Photo and Article by Henry Lo (www.travelnphoto.com)
The news that Bolivia will grant visa on arrival to HKSAR passport holders announced by the Hong Kong Government last month is a great encouragement for those wanting to travel to this dream destination. Before this, Hong Kong people who really wanted to go had to use a BNO passport to pretend to be a European in order to get visa-free access to the country. Chasing the “Mirror of the Sky” dream is indeed a mirror that reflects how determined one is in chasing dream.

There is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Bolivia. Common way to go is by making a connect flight at USA, Canada or Europe, and the two long-haul flights take about 30 hours to travel one way, meaning a total of 60 hours of flying time. This is perhaps the biggest challenge to those wishing to travel to Bolivia. In the past, most Hong Kong people prefer not to arrive directly at La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia. There are two reasons for this. First, before there is visa on arrival for HKSAR passport holders, chances are you might be refused entry to Bolivia if you arrive at La Paz by flight. This is very risky as you would need to fly back to the country of departure immediately. To avoid this kind of total loss, land border crossing from other countries such as Peru is a safer option as you can still alter your route of travel in case you are refused to enter the country.

Secondly, La Paz and the “Mirror of the Sky” are both high-altitude areas at 3,640m and 3,700m respectively. While most tourists would travel to Machu Picchu (2,430m) in Peru and the “Mirror of the Sky” in Bolivia in one single trip, getting to Bolivia via Peru makes perfect sense in terms of the route. Besides, it also gives us time to get accustomed to the high altitude. Alternatively, you can enter Bolivia from Chile. However, this is a much more expensive alternative as it can cost you three times more for a similar itinerary.

If you are going from Peru, you can cross the land border at Capacabana or Desaguadero and get to La Paz. From La Paz to Salar de Uyuni where the “Mirror of the Sky” can be seen, it takes about 9 hours if go by bus. There are different comments on the internet regarding the comfort of this journey. Some said it was a rough ride while a Hong Kong female traveler I met in the trip told me that she slept through it. For me, I chose to travel by plane. The flight ticket is somewhere between HK$800 and HK1,300 and it is just about an hour of flight time.

Uyuni is a small town. It only takes about half an hour to travel from Uyuni to Salar de Uyuni, i.e. the Salt Flats. It is said that the best months to visit the “Mirror of the Sky” are from December till March, as the rainy season brings water to the Salt Flats to offer a unique sight with a mirror effect. However, the rainy season also leads to unstable weather. So there is a higher chance that you come across overcast and rainy days which are unfavorable for shooting. Besides, since Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America, the road infrastructure is bad. Muddy roads and puddles during the rainy season make it very inconvenient to drive and even walk. According to the locals, April is the best month to visit as you can still see the mirror effect right after the rainy season and the weather is sunny and clear. In fact, experienced locals can take you to some areas in Uyuni which are covered with water throughout the year. It’s just not a good time to travel due to the cold weather in winter.

You can join a one-day tour, sunrise/sunset tour or 3-day/2-night tour at Uyuni. The “Mirror of the Sky” is famous among Hong Kong people. Tourists joining the sunrise/sunset tour are mostly Asians, with fee starting from USD$120/ person. On the contrary, westerners prefer the 3-day/2-night tour more. This one spends relatively less time in the Salt Flats, but will take you to the southern part of Bolivia close to the Chile border to soak in the highland landscape (highest altitude reaches 4,700m). The last stop of the tour is Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna Bolivia (admission fee is around HK$170), where diverse natural sceneries of South America such as flamingo, snow mountain, volcano and hot springs can be seen. Normally this tour will take you back to Uyuni after finishing the sightseeing at the National Reserve, but you can pay HK$150 more to go to San Pedro de Atacama instead, a small town in the northern part of Chile famous for stargazing. If you are solely coming for the “Mirror of the Sky”, staying for 2 nights and joining the sunrise/sunset tour would be good enough.

Since the mirror effect of the Salt Flats is already spectacular enough, it doesn’t really require any special technique to shoot. Just unleash your creativity and capture shots that will be memorable for a lifetime. Of course, you can refer to the camera settings and my little tips listed under each photo above to enhance your successful rate of getting a good shot. Last but not least, below are some important traveling tips for you:

1. The Salt Flats are a reflective surface no matter it’s the dry or rainy season, so the sun’s UV rays are very strong. Be prepared with sun protection products and wear a pair of sunglasses
2. Bring enough clothes to keep you warm especially during the rainy season when there is a large temperature difference between day and night
3. For shoes, some travel agencies will provide rain boots. Be reminded to bring an extra pair of pants as the salty water will spill onto your pants when you walk
4. Medicine for high altitude sickness is a must