Arequipa & Hiking in Colca Canyon

I had heard about Colca Canyon and wanted to visit it. But we couldn’t get there directly from Puno so decided to stop at Arequipa, the closest big city.

Getting in to Arequipa

We boarded a bus from Puno. It costed 20 Soles each, USD 6.25, and the journey was around 4.5 hours. At first glance, Arequipa looked like a dusty old town but we were there only to get to Colca Canyon.

Finding Accommodation

Booking.com, our trusted friend, for booking accommodation stopped working presumably due to canceling too many bookings. We had no choice but to note down a hotel name and address and just turn up there. A taxi to the now forgotten hotel arrived after 10 min drive and was about 10 minutes walk away from the Plaza de Armas of Arequipa.

Unfortunately, this hotel had no double room and especially not for the price we wanted. Thankfully, there were 2 other hostels close by and we got a decent room in one of them for 40 Soles, USD 12.50.

Resting for a few days

Shruti wasn’t feeling the best when we arrived in Arequipa. Moreover, we hadn’t done our laundry since La Paz and this was the perfect place before we went to Colca Canyon. So we decided to rest a bit and recharge before heading to the hiking destination.

Central City

Arequipa’s central city was quite small. The Plaza De Armas and 2 blocks in each direction was the centre. The good thing was that all the chain restaurants and banks were all in one place. We could do everything we wanted in one small place. Also being a big Spanish city from the past, it had plenty of Churches to photograph.

The Cathedral was incredibly beautiful especially at night. That was all there was to Arequipa really and I couldn’t imagine spending more than 2 days in the city.

Bus Tour in Arequipa

Since Shruti didn’t want to walk much, we decided to do a bus tour. It was kind of strange when the 50 Soles per person, USD 15.7, suddenly came down to 25 Soles per person, USD 7.8. We didn’t even try and bargain. Luck we thought but we didn’t think that when the 10am scheduled tour didn’t start til 10:15am and then the lady from the agency took us to another agency 2 blocks away. There, another girl took us on a 10 mins walk to a row of buses parked with no one in them.

Eventually, a bunch of Peruvians turned up and we got going. Our first stop was the suburb of Yanahuara which had some architecture from the last century as well as a mirador (view point) with quotes from the Peruvian Independence. The best thing was the view of the Misty Volcano!

Our next stop was another viewpoint with 3 volcanoes which border Arequipa. This really was magnificent with the 5-6000 meter mountains visible on a beautiful day.

Our next stop was a little touristy and slightly strange as well. We stopped at an alpaca wool shop which sells jumpers, ponchos etc. That’s not strange at all as there are hundreds in Peru for the tourists. The strange thing was that they had a little zoo with alpacas, llamas and guanacos for tourists. Arequipa isn’t very high at 2000 meters and keeping those animals at that low altitude is tough on the animals. Strange indeed!

As the bus went on, the next stop was the House of the Founder. The Founder of the city had a house which was destroyed in earthquakes and was restored several times. It is now a museum and also hosts weddings. We liked some old objects, paintings and the fact that the place is rumoured to be haunted. Therefore, no wedding happens at night and all guests leave before midnight. I can’t see too many Indian weddings happening there!

The final stop was a restaurant/hacienda with a few activities like horse riding and random Peruvian women placing eagles on you for photos. We were tempted by the latter but decided not to encourage people who may not be so nice to the animals. Eagles belong in the skies looking regal not on people’s heads for photos.

The bus tour was interesting but also provided some incredible views of the city and its natural surroundings. It was good value!

Getting to Colca Canyon

We finally were on our way to Colca Canyon. It is a prime location for trekking in Peru but where to visit and how to go about can be confusing. Tour agencies in Arequipa and Cusco can take you on a 2, 3, and 4 day treks but you can also do it yourself. We decided to head on our own adventure.

