On my first visit to Bolivia this May, I expected Uyuni to be memorable. I did not expect it to alter my sense of scale.
Arriving by road from Potosí, the landscape gradually becomes more austere until the Salar de Uyuni opens before you. At first, it feels almost Antarctic—beautiful, severe and inhospitable. The white expanse appears to have no end. It is a place that immediately makes you aware of how small you are.
Then, in the middle of that immensity, our Airstream camp came into view.
Behind the campers, a multicolored volcanic peak rose against the white desert. Waiting for us was the hospitality team with a welcome drink, and nearby, beneath a pergola, a table had been set for lunch al fresco. The scene was simple but extraordinary: a beautifully prepared meal, thoughtful service and the endless landscape.
That contrast stayed with me. Outside was a raw environment shaped by salt, wind, altitude and silence. Inside the Airstream was warmth, comfort and an unexpected sense of refuge.
Nothing felt excessive; everything felt considered. In a place this remote, each detail carries more meaning.
I felt this most clearly during our sunset cocktail. As the sun descended, the light moved across the salt, shifting its color and changing the surrounding mountains with every passing minute.
There was nothing to interrupt the view.
The silence was not empty—it had a presence of its own. In cities, luxury is often measured by what is added. In Uyuni, I found that it could also be defined by what has been removed: distraction, urgency and the familiar boundaries of everyday life.
After dinner, the experience took on a different scale. In Uyuni, this is more than stargazing; with almost no competing light, it feels like observing the galaxy itself.
I had prepared for this moment, bringing my tripod and even purchasing a wide-angle lens especially for night photography.
Standing outside in the cold, with the Milky Way stretching above the salt, I felt an uninterrupted connection with the universe. I kept taking photographs, reluctant to let the moment end.
Later, I returned to the warmth of the Airstream and a comfortable bed, still exhilarated by what I had experienced.
It is one of those stories—and images—I know I will carry and share for many years.
Yet the experience was never only about the landscape. It was also shaped by the people who made this distant place feel welcoming: our guide, the camp host, the chef and the members of the local community.
One encounter captured this perfectly. Our guide had coordinated access to the Cueva de Chiquini, a site whose petrified formations are protected by the community. At the appointed time, a local woman arrived on her motorcycle to open the cave for us. We learned that the site had been discovered by chance, when a community member became lost after nightfall and sought shelter there.
Her arrival was a small gesture, but it represented something much larger: trust, local stewardship and the privilege of entering a place on the community's terms.
In Uyuni's infinite landscapes, people may seem small, but human details become more important than ever.
Uyuni showed me that remoteness can feel deeply luxurious, and that silence can change our perspective.
I left with unforgettable images, but even more importantly, with a renewed appreciation for the people who transform an extraordinary destination into a personal experience.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mauricio Vergara
Regional Sales Director, Abercrombie & Kent
Mauricio Vergara is Regional Sales Director for Latin America DMCs at Abercrombie & Kent. Based in Chile, he brings more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry and a deep curiosity for the wildlife, landscapes, cultures and people of Latin America.
An enthusiastic nature and travel photographer, he believes the most memorable journeys combine discovery with genuine human connection—an outlook that shaped his recent journey through Bolivia and the Uyuni Salt Flats.
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