Road to Bolivia

In September 2023, Nomadic Road's Road to Bolivia expedition took a group of overlanders 2,600 kilometres across the Bolivian altiplano over 11 days. The route mixed tarmac and dirt roads, climbing onto the high plateau that defines the country's south and west. The headline destination was the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, but the trip threaded through far more than just one landscape. The convoy passed the Laguna Colorada, a red-tinted high-altitude lake home to flamingos that work the water as if they were born for the altitude. The Siloli Desert delivered wind-shaped rock formations and distant volcanoes. La Paz, sitting at 3,650 metres, marked the urban contrast, with its narrow streets, vertical neighbourhoods and energy that catches new arrivals off guard. The route also touched the infamous Death Road, historically one of the world's most dangerous routes, though the convoy stuck to safer parallel sections. Participants drove 4x4 vehicles configured for the altitude and the terrain. Several days exceeded 4,000 metres, and the group dealt with the usual combination of headaches, deeper breathing, and that strange high-altitude tiredness that arrives without warning. Nights were cold, sometimes below freezing, with most overnight stops in small high-altitude lodges and a few in private camps. The September 2023 Road to Bolivia expedition delivered the country at its most visually surreal: salt, sand, volcanic plateau and Andean culture, all on a route that few overland operators run. For Nomadic Road, the September 2023 Bolivia edition remains a benchmark for what a high-altitude South American overland route can deliver in a tight 11-day window, with the visual and cultural depth that defines this part of the world.