We took a bus from Arequipa terminal to the village of Cabanaconde. Chivay is the centre of Colca Valley and a bigger town but Cabanaconde is the perfect starting point for trekking. The buses to Cabanaconde are at odd hours like 1:30am or 3:30am but we managed to get ourselves on the only sane time – 9:30am. We left our big bags at the bus company we used for a small voluntary fee. In our case, we arrived at 4pm after a very scenic drive.

PS: A tourist permit is needed to trek in Colca and a lady was there to sell us this permit as soon as we got off the bus.

Finding a hostel was easy as there are only a few choices and they were not full by any means though it’s best to book ahead in high season. We stayed in hostel Villa Pastor and paid 30 Soles, USD 9.35, for a night. The hostel also has amazing food for great prices. There was not a lot to do in the village though we walked to the mirador Achchihua after leaving our day packs bags in the room. The view was incredible against a setting sun and we understood the scale of the trek. Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world. This was not going to be easy!

Hiking at Colca Canyon

Before starting any hike in Colca, it’s great to ask the locals in the hostel and have a plan. How many days? Which villages? Where to stay for the night(s)? Get a map. These questions are important to avoid being in danger or be lost at night. We planned to hike to San Juan, make our way though Cosninhua, Malata and then descend to Sangalle for the night and ascend to Cabanaconde the next morning. We started our hike the next morning after an unsuccessful attempt to see the condors flying through the canyon. Local knowledge, yeah right!

Things didn’t go well at the start, we lost our way at the start as we tried to descend down a small trail. After a little course correction, we realized the actual trail was well beaten and on top of the ridge.

A lady at the mirador San Miguel checked our permits and gave us a few tips. We hiked down slow and steady towards San Juan De Chuccho.

Guess what? We even saw a couple of Condors flying through the canyon and another one munching on some meat.

The view was absolutely incredible, the trail went around the cliffs slowly descending down to the river and then rising back up. As we descended down, the lowering altitude and the sun made the descent very tough. The view was the only respite, looking up the canyon looked as remarkable as it did on the way down. Some people were sunbathing at the river under San Juan. A lady selling drinks showed us a quicker route to San Juan where we stopped for a bargain lunch – only 10 Soles, USD 3.1.

On the way to Cosninhua, we passed by a mountain stream. It was the perfect opportunity to cool down in the heat and the water from the stream was the best tasting on this entire trip. It was so fresh and so tasty that I couldn’t stop drinking.

The trek up to Cosninhua was tough and we needed a chilled coke when we reached the village. The next 45 minutes were flat through 2 villages and we were ready to start our our descent to Sangalle, the oasis.

If we thought we had it tough, we were wrong. Everything needs to be carried to Sangalle, either on donkeys or by humans. We saw two groups of tough guys carrying a fridge full of beer down the canyon. I salute thee Sirs!

Shruti and I have found out one thing during our travels. It’s easier for us to walk up the mountain than down. Downhill hurts the knees and is less stable so there is more chance of falling. The hike down was tough for us as it was downhill, though we made it in one piece. Sangalle is a sight for sore eyes and feet. It’s a green patch in an otherwise dry canyon. We argued whether it was actually an oasis and our opinions differed. Anyway, the lads carrying the fridges told us to get the second resort (there are only 2) and so we did. We showered, had a few beers and a great meal at great prices given the context.

The next morning, we started our hike early. It was meant to be a 3 hour climb but it got tougher as the sun got stronger. The trail was such that we felt a few times that we were getting close to the top. It was always a disappointment or KLPD in hindi colloquialism.

Anyhow, we had our snacks along the way and made it to the top after 3 hours and 15 minutes. Another 15 minutes and we were back in the village where we bought the 11:30am bus ticket to Arequipa. There is an option of taking a bus to Cusco from Chivay but we wanted to get a good bus for the 10 hour journey. We arrived in Arequipa by 6pm where the bus company had kept our luggage safe. A great 3 day tour of Colca!

Hike Duration

Here are our hike timings from one spot/village to another. Take note, we aren’t the fittest people so these numbers can be used as a benchmark. Also, we took plenty of breaks for snacks and photos.

