If you’re looking to get to one of the world’s greatest wonders that is the salt flats, then chances are you’ll be staying in Uyuni for a few nights. The “city”, or rather town, of just ten thousand people, is in the south-west of Bolivia and is known for its sub zero temperatures at night so make sure you bring warm clothing!
Beyond the city, you have the amazing salt flats (the largest salt flat in the world), as well as geysers, multi-coloured lakes, a natural reserve of coral and cacti, volcanoes and rare flamingos. For the full experience, make sure you look into getting an organised tour, as the flats are so large – 12,000 square kilometres to be precise at an altitude of over 3,500 metres above sea level.
In the centre of Uyuni is the residence of La Maison Martinet, which is conveniently situated just opposite the town’s theatre and a short walk from the town’s clock. Upon arrival, the first thing we noticed was the lovely indoor temperature – something that is quite hard to acquire in such a location.
The décor really gives a homely, hospitable feel to the place and the reception adds to that. We were welcomed by a lovely receptionist whose name was Maree; she was incredibly kind and helpful, and ensured we had enough local knowledge to get us through our stay in Uyuni.
We were showed to our room, which was clean, comfortable, equipped with modern furniture and had a little bedside locker and large television. The bed itself was lovely; with large blankets to give us a great night’s sleep – again, a priceless addition to have in this area. We even had a heater to keep the room cosy throughout our stay. The hotel itself was very quiet, which added to our comfort tenfold.
It is an apart-hotel so each room comes with a fully equipped kitchen, which allowed us to cook meals for ourselves (always a treat!). We really appreciated coming in from the cold and making a cup of tea or coffee at our leisure.
Other facilities included Wi-Fi, provision of tours, heated water twenty-four hours a day, couches and a desk and independent bathrooms in our room and cable TV. We also were provided with a refreshing breakfast that consisted of eggs, ham and cheese toasties, juice, tea and coffee and cereals.
Overall, the hotel provided us with a lovely spot to recharge in the midst of a territory of land that can be very taxing.
For more information, check out the hotel’s website, where you can contact the hotel, check out the room prices and have a look at the management’s photos.
There also links on the site for Uyuni tourism, a restaurant guide, news from Bolivia, a temperature gauge and a culture and medical guide. Reception is quite good for getting back to you quickly upon enquiries and reservations, so be sure to drop them a line.
