Bolivia in January -- are we nuts? | Bolivia - Lonely Planet Forum

ONLINE

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 21:31:11 +0000

Hi all. We are currently in northern Argentina and planning on making our way through Bolivia for a couple of weeks to meet a friend in Peru by January 26.

Our idea was to bus through to tupiza, arrange a salt flat tour ending in Uyuni, potentially do a side trip to Sucre, then bus up to La Paz for touring around the lake before crossing into Peru.

I have been reading the LP book and from the sounds of it this maybe harder to do when we think. Or at least, will not be much fun.

Are there any salt flat tours running from Tupiza to Uyuni now?
Are the roads in the altiplano impassible this time of year or are just the low lying areas impacted from bad weather?
We don't mind a bit of cold or drizzle from time to time, but is anyone there now that can give us some perspective on this, beyond what the forecast says?

We have a modest budget but its not bare bones, so we can go for tours, hotels etc that are a bit more comfortable.

Many thanks,
Tonya

ONLINE

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 22:56:22 +0000

Shouldn't be too much of a nightmare, there will probably be tours running from Tupiza (they were as normal last weekend) though the exact route they take may vary depending on conditions and how much water is on the Saler. There are now new paved roads from both Villazon and Uyuni to Potosi that should make life a lot easier (Potosi to Sucre and La Paz are also paved).

Generally the main roads on the altiplano and routes you want should be OK unless conditions are exceptional (doesn't take into account road blocks and protests though....) The road that is bad in the rainy season is the first few hours of Uyuni to Oruro, which is still dirt and has several river crossings. You could always fly Sucre - La Paz to save a 12hr bus journey.

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ONLINE

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 20:29:45 +0000

If you stick the route you mentioned, in the altiplano, you won't have a problem. The rainy season may slow things down, but you should still be able to get around.

The rain may prevent you from driving around on the salar itself a bit, but the tours will still be running and it will still be amazing.

Don't forget, it's summer in Bolivia right now. So it won't be freezing and miserable. Rains are usually fairly consistent, for a few hours in the early afternoon.

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