Chile - "where the land ends" - or my favourite country ... :) Bolivia and the Uyuni salt flat - the most beautiful in the world!

Ниво: Начинаещи Научете повече за нивото

   Welcome to the longest country in the world (proportionately to its territory)! In the language of the Mapuches, who inhabited ancient Chile, "chilli" means "where the land ends". And this is not by chance. Today Chile’s southernmost parts, Patagonia, are known as the End of the World! Easter Island, which is part of the largest area in the Pacific Ocean - Polynesia, is nearly 20,000 km away from Bulgaria (by comparison, the equator is about 44,000 km long)!
   Chile is unique in many ways: it is the country with the most diverse climate because of its geographic location from north to south. This predetermines its unique biodiversity. A large part of the world's longest mountain range, the Andes, is located in Chile. Here is the highest peak in the mountain (at the border with Argentina) and in the whole southern hemisphere; and the highest volcano in the world; as well as the driest and the most magnetic desert - Atacama. The salt flats in the high plains of Atacama are among the world's phenomena. The stone statues of Easter Island (Moai) are one of the wonders of our planet! Patagonia is a realm of the elements - a stunning array of glaciers, inaccessible rock towers, lots of lakes, spectacular waterfalls, and fierce winds! :)
   We will discover the gems of Atacama, including the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia, the most beautiful lake on earth, as many travellers say. The adventure will take us close to the world's highest volcano - Ojos Del Salado (almost 6900 m above sea level)! We will visit a number of outstanding lakes in Chilean Atacama, the world's highest geysers - El Tatio, the delightful Pan de Azucar National Park on the Pacific Ocean, the capital Santiago, and one of the most awe-inspiring and mystical places in the world - Easter Island - a dream of billions of people!

Itinerary:

Day 1-2: 

Flight from Sofia to Santiago. Overnight stay at a hotel.

Day 3:*

Transportation (by bus) to Copiapo /12 hrs/. This is a mining town in the Atacama desert. In 2010, after an earthquake 33 miners were trapped underground and the rescue operation continued for 77 days. To be continued... (on the spot) Overnight stay at a hotel.
* We can opt for car-rent from Day 3 to Day 6, if the whole group agrees so. The price for the minibus / car rental will be further detailed.

Day 4:

Fantastic tour to the lakes of Santa Rosa and the Green Lake! The Green Lake is a real diamond amid the desert, very close to the world's highest volcano - Ojos Del Salado /6900 m/. The lake is at over 4000 m above sea level, so we will have our first high-altitude experiences.

Day 5:

After breakfast, we have a ride to the town of Chañaral (2-3 hrs). The breath-taking Pan de Azucar National Park (or Sugar Bread) is located near Chañaral. It shows us striking cliffs, cacti and fine flora along the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Day 6:

A day dedicated to San Pedro de Atacama, the village known as one of Chile's three most important tourist centres (along with Easter Island and Patagonia)! On the way we are thrilled by sand dunes, rock formations... We reach the village in 9 or 10 hours. We are staying there for 6 nights (5 in a row).

Day 7:

We are going to the so-called Altiplanicos lakes - Miscanti and Miñiques. The culmination, however, will be Salar de Talar and Red Stones - one of the wonders of our planet! This used to be the Pacific Ocean bed and hence these lakes are salty. The beauty of the lunar landscape is stunning with all those lakes of various colours rimmed by volcanoes. Today we experience the deepest essence of the Atacama desert - the driest place on earth is full of lakes, colours and life! The conditions there are extremely harsh - over 4000 m above sea level, winds, cold and no rain! The breakfast and lunch are included in the programme, so we will eat amid these wonders of our planet!

Day 8:

The party is in full swing. At 4 a.m. we head to another wonder of the planet - the highest geysers on earth - El Tatio (meaning the Grandfather). Their most spectacular eruption is at dawn and that's why we should be there at 6 a.m., when at 4400 m the temperature is below zero. After the eruptions, we can have a dip in one of the lakes formed by the geysers! We can also go to the muddy geyser, the most impressive of them all. In the afternoon, we go to another gem of the Atacama desert - the Moon Valley. One of the most astounding landscapes, covered with salt, will enchant us. We get ready for a sunset from a plateau above the Moon Valley.

Day 9:

Today we are going to Salar de Tara (Tara Salt Flat), located in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. As the name suggests, we will marvel at lovely flamingos and some unique rock formations. Of course, Salar de Tara will be the climax of this out-of-this-world experience. Along the way, we will cross the mark of 4900 m above sea level and we will be very close to the triple border with Bolivia and Argentina. Other highlights for the day include two fantastic lakes and the crater of the largest extinct volcano on earth - La Pacana.

