I had thought to do a post about the best of all our travels, those places or adventures that really stand out as special and that are lodged forever in our memories as absolute highlights. One post. What was I thinking? It will likely be four or five posts.
This is the first – the three best ways we travelled from A to B.
1. 2-14 Dec 2013. Mendoza, Argentina to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
Of course we could have flown from Mendoza to Santiago, and then from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama, but where’s the fun in that? Before we even thought about flights we looked at land travel. We wanted to see the country.
And then we found out about the buses.
Distances in South America are huge, and there are few trains. Mendoza to Santiago is 363 km, Santiago to Antofagasta is 1336 km, and the final leg to San Pedro is another 312 km; that’s over 2000 km or 1250 miles. And yet still we chose buses. Are you mad? I can hear you asking. If we were sitting in a seat half-way back in a regular bus I would have thought we were mad too; scrunched in there where all I can see is the back of the seat in front of me. No thanks. The long hours would have been excruciating, though I did once see a volcano erupting from the bus window in Mexico. But it was actually the buses that convinced us. For a start we could book our seats.
For each of the four legs of this two-week journey we sat in luxurious business-class-sized front seats on the top level of a double-decker bus with a wide uninterrupted panoramic view of the passing landscape. It was epic!
The first leg was ten hours from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile,
followed by three days in Santiago.
The next leg was a six-hour journey to the seaside town of La Serena. Either the scenery was not very interesting or the alternative, though less likely, scenario (pun intended) is that I slept most of the way nestled in that big comfy seat.
We spent three days in La Serena.
La Serena was followed by a twelve-hour journey to Antofagasta, and this is where the scenery got really compelling. We entered the harsh sere endless expanse of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on earth. It held our interest for hour upon hour as the landscape continually changed before us.
We stopped for three days in Antofagasta.
Then once again we boarded one of Chile’s luxurious double-decker buses, took our seats in the upstairs front row, and journeyed east from Antofagasta to San Pedro de Atacama. We thought the scenery of the Atacama Desert had been pretty spectacular so far, but we discovered the best was yet to come.
San Pedro de Atacama is a small desert oasis town and a tourist mecca for arriving from, or heading to, the altiplano and salt flats of Bolivia.
I would not have remotely considered taking this journey in any ordinary bus, but in the front row on the upper level of a double-decker bus; in big comfy seats with plenty of room for stretching; hours on end to just relax and gaze out the window; an uninterrupted view of the constantly changing scenery; and three-day breaks in between each leg; it was one excellent adventure!
2. 20-22 Dec 2013. After five days in San Pedro we took a three-day private tour across the Bolivian altiplano to Uyuni. This trip will forever be one of the great highlights of all our travels.
This time we travelled by 4×4 SUV with a guide and driver.
Day one took us from San Pedro to one of the most isolated hotels in the world, along the way passing flamingoes,
hot springs, a geothermal field, and dazzling scenery. At the end of the day we chorused Best day ever!
Day two we continued on through the high desert passing more wildlife and the ever unfolding scenic beauty. Surely this was the Best day ever!
That night we stayed in a hotel built from bricks of salt, and on day three we drove across the great salt flat of Uyuni.
At the end of day three we told our guide and driver Best tour ever! Next morning we flew from Uyuni to La Paz. We could have gone by bus but it would have been overnight on rough roads in an ordinary bus. No thanks.
3. 29 Nov-15 Dec 2015. We wanted to go back to Australia but couldn’t face that brutal 12-15 hour flight across the Pacific. We needed to find another way. This is what we crafted:
Fly from Vancouver to Hawaii and stay for five days.
Fly from Hawaii to Samoa and stay for six days.
Fly from Samoa to Fiji and stay for three days.
And then we flew through sunrise to Sydney.
To get to Sydney from Vancouver we had three mini tropical vacations along the way, and no jet lag. It surely has to be the best way ever to cross the Pacific. Unless you go by boat – which I did once, way back when I was 24. That was a pretty epic trip too. Maybe I’ll write about it one day.
Next post: O God, I rented a scooter and rode around in Vancouver traffic! Eeeek! It was part of my Solo Travel Adventures and pretty much terrifying. Also more to come of the Travel Highlights series: festivals, road trips, and long stays.
