The salt flats!!!! Apologies in advance as this is going to be a long one.

This was another big bucket list trip for us and we were so so buzzing to see them. To try and save as much time as possible we got the night but from La Paz to Uyuni which arrived in at 7am and we started the tour on the same day. This time we opted for a more expensive bus ticket which included some dinner (a pizza which was a welcome surprise) and a blanket which was honestly like a duvet. We booked the 3day/2night trip after many recommendations but in all honestly there was so many to choose from we had no idea whether we’d chose well or not, only time would tell.

After a total of 5 hours broken sleep between us we arrived in Uyuni. We had been told this town wasn’t very nice which we realised had been put very nicely by others as we could only describe it as a shithole!! Thankfully we weren’t spending any time here and we were just taken to a cafe to wait on the tour starting.

Day 1 – Trains and Salt Flats

We met our driver, guide and other people on our tour which we were buzzing about as we’d hit the jackpot, everyone was so sound although Gregor was outnumbered slightly by us gals!

We loaded up the 4×4 and headed for the Salt Flats. We’d been told it was a 50/50 chance if we’d actually be able to cross the salt flats that day due to the rain and other jeeps getting stuck the day before so we were a bit sad at the thought of that potentially happening but once on the flats our guide and driver had decided they were going to chance it and we were all buzzing!!!

We found out later on the trip that only 3 jeeps had decided to cross that day and the others missed 3/4 of the salt flats along with the sunset so we felt incredibly lucky. The majority of the trip was spent in the jeep driving round and getting out at different highlights and stops along the way.

The area we were covering was huge and the stops quite spread out but we are so glad we chose the 3 day tour as the landscapes we seen were so varied and amazing. The first day consisted of a stop at old train ruins which had been out of action for years and years. They were pretty cool but it was so crowded with tourists everywhere which we didn’t expect.

After a quick stop and some pictures we were back into the jeep and headed to a town on route to see how the salt was dried and packaged up for use throughout Bolivia.

We also had a lunch stop in a house made out of salt which was cool. After lunch we went straight to the salt flats. We could see them getting closer and closer through the windscreen but once on them it was a surreal feeling. We wanted to get out of the jeep asap but our guide told us to sit tight and he was going to go straight to the other side away from the other jeeps, so after another 40mins of driving we couldn’t see another soul. There’s no way to describe it so here’s a lot of pics!

We spent an hour taking pics and videos and then got back in the jeep to continue on to try and cross the flats for sunset. Another 2 hours of driving and we’d made it safely to the other side. The jeep was parked on a bit of dry land and we walked down onto the edge of the salt flats to watch sunset with a glass of Bolivian red. It was absolutely stunning (the wine and the sunset). Watching the sun go down and multiple storms and lightening strikes in the distance will be something we’ll remember forever!

We got back in the jeep when it turned dark and got to our accommodation about 45mins later. We were absolutely burst and ready for bed but after dropping our bags in our rooms we went in for some food and chatted about the day we’d all been so lucky to have!

Day 2 – Flamingos, Cacti & the Rock Tree

We started at 7am with some breakfast and on the agenda for today was to visit 3 different lagoons and see the pink flamingos which live in them as well as stopping off to see some huge cacti, some weird looking rabbits, a tree rock and a lunch stop where Gregor tried Llama sausage. The lagoons were very cool and it was class seeing flamingos up so close!!

We made it back to our accommodation slightly earlier tonight at 7pm – just in time for sunset and again it was glorious. Gregor being a top photographer for the gals again!!

Our accommodation for tonight was very random, it consisted of a tin roof held down with big rocks and the town seemed like a ghost town however it did have a ‘cosy bar’ which we were told we’d be heading to after dinner. A warm shower was an absolute treat and we all also got upgraded to our own private room again tonight so we were all delighted. Dinner eaten and we headed down the street in search of a beer. A few beers by an open fire and then it was time for bed.

Day 3 – Geyser’s, Hot Springs & the Black Lagoon

It was a 5.30am start so we could reach all the stop points and get back to Uyuni in time for the tour ending and the dreaded overnight bus back to La Paz. We got to the first stop at 7am which were the geyser’s – these were way bigger than expected with a lot less health and safety regulations so we were able to pretty much walk right into the middle of them without anyone batting an eyelid! These were very cool but it was baltic outside so it was a quick few pics and we were back into the jeep.

As we were driving to our next stop we watched the sun come up over the desert and it was amazing. We arrived at the hot springs where we had an hour to just relax and chill in 36 degree water- this was such a treat!!

Our final stop of the day was to visit a black lagoon but what we hadn’t realised is that it was going to be surrounded by hundreds of Llamas lol. They were so chilled so we were able to snap some cool pics of them up close. After that we went straight back to Uyuni.

One of the girls on the trip had heard of a good cafe in Uyuni so we went there for some food and WiFi before our bus back to La Paz. We said our goodbyes to some of the group and headed to the bus station. What an experience it had been!!!!

G&L xx