Estrella del Sur

If you are starting from Uyuni I would only pay for the tour just before leaving and after you have seen the state of the car and how many people are actually joining. We were promised a new and safe car with a max of 6 people. We ended up in a real old and unsafe car that broke down three times with 8 people in the car (very unconftable) and a driver that couldn't care less. Because of the breakdowns we didn't see all we were promised and were always in a hurry looking at a sight. We learned from the Estrella del Sur office in San Pedro the Atacama that the office in Uyuni is not always telling the truth :-( and they weren't sympathetic either. Would never chose this company again as they can't be trusted!

On thing that did concern me was the journey back and the amount of driving the driver need to do in one shot, from 4 in the morning until 5 in the evening, a little dangerous and we felt we need to talk with him in order for him not to fall asleep. On the up side he didn`t drink as I heard many do.

I've heard nightmare stories of many of the companies, and I don't think any one has 100% positive reviews. We had originally planned to go with Cordillera Traveller and even emailed them in advance to check availability but when we eventually go to San Pedro we were a day behind our planned schedule and when we tried to change the date with the woman in the office she called us very bad people! So we walked out of there and went to the Toursit Info office to read the book of comments on tour agencies. The best reviews seemed to be with Estrella del Sur and although it had a couple of scathing reviews on The Thorn Tree we plumped for them and booked on the next day's trip. It was a good decision. The guy in their office speaks English and is generally helpful. Details of our trip below: Departure: They picked us up from the office on time. Accommodation: The accommodation is VERY basic, but I think all the companies offer pretty much the same thing anyway. Also Estrella DON'T stop in the Salt Hotel which we were glad about because they are apparently illegal structures and their waste isn't properly disposed of. Day one: Hostel (dorm of six beds) in the desert, basic but no showers. Day two: Double room in a hospedaje in a local quaint village. Shared bathroom had two hot showers. We were lucky to get the double room - I think because our driver tried to get to the accommodation first. The people in the following vehicles had to share a dorm room. Driver and Vehicles: Our driver and guide was Edgar and he was very friendly (although spoke no English - but I don't think any of the guides do). He had an ipod connection in his Landcruiser which the group of six took in turns to supply music. He had his own Village People collection and seemed to enjoy Britney Spears too! Our trip consisted of 24 people across four Toyota landcruisers and I don't think any of them broke down over the three days. There is no air conditioning in the vehicles and you can't really open the windows because of the dust so bear that in mind! Itinerary: Laguna Verde, Laguna Colorado, Hot Springs, Geysers, view of Volcan Lincancabur, Dali Desert (stone sculptures in the desert), Salar de Uyuni (salt lake), Incahuasi (fish island), Uyuni Train Cemetary. Stuff to take: Lots of water - the vehicles can accommodate the five litre bottles you can buy in San Pedro. Food: Day One - Lunch - was sausages and mash with salad, banana, coke and water. Dinner - Vegetable Soup and bread, spaghetti and tomato sauce Day Two - Breakfast - Cake and Toffee and marmalade, tea/coffe/hot chocolate Lunch - Potatoes, pasta, steak, vegetables, salad. Water, fruit and juice. Dinner - Chicken, chips and quinoa, or veg tortilla for veggie Day Three - Breakfast - Pancake and cereal Lunch - Potatoes, salad, rice and chicken, fruit and cakes. Dropped off at Estrella office in Uyuni.

We went with Estrella Del Sur from San Pedro for $115. The tour was excellent and I would really recommended them. Ask for Abraham's Jeep. Although he had little English, we had some one who could speak Spanish. He was so honest and genuine we wanted to tour the rest of Bolivia with him. When we got Uyuni he brought us to an ATM and waited for us. He then brought us to different hotels until we found a good one. He was honestly one of the nicest guy's I've ever met. Another thing is to have about 150 Boliviano's with you when you cross from Chile for the 3 days.

The food they provided was a couple of cuts above what I was expecting ... I could definitely recommend them overall

I don't think the accomodation is very good on any of the tours, it wasn't on this one. Salt flats were really cool but I got bored of sitting in an uncomfortable Landrover by the end of the three days. Our driver/guide wasn't that great, he kept playing the same two tapes over and over. He didn't really seem to care that much about us either. Also, we never saw one of the two bottles of wine that we were promised. A great trip though!

The trip itself is not to be missed, and what you see is almost the same for any tour company. The difference is really in the food and the guide. Our guide, Valerio, was not that friendly and we only got half the wine we were supposed to. Also, he played terrible music on repeat in the van the whole time! The food was mediocre but the scenery was absolutely stunning.

I would not recommend it fully ... but at least with “Estrella del Sur”, our car did not break down and our driver stayed sober the whole time.

The problem ... the difference between what they promised us and what we really received

we had a fantastic experience with this company

They were excellent and would recomend to anyone