Small Wonders Of The Bolivian Highlands

Photo of Small Wonders Of The Bolivian Highlands 3/5 by Lydian — Isla Del Pescada

Photo of Small Wonders Of The Bolivian Highlands 4/5 by Lydian — Laguna Colorada

Photo of Small Wonders Of The Bolivian Highlands 5/5 by Lydian — Salt pans in Salar De Uyuni

Have you ever wondered if it is possible to travel somewhere hardly encountering tourists? In some parts of South-America it still is. Take for example Bolivia where in some parts you can travel through, beautiful, sparsely visited nature with most of the times only the locals around. The Bolivian culture is very fascinating with the people in their traditional clothing and the women often wearing bowler hats, a tradition that goes back to the arrival of the British Railway workers. Bolivia is an invitation to experience some raw and rich culture.

But, more than the culture, we were amazed by the rustic beauty of the Bolivian Altiplano and the Bolivian Highlands. The main attractions here are Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, and Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. We explored large part of Bolivia by ourselves and discovered some hidden gems. The amazing panoramic landscape of the Altiplano almost looks and feels like a magical land and you'll hardly see any other tourists around!

Explore the Bolivian Highlands by yourself, I am sure you will find some breath taking features too!

Tarabuco

We went from the city into the countryside. Tarabuco is where hundreds of indigenous people come in to organize a weekly Sunday Market. The locals come in their traditional clothing, wearing colourful blankets to transport their merchandise. Children come along too with small dark eyes peeping from the colourful blankets carried on the back of certain women. A great cultural experience and a great way to interact with the locals as well.

Isla del Pescado

Rising suddenly out of the Salar De Uyuni is this small Spanish-named island. The island is beautiful but shrouded in much mystery. Like where does the name come from. Pescado meaning fish in Spanish, some say it was named so since it looks like fish from afar. Another name given is Incahuasi, meaning Inca house due to some historical connection to the Inca empire. Anyway, this is one of the little and secluded spots of Bolivia with some excellent view.

Salar de Uyuni

Almost like a white desert, the Salar De Uyuni is the largest salt flat on earth, covering an area of 11,000 square kilometers. It is an important source of salt and other minerals like Lithium and Magnesium. Apart form a major transportation route to the Bolivian Altiplano, this serves as a major tourists attraction in Bolivia. The government controls the salt flat to prevent it from exploitation. It is a completely magical experience to see miles of just white salt!

Bolivian Plateau

The Bolivian Plateau or the Bolivian Altiplano as it is called, is where the Andes are the widest. This was also one of the sites for the Inca Empire. It is at a height and gets pretty cold and windy up there. We actually chanced upon a few Flamingos, almost unexpectedly as most Flamingos are suppose to have migrated from here due to the winter. The birds kind of completed the beauty of the landscape though!

Laguna Colorada

We took a three day trip around the Bolivian plateau and discovered various hidden gems. The Laguna Colorada was one such gem. This shallow salt water lake is on the border of Chile and is home to the a number of Flamingos. A part of the Ramsar wetlands, the waters are reddish coloured due to the red sediments. The colour of the lake changes to a brighter red during the course of the day.