From San Pedro, the best way to cross into Bolivia is by going on a 3-day tour to Salar de Uyuni and continuing to La Paz onwards.
There are many bad stories about the companies which run these tours, which vary from seven people crammed in one jeep to drivers falling asleep or being drunk. In the past, accidents did occur, so it is important to choose the right company.
In San Pedro, there are only a handful companies (most tours depart from Uyuni) to choose from, ranging from as cheap as 130$ to 560$ for a private tour. After consulting the internet and talking to fellow travelers, we decided to go with Cordillera Traveller. They are a bit more expensive (we paid 185$ per person), but they have a good safety record and they pay their drivers a bit more, which we hoped would lead to a more motivated (and sober) driver.
Day 1
We departed from San Pedro at eight in the morning, and after clearing immigration we were on our way. Surprisingly, our jeep only had five tourists instead of the normal six, which gave us a bit more space. Our three travel companions all were Chilean, and happy to translate as our driver, Felix, only spoke Spanish. All in all, we had a nice group and equally nice driver.
The first day brought us to various lakes with various colors. The highlight was Laguna Colorada, with the water being red due to algae. Moreover, we could get very close to the flamingos which was very impressive.
The hostel in Huayliajara where we stayed the night was very basic: no electricity, showers, and only dorms. Because temperatures drop dramatically at this altitude (almost 5,000m above sea level) we gathered all the blankets we could find and made the best of it. Luckily, our altitude sickness only consisted of a slight headache easily solved by drinking more water, as our altitude pills seemed to do their job. The food, provided by Cordillera, was sufficiently filling, and as soon as dinner finished all 15 travelers from the three jeeps were happy to play some cards and get to bed early.
Day 2
The second day started where the first ended: Laguna Colorada, but this time from the opposite side. From there, Felix brought us to the volcanic rock formation Árbol de Piedra. After climbing a few rocks to get a nice view of the deserted surroundings, it was time to move on once again.
The remainder of the day we mainly visited more lagoons, among them a pale yellow (Laguna Honda) and almost black one (Laguna Turquiri). All of them very scenic, with flamingos in the water and mountains in the background.
During our drive we passed through a beautiful Cerro del Inca canyon, where we spotted a vizcacha, family of the rabbit. Furthermore, we were able to see plenty of llamas, a fox, and even a suri running as fast as our jeep.
After passing through the rock-littered Vallede las Rocas, we arrived at our hostel in Alota. This time, we were able to take a shower, although warm water was not ample. It had double rooms, however, making it overall a bit more comfortable compared to the night before. But, due to the wind, all electricity went off and we were forced to use candles for the rest of the night.
Day 3
From Alota we drove straight to our final destination: Uyuni. Here, we made three stops: one at the train cemetery, and one and a stand to buy a souvenir. The major highlight of the tour followed shortly after: a visit to Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat of over 10,000 square meters.
During the rainy season from December to March the salt flats are often wet, which causes a perfect surreal reflection because of the large white flats. We stayed here for over an hour, enjoying this surreal place. After, Felix drove us to a section of the salt flats which were not wet, and here it was clear to see what the salt flats actually look like.
Our tour finished in the town of Uyuni, located next to the salt flats. Here, we said goodbye to our driver and travel companions, and traveled further north to La Paz. The bus journey was very bumpy and unpleasant, but it was time to leave the desert and surreal landscape behind.