Day 1 – Cabanaconde to Sangalle

Cabanaconde to Mirador San Miguel (stay on the main road, it is just past the observatory) – 30 mins

Mirador San Miguel to San Juan Bridge (at the bottom of canyon) – 2.5 hours

San Juan to Malata (crossing Cosñirhua) – 1 hour 10 mins

Malata to Sangalle – 1 hour 15 mins

Day 2 – Sangalle to Cabanaconde

Sangalle to Cabanaconde (almost 1000 meters hike up) – 3 hours 30 mins

Other Recommendations for Hiking in Colca Canyon

If you have more time than we did and do not want to go crazy hiking too much in a day, here are some options –

OPTION 1:

Day 1 – Cabanaconde to San Juan

Day 2 – San Juan to Sangalle (this way you get to enjoy the Oasis)

Day 3 – Sangalle to Cabanaconde

OPTION 2:

Day 1 – Cabanaconde to San Juan

Day 2 – San Juan to Sangalle

Day 3 – Sangalle to Llahuar (enjoy geyser here!)

Day 4 – Llahuar to Cabanaconde

Exploring Puno, Peru

Finally we get to Peru! We worked real hard to get the Peru Visa for Shruti and it worked out in Bolivia. Our first stop in Peru was Puno, the other big town settled along the shores of Lake Titicaca. Read about our experience in the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca right here.

Getting in

We took Trans Titicaca bus to cross over to Peru from Copacabana, Bolivia. The ride to the border was less than 40 mins. After queuing up and getting stamped out at Bolivian Immigration, we walked across the border to Peru. We faced no dramas at either of the immigration offices. The remaining 3.5 hours bus ride to Puno was mostly uneventful.

Cheap accommodation

Our guide in the bus asked us if we had an accommodation in Puno and we didn’t. He suggested Don Tito Inn but we refused to pay more than 40 Soles, USD 12.5. He had no problem with that and agreed immediately. We weren’t hoping for much but the room turned out to be great for the price. We finally had really hot water without electrocution.

2 Day Tour

As we were checking in the hotel, the receptionist told us about possible tours around the area. We were interested to visit the Floating Islands. After comparing two available tours, we decided to go with a 2 Day Tour to Lake Titicaca. The tour costed us 100 Soles per person, USD 31.25, and was scheduled to start early next day.

A tour car came around to pick us up from the hotel and we headed to the wharf. Everyone had been told to leave the big bags at the hostel but Shruti wanted to get to Arequipa as soon as possible afterwards so we took all our stuff on the boat. This proved tricky as we had to walk across 3 boats with bags at the back and front to finally get to our own boat. There our luggage took up most of the storage area as most people had their bags in hand. This wasn’t turning out to be the best!

We forgot all that soon as we reached our first stop, the Floating Islands of Uros. The islands were built on Totora Reed Islands and each island had 5-6 families living and working to renew the islands every two months.

Archaeologists researched as to how and why these people started living on these islands and the outcome is stunning. It seems during a drought in the area, the locals turned to the lake for food and shelter. We spent quality time on the islands and even took photos in the traditional dresses.

Our next stop was another Floating Island but we didn’t take the motor boat to get there. Instead, we went on a “Uros Island Taxi” or a boat which is made of the bamboo, Totora Reed and is rowed. Two men of the community rowed us to the next island for a small fee. The entire floating islands are very traditional, people still wear their dresses and still live their life. Yet it seemed very touristy as though the Islanders are continuing this lifestyle to skin money off tourists.

The second island wasn’t much except a shop and we managed to get a stamp on our passports. It was a really weird experience which on one hand was traditional but on the other hand touristy. In any case, we took some souvenirs to remember forever!

Homestay – Isla Amantani

Our next destination was Isla Amantani which would be our home for the night. It took 2 hours from the Uros Islands through the reeds and other parts of the lake. As we got closer, we saw people standing at the wharf. We were assigned to a girl with a small house up the hill. A french- spanish couple were to accompany us. It was a tough walk uphill with the backpacks and our host had to help Shruti.

