Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 10 of 21)

Hey Carmen, Oh yeah, I get why you’d want to leave some buffer time for the return flight.

another forum user ran into roadblocks set up by teachers in La Paz

Wow, that doesn’t surprise me even a little… 😛 😏!!

Was Diamina in La Paz? 😮😇😄

Uh........???????😄

Hey Tila,

In August, it gets really cold at night in the Salar. I felt like I was skiing in January... We’d left a bottle of water in the car and it was ice by morning...🤪

As long as it’s just in the car, it’s cool! Well, I had frozen water bottles in the dorm at the refuge near Paso San Francisco last year. It was -11°C in the room!!!😮

Ah yes, I see the point of leaving some buffer time for the return flight now.

Anyway, when different flights aren’t on the same ticket, it’s better to have some buffer. Missing a domestic flight is one thing, but missing an international one is another. With five of us, it’d really hurt. 🏴‍☠️

another forum user ran into roadblocks set up by teachers in La Paz

Well, that doesn’t surprise me *that* much... 😛 😏!!

13.10. Laguna Hedionda – Laguna Colorada, refuge by the lagoon

A gentle wake-up, we pack everything up and head for breakfast at 7 a.m. The big tourist group has already left. We soak up the lagoon’s edges and the pink flamingos one last time before leaving Laguna Hedionda.









After a few kilometers, we discover Laguna Char Khota. Then, we reach Laguna Honda. With its round shape, this lagoon is truly beautiful. We cross paths with the first tour operators coming from the opposite direction. A car stops right in front of us, blocking the view. What an idiot—there’s plenty of room for everyone.





A few vicuñas



Laguna Honda



We decide not to take the most direct track through the Siloli Desert but to go via the east. Coarse sand is everywhere, but the track is beautiful. After a while, it gets really rough, but the landscapes are well worth the detour. We have a second late breakfast at Laguna Cachi before the wind picks up. We settle in quietly and enjoy the peace.

After a few kilometers, we reach the top of Laguna Kara. Wow, it's so beautiful! The mountains, the lagoon, and the pastel colors are just incredible. I can't take my eyes off this breathtaking view. The numerous clouds aren't bothersome; the shadows even add a little something extra to these stunning landscapes.















We drive around the lagoon along the edge, just below Cerro Chascon. There's water on the track, but it’s no problem. We continue into the Siloli Desert, where the colors are gorgeous. The track winds through the dunes with coarse sand, and Maps.me wants us to go over a pretty high dune. The terrain doesn’t allow us to build up speed, so it’s impossible to climb. Maps.me is lost, but we don’t get discouraged and follow the dunes to find another way. This track is truly magnificent!







After 45 minutes in the dunes, we spot the Stone Tree site, del Árbol de Piedra, in the distance. Not far from the famous stone tree, a fox seems to be waiting for us. It approaches the car, hoping for something to eat. But judging by the eggshells on the ground, other travelers have already taken pity on it.







We take a few photos of the site and explore the rock formations. As has been the case since the start of our trip, there’s no one around, and we can enjoy the peace and quiet.

The descent toward Laguna Colorada is stunning—it’d be a shame to do this track in the other direction. We pay the entrance fee for Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve: 150 bolivianos per person.

Before heading to the viewpoint, we look for a room for the night. I read on the forum that the best rooms are next to the little shop, so we stop there. The woman shows us a room with six beds. I make it clear we don’t want to share with other people and that we’d also like to eat there. No problem with the room or the meal—she offers us soup and spaghetti bolognese. Perfect! The room costs 40 bolivianos per person, including breakfast, and she charges another 40 bolivianos for dinner.

Del Árbol de Piedra





The descent toward Laguna Colorada

We drive the car up to the viewpoint to admire the red-orange colors of the lagoon. This lagoon is stunning—the colors are incredible!











Then, we take the lower track, but we don’t go too far because there’s too much water. We leave the car by the lagoon and continue on foot. We have to cross a small stream and pass by two herds of llamas. They’re really beautiful with their pom-poms hanging from their ears.























