Experience the most beautiful view in Bolivia that most people miss out on! Between incredible lakes, mountain views, rolling hills full of llamas, and natural hot springs; trust me when I say this is a place you are going to want to experience.
When I say Uyuni to you, I bet 20 dollars that I know the image that comes to your mind. Something like this right?
The Uyuni Salt Flats are world famous, and one of the largest tourist attractions in the world. People from far and wide come here to explore them and gaze upon their amazing reflective wonders. And while they are absolutely stunning, and I do recommend checking them out, there is another part of Uyuni that gets less love and is, in my opinion, equally as beautiful.
Tomave.
Tomave is a municipality that is very close to Uyuni. It is only a short 1 and a half to 2 hour ride to this amazing destination. In Tomave, there are many places to explore but the specific region that we visited and that I will be diving into today is called Kanqui, pronounced [ Khan-Key]. The point of this post today is to give you all of the information you would need in order to book this tour for yourself, and to know exactly what you are getting for it! So let's get into it!
To begin, we were staying at a fabulous hotel in Uyuni called Luna Salada. If you are interested in learning more about this incredible hotel and all that is offered there feel free to check out my blog post Luna Salada: The Best Hotel in Uyuni.
The hotel offers many different tours and packages for you to partake in during your stay with them, one of those tours is going to Tomave. My fiance and I decided to book a private tour for this adventure because we had just got engaged the previous day, so we wanted the day to ourselves to celebrate and bask in our joy and have a solo adventure. If you are interested in checking out the proposal on the salt flats feel free to read my blog Uyuni Sunsets & The Most Epic Proposal Ever, hopefully it will inspire someone! (I said yes! Spoiler!)
The private tour cost us $300 US dollars, which may make some of you stop reading right there but HANG IN THERE FOR A SECOND. First and foremost, let me tell you that that cost is 10,000 percent WORTH IT! But if you're someone who is like "Steph I don't care how amazing that is that is so not worth it for a tour" just know that this is the private tour cost. You could easily do a group tour for a smaller cost. Buuuuttttt if you're curious what that $300 dollars gets you let me show you!
First and foremost you get transportation all day long. Pick up is from the hotel and it was earlyish in the morning, I'd say between 8:30 am and 9:00am. Long enough that we got to sleep in a bit and have some breakfast before getting on the road, which I appreciated. Another thing you should know, this is an all day tour. We didn't get back to the hotel until around 6:00 pm, so just be prepared for all day fun adventuring! Another reason why I think the price is worth it!
Like I said before, the drive time between Uyuni and Tomave was about an hour and a half, two hours top; on the way there it feels longer because you are making multiple stops for adventuring and sightseeing. Our first stop was actually still in Uyuni and it was to the Train Cemetery.
Fun fact about this part of the tour: this is usually included in the tour of the salt flats when you go there during the day. However, because of Sergio's proposal our salt flat tour was a little different when it came to scheduling, so we had this part of the tour included in our Tomave tour. I say this because I am unaware if this is a usual part of this tour, but as you can see it can be negotiated in if you would prefer to have it be a part of this tour.
The Train Cemetery was a really unique place. According to our guide, these trains used to carry a lot of goods and it was a hub of transportation. There was a plan to expand this and build bigger, and better trains but it never came to fruition. These trains were taken off of the tracks and left there. The wind and salt from the nearby salt flats began to erode the trains and now they have left behind an eerie, but magnificent graveyard of these incredible machines. For more information on this unique place feel free to check out my blog post: Cementerio de Trenes Uyuni's Great Train Graveyard.
Things to know about this stop:
Crowds:
It is a popular tourist destination so you want to go their first before it gets too crowded, when we went around 9:30 am there were very few people there with us.
Temperature:
It is is close to the Salt Flats so that breeze is still very present there and you can get chilly.
Activities:
You are allowed to climb on top of and inside of the trains for your photos, just be careful as some of them are quite rusted and worn down, or have been vandalized so they may not all be the safest
There are little vendors at the entrance and exit of this place if you are interested in doing some shopping.
Bathroom Situation:
If you need to go to the bathroom, there is one in the center of the small town about a 5 minute drive away, it will cost you 1-2 Bolivianos to use.
After we took our fair share of photos we hopped back into the car and it was onto our next destination!
Welcome to the Mining Town of Pulacayo. This was a really fascinating stop full of history. In this town there is an old house at the top of the mine, our guide said the man who used to own the mine lived there and would watch over all the workers down below as they worked day and night. They are currently in the process of creating a museum in his home, but it was not ready when we were there visiting.
