Bolivia - Land of Celebration, Colour & Contrast

TRAVEL ADVISORY - BOLIVIA: (8 Jan 2020) 
Following a disputed Presidential election held in Bolivia on 20 October 2019, there were demonstrations and violent clashes throughout the country until late November, including a number of fatal casualties.  Accordingly, both the UK Foreign Office and US State Department issued Travel Alerts asking national travellers NOT to visit Bolivia unless absolutely necessary.  This has now been LOWERED again, but until fresh elections are held in early May 2020, we advise potential visitors to consider delaying a visit to Bolivia until AFTER those elections, when the political climate should be more stable.   For updated Travel Advice see the links at the bottom of this page.
For visitors seeking the unusual, and far from the seething crowds, Bolivia is rapidly becoming THE destination of choice for discerning travellers!   Twice the size of France* or California**, its CHEAPER than most places in South America!  Here, you can visit the colourful highest capital in the world; meet the Limache brothers who built explorer Thor Heyerdahl's Ra II and Tigris; take a ride down the world’s legendary "Road of Death" that plummets from a snow-decked summit of 4,650m AMSL to the humid and lush vegetation of the pre-Amazon jungle in just 60kms; and view jaguar, puma and anacondas in one of Bolivia's pristine National Parks!   ​Consider combining a tour to Bolivia with top destinations in a neighbouring country! 
​There is SO much to see and enjoy!  
(* Metropolitan France - 550,000 km2; ** California - 424,000 km2)
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​Off the beaten tourist track, Bolivia is a great choice of destination, with an astounding variety of ethnic diversity, vibrant and colourful celebration, and plunging landscapes that range from the Amazon jungle to the soaring Andes.  Surrounded by other nations, Bolivia shares Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, with Peru.  Also sharing a part of the Amazon with Peru and Brazil, the contrasts in its geography and terrain are as diverse as its people, its customs, and its flora and fauna!  As access can be complex, prior planning is the key to success here!
Machu Picchu & La Paz:  Our favourite tour combines a visit to Machu Picchu in Peru, with one that starts in Bolivia's La Paz.   Often cheaper to fly into than Lima, La Paz's striking location at 4,100m AMSL impresses from the start, especially if viewed from the teleferico gondola system that now straddles the city!  With truly unique and amazing sights that range from the "Witches Market", to unusual items in the Coca Museum and other specialist museums in the City, we recommend that a visit to La Paz culminates in a visit to the impressive "Valley of the Moon" and a full day trip down the "Road of Death" to Coroico and the pre-Amazon!  Most guests then set off for Peru, visiting the ancient ​Tiwanaku site on  Lake Titicaca en route!  
For MORE on the La Paz experience click HERE!  
​Lake Titicaca​:  the continuation of our tour from La Paz to Machu Picchu can otherwise be done as a separate package.  This includes transfer from La Paz via either the fascinating home and museum of the Limache brothers on Lake Titicaca, builders of Thor Heyerdahl's famous ocean-going rafts, or the astounding Temple of the pre-Incan civilisation of Tiwanaku (300BC - 300AD).  Also, guided boat tours to the Inca "navel of the world" islands of the Sun and Moon.  Then overnighting in Puno on the Peruvian shores of Lake Titicaca, guests are encouraged to visit the astonishing community that populates the "Floating Islands of Uros", before boarding the luxurious Andean Explorer train, or catching a flight, for the final leg across the Andean ​altiplano that will bring them to Cusco and Machu Picchu.  For MORE on this click HERE! ​
Bolivia's National Parks​:  As shown on the map, Bolivia boasts a series of excellent national parks, most bereft of visitors, yet offering access to pristine nature and abundant wildlife.  Unique Destinations has visited most of these Parks and recommends the following (for MORE detail click HERE):
  • Madidi NP​:  NW Bolivia, offering the greatest quantity and variety of flora and fauna in the world, this includes the recently discovered titi monkey!
  • Amboro NP ​:  Central Bolivia, alongside PN Carrasco, with easy access from Santa Cruz, it is especially recommended for birds and flora.
  • Kaa Iya NP​:  SE Bolivia, part of PN Gran Chaco, it is THE location for jaguar and other large and rare mammals, but not for the fainthearted!
  • The Pantanal:  SE Bolivia/Brazil, the world's largest wetlands, offering superb opportunities to see anacondas, caiman, marsh deer, tapirs.
  • ​Salar de Uyuni and Eduardo Avaroa NP​​:  SW Bolivia, offering unique and outstanding photo-opportunities of fauna and geographic beauty, this is an ideal tour to combine with a visit to Chile's San Pedro de Atacama!
Finally, demonstrating a whole world of celebration, colour and contrast like no other, a host of other destinations offer unique delights within Bolivia that can  be added to visitors' programs depending on their interests and geographic proximity.  This includes:
  • Celebrations​:  Bolivia hosts MORE festivals and celebrations than any other country in South America, in EVERY month of the year!  Some, you REALLY MUST see!!  
  • Colonial Bolivia​:  Founded only a few years after Pizarro overwhelmed the Inca Chief Atahualpa in 1532, both Potosi and Sucre are Bolivian cities rich in Spanish Colonial colour, well worth including in any visit to Bolivia.
  • ​Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos​:  Established by the Jesuits in the 17th and 18th centuries, a "circuit" of 6 Missions near Santa Cruz can be visited in a day.  Especially recommended when the Baroque Music Festival is held.
  • ​Dinosaurs' Footprints/Bio-Centre Guembe & MORE​! ​  ​
TRAVEL ADVICE & HEALTH   The vast majority of visits to Bolivia are trouble free, normally earning a Level 1 rating from the US State Department - Exercise Normal Precautions!  HOWEVER, on 22 Oct 2019 this was raised to Level 2 - Exercise Increased Caution - due to disturbances resulting from disputed national presidential elections, and was then raised further on 12 Nov 2019 to Level 4 - Do Not Travel.   This has now been LOWERED again to Level 2.  For updated information see the links below.  Otherwise, the most common crimes are those of "opportunity theft", also "express kidnapping", most usually occurring in the main cities at busy tourist destinations.  There are also an exceptionally high number of demonstrations, roadblocks and other political assemblies that should be avoided.  For CURRENT DETAIL click HERE (UK) for current UK FCO advice, or HERE (US) for State Department guidance.   HEALTH​  There are also health risks when visiting "hot" Amazonia, particularly from Yellow Fever and Zika.  Both links above give advice on HEALTH issues, and additional information can be obtained from the (US) Centre for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) - click HERE.