Bolivia Travel Forum

Hello, I am curious about Bolivia and am entertaining taking a trip there in August or so to explore it. I have read the forum here and am still questioning, but I would like to know from anyone who's been there, Is It Worth It?
And Why?

Regards,

Dan

bolivia is a very interesting destination.
i would say the perfect adventure destination.
high mountains,amazon forest,indian markets,cowboys roaming the eastern provinces.
bolivia has it all except for beaches.
if you can live without that you will have a great time.

Hi!

What cachaseiro says is absolutely right. Bolivia is a country not that much touristically explored what makes it positively seen more adventurous to travel there. That doesn´t mean that you won´t get any kind of luxus if you are willing to pay for it as in other countries of the world.
Bolivia has no warm beaches, but at least the lake titicaca....but ok, to cold to swim there ;-)...but there is much more, from the highlands, trekking etc , the salt lake of Uyuni, the silver city Potosi, the white colonial city Sucre unto the warm tropical regions in the north and east of the country.

It is absolutely worth the visit!!!

I couldn't have said it better. Cachaseiro and Chancay both bring up excellent point on why you should visit Bolivia. The fact that is low on the tourist agenda means something to me :). It's a wonderful hidden jewel in South America. Hurry up before ppl open their eyes though.

The capital cities of La Paz and Sucre are wonderful starting points. As mentioned earlier, Lake Titikaka is a must (swim only if you're brave enough as it may be icy cold).. Then there is the minign town of Potosi, one of the highest towns of its size. Take a tour of the mines a la Indiana Jones style! If you're into safaris and fun drives, then take a tour of the Salar de Uyuni and Lagunas, near Uyuni. If you just want to relax, then head to Sorata or Coroico. For a jungle adventure then there is Rurre.

That's not all... the city of Santa Cruz offers quite a bit of excursion nearby, including the multi-day Jesuit Mission Circuit.

These places are the usual tourist attractions, there is far more interesting spots if you have more time.

suerte,
Fernando

PS: the best way to decide may be to see pictures, so browse the various VT pages on Bolivia... Chancay have a wonderful page on Bolivia. I have a few of my own as well.

Hi!
Bolivia is a MUST! It is one of the most interesting countries in South America.

What to see there?

Natural attractions:
-Tableland
-Los Andes Range
-Uyuni Salt Flat
-Titicaca Lake
-Rain Forest

Cities:
-La Paz
-Sucre
-Potosí
-Oruro
-Cochabamba

Do not miss Tiwanaku ruins (near La Paz), and the most woonderful thing Bolivia has to offer: friendly people.

You can find several pages about Bolivia here in VT; check anyone, and you will find a lot of good tips and beautiful pictures.
Have a nice trip,
Andrea

i agree with all vt members!
they tell you what you have to see in this wonderful country!
uyuni salar is one of my best travels "souvenirs" ...
if you have time enough,enjoy the old,spectacular and narrow road between la paz and coroico (las yungas)

wow... you guys are so helpful! At this point I am seriously looking into going. I was thinking of renting a car, but I am learning that something like 90% of the roads in Bolivia aren't paved. Is it really possible to see much of the country by driving? That's what I would prefer to do.
Thanks so much,

Dan

the risk of damaging a car in bolivia is pretty big.
i think you would be better off going to la paz and teaming up with a few other adventurous travellers and then rent a minibus with a driver or simply just jump on the local bus.
you can also travel the jungle by cargo boat.
just show up at the harbours and talk to the captains.
a hammock is useful if travelling by boat.

Hi again!

Well, I don´t see it as risky as cachaseiro do. I don´t know if it is really 90%, but I can tell you that almost all the connections between important big cities are with relatively good new paved streets. Of course there are even in La Paz some really bad streets, so I wouldn´t recommend you to rent just a "normal" car, it should be better some kind of 4x4 cruiser.

