Originally Posted by
Science Goy
Atacama Desert, Chile, maybe with a day or two in Salar de Uyuni, Ecuador.
You mean Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.
Originally Posted by
Science Goy
Really feels like being on another planet. San Pedro de Atacama is touristy but has nice, inexpensive private hostel rooms, and is a good base for drives into the desert. Use *A miles to get to SCL, then buy a cheap ticket to ANF or CJC on Sky Airline.
I agree this could be a good option. And if the OP wants a challenge, the elevation will certainly provide a physical one - it may take him a couple of days to get acclimated.
My only quibble is that accommodation in San Pedro in my experience is quite expensive, and the quality that you get is pretty poor unless you want to splurge on luxury spa-type places. But I guess it may be possible to keep the cost down at the expense of creature comforts like reliable hot water and electricity.