We had lunch, dinner and breakfast with the family and heard their tale of trying to make some money by bringing in tourists using the roun-robin system used by all villages on the island. However, it hadn’t helped at all with only 3 tourists since January. Moreover, they had invested quite a bit hoping that it will bring in income but nothing of the sort.

The girl who may have been in her late 20s and unmarried tried to sell us her knitted goods but as luck would have it we had already bought them. Same was the case of all tourists who came there. Maybe only the mayor of the island was earning from this system. The interesting thing were the outfits of the island. Men and Women much like India wore clothes according to their marital status. Unmarried women line our hostess wore white top with flowers like roses to indicate that they are single. Cool system!

Traditional Beliefs

We visited the Pachamama and Pachatata on the island along with the rest of the group. The belief in the traditional religion was still strong on the island and we stayed in this beautiful spot as the sun was setting.

Party

As part of the tour, the village organises a traditional party. We went along with our host on our promise that we wouldn’t stay too long as the her siblings had to sleep. We were dressed up in traditional clothes and got ready to leave. We walked with her in pitch black and arrived in the community hall. There were chairs setup along the wall and one old lady was selling soft drinks and beer. If it wasn’t for the beer, it could be a primary school party.

Homestay, Isla Amantani, Lake Titicaca

Anyhow, all that didn’t matter once the music started. It was high tempo and fast rhythm. We were meant to hold each others hands and move side to side in a big circle. It started off slow but eventually the speed picked up and we were whirling around. It ended soon for us as the kids needed to sleep.

Upon reaching home, Shruti decided to take some photos of the starry night. Here is one of the night shots!

Isla Taquile

The next morning we got ready to visit another island in the the lake. Our guide told us that here again, the system was different. Men and women wore separate clothes according to their marital status. The men wore particular design on their beanies to indicate that they are single while women wore bright colors. As textiles is the main industry on the island, every resident knits and their goods are sold at the main community center at the cooperative office.

We did a tough little walk to the top of the island where the main square was. We saw men sitting together and knitting which is something unusual in Peruvian society. Another walk and we reached the restaurant for lunch. Here we had a problem, we ran out of almost all the money we had exchanged at the border.

The lunch was 20 Soles, USD 6.25, and that was all the money we had. Shruti had the soup while I had the mains and somehow managed to make it work. When we finally reached Puno, we realised that ATMs in Peru charge up to $5USD to take money out. Bummer!

Group Party

Renate, one of the tour members who became friends with us during the journey, was keen to catch up after the tour. Although we had initially decided to leave Puno right after the tour, we thought it would be good to rest and party a little. Everyone who was in Puno that night, including the tour guide, met up by the main square and soon we were heading for a kareoake party.

Our first stop was a bar in the main restaurant district where everyone warmed up over some drinks. The next stop was karaoke close by. No one could beat Shruti in singing classic rock and that got even better after a few beers. Our guide was keen on the party and kept buying more drinks.

We finally left the karaoke at 1am to get to a club. The group was 6 girls and 2 guys and we had absolutely no trouble getting in. However, no one wanted to drink except the guide who had a tour the next morning at 7am. Him, me and a few other tough people managed to finish the drinks. We all danced to reggaeton and finally left at 3am. Of course, no good night ends without early morning food and we grabbed a pizza at a local joint. Here, we met a drunk old man who recognized Shruti and I for Indians and started talking to us about SRK and Kajol. It was a great end to a great night!

Leaving Puno

We left Puno for Arequipa the next morning. We bought the ticket for 2pm but there was no bus to be seen. Finally, at 2:30pm the bus arrived and we reached Arequipa around 7pm. The view was ok but Arequipa looked like a dusty old town. It ended up being better than we thought! Watch out for the next post.

Bolivia Experience

We heard from many fellow travelers that Bolivia is a tough country to crack. We were told the landscape is untouched, the economy is backward and the locals are not the friendliest. When, we got to the inland country and experienced it ourselves, we had a different opinion.

