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Bolivia – Desert Excursions
Way up in Bolivia
Typing this, I’m out of breath just thinking about when I landed in Bolivia! That’s what 12,000 ft elevation will do to you.
What a country though – and very underrated in our opinion. Yea, that’s right.. our. Mila joined for the first trip in 2023! Not only did she join, she was the mastermind behind the travel logistics. Bolivia was a place many years in the works that she finally got to fulfill. The country was full of natural wonders. From the lagunas to the famous salt flat, we made some memories for life.
So sit back and enjoy my attempt at condensing a week’s worth of epic Bolivian highlands into roughly 30 minutes.
Travel Logistics
You are closer to the sun and there is less oxygen. Bring a hydration station and sunscreen.
VISA Alert
U.S. citizens will need a visa to enter at a cost of $160.
Aside from the surprise visa I had to purchase at border entry, here was the week’s logistical budget per person.
- Flights – International Avianca RT were paid for in cash, along with our local flights to get to Uyuni. Great lounge stop in Bogota for the connector to break up the 8hr flight. Around $720.
- The excursion included some of our lodging. The first night in Uyuni and the luxury stay at the salt flats came out to roughly $500
- The multi-day excursion plus some accommodations ran $175. Worth every penny.
Total was approximately $1395 for the essentials. The dollar goes a long way there for most other things!
Excursion pt. I
Once we landed in La Paz and took our first steps in Bolivia, getting to Uyuni was easy enough via one last domestic flight (or a nice charter bus). Don’t let the salt flats fool you – it’s still 12,000 ft above sea level!
The tour was 100% worth it, and frankly, I don’t see how one would be able to get to the places we were at without a guide and a capable 4WD vehicular. When I said we were out there… we were out there. I remember forcing myself to not question the lack of GPS and repair equipment. It seemed as though if something went wrong, chances were we’d be picked by another touring vehicle. And not to deter, but we did have car problems twice and hear of an SUV sinking in the lake at the salt flats the day we were out there. Gnarly!
I chalk it up as part of the experience. Nothing felt unsafe; just desolate. But it’s what made the excursion so naturally beautiful. There are few places, if any, with such uniquely vast and alien landscapes.
Excursion pt. II
The excursion gained momentum into the second day. Each spot and landscape we laid eyes upon made us question “could it get more awesome?’ We saw colorful deserts, and even more vibrant lagunas. We saw the snow-capped mountains of the Andes and lush green vegetation that seemed to belong on another planet. There were llamas, vicuñas and squirrel-rabbit things (viscacha). We froze our asses off at 4am at 16,000 ft to see thermal geysers and then relaxed in hot springs next to flocks of flamingos.
What more does one need?
La Paz for cable car and restaurant experiences
With the excursion over, we did spend two more nights at a luxury hotel right on the salt flat. It was a welcomed change of pace to sleep in, get a massage, and best of all – bike out to the salt flats a second time for the mirror effect. I’m glad Mila was persistent about making this happen, because it ended up being a top highlight and memory of our time in Bolivia (and one of the main reasons for going there to begin with).
Then, on the final day, it was off to La Paz. We sure did carpe diem to close it out. Although we had maybe 12 hours in the city, we took the cable cars everywhere, explored the more touristy witches’ market, learned all about coca, had some street food and appreciated the botanical gardens. It’s a busy city that I’d love to revisit before trekking out into Bolivia’s northeast Amazon rainforests.
Even with the short turnaround in La Paz, we made time to celebrate an amazing trip at Gustu – a top 50 restaurant in South America where the moto was they “can change the world through food.”. The restaurant doubled as a cooking school, but the young chefs were on point with the 8 course tasting menu. Delicious!
A week well-traveled
Bolivia was stunning. What more is there to say..? Watch the video?
We had a perfect balance of nature’s finest, escape from reality and a touch of luxury. And what’s truly crazy is we only toured a smidge of the southwest.
Underrated. Will be back.
-ML
Recap of Places
Check out the MAP for links!
- La Paz
- Uyuni
- Salar de Uyuni – the salt flat with the mirror effect. Yuje.
- All the langunas anyone could ever imagine
- Sol de Mañana – basically Mars
- Termas de Polques – pleasant hot springs with views of the languna and flamingos
- Hotel Palacio de Sal – the luxury hotel on the salt flat
- Gustu – a top 50 restaurant in South America
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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