Architecture
In the middle of nowhere
Some visitors have compared sleeping at the lodge to what they imagine sleeping on the moon would be like.
Image courtesy of: Black Tomato
The Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia are one of the most unique, albeit secluded, places in the world. At an altitude of 12,000 feet and near the Tunupa Volcano. Up until now if you wanted to visit, there wasn’t a place to spend the night and all excursions were day trips.
The Kachi Lodge which opened in February brings a much welcomed addition to the area. The six, white domes now speckle the seemingly never-ending salt flats. The architecture melds beautifully into the landscape; tourism to Bolivia will surely benefit as a result!
The lodge was designed by Amazing Escapes.
Image courtesy of: Beautiful Life
The Katchi Lodge is composed of six domes which rise like a basecamp out of the lunar-like landscape. These solar-powered structures are elevated on a wooden platform above the salty surface. The igloo-style structures are raised so that they do not offend the fragile landscape underneath. This elevation also helps during the rainy season when the Salar’s surface turns into a watery mirror that reflects the vastness of the Bolivian sky up above.
“Boho luxury”!
Image courtesy of: Robb Report
The domes are made up of equilateral triangles, all metallic and completely symmetrical to one another. There is a wonderful mathematical elegance to the structures which makes their appearance all the more striking.
Luxury to the max, each dome has solar-heated running hot and cold water (quite a luxury in this region), a wood-burning stove, high-thread-count sheets, cashmere blankets, Wi-Fi, and extra oxygen to compensate for the 12,000 foot altitude.
Hopefully, this lodge will encourage adventurers to immerse themselves in the region!
Image courtesy of: Robb Report
The pods are connected to one another via a wooden walkways. The walkway also leads to an exceptional restaurant, a pop-up by one of the world’s most famous chefs, Gusto. The restaurant sits inside the communal dome which also serves as the common area where guests can relax after excursions.
With no other structures in the vicinity, the stars at night are magnificent.
Image courtesy of: Luxury Safes
This rugged region has remained mostly untouched until now; and with only six pods, it might still be out of reach for most travelers. However, Kachi’s recent opening makes it a bit more feasible to put this part of Bolivia on your “bucket list”.
