Main Attractions

* Go on a tour of the salf flats, that's why you're here right? There are several companies in town that run tours so ask around.

* Check out the Hotel Palacio del Sal in Colchani. Built on the edge of the salt flat it is entirely made of salt blocks.

* Explore the Cemeterio de Trenes which is more or less a collection of decaying locomotives, but is still cool all the same.

* Wander the quasi-abandoned town of Pulacayo. This former mining town has several kilometers of mining tunnels you can check out as well as a llama wool mill.

When to go

The best time of the year to visit the salt plains is between May and September. It's very cold this time of year but the sky is usually clear and makes for the best photo ops.

Between January and March is the rainy season, and while the temperature is more bearable the sky is often overcast and the plain becomes a giant shallow lake making it difficult to cross.

How to get there

Buses and trains connect the remote Uyuni with the rest of Bolivia and Chile. However, make sure you get your tickets in advance (a couple days for the train) when you are trying to leave the town.

You can take one of several buses to Oruro then change for La Paz, but it's going to be cold and there have been robberies reported by people who were waiting for their connecting bus.

You can take the Todo Turismo bus which is a lot more expensive (US$25 to La Paz) but it's heated and you don't have to worry about changing.

There is a modern train station in Uyuni with services to Oruro, Tupiza and Villázon. There are also trains to Ollague at the Chilean border.

A third option is a Landcruiser trip to Tupiza.

Visa information

Citizens of the E.U., Australia, and Canada do not need a visa to enter Bolivia. U.S. citizens however are required to pay $100 for their visa which is good for 5 years and allows 3 entries into the country a year.

Tipping

Tipping is not generally done in Bolivia except at very nice restaurants.