Fancy a trip to Mars but can’t wait for NASA to start colonizing? Don’t despair, because a journey to Salar de Uyuni, the Bolivian salt desert is the next best thing. The remnants of a giant prehistoric lake, the world’s largest salt flats cover an area the size of Belgium and sit as high the Andes. Best experienced with a guided tour from the town of Uyuni, the first stop en route to the flats is the great train graveyard, a stark testament to the Spartan land beyond. Just a few miles out of Uyuni the landscape changes at an alarming rate: yellows, greens and browns are swept aside by a sea of vast, blisteringly white salt. The sensation is somewhat akin to being swallowed. Most striking, after the glare, is how unbelievably flat everything is. The sheer scale of Salar de Uyuni means terms must be redefined: not merely giant skies but gargantuan ones, humongous, not huge horizons. During a rainfall the salt flats transform into the world’s biggest mirror, reflecting the heavens in an experience that is so mind altering that it would even straighten Dali’s moustache.

Further inland the optimistically named Isla de los Pescados, Island of the Fish, is a scattering of hills that were once coral reefs, and whose palm trees long ago surrendered to cacti. The colony of viscachas, Andean rabbits, that inhabit these islands seem as marooned as if water still ran here. South toward the Chilean border the terrain becomes weirder and wilder and as you near the Andes, looming purple volcano’s topped with ‘snow’ (sulphur), petrified lava streams, thermal springs and geysers. Wild llamas appear on pink hills and dinner plates.

Like any desert worth its salt, the Salar has its oasis: the lagunas, immense lakes colored by the mineral rich terrain. Laguna Colorado is a study in surrealism, a blood red lake ringed with yellow grasses, white minerals, and of course filled to the brim with thousands of pink flamingos. An impossible visage, but just when things couldn’t get any more topsy-turvy witness Laguna Verde. Striking not only for its emerald waters but its wind fashioned waves, effectively creating a beach in the midst of a desert four thousand feet above sea level. Truly an otherworldly sight, and a fitting bookend to your journey into, almost outer space.

Like everything about the Salar, the best time to go is a matter of perspective. Visiting between July and November is most popular, when the dryness ensures the flats sparkle in all their Martian glory. However winter can be bitterly cold and the flats surprisingly crowded. Summer December to April, offers milder temperatures but happens to coincide with the wet season, meaning great reflections but the possibility of getting washed out or bogged. The choice is yours!

It’s cheapest and easiest to book a tour from Uyuni, where the attentive hawkers guarantee you’ll be spoiled for choice. A four day tour costs around $80USD and covers food, transport and basic accommodation. Park entrance fees and guide tip are extra. Some operators can arrange a drop off at the Chilean border if you don’t fancy doubling back over the flats.

Bear in mind much of the region lies at a 4000m elevation, and altitude sickness is a real danger. If arriving from the coast take a few days to acclimatize before exploring remote areas such as the Salar. Bring cash in small denominations and good condition, dirty money is often rejected, and bathrooms aren’t free.

Nights and high winds can be brutal so pack warm clothing and of course sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Don’t plan on showering for the duration of the tour.