Nevertheless the ideas of cachaseiro about renting a mini bus with driver in a group or go with the "flota" ,the intercity bus connection or a local bus is also a good alternative.

hi,
i've been living in La Paz for 4 months now, and i've done an extensive bit of travelling in Boliva and it's surrounding countries.
it is easy to remember to great sites of Bolivia, it is indeedy a country of vast jungle (perhaps 70% of it!) and great for seeing the wildlife - there are good tour guides for this, and, if i remember correctly, 8 national parks all over the country to visit. the altiplano is exeptionally beautiful, and worth seeing by road. altitude sickness can be a problem - hav yourself checked out before you go (even the fittest people have been known to have problems at 4000m). another reason Bolivia should be visited is the diversity of the culture there. Quechua in the south (Potosi, Uyuni) and Aymara in the north (La Paz) you can pick up traditional weaves (called aguyos) all over and can be very beautiful, buy Alpaca in La Paz, off the streets it is usually a mix of alpaca and llama, if you're looking for quality alpaca clothing, go find Joaquin Quenta - he has a shop in a gallery off Plaza San Fransisco in La Paz. you can go check out lake Titicaca - and nip over to Puno in Peru to visit the floating islands, i wouldn't however, recomment dipping into the lake - even if it is the 'birthplace of the first Inca peoples - if you were to swollow some of the water you're a gonner.... wouldn't even recommend a paddle, and make sure the fish is well cook - it's famous for the trout that are farmed there (well, famous in the area because that's the only place you can eat it fresh... - they're small, and to be honest, you're best off having a pasta while to enjoy the veiws - there are some nice ones.

cont......

okay, i wrote a really long mail explaining loads of things but it - due to computers being the work of the Dark Prince... - i lost it.

so basically, what i said...
travelling by hired car is dangerous, expensive, and you would be excluding yourself from a large part of the travel experience. roads can be often closed without prior notice (blockades) - being on a bus will allow you to check out the scenery without driving off the edge of a cliff, if the bus hits another car/bus/whatever, you won't have to pay for anything (10 times more likely to have an accident in S America.)
and importantly, being on a bus for 8 hours (seems long until you've done a few 14 hour journeys, then 8 hours is a sinch) what was i saying.. oh, yes.. being on a bus for 8 hours allows you to get to know your neighbour, this can be interesting, educational, fun (sometimes dangerous too... ;) but that's travelling.

one more tip - if you don't speak spanish - learn.!

good luck, if you have any other questions you can mail me at paulisnotenough@yahoo.com

It is worth going, but you are going in high toursit season so you should try and book a place a head of time. It is really cheap country, and very beautiful place. Unfortunately i did not get to go to the Amazon, instead we went to the salt flats. The salt flats are very nice to see, but try to make a trip to the Amazon if possible.
We stayed at Hotel Continental where it is recognized by Hosteling international. So it was just under $11 U.s. for two of us.
have a good trip!
Devotchka

hi friend, at first let me introduce myself my name is marcelo and i`m from la paz, bolivia. second, thanks for thinking of coming to my country. as i `ve already read all the replies, i can tell you that i totally agree with them. yeah! my country is that and more. i don`t want to tell you more i just wanna tell you that it won`t let you down! so, are you planning to come in august? it`s ok it`s not raining season but sometimes it`s windy. don`t worry is not so hard.
ahh, about renting a car. yeah it`ll be a good idea to rent a jeep. and first getting to los yungas where all the visitors call THE DEATH ROAD. of course i consider you a good driver. because it`may be a bit dangerous....but your price will be the beautiful landscapes, animals and so on that you will be able to see.
anyway, welcome to my country i`m sure that you will find lovely people and beautiful places.
ps. maybe we can meet and talk about my country. just ask! chauuuuu......

thanks, Marcelo. I am seriously thinking of coming!

Dan

Hello Dan , i am from Santa Cruz -Bolivia i've read all the answers they are so right !!,and it is not because it is my country hehe that it is just so amazing ;) seriously i always take a short trips to some place i dont know yet when i get vacations from univ. and always worth it , here you will find many diferent kind of people and cultures , very nice places , well and all those things that all the replies have allready said , about renting a car i am not sure about it , there are so many dangerous roads here speacially in La Paz , and i dont know if i were you i'd better take a bus cause the drivers are used to drive the same way thousands of times a day , i think that would be better to rent a car if you go to Sucre , Cochabamba , Santa Cruz , Beni , the roads of these cities are flater and better than are in La Paz , if Marcelo (the guy from la paz) reads this sorry Marcelo, i love La Paz and i'll go back there again but i was really afraid of the roads when i went there :S really freaked me out , so Dan i think maybe you can relax in a bus sit and check the views of some places and in others you can hit the roads it is just an advise for your own safety , and well as a bolivian citizen i should tell you to be sure that people here will welcome you as all the visitors that come here so take care and notice me if you come to Santa Cruz !!