Day 10:

Some more salt flats near San Pedro - Salar de Atacama and Laguna Chaxa. In the afternoon, we will have time for sightseeing and souvenir shopping in San Pedro. In the evening we are visiting the Observatory - as you know in Chilean Atacama have been built the world's largest observatories, because this is the best viewpoint to space.

Days 11, 12 and 13:

Once we think we've reached the peak of our emotions, we are about to leave for Bolivia, where the 3-day visit will reward us with Salar de Uyini - the most beautiful salt flat on earth, according to many travellers. The price includes accommodation, food and transportation. Get ready for a sublime rush of adrenaline and unique traditions and culture of the Bolivians! :) The third night is again in San Pedro and so we prepare for our return to Santiago!

Day 14:

Breakfast and transportation to Calama. Flight to Santiago. Transfer and overnight stay at a hotel.

Days 15, 16 and 17:

Located away in the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesia, about 4,000 km from Chile, Easter Island is one of the most mysterious places on our planet! We have hardly landed on the Mataveri Airport, when we find that we have materialised in another world - the world of the Polynesians - the greatest sailors! Polynesia is geographically a triangle locked among Hawaii, New Zealand and Easter Island! Polynesia is part of Australia and Oceania - one of the seven continents; which means we're visiting another continent. Rapa Nui, as Polynesians call it, will be our home for more than 3 days! The island on the UNESCO list as the Rapa Nui National Park has been declared a World Heritage Site. Besides being most famous for its stone statues - MOAI, Easter Island is one of the most isolated places in the world! There is nothing within more than 2,000 km, except for water! The name was coined by Dutch sailor Jacob Roggeveen, who discovered the island on 5 April 1722, which according to Jacob's calendar was Easter! :)
In three days on the island, we will try to unravel the mystery of the statues, ride bicycles, climb volcano craters, go on the beach and visit caves along the shores.

Days 18 and 19:

Flight from Santiago to Sofia.олет от София до Сантяго. Настаняване в хотел.

Gallery:

Price: EUR 3059

The price covers:

• International flights Sofia - Santiago - Sofia
• All transportations - vans, taxis, jeeps etc.
• All overnight stays
• 50% of the meals
• National parks entrance fees - "Rapa Nui", "Pan de Azucar" and others in Chile, Bolivian parks
• One day tour to Lake "Verde" below Oos Del Salado volcano
• One day tour to Miniques and Miscanti lakes and Talar lake
• One day tour to El Tatio geyzers and Moon Valley
• One day tour to Lake Tara
• One day tour to Valley of Rainbow
• Three day tour in Bolivia and Uyuni Lake - all inclusive
• Travel Insurance
• Licensed mountain guide
• Local tour guides

The price does not cover:

• Meals - 50%
• Bolivian visa
• Plane ticket to Easter island
• Personal spending
• Tips for the local people

Booking and payment:

• Please book by 30.04.2019 and you are kindly invited to pay half of the amount in advance. The prices might go up after 30 April, so we need to start earlier with the purchase of plane tickets. The final payment is due before our departure.
• To book for the trip, please fill in the booking form available in the main menu. We will contact you as soon as possible.
• Payment is made in cash or by a bank transfer and we issue the relevant tax document (a receipt or an invoice) in accordance with Articles 113 and 114 of the VAT Act.

NB!

• In the event of an abrupt change of weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, the guide may modify the initially planned trek or offer another option, depending on the participants.
• In dense fog or on slippery terrain the guide may change the trek, only in the interest of participants' health.
• Tourists suffering from heart, leg, etc. diseases cannot join the trek if these can become dangerous in the mountain.
• Groups of over 10 people have a second guide, which does not change the price of services

Equipment:

      • mountain boots – at least 3-season
      • backpack (women: 40-50 l, men 60-75 l)
      • thermal underwear
      • fleece and sweater
      • trekking poles
      • slippers 
      • cabin and hotel clothes - a lot of pairs
      • socks – a lot of pairs
      • warm clothes (thick jacket)
      • headlamp (with extra batteries)
      • water bottle or vacuum flask
      • outdoor knife
      • UV-protection sunglasses 
      • sunscreen 
      • lighter
      • swimming suit, towel 
      • other – personal stuff; a camera is not a bad idea :)
      • ID documents – valid international passport

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