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Bolivia - Bizarre Love Triangle
Embark on an adventure journey through one of the wildest and incredible lands on the planet. Starting in La Paz, Bolivia, the highest capital on Earth at 3,600m above sea level, your expedition takes you across the Altiplano along the Andes before ending in one of the driest deserts of the world, Atacama.
HIGHLIGHTS
Stay in exemplary glamping yurts and camps
Experience the inspiring Kachi Lodge in Salar de Uyuni
Savour fine and exquisite gastronomy
Experience from a local insider's perspective
ITINERARY
DAY 1: LA PAZ
We begin our exploration of La Paz, the highest capital city in the world at over 3,600m above sea level. Unravel the fascinating Bolivian capital as we begin from the 16th-century San Francisco Church and the colossal Metropolitan Cathedral. Delve into the colonial history of La Paz as you visit the buildings that throng Jaén Street (Calle Jáen) and absorb the convivial ambience of the city’s principle square, Plaza Murillo. Witness local Andean life at the intriguing Witches Market, a commercial hub in which traditional remedies and exotic herbs are sold. Thereafter, we have time to venture out of the city perimeters to see one of the country’s most impressive natural wonders; marvel at the lunar-like landscape of Moon Valley (Valle de la Luna) and capture photographs of the crater-pocked surface similar to that of the moon. Finally, return to La Paz where we arrive at the futuristic design hotel, Hotel Atix.
Overnight: Hotel Atix, La Paz
Meals: NIL
DAY 2: LA PAZ (EXCURSION TO TIWANAKU)
Today, we uncover the ancient mysteries of the UNESCO-listed Tiwanaku, a vast archeological site on the shores of Lake Titicaca, on a private half-day tour from La Paz. Accompanied by an expert guide, visit the majestic pyramids and sacred temples of the site while enriching your knowledge of Tiwanaku civilization. Hear of the empire’s mysterious disappearance after thriving for a millennium. Enrich your knowledge of one of the most significant civilizations in the Americas as you discover ancient structures like Puerta del Sol (Gateway of the Sun) and the mystifying Kalasasaya temple. Hear of the city’s 200 BC origin and delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the empire’s disappearance while admiring the stone faces and anthropomorphic relics of various pyramids and platforms.
This evening, enjoy an exceptional dinner at Restaurant Gustu, one of the World's 50 Best Restaurants, helmed by Noma co-founder Claus Meyer while we tuck into the gastronomic offerings by Chef Kamilla Seidler, named the Danish dame of Latin America culinary and voted the top Latin American female chef.
Overnight: Hotel Atix, La Paz
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
DAY 3: LA PAZ / SAJAMA NATIONAL PARK
Our expedition begins today with an early morning departure from La Paz as we make a 5 hours drive on good paved road, taking us into the heart of the Sajama National Park. Here at the bottom of the highest peak of Bolivia, the ice-capped Sajama volcano (6,542 m), next to a natural hot spring, your luxury yurt is ready to welcome you in a cozy atmosphere where we camp in a spectacular setting at 4,313m above sea level.
Overnight: Luxury Yurt, Sajama National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 4: SAJAMA NATIONAL PARK
With your guide, discover the Sajama National Park and its natural wonders: volcanos, hot springs, the evergreen 3’000 years old iareta plant, get to know everything about alpaga breeding and sheering with local herders. For the ones who feel comfortable with the altitude, take a 1.5hrs hike to the Laguna Khasiri at 4,800m above sea level on the Chilean border at the bottom of Nevado Condorriri (5,648m). Back to the camp, enjoy a plunge in the 36 C° water of the natural pool next to the camp.
Overnight: Luxury Yurt, Sajama National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 5: SAJAMA NATIONAL PARK / SALAR DE UYUNI
Today, you will be driving down south on easy wide dirt roads across never ending plains surrounded by volcanoes. Along the way, you’ll discover the first lagunas and their famous residents, the pink flamengos. On the last part, losing 900m altitude, you’ll spot the first giant cactus which can grow up to 10 meters high.
Finally, after a 8-hour drive, you’ll hit the northern tip of Salar de Uyuni at the bottom of Tunupa Volcano. Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat at an altitude of 3,660 m. The Salar was formed between 40,000 and 25,000 years ago as a result of the drying up of several lakes, leaving behind 10,852 square kilometres of
thick salt crust. Its white hexagonal tiles of salt look like a giant endless puzzle. Here and there, small mountains covered with cactus emerge like islands in the middle of the sea. Standing directly on the salt flats, looking like a space station on Mars, our luxury dome camp at Kachi Lodge awaits you at altitude
3,600m.
