.

Like us, near visitors motility on to some other location such as Potosi, 1 of the highest towns in the world!

• Pros: Most affordable and pop option, meals included, semi-reclining seats, saves a night's stay at accommodation
• Cons: Bumpy ride

3. La Paz to Uyuni by Train

A lesser-known way to get to Uyuni is by train from La Paz.

You tin't actually get the railroad train directly.

The journeying stops for transfer by bus at Oruro (Uru) which, co-ordinate to Google Maps, is 314 km away from Uyuni.

I'thou going to exist honest here, I can't notice whatever upwardly to date data about this train road and then I can't provide details of the journey.

I never met anyone that took the train to Uyuni.

Have you done information technology recently?

Tell me about your experience in the comments beneath.

• Cons: Express information online, an unknown pick

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four. Luxury Door to Door Tour

Short on time? Don't speak Spanish? This luxury door to door tour may exist for you.

A private taxi collects yous from your adaptation in La Paz and takes you to El Alto airport.

From here you fly into Uyuni where a car with an English-speaking driver is waiting for you lot.

Enjoy breakfast and and then outset your mean solar day bout of Uyuni and the Salt Flats which includes:

• Uyuni railroad train cemetery
• An educational lesson most the area in Colchani
• A drive, with stops, through Uyuni Salt Flats
• See the cactus at Incahuasi Isle
• Dejeuner, Tunupa Volcano and a sunset drink on the Flats

And so you fly back to La Paz, no Uyuni accommodation required, with a private taxi pick upwardly at El Alto to your adaptation in La Paz.

What a fairytale of a mean solar day trip with positive reviews which you can read here.

• Pros: Slap-up for those short on fourth dimension, English-speaking driver, door to door
• Cons: Most expensive option

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Bolivian Salt Apartment Tours

Now on to the skilful stuff. Taking a Salt Flats tour!

Apologies, the decision process is not over. You now have to decide between a Uyuni 3-twenty-four hours tour or a 1-day trip.

Choosing a Salt Flat Bout Company

Like with the pop Expiry Route cycle tour, your condom is paramount.

Consider the following:

• The condom tape of the visitor – reports of reckless driving have decreased just still happen
• Practice yous need your guide/commuter to speak English (more expensive)?
• Are y'all happy to get in on the day and hazard it or do you feel meliorate pre-booking before you go?
• Pre-booking online tin be more expensive then consider that when booking
• Communication can be slow or non-real unless you volume through a tertiary party/agency
• Where do you want to end your trip? Bolivia or Chile…

Uyuni 1 Day Bout

This is what we opted for equally we didn't want to surrender iii days of our itinerary and, this is going to audio pathetic but, I detest being cold.

Everyone mentions how cold and oftentimes uncomfortable the three-day tour tin can be so that put me off.

Regardless of your reasons, sad similar me or not, here's what you tin expect from a 1-day tour of the Salt Flats.

• Central point choice up in a 4×four automobile with a small group
• A visit to the open-air Uyuni train station to run across the rusting and abandoned trains and tracks
• A comfort finish at the market where you tin can buy souvenirs
• Various stops on the cracked flats for photos, bring props, plan the pics you desire every bit some stops are brusk
• Lunch. Our guide tried to force us to buy a shade which nosotros didn't need
• Incahuasi Island (additional fifteen bs fee to enter) which is a nice walk among the tall cactuses
• Further stops and and then, depending on which tour you lot cull, the romantic sunset shots, wellies provided

Notation: Don't always believe the itineraries that are sold to you. At that place may be some tweaks due to weather, endeavor from driver and perchance a wee fib shared by an agency! Go with the menstruation, 'tranquilo' as they say in South America.

• Pros: Great for those on a tight schedule every bit you only need one nighttime in Uyuni
• Cons: No flamingos, gets very cold at sundown

3 Twenty-four hours Salt Flat Tour

The benefit of a three-solar day tour is that you take more than fourth dimension to explore the surface area, its natural attractions and you might get to see the Salar de Uyuni flamingos!

What to expect from a iii-24-hour interval Common salt Flat tour, which takes in the landscape from the Uyuni Salt Flats to the desert in San Pedro.

Day one

• Meet the grouping and hop aboard your 4×4 for the trip
• Finish at railroad train open up-air museum aka Great Train Graveyard
• An educational lesson about the area in Colchani
• Salt Flats tour
• Llamas
• Adaptation in a salt hotel for the night. Shared rooms may exist offered, discuss before booking

Day 2

• Breakfast at the adaptation
• A bout of the Salt Flats. Boosted park payment 150 bs
• Volcano and lagoon sightings
• Bolivia's flamingos
• Colorado Lagoon, yes the pink ane!
• Bones accommodation

Twenty-four hour period three

• Sunrise tour
• Geysers
• Hot springs
• Salvador Dali Desert
• Important: From here y'all can cross the border to Chile or…
• Dorsum to Uyuni starting signal

What practice you decide to do? Tell us in the comments below.

• Pros: Covers a lot more of Bolivia's natural attractions than the day bout
• Cons: Cold

Note: Ask if you tin can accept your large luggage or if y'all should only bring a small bag

Popular Companies

Brisa, Cerise Planet Expedition, Andes Table salt Express, Salty Desert Aventours and Quechua Connection are all popular options used by visitors for one day and three-solar day tours.

