Bolivia
BolíviaBolivia Travel tips
Many streets in the town of El Alto are blocked, which could interfere with entry to the terminal on 4 and 5 June 2018. They should take the counsel of the locals. On the sunny island (Isla del Sol) at Lake Titicaca there is a conflict between the municipalities, and international visitors are affected.
Stay alert and consult on the spot before traveling to the island. The British public healthcare authority has designated Bolivia as a country at increased susceptibility to Zika viruses. You can find more information and tips on the National Travel Network and Centre website. There are widespread Bolivian conflicts and blockages along the highways.
There may be very short-term disruptions to traffic and strike action may lead to far-reaching roadblocks, even on the streets to and from the airport. Also see traffic and traffic blocks. 40,106 Britons came to Bolivia in 2017. Before your trip, take out extensive health and travelling health insurances.
The BBC News
They have the greatest share of tribal peoples, which make up about two third of the total populous. He had renationalized Bolivia's petroleum and natural gas industry by mid-2006. Mr Morales' management used the funds to invest massively in community construction and welfare programs to combat extreme levels of extreme poverty, which fell by 25% during his reign.
Mr Morales was defeated in February 2016 by a popular vote that would have enabled him to stand for a forth presidential election. A few important events in the Bolivian history: Sanchez de Lozada retires under the pressures of the protest and is replaced by Carlos Mesa. 2044-2016 - Evo Morales gains a third mandate as Bolivia's current leader; two years later he looses a 4th ballot.
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It is a nice, diverse and multi-ethnic nation in the centre of Latin America. It' encircled by Brazil in the north-east, Peru in the north-west, Paraguay in the south-west, Argentina and Chile in the south-east. They share with Peru mastery of the Titicaca Sea (Lake Titicaca), the highest naval sea in the whole wide area (.821 m).
The Bolivia is divided into the following areas and their divisions. The third biggest town in the county with a comfortable, temperate atmosphere. Potosi - Once one of the richest towns in the word because of its Mining. Quime- Slippery and welcoming but dozy alpine hamlet set in the high Cordillera Quimsa Cruz hills, with landmines, falls, native misty forests and 31 Aimara Indian villages.
Hista Cruz - The second biggest and richest town in Bolivia. The Isla del Sol - In the southern part of the Titicaca-lago. An isolated islet in the centre of the sea. Chiquitania is the name of the area where the cities are to be found and is definitely a must not only for the missions but also for the beauty of this area.
The wet tropic weather has created one of the wealthiest forests in Bolivia. Bolivia is one of the "remotest" lands in the western hemisphere; with the exception of the Paraguay River, which extends into the far Atlantic Ocean, Bolivia and Paraguay are the only two inland American states.
Bolivia's geographic makeup can be readily broken down into three large terrain or regions: This is all because Bolivia has been a land of extraction since the colonisation, where the industry was settled in the high mountain areas and the valley nourished it. Bolivia, called after the liberation warrior Simón Bolívar, separated itself from Spain in 1825; much of its later story comprised a number of almost 200 attempted coup d'état and counter-coup.
Morales is the first indigenous Bolivian guide since the Spain invasion, and he has focused on fostering the well-being of the long overlooked indigenous population, making him very much loved by the indigenous population. But those of Europe who concentrate in parts of the tropical lowlands are in many cases strongly against him and his policy.
When you travel by coach between towns, the journey may be delayed by several hrs due to these protest. There are times when miners' picket lines take several nights between major towns and there are simply no busses going in some direction. The indigenous population of Bolivia is greater than any other nation in America.
Mostly Quechua and Aymara (the Spanish annihilated the Inca artistocracy when they captured the Andes). In your town you may have seen Quechua folk who have sold colourful scarves and pullovers, or a Quechua company that plays folk songs. Bolivia's climates are relatively similar from one to the other.
In spite of its tropic width, the height of towns like La Paz keeps things cold, and hot clothes are recommended in the month of April and May. Bolivia's summers are from November to March. In Bolivia beyond these public holiday periods, polling day is a big thing. Other countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela.
