Organising the Salar de Uyuni Tour

Organising the Salar de Uyuni Tour

by Jonny Blair

On a mega trip to South America make sure you don't miss the Salar de Uyuni, this is an amazing tour. You get in a jeep and do the entire sight seeing round salt flats, deserts, mountains, valleys. It's a feast for the eye of a traveller, here are my tips on preparing for it.

With the Salar, my first bit of advice is don't book it in advance - there is no need to do that. The best place to book it is in Uyuni, though you can also book it in Potosi or La Paz. Don't book it before you get to Bolivia.

I did the Salar de Uyuni tour from the town of Uyuni, so this is my experience of it. I met other travellers who booked their trip in Chile, but I didn't so here's my guide on how to book the Salar de Uyuni tour!!

How to book the Salt Plains tour:

- Ask at the hotel or hostel for help booking a 3 day tour. They normally can help you and the 3 day tour is the best option.

- Once they give you a price, head out and ask around to get the cheapest price - dont pay more than 100 dollars - you can easily get a decent tour for 3 days for $80.

- Allow for flexibility with dates you go - don't be strict with it - sometimes you can ask at 9am that morning and end up on the tour that same day.

- Make sure the cost includes getting picked up from your hostel and 3 days of food.

- Ask where the start and finish point of the tour will be so you can prepare and book a hostel/bus for the third night after the tour ends.

- Ask them what other costs you will incur - this could be tips, national park entries etc. Visiting Laguna Colorada has an entrance charge.

- Make sure they give you a receipt for the tour - you usually pay the full amount at the start.

Preparing for the salt plains tour:

- Check the passport situation as if you head for Chile you will probably have to get your Bolivian exit stamp before the tour starts in Uyuni.

- Take a lot of water with you - around 4 litres should be fine. It's a desert you are visiting and although they provide drinks at mealtimes, they don't provide water.

- Take a few beers as at night there is no alcohol available (at least in the places we stayed). This is a good way to bond and chat with your tour mates.

- Bring sun screen and insect spray. You'll need them.

- Phone, internet, e-mail etc. is not available on the tour. It's probably a good idea to let your friends and family know this at the start.

- Try and leave your bags at a hostel before starting the tour (as long as you're heading back to Uyuni)

- Bring your passport just in case you decide to spontaneously head across the border to Chile.

- Get your cameras, iPods etc. batteries all charged beforehand as the places you stay may not have sockets or electricity.

So that's your guide folks! Get out there and see this impressive wilderness part of Bolivia. I totally LOVED it. For the record, I booked my Salar de Uyuni tour in La Paz with Extreme Expeditions, and everything went well so I'd have to recommend them! I left La Paz for a day in Potosi then headed onwards to Uyuni to begin the tour. It was an incredible few days of travel!



For further articles like <a href="http://tinyurl.com/b59ym65">How to book Salar de Uyuni</a> head to Jonny Blair's excellent <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d739bzx">travel lifestyle</a> website for further tales and tips.

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