Prices vary depending on whether:

• You volume on the twenty-four hours at Uyuni which is the cheapest choice, run run a risk of not getting chosen tour operator
• You asking an English speaking tour guide
• You prefer more 'basic' accommodation

On the whole, I've seen anything from $100-250 for a iii day/2 nighttime tour.

• This 3 day/2 day tour offers an English-speaking guide via Viator.
• This one mean solar day tour offers an English-speaking guide via Viator.

Salt Flat Pictures

Whether you are a pro or phone photographic camera user, you volition have an accented hoot taking photos with your pals in your grouping.

Don't be agape to ask your guide to have shots for you.

They are pros at getting the correct angles.

Be quick! Almost people mutter that they don't get plenty fourth dimension to accept shots.

Everything You Need to Know About Uyuni Salt Flats

Why Visit?

During my travels to Australia in 2009, I met a Brit who was doing an effectually the world backpacking trip.

She showed me some of her photographs from South America and there information technology was. The coolest thing I'd ever seen in my 28 years of existence, Bolivia's Common salt Flats.

I put it on my bucket list and eventually got there during my breather to travel the Americas and Europe.

What is Uyuni Salt Flats and Where are They?

Uyuni Salt Flats, likewise known equally Salar de Uyuni, is 10,582 square kilometres of the Altiplano in Southward America which is shared between Republic of bolivia, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

All the same, just Bolivia has the world's largest mirror which appears when rainfall creates a mirror effect on the horizonless stretch of land effectually Uyuni.

Uyuni is in the southwest of Republic of bolivia.

Some visitors take a bout from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile instead of Uyuni town in Bolivia.

So What is Uyuni?

Uyuni is the small boondocks that hosts visitors before or after their Common salt Apartment tours.

Salt Flats Packing Listing

• Passport or ID card
• Cash (bs), toilets (5-ten bs), snacks, tips for iii-twenty-four hour period bout
• Camera and SD cards
• Telephone – this is the camera your guide will utilise
• Anker battery charger US / United kingdom for electronics
• Comfortable shoes, I like the lightweight Salomon Ellipse trek shoes US / United kingdom
• Warm outer gear like Rab Tall downward USA / UK
• Warm layers, can't beat Icebreaker Merino wool base layer USA / United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
• Waterproof outer gear like Marmot Precip waterproof jacket US / UK
• Osprey handbag cover The states / United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland
• Shades
• Sun lid
• Sunscreen
• Scarf, gloves, hat
• Props like dinosaurs, Pringle tubs, anything you want to climb on or fall into
• Eco water bottle like Tree Tribe Us / United kingdom filled with water for the mean solar day
• Skross universal travel adaptor with USB slots US / Great britain
• Pacsafe safe net U.s. / UK
• JBL clip music speaker US / Great britain
• Hydration tablets US / United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

three Day Tour Additions

• Toilet paper
• Baby wipes
• Dry shampoo
• 4 litres of h2o per person
• Flip-flops for shared bathrooms
• Sleeping bag or rent i from the visitor and bring a liner instead
• Towel
• A torch
• Swimming gear for the hot springs

Accommodation in Uyuni

Bones accommodation is bachelor in Uyuni.

Hotels in Uyuni

• Hostel Jerian: Clean rooms, simple buffet breakfast, central
• Casa de Sal: Best hotel in Uyuni, modernistic, airport pick upward available, pricey for Republic of bolivia
• Cilos: This is where we stayed, slightly out of town but cheap. Wouldn't stay again

Hostels in Uyuni

• Piedra Blanca Backpackers Hostel: Make clean, dorms and private rooms available
• Bunker Hostel: Clean, dorms, breakfast gets expert reviews

What is the Uyuni Altitude?

Uyuni sits 3,700 m (12,139 ft) higher up body of water level which is like to La Paz 3,650 m (11,975 ft).

If y'all've come from Cusco in Republic of peru you volition most likely have built a tolerance to altitude, fugitive sickness.

Spend a few days in La Paz beforehand if you tin. Here's our list of things to do there.

Best Fourth dimension to Visit Bolivia Salt Flats

You tin plan a trip to the Salt Flats whatever fourth dimension of twelvemonth but both seasons volition show a unlike side to the landscape.

Nosotros visited in April which is part of the rainy seasons (November to April).

This allowed usa to get the really cool sunset reflection shots such as the ane below which spells 'Uyuni' in the puddles.

The dry flavor is May to Nov, less pelting but more access to the area. Some tours have to divert to other parts during the rainy season.

Are there ATMs at Uyuni?

In that location is an ATM, which nosotros used, but similar with everything in minor touristy towns, yous can't bank on it having cash.

Bring USD equally support which you lot tin exchange in the boondocks.

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Things to do in Uyuni

Uyuni might seem a petty dusty compared to the likes of La Paz or Sucre but there are some activities to consider during your stay:

• Eat homemade pizza and cookies or breakfast at Minutemen (inside Tonito Hotel)
• Drink with the locals – if at that place's a boondocks in South America you ameliorate believe in that location'southward a bar, one of Craig'south best night'south out
• Plaza Arce downtown coming together betoken surrounded by pastel buildings and a day market for snacks
• Avenida Ferroviaria is the principal street with train monuments
• Go on a Uyuni Salt Flats tour – honestly, information technology'south what everyone is there for

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Pin to your Bolivia planning lath!
Any questions? Just ask below

Source: https://www.twoscotsabroad.com/salar-de-uyuni-salt-flats/

Posted by: ottvoymaiden.blogspot.com

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