Bolivian Salt Flats Tour with Blue Line
When my coworker first brought up the Salt Flats, the images of the beautiful reflection had us sold within minutes. Little did we know that such conditions were only available 1-2 months of the year. With more research came a revelation that there were a few concerns when it came to booking a tour: 1. Drinking and driving was apparently a pretty big issue among the severely underpaid drivers. 2. The trucks take a huge beating during the trip yet many companies have been rumored to poorly maintain their vehicles leading to larger risks of accidents or breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. 3. Each company had different offerings when it came to where you stayed, what you ate and how long you got to stay at each sight. 4. Turnover was so high that reviews you read a few weeks prior to your trip was already considered outdated. So with those considerations, it was advised that we book upon arrival to Uyuni as oppose to booking in advance. The recommendations were to talk to a few recent travelers who were just returning. We knew it was going to be a tough task since we would be arriving that same morning and would only have a few hours (actually it became only 30 minutes) to do our research and find a good tour.
WHAT WE EXPECTED
WHAT WE GOT
BOOKING OUR TOUR:
When you get off your bus into Uyuni, you will be greeted with many tour companies begging for your business. It's recommended to do your research prior so that you can sort the facts from the over-promising lies. For example, know that the reflection scene is only available during the rainy season which runs around January - February. For the rest of the year, it is an absolute drought. After ruling out a few, we made our way to the Blue Line office based on the recommendation of a passerby. They were able to answer all our questions which corroborated with our prior research. They also allowed us meet our driver prior to paying (which took a bit of persuasion) which gave us the chance to "check" the condition of the car (or pretend to anyways) and converse with our driver. Although he didn't speak a word of English, he was cheery and personable so we felt we were in good hands. Given that the driver is not only your tour guide but also the driver and your cook for the entire duration of your trip, it's pretty key to ensure you like the guy!
DAY 1 - SALT FLATS
The first day of the tour consisted of the train cemetery, isla del pescado & the salt flats (of course). Our first night was in a very cute family owned hobbit-like premise. At night, the temperature drops and it gets really chilly. However, we had so many blankets it was actually too warm at night! There was also a fully functional bathroom which was a great sight for sore eyes.
DAY 2 - FLAMINGOS for DAYS We started pretty early the next day and left shortly after dawn heading South. The second day was definitely the day of the flamingos (and some llamas here & there). We drove as far west all the way to the Chilean border and down south to the Eduardo Avora reserve (essentially the Argentinean border). At this point you do have the option to continue into Chile for the Atacama desert but we stuck to the Bolivian side. Click below to view my snapshots of Day 2!
As we stayed overnight in the national park/reserve, we had very limited options in where to stay. The place we stayed was extremely different than the night before (no pictures unfortunately). It made the hobbit house feel like a 4 star hotel. At this point, we were at nearly 5000m elevation so even with 4 layers of clothing and 3 blankets, we were freezing all throughout the night. As we had to make our way back to Uyuni, we had to start the day before sunrise (before 5AM).
DAY 3 - Eduardo Avora National Park The last day was a bit of a haze. At this point, we felt pretty disgusting having not bathed in 3 days (tmi?), quite sleep deprived, suffering from massive altitude sickness at 5000m elevation and getting quite car sick (sitting in the back seat of a 4x4 for 6+ hours will make anybody queezy). The highlights of this last day were the hot springs & laguna verde. We only spent less than an hour sightseeing, reaching the Argentinian border, before making our way back to Uyuni. Click below to view my snapshots from Day 3!!
PHOTOS
Summary Overall, we had a very positive experience with Blue Line - specifically our driver Juan. He took great care of us ("his 7 chickas"), made great food and did his very best to explain the sights despite the huge language barrier. The trip overall is definitely tough. My skin had this weird rash going on the whole time (which I later found out was massive dehydration) and the living conditions were not ideal.
It's unfortunate we could not get to see what we had wanted (the reflection) but lesson learned! Perhaps when I'm older, I'll have a chance to visit Bolivia again. Except the next time, I will visit during the appropriate season, take a plane down to Uyuni and do a day trip only. Live & Learn!