The majority of those who need a touristic permit can get it on the day of arrivals, except for the following nationalities: U.S. nationals sometimes succeed with a traveler' s entry permit, but if you try, make sure you have all the necessary documentation, especially if you arrive by land: a visitor permit request sheet, a colour copy of your pass, a copy of the jaundice shot (apparently only necessary if you plan to attend jaundice endemics zones), a copy of a travel route that leaves Bolivia, a proof of financial soundness, a booking of accommodation or a letter of formal notice and a 4cmx4cm or" Passport".
You will find the most important airport in La Paz in the west of the mainland and in Santa Cruz in the south. It is important to bear in mind that La Paz welcomes most of its guests because of the vast cultural and cultural inheritance of the Incas and other tribal peoples of the Andes and therefore it is much simpler to get from La Paz to the Tiwanaku remains, the Oruro Mardi Gras, the Potosí Mine, Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, the Los Yungas Valley and the Andes;
At the other hand, Santa Cruz with a warm climate could be a good place for a trade trip to other tourist destinations like the Misiones, the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park or visiting the oriental citys. There' also some overseas embassies in Santa Cruz. Southern and Centrally Bolivia towns such as Cochabamba, Tarija and Sucre also provide a very wealth of experiences; there are several ways to reach these towns from La Paz or Santa Cruz.
Frequent services are available from Madrid (Barajas) to Viru Viru in Santa Cruz from operators such as Boliviana de Aviación and Air Europa, costing between 800 and 1200 euros, according to category and time. LATAM is also served by other carriers flying to Bolivia from Santiago via Iquique and Lima.
Now it is also possible to travel with Amaszonas and Peruvian Airlines between Cusco and La Paz, which allows sightseeing flights from Peru over Lake Titicaca to Bolivia and back to Peru. Coca-Cola Airlines has started flying from Panama City to Santa Cruz. Santiago Gol Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas also operate direct flights to Santa Cruz.
Departure from Miami to La Paz and Santa Cruz with American Airlines. Part of the railway system in Bolivia was taken over by the Chilenean La Empresa Ferroviaria Andina S.A. (FCA) in 2014. Coming from Brazil, a railway links the Bolian frontier city of Puerto Quijarro with Santa Cruz.
Coming from Argentina, a railway links the bolian frontier city Villazón (opposite La Quiaca) with Uyuni (9-12 hours). On the way there the railway crosses a wonderful hilly area. From 2018-02-18 the line between Uyuni and Villazon will be blocked due to floods. It' s customary for travellers to cross a country boundary in northeastern Chile and southwestern Bolivia.
Remember that only about 5% of all Bolivian streets are asphalted. Most of the large stretches between the big towns (e.g. Santa Cruz, La Paz, Cochabamba, Sucre) are cobbled. You have many possibilities to travel by coach from Argentina to Bolivia. While there are pages where you can review your schedule on-line, as always in Bolivia it is worth checking on the spot.
There' s a coach from Juliaca and Puno in Peru to Copacabana. There are no more ferryboats on Lake Titicaca. Notice: Blockages and transport strike (bloqueos) are widespread in Bolivia, so try to adapt to the newscast. A strike often affects both taxi cabs and long-haul busses; as a rule, it does not concern airline companies.
Bolivia's coach service is a great way to explore the wonderful countryside on the way to your final destinations. Sadly, the busses often only run at nights. As a rule, coaches do not have to be reserved in advance, especially for shared routes operated by many operators. Already one hours before departure of the busses at the train stations you can receive a reduction of 30-40% on reservations several workdays before.
Bolivia tickets. Servis' are often 50-100% more costly than mini busses or busses, but drive more often than busses. Coaches should be slightly less fare than vans, but busses usually travel longer journeys. Unlike Asia, where busses run when they are full and the timetables are untrustworthy, Bolivia requires busses to run at the time they are published, even if they are not full.
So you can always be quite sure, when the timetables are somewhere or available, even if only by verbal propaganda, that the busses really leave within 5 minutes. Flights within Bolivia are fast and cheap. Helicopters connect most large towns. The best known of these is the La Paz - Rurrenabaque trail, but also Uyuni, Trinidad, Guayaramerin, Riberalta, Cobija, San Borja, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
Your Santa Cruz branch is located at El Trompillo International Aerodrome. Particularly nice is the journey from Oruro to Uyuni, where the railway runs through an Andes-river. It is particularly suitable for excursions to the Salar de Uyuni and the Pantanal. The best thing is to reserve your ticket a few nights before your journey.