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2021.
What an epic journey
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Thanks Beth, it really was.
Alison
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aaaamazing, thank you Alison for posting. I always love your pictures❤️. Argentina is on my bucket list, but who knows when 😢
Dana
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Thanks so much Dana, my pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
I hope you get to Argentina one day! We spent quite a bit of time there and loved it.
Alison
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An epic long distance journey
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Thanks Indra, it really was!
Alison
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Road trips are always the best.
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I agree, and we had some great ones.
Alison
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We had planned a similar bus journey around South America for 2020, and then that pandemic happened, 😢 and we stayed home.
I love your South American road trip photos. They gave me a little vicarious armchair travel and reminded me not to give up on my South American travel dreams. One day we’ll travel far and wide again.
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Thanks so much Jen. I’m glad you at least had a little vicarious travel. So sorry you couldn’t get to do your Sth American road trip 😢, and I hope it happens for you one day! It really was amazing.
Alison
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What landscapes! A truly magnificent safari across the surface of the globe.
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It was for sure a magnificent safari. The landscapes in South America are spectacular. This is just Chile and Bolivia. Patagonia was pretty extraordinary too.
Alison
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Alison, I still remember reading your old posts about this adventure with utter amazement. I think I was in my early years of making international travel an inseparable part of my life, so you can imagine how fascinated I was following other people’s journeys across majestic landscape and vast terrain, and wondered when it would be my turn to see those places myself. To read this post is to revisit that feeling. And you’re the first person I know/follow who has been to Samoa, one of the Pacific countries I most want to visit.
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Thanks so much Bama for your support all these years! It’s good to know we’ve inspired you. One day for sure it will be your turn to see these places.
And Samoa is worth a visit for sure – a truly beautiful peaceful group of people.
I so hope one day we’ll get to Indonesia and meet you in person!
Alison
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What epic trips, especially the S American ones. Looks absolutely incredible!
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Thanks Diana. And yes, they really were epic trips.
Alison
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What beautiful scenery!
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I agree! Soooo lucky to have seen these places. 🙏
Alison
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Magnificent journey. Brought back my trip to the Atacama. I didn’t have the time to do the bus trip to/from Santiago.
I have, however, island hopped across the Pacific from Guam to LA via Chuuk/Pohnpei/Kosrae/Majuro Atoll/Hawaii. It was so nice to break up that long voyage.
Exquisite photos,as always. 💖
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Thanks so much Julie. So happy I brought back some good memories for you. The Atacama/Bolivia journey really was magnificent.
As for the island hopping – you had me scrambling to google maps to find out where these “I’ve-never-heard-of-them” places are. (Except Guam. I’ve heard of Guam. And Hawaii 🙂 ) That must have been a truly memorable trip. I’d love to go to these places if only because I’ve never heard of them so think that’s true for most people. Did you go by boat?
Alison
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Continental Airlines did an island hopper route/fare back then…1998. Now I hear that you have to buy individual tickets which is outrageous.
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We stopped in Fiji and Hawaii on the way back so we bought Van-Hawaii return, Fiji-Syd return which helped, but yeah, those one-way flights can really get you.
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Every one of those sounds like a dream trip to me, the person who sometimes likes the trip as much as (or even better than!) the destination! The three “best day(s) ever” sure produced some gorgeous photos (as did all the other places, but those really stood out).
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Thanks Lexi. I too love the journey, even all the time spent in airports! Just to be on the move is exciting to me, and when being on the move is in places like this it’s pretty hard to beat. (Though a luxury train trip is high up there on the list too – or on a crowded Indian train 😂)
I agree re the photos – the Bolivian altiplano is one of the most spectacular places in the world – hard to get a bad photo there.
Alison
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Wonderful photos and story. I’ve usually been hampered by time, due to jobs or the restrictions of travelling companions. I’d love to have the luxury of some of these travels.
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Thanks so much Ruth. I’m glad you enjoyed it. It is definitely a luxury yo have this kind of time travelling; retirement has been really good to us. Because of this kind of travel we spent 6 months in South America and only saw half the continent. Not surprising really given the distances.
Alison
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This is fascinating!
Did they have restrooms on the luxurious buses?