The majority of the population in Bolivia is native and they tend to be more reserve than the people of the neighboring countries. They haven’t seen much progress yet. But, if you were to put in the effort to break the ice, possibly by offering coca leaves, the Bolivians have plenty of stories to tell. And one of the hot topic is their current Prime Minister Evo Morales. The reason for the rise of the native economy in the country.

The country is at a high altitude that requires acclimatisation. Also, get used to not seeing lots of trees around! There are plenty of bushes and vast lands where llamas, alpacas and vicunas graze. It provides the perfect setting for a nature-lover to be submerged in the raw beauty of high mountains and red farms of quinoa.

Not to forget, Salar De Uyuni is a must visit destination. Only an overnight bus ride away from La Paz, you wake up in a small town where plenty of 4×4 cars are driving past swiftly. That’s when you realise that the salt flats are the bread and butter for so many!

Bolivia Travel Map

Though we only spent less than a month in Bolivia, we were lucky enough to indulge in quite a few experiences. Here is a map that pins out all the locations we visited within Bolivia.

List of Posts

Things to do in and around La Paz

Cochabamba, Bolivia

Potosi – Effects of Colonialism

Salar De Uyuni – Must Visit

Copacabana – Right Place Right Time

Once we were done with the Uyuni tour, we headed to La Paz for a few days of rest and then planned to move on to Peru via Copacabana.

Getting in

We took a bus from La Paz to Copacabana which was supposed to take 4 hours but took close to 6 hours. It was my dream to visit Lake Titicaca, the highest navigatable lake in the world, and it finally came true in Copacabana. In fact, there is a point where everyone has to cross a small section of Lake Titicaca on a boat, there is no road. We took the boat across while the bus got on a slow barge.

The cost of the bus was 30 Bolivianos per person, USD 4, which was comparitively expensive but we got told the prices were high due to the fiesta starting the day after. “A fiesta” we thought “that should be cool”. For the first 2 hours in Copacabana it was anything but cool!

No hotels

We entered Copacabana without a hotel reservation. That never seemed to be a problem, we usually got to places and then went looking around for a place to stay. But due to the fiesta we walked from hotels to hostels with no relief. All of the places could only let us stay 1 night and then we would have to check out for the subsequent night. We offered to pay more but to no avail. We finally decided to take a room for the night, leave our bags and go hostel hunting in rest of the town.

Hostal Inka Roka was in a small alley away from the main square. Normally, we wouldn’t have even noticed it but we were desperate and had asked over 30 hotels already. The little lady walked out of her room and said she had a room for the next night. The cost was 50 Bolivianos per person, USD 7, which was a real bargain given the conditions. We reserved it and breathed a sigh of relief. We had initially planned on staying 3 nights but that wasn’t to be. We changed our bus ticket to leave Copacabana one day earlier.

Sunset over Lake Titicaca

After the pain of walking around trying to find a hotel, we walked along the shores of Lake Titicaca with some peace of mind. All the restaurants on the waters edge were offering happy hour all day and night long so we sat down and chilled while watching the sun go down at a lake at 3900 meters. Paradise!

Isla Del Sol Tour

One of the highlights of Copacabana is the Isla Del Sol and Isla De La Luna. The islands of Sun and Moon are important in the Aymara and Inca traditions. To this day, people still follow the traditions and give offerings on these islands.

We paid 50 Bolivianos for both of us, USD 7, which was a bargain and got on the ferry by 7:30am. The ride was slow but picturesque and we started with the north of Sun Island first. There was an added charge of 10 Bolivianos per person for a guided tour. As we ascended the island, we could clearly see the Cordillera Real range in the distance. What a sight!

After hiking for 1 hour, we arrived at the Puma Rock which is very important to Inca and Aymara cultures. The guide showed us the rock carvings of Condor, Puma’s head and Serpent which are the symbols of Sky, Earth and Underneath the Earth. We all made a wish in this place and then moved on to the mesa or the table.