A herd of vicuñas flees as we arrive. These little camelids are quite skittish. It’s really nice to end the day with a walk by the lagoon after driving for several hours.



The vicuñas

Back at the refuge just before nightfall, we fill the tank with one of the 25-liter jerry cans. A quick wash-up before dinner. Here, there’s no shower and no hot water, but there are two sinks and three toilets. Since we’re alone in this refuge, it’s absolutely not a problem.



Our room

While waiting for dinner, the lady serves us tea and biscuits. It’s not warm, so we eat dressed in our merino layers, a fleece, and a down jacket. At 9 PM, a couple arrives in a small Suzuki Jimny from Biz. The young Argentinians are exhausted—they drove from the Salar de Uyuni in one day. They also get a large room for the two of them but have to settle for tea and biscuits.



The rest is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9919385;a=9919385

Hi Carmen,

Wow, your stunning photos and the different places you visited haven’t done anything to curb my desire to go back. Thanks so much for this vivid account!

I think throughout your whole travel journal, I’ll just keep saying... wow! It’s so beautiful! 🙂 I can’t even imagine how the reality must be even more wow!!!

Hi Marie-Jo,

Hi Carmen,

Wow, your stunning photos and the different places you visited haven’t lessened my desire to go back. Thanks so much for this vivid account!

I feel the same—I want to go back too. The landscapes of South Lipez are unmatched.

I think throughout your whole travel journal, I’ll just keep saying... wow! It’s so beautiful! 🙂 I can’t even imagine how the reality must be even more wow!!!

What photos can’t capture is the vastness, the grandeur of the landscapes. You feel so small in this desert.

And as you can see, no camels by the dozen, but llamas... not bad either. 😉

Yeah, those llamas with their little pom-poms are adorable... do you know why they have them? Is there a special meaning?

Yeah, those llamas with their little pom-poms are adorable... do you know why they have them? Is there any special meaning?

I’ve heard they put the pom-poms on to show who they belong to. But I don’t know more than that. Maybe someone who’s traveled with a tour operator could tell us more.

Our room

I would’ve seen more llamas and foxes on the blankets than elephants and pandas...

Is this kind of accommodation clean?

Yes, those llamas with their little pom-poms are cute... do you know why they have them? Is there a special meaning?

It seems they put the pom-poms on to show who they belong to. But I don’t know more. Maybe someone who’s traveled with a tour operator could tell us more.

It’s way prettier than the tags stapled in our cows’ ears 😉!

I would've expected more llamas and foxes on the covers than elephants and pandas...

Yeah, that would've felt more local.

Is this kind of accommodation clean?

Yes, the room seemed clean. However, we didn’t unmake the beds. We slept in our sleeping bags on top of the bed covers. Either way, you’ll need to use the ton of blankets they provide or have a good sleeping bag to avoid freezing.😉 As for the blankets, I’m not sure they wash them often—maybe never, so the sleeping bag isn’t a bad idea.

Your photos are all more beautiful than the last. I'm blown away by this one—it's stunning!!!



In this photo, are the color differences in the foreground due to the cloudy sky, or is that natural 😮? Otherwise, it looks like you still managed to get pretty close to the llamas. How many centimeters away before they start spitting? Thanks, Carmen.

Hi Carmen,

I'm absolutely blown away by these stunning photos.

The landscapes are truly breathtaking!

I would've expected to see more llamas and foxes on the covers than elephants and pandas...

True, that would've felt more local.

Are these kinds of accommodations clean?

Yes, the room seemed clean. However, we didn’t unmake the beds. We slept in our sleeping bags on top of the bed covers. Either way, you’ll need to use the pile of blankets they provide or have a good sleeping bag to avoid freezing.😉 As for the blankets, I’m not sure they wash them often—maybe never, so the sleeping bag isn’t a bad idea.

Chills just thinking about those landscapes again!!

And accommodations that match more what I saw in the southern Lipez...😊 We didn’t have any issues with the cleanliness of the beds (and trust me, the lady keeps a close eye on things...). We also use a "sleeping liner," meant to act as a barrier...