The Land of Salt
Salar de Uyuni is one of unique places in the world. Here you can see the largest mirror in the world while it is also the world’s largest salt flat. Placed in Potosi region, this ocean salt is stretching on 12,000 square kilometers area with over 10 meters thickness salt in its core. Deserved to visit, this salty region placed in the southwestern side of Bolivia, nearby Andesk peak in the height of 3,650 meters. Around 40,000 years ago, this lake was part of Michin Lake that was including to one of large pre-historic lake. When it was dried, it was creating two lakes: Poopo and Uru Uru Lake and two largest salt deserts: Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni.
People estimated this salt desert contains 10 billion tons of salt and it is gaining less than 25,000 tons salt per year. Recognizing as one of famous destinations, Salar de Uyuni is visiting by three species of flamingo birds every November. The flamingo birds are chili, Andes and James flamingo. Regarding to its uniqueness, many photographers are often coming to capture its landscape. For traveler lovers, this desert is often visited in a package of 3 or 4 day tour. Usually the tour is going to the south toward the southwest corner of Bolivia where you will find many fluorescent-colored lakes. They are coming from a cluster of minerals from surrounding mountains. Salar de Uyuni is performing the beauty of flat dry salt on dry season while wet season is magically creating a thin surface of water to drive.
The tour usually is using 4×4 vehicles like Toyota Landcruisers in which containing 6 or 7 people. It should provide basic needs while the water will be very cold. However it is deserved to visit due to its wonderful attraction. If you are getting an offer to stay a night in salt hotel, you should avoid them due to they are polluting environment. Differed with the luxury of Bali villas, it is an illegal lodge as it is not being the part of the water grid. When you are choosing a tour operator, you should carefully check with other travelers to catch the type of the vehicles, drivers and what they had along the trip. What you should bring are flashlight, coins and small bills for the bathrooms usage, sunglasses for the blinding salt planes, camera and more memory cards, extra water, sleeping bag, warm clothes and hot water bottle. The main start of the tour is Uyuni.
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