You have seen the photos on the salt flats with crazy perspectives but there is so much more to a trip from Uyuni across the salt flats.

Think multi-coloured lakes with flamingos, geysers, thermal hot-springs and fascinating rock formations.

The three-day trip that took us from Bolivia to Chile was stunning, arid and hostile all at once.

The landscapes crossed during this off-road journey must be some of the most surreal terrain found anywhere in the world.

After an overnight ride on a local bus from La Paz – small, cold and crowded bus – we arrived in Uyuni around 5am.

After fueling up on coffee and some basic supplies, we piled into a 4x4 with 6 other passengers and our driver. No matter how much I begged, there was to be no driving for me across this crazy landscape.

Our first stop was the rail graveyard. Seeing the hulking iron carcasses of disused trains heaped together and slowly rusting in the harsh elements is mesmerising.

After taking plenty of happy snaps, we made our way to the original salt hotel - made completely of salt - for lunch.

The next stop is probably my favourite of the trip – and it was on day one!

I cannot resist climbing monoliths and Fish Island rises from salt as far as the eye can see! t’s basically a mountain right in the middle of the otherwise desolate flats, covered in large boulders and cacti.

You do pay a fee to explore the island, and it takes about 45 minutes to walk up and around the whole area but I could have stayed longer!

Before the sun started to set, we took some very amateur shots trying to get the crazy perspective o the salt. I would like to think my camera skills have improved in the last decade. I will just have to come back to test the theory!

These spectacular salt flats are the largest in the world spreading over 10,582 square kilometres.

The accommodation along the way is in basic dorm-style guesthouses. They call them “salt hotels”, as parts of the building are indeed made of salt. It took a lot of willpower for me to resist licking the wall.

Despite it being freezing – the salt flats sit around 3,656 metres above sea level – our next day starts before sunrise.

Today is a full day and we stop at Andean lagoons to hang out with hundreds of flamingos, big desert of Siloli where you can see Arbol de Piedra (the rock tree), red Lagoon with more flamingos.

The red lake is known as Laguna Colorada, was by far the largest lagoon we saw. The water is blanketed by red algae giving it a red tint, which paired with the stunning mountain backdrop, salt platform, flamingos, and cacti, made this place absolutely picture perfect.

We also stopped by the green lake. This lake gets its colour from arsenic and other minerals.

We spent the night after this in the middle of nowhere and an attempt to stay outside and watch the sun drop over the desert was abandoned because it was absolutely freezing.

Right before we ran inside to see if I had more clothes I could put on…

Day three saw another sunrise. We woke early to see the ‘Sol de Mañana’ geysers and then headed to the hot springs.

Here you can take a dip in the warm water, formed as a result of volcanic activity from the nearby Polques Volcano.

After three days of not washing I was keen. With the water hovering around 29 degrees, it was a blissful contrast to the chilly weather outside the pool. The views from relaxing in the waters aren’t half bad either.

This enthusiasm waned as I had to get out of the water into the cold air (I would say it was minus 5 or close to it..) and get dressed at the back of the car!

The pancakes and coffee lovingly prepared by our driver/guide/chef for the trip were very welcome.

From here it was on to the border crossing from Bolivia into Chile. Border control here is a tiny hut in the middle of nowhere but the exit stamps where quickly given and we were loaded onto a bus to make the long way down winding roads into San Pedro de Atacama. About an hour into the trip, the bus was stopped, and we were given a thorough inspection before gaining entry stamps.

This trip was roughing it a little, but the experience is definitely worth it. I would 100 per cent include it in your trip if you have the chance