Overnight: Kachi Lodge, Salar de Uyuni
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 6: SALAR DE UYUNI
Early morning, if weather conditions permit, you’ll have the opportunity to embark for a unique moment that you’ll remember all your life on an inspiring hotair balloon, operated by a professional English or Australian pilot, will take you for a magical flight over the Salt Flats, when the sun rises. From above, you’ll discover the vastness of the Salar like never before! Back on the ground, with your guide, you’ll spend the day on the Salar, discovering every aspect of this unique environment, the mummies of Coquesa and the charming villages that seem to come straight out a Western movie, at the edge of the Salar. At night, the sky of the Alptiplano unveils its show with thousands of glittering stars.
Overnight: Kachi Lodge, Salar de Uyuni
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 7: SALAR DE UYUNI / SUD LIPEZ
Leaving Kachi Lodge, you’ll cross the entire Salar towards its southern edge at about 70 km. Then, the track takes you to the entrance of Sud Lipez, probably the wildest area of Bolivia. Here, mountains rise higher, wind blows stronger, temperatures drop lower at night than anywhere else in Bolivia. Passing through the village of San Augustin, you’ll enter a huge valley leading to the bottom of several volcanoes. Here the
track becomes more challenging. You’ll get higher in altitude, crossing a pass at 4,300m before reaching Villamar, as small community lost in the middle of nowhere. Your camp is located at about 5km from the village, in a kind of stone city made of odd-shaped red rocks, sheltering the tents from the wind.
Overnight: Luxury Camp, Sud Lipez
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 8: SUD LIPEZ
Today, you’ll find out why Sud Lipez attracts nature lovers from all over the world. Shining colorful lagunas, hundreds of flamingos, wild antelopes, stone forests and geysers are composing a unique scenery. Driving a challenging track through a canyon your driver will take up to Laguna Pastos Grandes in about 1.5hrs. From a pass overlooking the laguna, at 4,800m, the highest point of your journey, the view is absolutely breathtaking! You’ll see as far as your eyes can see stone deserts, turquoise lagunas and smoking volcanoes. A mouth-watering lunch is waiting for you down at the laguna. On the way back, at the pass, choose between your 4WD car or a fat-tires mountain bike and drive the track through the canyon all the way down to the camp, a 500m drop…
Overnight: Luxury Camp, Sud Lipez
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
DAY 9: SUD LIPEZ / ATACAMA
Driving your way through canyons, passes over 4’800m, stony plateaus and sand dunes, you’ll enter the Eduardo Avaroa Natural Reserve. Here the strong winds and the volcanoes shaped the landscape over million years into a true natural jewel. Head to beautiful Laguna Verde at the bottom of world famous volcano Licancabur. A few kilometers further, you’ll cross the Bolivia – Chile border, before starting a long downhill to Valle de la Luna, offering awesome views over the Atacama Desert. As you’re about to lose 2,000m, you’ll find yourself breathing again by the time you reach San Pedro de Atacama, ending the expedition.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
HOTELS
As the first Design Hotels member in Bolivia, Atix is a luxury hospitality pioneer for art-inclined, design-savvy travelers, set in the breathtaking city of La Paz. Designed to be a live-in art gallery, the 53-room Atix, which means “one who thrives” in Quechua, displays fine-art photography and artwork in the guest corridors, rooms, and common areas by native artist Gastón Ugalde - known as the Andy Warhol of the Andes.
Developed over thousands of years and shaped by one of the world’s most extreme climates, the traditional Mongolian yurt is still the home of many nomad populations throughout Central Asia. Yet, this has been transported to the inspiring landscapes of the Sajama National Park in Bolivia, offering travelers an exceptional glamping experience immersed in nature.
Luxury Yurt, Sajama National Park
Kachi Lodge offers accommodation in geodesic domes with the comfort of a hotel room with a private bathroom, comfortable bedding, interior decoration and proper heating. Standing directly on the Uyuni Salt Flats,at an altitude of 3,600 m, at the foot of Tunupa Volcano, the luxury domes look like a space station designed by Buckminsterfuller.
Luxury Camp, Sud Lipez
Enjoy the privilege of staying in close proximity of the wonders of Sud Lipez in the luxury mobile bell tents, made of strong canvas and set up in less then half an hour, the tent offers a large inside living space, wood stove heating and comfortable coir mats. Easy to pack and carry, two tents can be connected together for a larger living space or attached bathroom.