I’m so interested in your transPacific trip. We’ve thought to do something similar since it’s so far from the East Coast of the US. We’re you happy you took all the extra time?
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Thanks so much. Yes, there were rest rooms, and there must have also been rest/meal stops but I don’t remember those details.
We absolutely loved our transPacific trip – definitely a highlight, and yes were very happy we took the extra time. The whole journey felt both like an adventure, and restful. And Samoa is just lovely. Also after Hawaii there are many islands that you could choose from – see J.D.’s comment above – tho I don’t know what flights there are these days.
Alison
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Great idea for a post, Alison! Your island hoping from Vancouver to Australia has got me dreaming about those tropical spots. Strangely, I’ve never been to Hawaii! I loved Fiji though. Your road trips in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia may have been long…but that scenery! We drove from Salta, Argentina to Tupiza, Bolivia where we started our Salar de Uyuni trip and ended in San Pedro Atacama. It remains one of my favourite travel experiences. Your Salar photos bring back such wonderful memories.
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Thanks Caroline. Doing this post got me too dreaming about those tropical 🐠 🏝 🌴 spots. Hawaii is great, def worth a visit, and Samoa is quite wonderful.
The Atacama road trip was amazing. I’m so glad we did it that way, and the to cap it with the Bolivian altiplano was beyond fabulous. It sounds as though you’ve seen a good chunk of that part of the world too, tho a bit different from us, and in the opposite direction. It’s pretty spectacular. Glad I brought back some good memories.
Alison
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Wow this is quite the journey you went on! There are a lot of places on your itinerary that I would love to visit – thanks for the inspiration!
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Thanks Krista. You’re welcome. Hope you get to these places one day!
Alison
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I love this post! Man I loved the buses in Argentina and did a similar route to you. Did you also see the Argentinian salt flats? I know what you mean that each day seemed like the best day ever too!
I’m living with a Samoan right now. Nice to see photos of it in your post!
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Thanks so much Heather. Aren’t those buses awesome! We didn’t see the Argentinian salt flats – ya just can’t get everywhere 😂.
Samoa is beautiful. It used to be a NZ protectorate, and many Samoans go to NZ for work.
Alison
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Atacama and the Pacific, two places I was absolutely reluctant to leave! What absolutely perfect ways to traverse these regions.
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Thanks Nuraini, these journeys definitely felt like the perfect way to travel for us – a chance see the land, and across the pacific a chance to see places that were new to us. And even though I loved our journey through the Atacama, right now I love to be back on one of those 🏝 islands in the sun.
Alison
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Oh you are getting me so itchy to travel again Alison! I love love love South America and never made it to some of these parts. Would love to see the salt flats and desert.
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Getting itchy feet myself Nicole. South America was an amazing journey for us. It’s so huge; we were there 6 months and only saw half the continent!
Hope you get to the salt flats and desert one day!
Alison
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What a marvelous long-distance trip, and with such breathtaking scenery. Your photography is superb, as always. Thank you so much for sharing.
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Thanks so much Izzy. My pleasure. It really was an amazing trip – all the different parts of it!
Alison
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Hi Alison, What a fun theme. Always love how you describe your adventures. Brought back good memories of the beauty of SA…good work getting a bus with a view!
And having flown that long flight to Sydney a few times, your plan was brilliant! As always, your images are beautifully shot and add such great visuals to your travel stories. 🙂
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Thanks so much Jane. We were pretty lucky with the bus seats. We booked the seats for a couple of legs a while ahead, but one leg we could only book when we got to the town before it, and it worked. I love it that you could book seats! It was an amazing way to see the Atacama from end to end.
We’d done that Van to Syd long-haul so many times and just didn’t want to have to do it again. It’s brutal as you know.
As for your lovely compliment on my photos – thank you 🙏. I blame the blog 😂 It made me want to be a better photographer.
Alison
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Brilliant post Alison! The Atacama leg of our Chile trip was interrupted by the pandemic. When I return I want to be on that double decker bus with panoramic windows. And splitting a long haul flight into three mini vacations is genius. The husband is currently feeling cooped up enough to be persuaded to spare time to try it out. I hope.