The most important stations are Uyuni, Tupiza and Villazon on the Argentinian frontier. From 2018-02-18 the line between Uyuni and Villazon will be blocked due to floods. Bolivia also offers presale trains. It is more direct to organise a journey between Santa Cruz and the Pantanal. Simply walk to the Bimodal terminal in Santa Cruz (see page Santa Cruz) or to the Puerto Quijarro railway terminal on the Puerto Quijarro/Borders.
Collective taxi services are usual for longer journeys between destinations that are not serviced by coach. It is an ideal place for walking and mountain biking, both in the hills, in the Altiplanica and in the luxuriant jungle, with many interesting itineraries. Furthermore, the use of GPS provides additional security, both in the city and in the country.
There are 37 formal Bolivian language versions, of which the most important are Castellano, Quechua and Aymara. There are many who do not understand the language in the countryside. It is one of the best places to study or practise your language because it has a very neat, conscious emphasis. They have many opportunities to study Bolivian language and they are usually very good (often the programme has a very good host family).
There are six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia. The Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, the Inca site El Fuerte in Samaipata and the Jesuit missions of the Chiquitos are located in the east of Santa Cruz. Lastly, there are Sucre and Potosí, two towns established by the Spaniards in the sixteenth cent.
Bolivia also has the world's biggest saltplain, the Salar de Uyuni, a part of Lake Titicaca with the Isla del Sol and lies in the midst of the Andes - mountains over 6,000m. This is a 64 km long MTB trip where you can experience the variety of Bolivia.
Discover the provinces - Bolivia is a place that is still largely intact. They' re kind in the country. Away from the road maps, there are literally a hundred places, mostly outside the Bolivian travel guides, and much more interesting than what travel agents and guides do.
For example, in the département of La Paz you can reach places like Pelechuco, the eastern side of Lake Titicaca, Achacachi, Isla del Sol or Quime, not to speak of many other small cities and villi. A lot of travelers go to Bolivia to cross the most important and favourite places of interest (like the Salar de Uyuni, Chillen in Sucre, the mine trips in Potosí, the death road by bike, rainforest hiking near Rurrenabaque and Lake Titicaca) and often depart already after twoweek.
But Bolivia has many more, often secluded and lovely places with nice, genuine locals, and you can easy stay here for a months or more between the high hills and the lowlands rain forests. The fact that Bolivia is a great place for walking and walking is often neglected when one points out the sights of this land, but in fact there are many 1-12 days of walks throughout the land, many of which do not need a tour leader, while others are demanding hikes.
Below is the most important goal off the well-trodden paths, which you should not miss, or just exchange for the above-mentioned over-commercial places - except perhaps for the Salar de Uyuni tour: Nationalpark Sajama - If you've always wanted to walk into the Altiplano airplanes while you were on the Salar de Uyuni trip, this is the place to be.
There are the highest mountains in Bolivia, mountaineering, hiking, geysirs and Hotpools, silent plateaus, as well as a variety of animals, such as visachas, lamas, alpacas, Vicuna, (few) flamingoes, horns, coots. Lowlands - Beyond Rurrenabaque, Beni and Santa Cruz have many secluded, unspoilt and wonderful nature reserves for recreational rain forest strolls, wildlife watching or just giant sand dune walk in the backwood.
Mamoré River Cargon Holiday - If you really want to meet the dirt and experience the real but sometimes stressful lives of the locals, you' ll be spending a few nights in a padded or stateroomed freighter on a bustling freight boat to the Brazil frontier or just between Santa Cruz and Trinidad.
National Park Torotoro - Although not as untouristic as stated above, many do not know anything about this area. Craters and Villages - While many travelers in Sucre do not take much leisure and enjoy the ambience, they often overlook the interesting and scenic surrounding hills, which provide many hiking possibilities, such as the 2-3 days Maragua Trail.
Yunga's Road - For most of us, Death Road is an expensive one-day MTB-trip. Local currency is the Bolivian (ISO code: BOB), or Bs. 5, 2 and 1 and 50, 20 and sometimes 10 cents (? of a Boliviano). You can exchange Bolivianos in US Dollar, Euro and most Latin America at Casa De Cambio agents or broker.
