Bolivia: Exploring the South Lipez by Self-Drive (page 13 of 21)

Ultimate trip for landscapes! The rest, it's not quite there yet...

Sure, for people looking to visit beautiful monuments and museums, the South Lipez isn’t really the right destination.

You gotta be in good shape to handle the travel conditions!!!

And the desire too.

I’m only so-so ready for more than three or four nights. 😊

The cold doesn’t help, and there’s no escaping it at night.

In three or four nights, you can see some beautiful spots, but you won’t really get to explore deeply or take your time at the different sites. Still, it’s better than nothing. 😉

We never suffered from the cold at night, but it’s tougher when you have to go to the bathroom. In the desert, you dig your hole, your butt gets a good breeze from the wind, you hurry before it freezes... in short, you gotta organize a little. 😛

Like Attila, Niagara Falls didn’t really wow me.

Is it the crowds that put you both off? I’ll let you know when I get back in July 😛

No, it’s not just the crowds... for me, the site doesn’t feel natural enough—too many man-made structures around. Though I did visit back in 1990.

for me, the site isn't natural enough—there's too much construction around it. I did visit it back in 1990, though.

It probably hasn't improved since 😅

Final journey for the landscapes! The rest isn't quite there yet...

Definitely, for those looking to visit beautiful monuments and museums, South Lipez isn’t really the right destination.

You’ve got to be in good shape to handle the travel conditions!!!

And the desire to do so.

I think that’s also what makes the place so magnificent: its ruggedness in letting itself be discovered... No highways, no escalators, no all-inclusive resorts nearby. South Lipez—and to some extent, its neighbor, the Salar—are wild and don’t give in easily, and that’s what adds to the magic...

I’d love to go to Egypt, but security might not be great right now. Though I think it’s better now than it was a few years ago

I went there 4-5 times almost 20 years ago. Security wasn’t great even back then. Convoys, attacks, no-go areas...

I think it’s back to that level now. I wouldn’t have gone during the revolution.

Definitely, for people looking to visit beautiful monuments and museums, the South Lipez isn’t really the right destination.

That’s not the angle I was talking about—it’s the extremely spartan conditions of the trip.

It’s a far cry from camping in Southern Africa... (cold, food, campfire, apéro, charming stopovers)

You’ve gotta be way more motivated! !😉

For me, the site isn't natural enough—there's too much construction around.

Same here.

I think that’s also what makes the place so magnificent: its reluctance to reveal itself so easily... No highways, no escalators, no all-inclusive resorts nearby. The southern Lipez—and to some extent, its neighbor, the Salar—are wild and don’t give in easily, and that’s what adds to the magic...

I totally agree with you. 🙂

Thanks again for all your valuable tips. I’m starting to look at our itinerary now. We’ll start in Sucre, head down to Tupiza, and spend a day there as you advised. Then we’ll make our way back up to La Paz (where we’ll return the car), stopping by the South Lipez, the Uyuni Salt Flats, and Sajama National Park. All in all, about 12 to 14 days.

In Morocco, we crossed quite a few fords and drove on very rocky roads meant for 4x4s with our SUV. We often had to stop to remove big rocks or fill in holes to get through. It’ll be much easier with the 4x4, and we should be fine! 😄

We won’t be able to explore every corner of the South Lipez. We’ll spend 7-8 days there. We don’t want to rush and drive for hours just to see as many lagoons or volcanoes as possible. We’ll pick a few points of interest and take the time to enjoy those spots.

Anyway, seeing your photos, we can’t wait to be there! Vincent and Eden

Hi there, Your travel journal is amazing—it really makes me want to go! Bolivia, and especially the Southern Lipez, is so appealing to me. The landscapes are exactly what I love: nature in its raw form. For now, I’m traveling vicariously through forums because funds are a bit tight, and taking three weeks off work for a long-haul trip is pretty tough right now. But I haven’t given up hope! For the moment, I’m following your adventures closely—your photos are stunning.

Hi Anne-France,

Thanks for your message. I hope you can visit the South Lipez region soon. It’s definitely worth the trip.

To be continued...

Carmen

We’ll start from Sucre, head down to Tupiza, and spend a day there like you advised me.

Uh, I’d recommend going *via* Tupiza to visit the Rio Seco and Guadalupe area, but not to stay in Tupiza itself. 😉 But coming from Sucre, you’ll have to spend a night there before moving on. For a week in the South Lipez, I wouldn’t spend a whole day in Tupiza.

15.10. In the middle of nowhere – Quetena Chico, Lampahaya Andino Lodge

I wake up at six o’clock, the windows inside the car are completely frozen. Luckily, we’re not cold in our sleeping bags. We wait for the sun to rise before getting out of our bags. It’s cold, really cold—the water in the five-liter containers is almost entirely frozen.

