Driving a battered land cruiser across the blindingly white crust of Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni during the wet season magically transforms the prehistoric dried lakebed into the…

A closer look

It is the only road trip on Earth where you can actively lose your spatial awareness and forget which way is up. Stretching over 4,000 square miles, the Salar de Uyuni was formed by prehistoric lakes that evaporated, leaving behind a thick crust of intensely bright salt covering a pool of lithium-rich brine. When it rains, a microscopic layer of water forms over the completely flat expanse. With absolutely zero topographical features to break the horizon, the wet salt flat flawlessly mirrors the sky, creating a terrifyingly beautiful optical illusion where vehicles appear to be levitating through the clouds.