The mesa was where the Incas and Aymaras gave offerings to the Gods or even sacrificed animals. A shaman there explained the history and would be blessing people if they wished. We chose not to do it.

The next stop were the Ruins of a Temple overlooking Lake Titicaca. It was a beautuful sight and the temple was somewhat of a maze. We took a few shots and then descended to the pier.

The southern part of the Island was a bit less interesting. For one, it was a steep hill only metres from the pier and we couldn’t see any ruins. Instead of walking uphill, we took photos of llamas and donkeys whose job it was to carry the luggage upstairs. The only highlight of the South end of the island was the mountains were even closer here and it again made for great images.

Fiesta

Now that we had a room, we could enjoy the fiesta. As we returned from the island, the fiesta was in full swing. Shruti took shots of grandmothers dancing, men drinking and dancing, people drinking in the street and dancers with the most immaculate outfits as well as masks. That night the fiesta parade went on til 7pm but we could hear drums and music till 2am. People say Bolivians are a quiet inward people but give them a fiesta and watch them become friendly.

Being brown, we didn’t have this experience but we heard many white people say that the grandmas and gradmas yelled “Gringo!!!” while drunk and made them drink. The next morning the story was no different except Inka Roka had a whole troop of dancers staying there. The entire army had to shower and then practice their songs. We heard every bit of it!

As we went out at 9am for breakfast, we realised that the party had moved higher up the town. We followed the noise and sure as hell people were drunk and dancing at 10am. The parade was in a different part of town and we saw lots of people participating in the parade with their suits, outfits and masks. They were singing songs that were anti-society and waving their noise making tool. We were really lucky to witness this event!

Copacabana Fiesta Video

Virgin on the Hill

The Virgin of Copacabana resides on top of a hill and is never moved from there. We decided to take a break from the parade and climb the hill. As we were halfway, we noticed that there were shamans for hire making offerings for people. That was a bit strange at a Christian site.

As we reached above, the view was breathtaking, Lake Titicaca could be seen to the end of the horizon. At the highest point on the hill was the Virgin of Copacabana who is very famous in the region.

To take in the view, we sat on a rock, bought a beer and decided to relax before heading down. Words cannot desribe the beauty of the place and it will be a memory forever seeing Copacabana beach from the top.

Yet again, we saw shamans doing offerings with beer and small models of wishes like car, house, baby etc. We concluded that as with many other sites in Bolivia this was a pre-Christian site and the people somehow mixed religions when they converted.

The Town

Copacabana is a small town but very touristy. This means that there is variety of food but it didn’t feel very Bolivia. Luckily, due to the fiesta, lots of people brought out their food carts and I managed to try some of them. It was a great experience!

Crossing border

We took the 6pm Lake Titicaca bus to Puno, Peru. The border process was pretty straightforward and we had no issues whatsoever. The only issue was where to change the money. Copacabana town was a bad place with 2.35 Boliviano for every Sole. I managed to bargain down a guy at the border who gave me 2.20 for a Sole. On the Peruvian side, it was slightly better at 2.16-2.18 depending on your bargaining. That ended our trip in Bolivia for the exciting Peru!

Salar de Uyuni – Must Visit

If you Google must visit places in Bolivia, or for that matter, in the world, Salar de Uyuni will definitely be on the list. Our plan to visit Bolivia was simply for the salt flats. Who doesn’t want to check off a must visit destination, especially when you are in the neighbourhood!

As mentioned in the previous post, we took a very scenic bus ride to Uyuni. For more photos from the road, check our Potosi post or our Instagram feed.

Booking a tour

We had only just got off the bus when a lady approached us regarding Uyuni tour. We had inquired about the tour in La Paz and from there it costed about 800 Bolivianos, ~ USD 116. The tour itinerary was almost the same as we had heard about earlier and it costed 750 Bolivianos, ~ USD 109, each. The only bonus was she offered us a cheap hotel room for the night, just 100 Bolivianos, USD 15. At least we didn’t have to go looking for a place to sleep. We rested that night and were ready for our pick up from our hostel the next day.