The view of the lagoon is stunning, what an incredible spot. Even the pink flamingos seem cold. They’re huddled together, close to one another. Before heading out for a walk by the lagoon, we have some hot tea to warm up and eat a few cookies. When we arrive, the flamingos scatter quickly—they’re much shyer than those at the other lagoons. Back at the car, we prepare breakfast: eggs, sardines, and crackers. Yep, we’re eating what we have in our supplies. The sun warms us up, so we can shed a layer. Instead of five layers, we’re down to just three.









The sun rises... the colors change

The desert crossing is beautiful—we’re happy driving through the sand. We stop at Laguna Kollpa, where we decide to walk around the lagoon. There are hundreds of pink flamingos; it’s stunning. A few houses stand by the lagoon’s edge, likely used by workers who come here for their jobs. Large blocks of salt or borax are stored along the shore.

A few vicuñas come to drink



Laguna Kollpa







The houses aren’t very big





Walking around this lagoon on foot is really nice. With the wind picking up, the water’s color changes—it turns yellowish. The flamingos don’t seem to appreciate our presence; they fly away as we pass. It’s so beautiful watching them skim over the water. A few vicuñas cautiously approach the water to drink.

We hit the road again and head down toward Laguna Hedionda Sur, a smaller cousin of the lagoon with the same name farther north. Here too, there are pink flamingos and vicuñas. The track climbs over a pass, giving us a great view of the mountains. The descent from the pass is stunning—the landscape turns green, and we get a view of the Uturuncu volcano and Cerro Loromita.

Laguna Hedionda Sur



At the bottom, we discover a pretty canyon with plenty of greenery and water. Lots of llamas are grazing on the plants growing in the water. The spot feels magical—after days in the desert, we’re really appreciating the little bit of green. We decide to have a picnic here, at the foot of the rocks, sheltered from the wind. A tour operator passes by, stopping for barely a minute so their clients can snap a photo. Good thing—we enjoy having the place to ourselves. It’s actually the first car we’ve seen since leaving Laguna Verde the day before.











The track follows the canyon—this place is a real oasis. Hundreds of llamas graze along the water’s edge and in the water, and there are a few sheep too. We pass through Quetena Grande, which is tiny, before reaching Quetena Chico. We quickly find the Lampahaya Lodge Andino, where we snag a double room with a private bathroom for two nights. Not all rooms have a private bathroom, so we’re lucky. The owner, dressed traditionally in wool socks, sandals, a skirt with layers of petticoats, and a little hat, arranges a guide for our climb up Uturuncu.

Farms in the middle of nowhere

We take a walk around the village. Kids are pouring out of school and running to buy candy at the little village shop. This seems to be a habit in these villages—we’ve never seen so many kids with candy in hand, and a big part of the small shops’ stock is candy. Unfortunately, the sugar is taking its toll; people’s teeth are in terrible shape.

Quetena Chico





In a schoolyard, kids are playing music, and on the sports field, they’re playing soccer. Back at the lodge, the woman serves us tea and cookies.

Our guide for Uturuncu stops by to see us. Communication isn’t easy, but luckily Google Translate does the trick. The guide’s name is Macario, and he tells us to dress *very* warmly. Today, it was freezing on Uturuncu, and they’re forecasting even colder temperatures tomorrow morning. He advises us to bring walking poles, a drink, and a snack. Our guide is certified by the Bolivian Mountain Guides Association—that’s a good sign.

We take a nice hot shower before heading to dinner. In the meantime, several tour operators have arrived. The young travelers are sleeping in dorms without bathrooms. One young woman is suffering from altitude sickness—she’s really not doing well. We ask one of the drivers if he can make a call for us to book a room in Tupiza. Luckily, he manages to reserve the last available room at the Hotel Mitru.

The rest of the story is here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9933010;a=9933010

I wake up at six o'clock, the windows inside the car are completely frozen. Luckily, we're not cold in our sleeping bags. We wait for the sun to rise before getting out of our bags. It's cold, really cold—the water in the five-liter containers is almost entirely frozen.

Oh no!!! I need to totally skip this part, I don’t wanna know anything more, Carmen... 🏴‍☠️ The next photos are so beautiful... I just want to remember these amazing images 😉

Next time you sleep in the high mountains in the dead of winter, could you test a 5L container 🤪😏? I’m seriously chilled too...

I’m seriously put off too...

But no, you just need the right clothes and a good sleeping bag for the night 😄🥶😱

I’m seriously put off too...

But no, you just need the right clothes and a good sleeping bag for the night 😄🥶😨

Yeah, we didn’t suffer from the cold.😛 But I imagine the cold is way harsher in July-August.

I’m seriously put off too...

Cold preserves... apparently it’s good for your health. 😛 Well, up to a point.