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Thank you so much Madhu 🙏. So sorry you missed the Atacama 😢 I hope you get back there one day. The same buses have lie-down beds downstairs, and most websites say to book one and go overnight – but where’s the point in that? You don’t get to see anything!
Hope you can get Ravi to stir soon 😂 and cross the Pacific the easy way 😁
Alison
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GUAU – as we say here in Colombia! I love all your posts, but this one really caught my eye since Chile, the Atacama, and the Uyumi Salt Flats are way up on our list. Now if I can just convince my better half to go by bus 🙂 Thanks for your usual lyric prose and stunning photos.
– Susan
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Thanks so much Susan. I had to look up Guau 😂 but saying it out loud it sounds almost exactly the same as wow!
Tell the better half that a luxury bus is heavenly, especially if you get the upstairs panorama seats. Actually I wouldn’t do it without those seats – they are what made it for me. And I think it’s the only way to really see the full extent of the Atacama unless you rent a car and drive yourselves. Having said that, not included in this post is really the most spectacular of the Atacama, which can be seen on day trips from San Pedro.
For the Bolivia trip I highly recommend Ruta Verde https://www.rutaverdebolivia.com
Alison
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Muchas gracias for the tips! Working on the better half as we speak 🙂
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I loved this! Some of my most memorable journeys have also been by bus, and now I want to copy you and do that Argentina to Chile route! And I love your ingenious, tropical way to get from Vancouver to Australia.
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Thanks so much Mo, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope you get to do the Atacama journey one day!
We had thought we’d get to Oz for last Christmas for a big fam reunion, but it was not to be, nor this Christmas 😢 so hoping for next year now and maybe will travel the same way again. It was such a happy way to cross the Pacific.
Alison
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Finally catching up on your posts from the last several weeks! Did your luxury busses have bathrooms aboard? They sound like nicer versions of the Megabus I took in Canada a couple of times. 🙂
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Nice to hear from you! Yes, the busses did have bathrooms.
I’ve not taken the Megabus, but for sure the busses in Chile were fabulous – really comfortable.
Alison
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Such extraordinary journeys you’ve taken…oh, to be on the road again! The bus in S. America sounds fantastic. My only comparison is taking one down the spine of Costa Rica, from San Jose to a little place in the mountains where a pick-up truck picked me up and took me the rest of the way. I sat up front. It was wonderful. 🙂 Maybe like what you did but 1/100th scale. 😉
I love the altiplano photographs! Beautiful!!
And I love your inspirational solution to that long, trans-Pacific flight to Australia. Brilliant. 🙂
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Thanks so much Lynn. All three of these journeys were really extraordinary. The South American busses were a real discovery, especially being able to book seats. I would not have done that trip if I couldn’t have had the front seat. And for sure the altiplano is one of the most spectacular places I’ve been to.
We’d done that trans-Pacific direct-flight crossing so many times and just couldn’t face doing it again. We were pretty thrilled with our solution.
As for your journey in Costa Rica – it sounds pretty magical. There’s nothing quite like being able to sit up front! I’ve not been to Costa Rica and have heard such wonderful things about it. One day . . . . And you say – oh to be on the road again!
Alison
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Yes, we have to dream a little longer, I guess. The CR trip was great – I went alone. I flew to San Jose and stayed in a charming, woman-owned airbnb for a few days. (I don’t speak Spanish so that part was a little tricky). One day I took a bus to a local botanical garden, another day I did a classic coffee farm tour, which was great for a coffee fanatic. And the coffee at the cafe down the street from where I stayed was so good. I took a bus to a lodge in the mountains known for birding, where I was able to find a Quetzal on my own one morning. It was fascinating to see our N. American migrant birds down there mixed in with tropical plants. Finally, I went back to S Jose and took a small plane to the Osa Peninsula on the Pacific coast, where I spent time in a jungle/shoreline environment. My son was spending a month there as part of a school program and introduced me to the family he did a homestay with. They had no electricity but plenty of love. It was a fabulous trip! Too bad I didn’t have a good digital camera with me but the memories are there. 😉 I recommend going, obviously, because the people are warm and it’s not hard to avoid the touristy spots. 🙂
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Sounds absolutely wonderful. Perhaps it would be a good solo trip for me.
A.
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This was a long time ago – early 2000s – but I think if anything, it’s more doable now.
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