Tour starts

We were picked up from our hostel Sajama at around 10:30 am. As we boarded the 4×4, we met a few other companions on the tour. A few minutes later, the four wheel drive was full with people. There was Ettore and Lina, an Italian-Spanish couple, Swantje and Eerie, two German girls, Iris, Dutch girl, our guide, cook and driver, Quentin and us. It was a multi-national group but somehow we got along very well, very quickly.

Day 1 – Graveyard of Trains

Uyuni has a train line which was supposed to continue until the coast of Chile. For some reason, the line was abandoned and so were the trains. As all groups from Uyuni start the tour at 10:30am, and the graveyard is the first stop, the site was full of tourists! Nevertheless, the sight of the trains in the middle of the desert was beautiful. We jumped on top of an engine and clicked some photos of us and surroundings.

Day 1 – Entry to the salar

After leaving the train graveyard, we headed towards the Salar. From the highway heading to the salt pans, we could see the distant white plains shinning in the sun creating a mirage. We headed into a salt mining village with touristy salt rooms and salt llamas while the villagers sold cheap woolen clothes.

Next, we drove to the edge of the salar with little ponds of salt and small mounds of salt. The villagers harvest these mounds of salt for commercial salt. We didn’t really understand how the process works but the mounds on the salar made for some great shots.

Day 1 – Salar de Uyuni

As we drove from the edge, our driver told us that the salt was few metres thick in some places. The landscape was white as far the eye could see with reddish brown mountains and hills in the distance. We could see other tour cars in the far distance doing exactly the same thing we were. Despite there being plenty of 4×4 drives, we could only see a handful which indicates how huge the Salar is.

Shruti and I had been contemplating how to best photograph ourselves in the Salar as the perspective changes due to the background. We spent some good time trying to get our perfect shots.

We enjoyed our lunch from the back of our 4×4 drive, outside the Salt Hotel near the Dakar Rally Memorial. Once done, Shruti suggested we take some group shots as well. After trying to figure out what we would do, we ended up with these! Definitely fun day at a go.

Our next stop was Isla de Pescado, a green hill island with cactus rising out of the salt. The cost to climb was 30 Bolivianos per person and as a group we decided it wasn’t worth it and walked around the island instead.

It was free, beautiful and an unique experience. We had visited Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, India, but it was nothing like this. That was at a much smaller scale and no cactus. We were walking around as if walking down the road on salt crystals. In my case, I was occasionally snacking on the natural salt too.

We kept going on the Salar until around 4pm when we eventually headed towards the mountains and our accommodation for the night. Though it only makes up 3-4 hours of the entire journey, Salar de Uyuni leaves a great mark on you. A must do bucket item!

Day 1 – Salt hotel

Our hotel for the night was ‘The Salt Hotel’ in the village of San Juan. The whole thing was made of brick and then salt added over it. The bed and dinner table were made of salt and concrete. It was an interesting experience for sure!

As it gets really cold at night in this area, the group decided to get a couple of wine bottles to go with the dinner. It ended up being a great night with new friends and the conversations and laughs went long in the night.

Note: Due to the cold and having to pay for hot showers, it is entirely possible to not shower for a day.

Day 2 – 3 Lagunas

The first part of the day started with seeing incredible scenery on the way to the lagoons. As we drove in the middle of no where, we were surrounded by high mountains all around us. As the car kept driving, the cameras were clicking in all directions.

We stopped at a volcanic rocks area for a short break. It was a very picturesque landscape but most of us could only think, ‘behind which rock do we pee?’

Upon driving another hour we reached Laguna Cañapa. It was incredible. There were flamingos and mountains on all sides of the lake. It was very cold and windy but we managed through it.

The next lake was Laguna Edionda which means stinky lake. The name was a bit strange as the lake was stunning. There were flamingos enjoying their meal.