The use of an ATM is the most comfortable and efficient way to get money in Bolivia. The Mercantil Santa Cruz and Banco Fie do not levy any fees either. One here or there, especially in tourist hot spots, but the rip-off that is usual in places like Egypt or Vietnam does not take place in Bolivia.
In general, they are very equitable to each other. The Bolivians are loved for their foods and produce, such as quinoa, manioc, avocado, etc.. Bolívia is a great place to have things fixed, because there are many craftsmen who do a very good work and it is dirty and inexpensive. So if you have a set of your favorite shoes, damaged earphones or just towels that you've always wanted to repair, replace (e.g. soles ) or reduce (pants) for a small part of the cost in the West, Bolivia is the place to do it.
Bolivia's kitchen could be described as the primal "meat and potatoes" - the latter (locally known as Quechua papas) were first grown by the Inca before they spread all over the globe. Chiharron is a standard way to cook all kinds of meats, and roasted chickens are a very favorite fast meal; sometimes the scent pervades the roads of the Bolivian citys.
One of the most popular ingredients in Bolian cuisine is ll'ajwa, a tasty dressing similar to Mexico style salssa. Stroll through many roads in the towns of Bolivia and you will see the daily ticket for this eatery. A few remarkable Bolian dishes: But there are also good vegetable offers (mostly potato, biscuits, rice, eggs and salads for about 7Bs.) In larger towns there are some (decent to good) fully vegetable eating places.
It has been part of the Andes for hundreds of years, and Bolivia's food is still very widespread (and completely legal). Well done, but some folks are scared off by the shrivelled pineapple usually eaten with every one. Bolivia's traditionally spirited beverage is chica, a whitish-sour broth of fermentated maize, which is made from a semi-spherical shell made from a hollow pumpkin (with a round base so that it cannot be removed).
Therefore, you can go to his nice vineyards and try the wines, for example: If you are not in a major city, the price of the hostels is much lower than on the Internet. However, in large towns it is difficult to find a good deal and it is better to book on-line. Bolivia seems to be very tight on toiletpaper.
Please be aware that in Bolivia eating is often not very tidy and requires more toilets than in the West. Do not make an advance booking in Bolivia. A lot of travellers are planning to go far (to) ahead and even organize cross border journeys with one and the same firm, so-called mobile coach and tourtickets.
Therefore, there are always better rates for trips and busses if you show up on site and make reservations at the last minute. It gives you the chance to fill the seats you have left at a very low cost and the businesses are pleased to have as many persons as possible booked at once, giving you the best negotiating place of all time with up to 50% discount.
From Uyuni or San Pedro you can arrive on one or more days (even in the evening) and without any problems booking a trip for the next one. If you are travelling by inter-departmental coach (e.g. from La Paz to Cochabamba), do not take refreshments or a snack from near-by people.
Bolívians are very secretive towards aliens. I' m sure there are better ways to make Bolivian acquaintances. It seems to be widespread in this area, especially in towns such as La Paz, Cochabamba and Sucre, but especially near squares and in the centre.
One should be sure of this in isolated Bolivian areas, as the tourist rate is too low and travelers to such isolated areas are generally more conscious and more settled with a particular land and travel in general. A few folks have all taken their belongings in this way - even the ring from their hands.
When someone opposes you defend yourself and say that the area is too hazardous to hand over your pass and that humans have been murdered. Do not take large quantities of overseas funds to Bolivia (Peru, Ecuador or Colombia). Bolivia is very simple with a debit and cash machines, and there is always Western Union, just in case.
When you can, call 110, that's the emergency number. The most locals will be more than lucky to help a newcomer. Certain parts of Bolivia such as La Paz (3,650 m), Potosí (4,010 m), Oruro (3,950 m) and Lake Titicaca (3,400 m) are situated high, so appropriate measures should be taken against the "sorojchi" mountain ailment.
Vaccinations against catarrhal disease are suggested for those planning a stay in the Amazon region of Bolivia. In Bolivia, do not use the term "indio" to describe tribal peoples. Bosnian civilization is very hot and welcoming; it is impolite not to say bud dia or budos dias to the passers-by in the city.
There are three mobile phone operators in Bolivia, Entel, Tigo and Viva. They all have branches in virtually every part of the city. They' re quite inexpensive and you get good net cover in all important municipalities. But most of the bigger metropolises are littered with Internet/Cyber-Cafés, strangely enough in 2018.