Bolivian Salt Flats: Family Adventures and Advice

Five Things Essential for a Maximised Salt Flat Excursion:

1. Wear bright, but warm clothes
2. Have shoes that can get wet (but preferably keep your feet dry)
3. If you have time, do the three day tour ( Salt Flats are definitley the highlight, but there are amazing things on the second and third days!)
4. When you take your photos, make sure you get the silhouette as well as the main subject
5. Go in the rainy season (January to April - though late December is likely fine) for the epic photos
I have reflected on on our experiences here, and also provide tour info about the group we went with if you click read more...

​You should be prepared for cold weather, and we had been told to expect to freeze near to death on the second night, but we chose a great tour company, who had a very warm private hostel, and we were all very snug and warm throughout the whole trip.    

I must confess that the Salt Flats in Uyuni, or Bolivia in general, (save for the "Death Road", which was one of four items on my south America bucket list before moving to Colombia) were not on my radar. A colleague travelled here about six months ahead of me and it quickly became my OMG! we have to go here! - destination number 2 (after Machu Picchu). 

The pictures included here, and that you will see elsewhere, really do not do this place justice. It is a place everyone should see, it is a truly magical experience.  We were fortunate to have the mirror effect that comes with the wet season (Jan-April). My mom and I had appropriate footwear for this and took advantage. There is about a 5-10cm layer of very cold, and very salty water over the flats that form a perfect mirror, regardless of the weather. If you forget your hiking boots or flip flops, you can go bearfoot as my wife and three girls did, though be prepared for it to be cold and a bit rough on your feet, but not altogether uncomfortable. With regard to the pictures you see online, just remember Lightroom and Photoshop are powerful tools, but that is not to say that the views are still not spectacular.

With my developing Lightroom Skills

As shot, with my entry level 18-55mm Canon lens

The Slat Flats are an Excellent Family Destination!

Our girls (aged 10, 7, 4) loved our time in the Salt Flats, largely because of the space, and the fun pictures that we took. On day two and three, they enjoyed the various rock formations you could climb and explore. We had plenty of activities to keep them occupied in the car as well, which definitely helped as this trip is a lot of time spent in the car. But, digital natives that they are, they are fully aware of the instant gratification of being able to see your silly poses on a digital screen seconds after you take the photo and took as much pleasure out of taking silly photos too.

The Tour and Accomodation

General location of our hostel on the first night

We spent two nights on this tour in Hotels/hostels in the middle of nowhere. 
We booked the three day two night tour through Perle de Bolivia, we travelled in a pack of four landcruisers until the final day, when two of the vehicles continued on to their respective Chilean exit points. (Had I done more research, this is what I would have done!)
As I have previously said, we were prepared to be very cold, but in large part because of choosing the right company, we were extremely comfortable both nights. Our first night, I cannot say for sure where we stayed, but it was a fancy (considering we were in the middle of the desert) salt hotel, more well maintained than some of the traditional establishments we stayed during this two week trip. (I will publish proper location details once I hear back from the company). It had warm showers, and was in general, very warm and clean. (we had expected to go showerless for three days) The food too was exceptional, they even served us free wine!

The second night we fully expected to freeze, and I made sure we had sleeping bags, the website said to make sure to check with the drivers, but it seemed to me based on their response, that this was standard fare. We did not end up needing them, though all three of my girls insisted that they sleep in their sleeping bags because it would be like camping. The adults were fine with the super heavy blankets on the beds.
The second hostel was near"Los Polques" thermal pools, and while more basic than the previous night, it too was warm and confortable. Its remoteness meant no running water, you had to manually flush the toilet with a bucket, but it did have a stunning view of the flamingo laden Laguna Salada, and the hot pools were just 100m away! Unfortunatley, at 4400m the altitude here was a bit much for me and I had bit of a headache and went to bed early and did not partake in the hot pool session. 

---

Dali Desert

Un-remarkable Laguna Colorada

 The fun of the first day of the tour, with all the picture taking was definitely the highlight, and if you only have time for that, there are plenty of one day tours available, but if you opt for the three day tour, some of the most stunning mountain landscapes await you. In addition, we saw many flamingoes, chinchillas, alpacas, llamas, and the endangered vicuna (similar to a llama). Much of the second day is spent in Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve visiting many of Bolivia's extinct, and active volcanoes, spotting flamingoes and exploring rock formations that are ever evolving due to the strong winds in sections of the park. For me, one of the highlights was visiting the Sol de Mañana Geyser. At 5,000m it is one of the highest geysers in the world (and quite possibly the coldest wind I have ever felt in my life also! See video clip below). The Dali Desert, where Salvador Dali was said to have gotten inspiration for some of his paintings, and for whom the desert has now officially been renamed, was also interesting. The girls enjoyed the more active stops where they could get out and climb, or explore tiny caves, or see cute animals, like the chinchillas pictured below.

I was most disapointed in the lagoons, seeing flamingoes was pretty cool, but the colours were not as lively as I was expecting, no amount of photoshopping was going to bring my lagunas to life withour looking completely fake. 
The landscapes were stunning, although I will admit, after two full days of mountains, you were kind of "mountained out", but now that I am home and sorting through pictures, I can really appreciate how beautiful it all was!