In addition to the mine and the town they also have a very famous train here. There is a train here that was robbed by Butch Cassidy himself, if you get close enough you can even see the bullet holes where he shot into it!
Speaking of trains, this town was one of the areas that developed some fascinating technology which allowed them to turn the trains around so they could enter and exit the platforms easily. You don't stay at this stop very long. Just long enough to snap some photos and learn some quick history!
Things to know about this stop:
Crowds:
There were not a lot of crowds here at all, I don't know if many people know of this stop, but it is an active town so there are people who currently live there out and about.
Temperature:
It is higher up so it is breezy, so that makes it a little chilly up here.
Activities:
You just walk around and take photos, and listen to your guide fill you in on some history. There will be a museum at some point but that is currently TBD.
Other than the photo ops and history lessons there are no set activities to do here because like I said it is an active town.
Bathroom Situation:
There were no bathroom stops while we were here.
Back in the car and onto the next stop! Now the next things I am going to share with you will be slightly out of order and I am sharing them with you in this way just because it makes more sense to write about it this way. On our adventure we stopped at 3 separate lakes! In real life they were separated by some of the other activities but to make it easy I am going to share all 3 of them here with you now in this section.
First we visited the Red Lake!
This is the lowest of the three lakes and in this photo the lake is actually completely dry because the region hadn't seen rain in about 3 weeks. The red you see is actually the soil that is under the lake and the minerals in the soil are what give it its color. To view this lake your guide just pulls off on the side of the road and you get to stand in awe of its beauty.
Up next we saw the Blue Lake.
This lake is really cool not only because of its impressive beauty but because it can appear as if it changes colors. Apparently at times, depending on the minerals that fall into the water and the direction of the wind, this lake can actually appear black!
You will view this lake the same way, you will pull off to the side of the road and get some opportunities for amazing shots. While we were here observing this beautiful landscape our guide noticed a little plant growing between the gravel. This little plant is special because it helps with altitude sickness.
He picked it for us and let us nibble on it. This plant is called pupusa. If you wanted to make a tea with it, you would use about 2 little buds for one cup of tea. With that being said we only tried it because our guide was knowledgeable of it and we trusted him. While it did work, I am not encouraging you to travel around Bolivia and put random plants into your mouth, please don't do that. Only do these things if you are with someone who is extremely knowledgeable or if you are in a place you can trust.
Finally there is the Green Lake.
I know what you're thinking...why is this called the green lake when it looks blue? Well, similarly to the blue lake this lake's surface appears to change color depending on wind direction and mineral deposits from the nearby mountains and volcanoes. While we were there we actually got to witness the surface of the lake shifting from blue to green when the wind blew, it was an incredible sight...one that photos and videos just don't do justice for. Speaking of the wind, it was the strongest at this lake.
When you are at this lake you are at the highest elevation of the trip. Did I mention that that is about 15,000 feet up!? Yea you're pretty high. Oh and also right next to a dormant volcano! This was the only point in the day where I felt any type of altitude sickness. Luckily I didn't get nauseous but I did get an intense headache and very lightheaded. Also, my poor out of shape heart was getting its workout in with some extra hard pumps a minute if you know what I am saying! Luckily our amazing guide Demetrio was prepared again!
In Bolivia, people often drink coca leaf tea. They say that a lot of construction workers chew on the leaves to get energy for their day, and keep them going through the many physical demands of their jobs. It is also used to cure altitude sickness! Demetrio made me a steaming cup of coca tea, yes he had the whole tea set up in the trunk of the truck! I'm telling you this man was PREPARED. I sat and drank my tea while looking at the best view! It instantly calmed me down and my headache lessened dramatically within about ten minutes. I was so thankful because where we headed off to next was incredible and I didn't want to miss it!
Things to know about this stop:
Crowds:
Honestly we saw very few people here. Occasionally we would pass another small tour in a car but I don't think many tourists know about this region yet so it feels very unexplored. This is a factor that we really enjoyed about it.
Temperature:
Like I said before, you are pretty high up! That means winds and chilly weather. When you get lower in some of the other activities it is isn't so bad but by the lakes it is colder. I would rank them as such:
Red lake- the lowest lake, weather is decent with a breeze. You should be okay with a light jacket.
Blue lake - middle height. The wind here is stronger and you may want some thicker layers.
Green lake- the highest point of the day. Wind here is the strongest and it definitely gets chilly. This is where you'd throw all the layers on.
Activities:
The activities here are being able to soak in the most incredible views. You will not be able to swim in or interact with these lakes in any other way, but that is okay because later on in the tour you get opportunities like that!
