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Local Buses La Paz
17 Reviews The crowded little vans cover the whole city. Each have numbers and a list of destinations. The destinations are not in order, so A to B often becomes A to Z, then T, thorugh R before getting to B...
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By plane La Paz
8 Reviews Fast, dramatic and scenic flight from Santiago to La Paz with one stop at Iquque is what LAN has to offer. I would take it again. The feeling of total devastation by the emotional highlights of...
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To travel across the salt falts of Salar de Uyuni, you will need a 4WD vehicle, such as a Toyota Landcruiser, with a knowledgeable driver, as most of the driving is off-road and sometimes through water. All of the adventure tour groups and agencies provide them.
There are daily services at 10 am and 7pm from Uyuni to Potosi. At least two companes run at these times. We took the 10am one and it cost 30 Bs per person and took 7.5 hours. It's supposed to be six but we had one break down, one wheel change and one delay as a truck in front of us got stuck on a pass and had to wait for help. Delays are common while travelling by bus in Bolivia so bring a good book, food and drink and a lot of patience. Also, the roads are unpaved and it gets very bumpt. Scenery on route is excellent, sit on the left for better views.
In Uyuni you will find several small travel agencies which offer a 1/2/3 and 4 days trip around the Salar. If you got time it worths to spend the 4 days trip on a big 4x4 Gip. Choosing the best travel agency it's not very easy as there are so many and people will stop you everywhere at all time of the day try to sell you the journey. The route is the same for all the agencies, and the service more or less too. Make sure the one you are choosing has a good 4x4 Gip and ask to see the pictures of the Hotels they are going to use. Don't expect the best food served and if you suffer the altitude buy before some proper medicine. At the end of the trip if you have enjoyed that it's nice to tip the driver/guide who is going to stay with you during the trip.
To across the border from Argentina to Bolivia it's not hard at all. I took the bus from Salta (north of Argentina) to Villazon which is the first village you find when arrive to Bolivia from this side. The Village is amazing because it will introduce and welcome you very well to all the things are gonna happen in Bolivia in the rest of your staying. It's a bit shocking the first day as the two country are really different to each others, but the real and old South America is actually this, the great indigenous people that you can mostly find in Bolivia and Peru'. In Villazon a good Hotel (25 bolivianos x night) is just in front of the main square. From Villazon I booked the train to the Salar Uyuny but make sure to book it as soon as you get there because it's only one train running everyday. Don't reserve on this train the first class, get the cheapest class because the difference of...
They have finally opened the new "Death Road" This road is also called the Yungas Road. It is actually the same route, but the new road is on the other side of the valley. Quality is better, but it still is a slow and dangerous trip. The old road is now primarily used by bicyclist.
Bolivia is a large country (like Texas and California combined) and the logistics of getting around can take large amounts of time. For example, the bus from La Paz to Oruro takes 3 hours and the train from Oruro to Uyuni takes 7 hours. The 4WD trip from Laguna Verde back to Uyuni takes 7 hours. The bus from Uyuni to Potosi (25 Bs.) takes 6 hours with only one 30 minute break for lunch. Share a collective taxi from Potosi to Sucre for 30 Bs. and save an hour (bus ride is 3 hours). In general, all buses, trains and flights left pretty much on time. Bus seats are numbered and you buy a ticket for a specific seat. No bus I was on had a bathroom. The bathroom on the train was very clean.Flying was the best way to cover the large distances; however, it's expensive compared to the buses and trains and there are a limited number of flights each day. The Bolivian airline, LAB, was modern and...
So, who ever said Bolivia is dangerous is whack. What a beautiful country. Amazing people, very honest. Bolivianos is cheap. The penuts and chocolate wafers are so tasty.Oh important facts: There are taxis, minibuses, buses, and military vehicles that can transport you around this great country. Getting to the Peru/Bolivian border is a piece of cake. Just watch it if you decide to do it on a Friday since every Friday is market day ON the border. Its quite entertaining to experience. But it is nice to see Peru again on time so that we can catch our flight home.
Riding on the buses in Bolivia can be a great part of your travel experience. One big plus is that the scenery is fantastic, and the bus is a nice way to enjoy that while getting from point A to point B. The buses are also very cheap. If there is one minus it has to be that the buses will pack in as many people as possible. Even if your bus starts out from it's destination with a light passenger load and plenty of space, it doesn't mean that it will stay that way. People wave down passing buses from anywhere along the road. You might see a group of 15 people board from out in the middle of nowhere. The buses tend to be at least half full of Cholas (indigenous women usually wearing bowler hats) at any given time. These ladies are usually rather rotund and take up a lot of space...and this is coming from a resident of the U.S., the fat capital of the world. Another piece of advice is to...
We sailed at night with the MV Yavari. This vessel is a restored steamer with a long history. She was built in Britain and then carefully disassembled into 2766 pieces, each of which had to be carried across the Andes by mule over a period of six years to an altitude of 3000 meter above sealevel. In 1861 she was commissioned by the Peruvian president Ramon Castilla. In 1870 at last the ship was launched and the engines were powered on dried llama dung.
If you are traveling by Flota, you will notice that there are lots of what seems to be unplanned stops. I got nervous about the constant loading and unloading of luggage. My cousin who lost his luggage on a previous trip told me that its good practice to tip the luggage handler to look after your belongings. I tipped 5 Bolivianos before and after my arrival on all my trips, it was worth the peace of mind and the cost equals about a dollar!
Residencial Rosario La Paz
7 Reviews and 210 Opinions Hotel Rosario is pretty nice. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The rooms are very clean and...
Hotel Takya de Sal Uyuni
7 Reviews and 0 Opinions We didn't stay in the Salt Hotel during my visit to Uyuni as our tour did not include the night stay...
Colonial Hotel Potosí
25 Opinions
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Q: Hi. Can anyone help me with the best way to get from La Paz to Salar de Uyuni to Arica? We plan to take a 2-4 day tour in...
A: Anna, I don't actually know how to do it but when I did the Salar de Uyuni tour in 2003, there was a Dutch couple that got off at the little station near Laguna Blanco...
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