Elite Traveler March-April 2015

elite traveler MAR/APR 2015 ISSUE 2 105

BOLIVIA A TRIP INTO EMPTINESS TO CAMP ON THE FAMOUS SALT PLAINS

A voyage to Mars may be a few years away yet, but for a truly otherworldly experience right now you can head to the Uyuni salt flats of southern Bolivia, on the edge of the Andes. It’s a startlingly empty world, formed from a giant prehistoric lake, that creates a surreal, quasi-polar landscape that crunches underfoot but shimmers in the heat. A thin layer of surface water creates the illusion of a never-ending mirror, broken only by cacti. For a truly immersive experience, stay in one of two classic Airstream trailers. They’re equipped with queen-size beds, feather duvets and heaters, as well as a private chef and guide, who disappear after dinner – llama steak and quinoa, perhaps, with a fine Bolivian red – leaving you to appreciate the salt plains and spectacular night sky. The white plains pick up any color, from the red and gold streaks of sunset to the flash of a pink flamingo. By day, climb an extinct volcano or cycle to pre-Inca tombs or visit red-rock Aymaran fortresses. Get there by road through the Atacama Desert in northern Chile (the memorable location for the Bond film Quantum of Solace ).

HIMALAYAS CONQUER A PREVIOUSLY UNCLIMBED PEAK THEN PARAGLIDE WITH VULTURES You may already have trekked around Everest or Kilimanjaro. You may never have stepped foot on a mountain, but want to test your physical and mental limits. Either way, this Himalayan experience will be one of the crowning achievements of your life. The aim? To get to the summit of an unclimbed peak near Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world, in west-central Nepal. First, you will need to choose the right one, poring over map contours with local climbers, to select one to climb – which you might even be able to name. After staying in homesteads to acclimatize to altitude and culture, the expedition begins in earnest: four days of climbing and trekking, sleeping under canvas on treacherous terrain. It will be tough. You may wish to arrange a blessing from village shamans before you set off. You will have a full team of sherpas and guides to make sure you reach the top. One recent client took his son for a rite-of-passage climb after graduating from university. Another arranged a group of sherpas to carry a dining table and mobile kitchen for a panoramic meal at 2,500ft. After you descend, a helicopter will whisk you off to Pokhara to go parahawking – paragliding with trained vultures, which soar alongside as you ride the thermals. And the next time you look at a map of the region, you might see your name there. Price: Nine nights from $27,350 per person. Contact: Rob Murray John, +44 207 426 9899. blacktomato.com

Price: From US$4,300 excluding flights. Contact: Lucy Slater, +44 207 384 2332. cazloyd.com