Bathroom situation:
Our guide told us if you need to use the bathroom while you are out here they have the "Inca bathroom" for you. Aka: I hope you are comfortable popping a squat outside in the wilderness. If you're someone like me and you need a bathroom more than your average person don't worry. Looking at the 3 lakes takes about one hour and then you're at a bathroom destination again so it's not too long without one!
These next two activities are my favorite part of this whole tour! After touring the lakes, Demetrio brought us to the most magical place for lunch. He gave us an option, we could eat at the hot springs, there was a small sort of structure there where we could enjoy lunch, or we could eat in the mountains with the llamas. Naturally, we chose the second option.
About a 10 minute drive away from the hot springs he parked us off the road in this beautiful valley between the mountains. There was a serene stream flowing through, it was the most magnificent orange because of all of the iron in the water. He set up our table with our lunch! Which was a proper lunch by the way! It was no ham and cheese sandwiches let me tell you! We had chicken, rice, steamed vegetables, bread rolls with butter and a bottle of wine! And we got to eat as much of it as we wanted, which in our case was all of it!
Not only did we have the fabulous lunch but we had an amazing view! We were staring right at a herd of llamas and vicunas! They were peacefully grazing as we were enjoying our meal. I have never felt more serene that in that moment. There is something magical in those mountains. And to be able to be removed from the world, just for those 45 minutes was so cleansing. To see nothing but the beauty of the landscape and the wildlife I think this will forever be a favorite memory for me.
And if you are into photography or videography this is a great spot! No one is around and the mountains shield you from the worst of the wind. We took all the photos we wanted and even got some great drone footage here! I cannot recommend it enough.
Then, once our stomachs were full of delicious food, and the llamas had decided that we were no longer interesting (LOL) we packed up the car and headed back to the final and most relaxing part of our stay...the natural hot springs.
This place was stunning! It had 2 hotsprings for you to choose from. The top layer is great for drone shots because it is shaped like a heart so it looks great from above, but the bottom pool has the views. From the bottom hotspring you have a gorgeous view of one of the mountains and the landscape! We spent nearly two hours here just soaking any tensions away.
I am a big believer in the healing power of natural hot springs and let me tell you these were amazing. The water is just the right temperature, there were not too many people, and being on the private tour granted us the freedom to stay as long or as short as we wanted. This establishment also had a natural sauna with eucalyptus! It was heavenly. *Quick pro tip about that DO NOT STEP ON THE WATER IN THERE! That may be common knowledge to some, but I didn't know! I just came out of the hotspring so when I saw the water in the sauna I assumed it was the same and I walked through it to get to the seats. OUCH! That water is boiling hot! Like definitely will hurt you hot, so yeaaaa don't step in it! You can step up on the seats and safely walk around that way. You're welcome for saving your little tootsies, because mine were not happy with me !
Things you need to know about these stops:
Crowds:
In both places the crowds were not bad at all. You are up in the mountains so the only other people you will see are other tours. With the llama lunch we saw no one, just us and llamas. At the hot springs we just saw some people who were local to the area. It is not a very touristy location so it is not as crowded as some of the other hotsprings closer to the salt flats are.
Temperature:
We were there in January and the temperatures were beautiful. I had on layers, a light long sleeve shirt, with a thicker sweater over it and a winter coat. All that was for when we were higher up by the lakes, here in the valley and near the hot spring I was fine with just my long sleeve shirt. There is a slight breeze but nothing major. And once you leave the hot spring and sauna you are not cold trust me!
Activities:
At the lunch spot your activity is enjoying your meal and enjoying the view. You are free to walk around and explore and take stunning photographs but there is no set activity there if you are looking for one.
At the hot spring location, there are currently 2 hot springs for you to enjoy (although they are working on building a third) and the sauna. You are also able to walk around the area to take in the view or photographs.
Bathroom Situation:
There is a bathroom here at the hot springs location, your guide should provide you with toilet paper for it.
After all that, you will be nice and relaxed, and tired! So you hop back in the car and your guide gets you back to the hotel in time for dinner!
Another last minute bonus of having a private tour, is our wonderful guide stopped for every animal I wanted to see! We stopped for llamas, vicunas, the sheep and even the suri (which are the little ostrich looking birds!) And we were so fascinated about the plants he told us about we asked if we could go to the market to pick some up! Luckily Demetrio knew just the place and we got to do a little shopping this day too! All in all you really couldn't ask for much more!
So what do you say!? Have I convinced you yet! I really hope so because this tour was a highlight of the trip for us and I can't imagine being in Bolivia without experiencing it ! Well then, I hope you found value here today! Happy traveling!!
Until next time,
Steph
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