Walking a bit towards the car park we realised there were few shops. Turns out, there were toilets and and internet. Yes, in the middle of no where. We enjoyed a nice meal prepared by our driver Quentin overlooking the best location for lunch.

After lunch, we were heading towards another lake. On the way, we encountered a wild Andean fox, same as the one we saw at Volcan Chimborazo. The guys from the other tourist car threw some chicken bones at it. It was the wrong thing to do feeding a wild animal but we were happy to get a shot of it with breathtaking surroundings.

As we reached the next lake, no one was in the mood to feel the cold and everyone took photos from the car. The driver was a little surprised and told us that the next stop is a couple of hours away. That didn’t bother us, we didn’t get out!

Day 2 – Laguna Colorada

If you Google Uyuni Tour, most times a photo of pink lagoon comes up. That lagoon is called Laguna Colorada and is part of the National Park. The entry fee for the foreigners is 150 Bolivianos, USD 22, and it is not included in the tour cost. That is a bit steep but I hope the cost goes to conserving the natural environment. Plus, we got a stamp on the passport :P

We checked into our dormitory type hostel where the whole group had to sleep in one room on single beds. Luckily we got along and was not a problem for anyone. Once settled and before sundown, we headed towards to the Laguna Colorada Mirador (view point). It was ridiculously cold and we had to wear all our winter gear. Having said that, the view was totally worth it. The national park had constructed the mirador like glass room with 180 degree view. It really made the 45 minute walk worth it.

We had been warned that the second night is incredibly cold. The group discussed this the first night and agreed that we needed some alcohol for the second night. A bottle of Bacardi was bought to help us handle it. After dinner the group did a big salud to each other and the trip. As it was an early morning the next day, other groups went to sleep early. We stayed long into the night, got abused by other groups, had a lot of fun and were still first out the door. Take that boring people!

Day 3 – Thermal Springs

We drove out at 4:30am with everyone except the driver asleep. We reached the thermal springs while it was dark. It took us a good half an hour to muster the courage and dress down to swimmers. It was extremely cold but a great feeling getting in the naturally hot water. Moreover, no one in the group had showered since the start of the trip so it was a hygienic feeling as well.

Day 3 – Laguna Verde

Our next stop was Laguna Verde. Our guide/driver told us that it appears green due to the sediments. We were all excited to see it but what amazed us even more was the landscape on the way to the lake.

Upon arriving at the lake, we were stunned. We had been on the road for 4 hours now and it was turning out to be the best day. Laguna Verde with the volcano behind it was picture perfect. Additionally, there was a Laguna Blanca just adjacent and it looked breathtaking as well.

Day 3 – Chilean border

Our trip would end back in Uyuni as we weren’t crossing over to Chile unlike 3 of of our group members. It was only a short drive to the border and as with everywhere around it the scenery was stunning. We said our goodbyes to Ettore, Nina and Iris and headed back towards Uyuni. At least we saw Chile!

Day 3 – Drive back to Uyuni

The drive back to Uyuni went through some not so stunning landscapes when compared it what we saw in last 3 days. However, it was still beautiful and our lunch spot was incredible on a beautiful stream with llamas in the distance.

The guide/chef/driver

Señor Quentin was our guide/chef/driver for 3 days. He was a rotund quiet Bolivian man who concentrated on his job. We were never late anywhere and he served amazing lunches and dinners. We are very thankful to him for keep us safe and sound during the trip.

Things to understand

The Salar de Uyuni trip is actually Salar on the first day (last if you start in Argentina or Chile). There is very little walking involved and most of the trip is in the car. It is an incredibly cold area with mountains and glaciers everywhere. The area is very high in altitude and being in Southern Hemisphere, it starts to get very cold from May till August. Also, the mirror reflection only happens during the rainy season.

Final word

Mirror reflection or not, 3 days Salar de Uyuni tour is a must do trip in Bolivia. The scenery is some of the best in the world and if you are lucky, plenty of chances to see llamas, vicunas, fox and rabbits in their natural habitat!

Salar De Uyuni – Mashup Video