Located a few hours east of San Pedro de Atacama, northern Chile's Los Flamencos National Reserve encompasses 740 square kilometers near the Bolivian border. From San Pedro, it's easy to do a full-day tour to visit the Salar de Tara (salt flats) located within the reserve.

I paid $88 for my tour, which included a picnic lunch of rice and chicken. During the bumpy drive out to the salt flats, you make several stops to take photos and explore the fantastic geology of the region.
These stops also help you acclimate, as the region's altitudes can reach up to 4,860 meters (16,000 feet) above sea level.
