Bolivia is a country that we did not give the time it deserved. The people here are all very kind. The landscapes are wholly unique compared to the rest of the Andes. There are many adventures to be had. But it is hard to navigate the country as a tourist. Information online is limited, and finding it in person is difficult as well. If you want to do anything other than the standard 5-10 tours that a town’s tour operator will offer, you will struggle to determine regulations and transportation.
With all of that said, we loved it. Bolivia provides such a diversity in outdoor activity that it provides any activity junkie months of entertainment. We only scratched the surface of what this country has to offer.
Hits
These things in Bolivia made our hearts sing with joy.
Restaurants of La Paz
The fine dining in La Paz was remarkably affordable, and remarkable delicious. Of the 21 courses that we each had at Popular, Gustu and Ancestral, there was not a single miss. The alligator ceviche was wonderful.
Salar de Uyuni
The most barren, inhospitable, wild landscape we have ever seen. Flat hexagonal patterns of salt for miles in every direction. Its a sight we will never see anything remotely close to ever again.
Huyana Potosi
A few weeks after the summit, we can now say that this mountain was worth it. The sense of accomplishment, the sunrise at the top, the stories that came from the slopes, this mountain provided us with the highest of highs, both literally and figuratively, of the entire trip.
Tupiza
This little town is a hidden gem. The unique red rock cliffs and canyons gave us a great hiking day.
Misses
There are a couple fundamental things in Bolivia that made our time here a little harder than it needed to be
Altitude
The majority of our time spent in Bolivia was over 4,000m above sea level, and as people who didn’t grow up in that, it took a toll on our bodies. Our bowels were a mess, we were out of breath, and we couldn’t retain water to save our lives. If this country was set a couple thousand meters down, we could have enjoyed it a lot more.
Tourism Infrastructure
Bolivia as an English speaking tour destination is completely off of the radar of short term travelers. As a result, the information and infrastructure available for tourists is lacking, and you need to become very independent. For some, this is a benefit. But for us, it left us feeling like we could have done more in Bolivia with the time that we had.
Conclusion
Bolivia is somewhere that with a little more Spanish, time, and money, you can curate an amazing couple of months. The food can be fantastic, and the tour locations can be brilliant. But it requires significant effort to put it together.
With more time and money, here are some things that we didn’t do this time, but are defiantly for next trip.
Isla del Sol
This lake Titicaca island was beloved by everyone who went. We just weren’t feeling healthy enough to brave the boat ride.
Death Road & Coroico
The infamous death road is bike only now, but its still a massive cliff to your left. Coroico, the end town, has a lot of wildlife refuges that would have been cool to check out.
Rurrenbaque
The most famous starting point for an Amazon tour, this area is near the jungle and the pampas, providing many wildlife opportunities. Madidi National Park is right there too.
Trinidad
The least famous starting point for an Amazon tour, this off the beaten track city is right in the heart of the Bolivian jungle.
Cochabamba
The culinary capital of Bolivia apparently. This town is known for its street food.
Torotoro National Park
This park is full of canyons and dinosaur’s. A worthy day trip according to anyone we talked to.
Samaipata
Another jungle stop. This is the gateway to Amboro National Park, and the giant fern hiking trail. Nice waterfalls too
Santa Cruz
The final jungle frontier. From the largest city in Bolivia, you can charter flights to the remote wilderness’s of Noel Kampf National Park, Kaa-Lya National Park, and any other remote amazon you want to go.
Tarija
Bolivia’s wine city. The wine in Bolivia was surprisingly good.
More Mountains
Bolivia has a ridiculous amount of remote climbable mountains and camping spots. With your own van, you can explore the highlands to a much more intimate degree.
Salt Flats again
We want to experience the salt flats again in the rainy season because the reflections create a wonderful landscape.
Great summary, great trip, wonderful photos. Yourselves are nailing it, keep it going, lower altitudes will help.
Thank you for exposing me to Bolivia. A place I never would have thought of going, and would have failed every trivia question about it. Well done and you did it right.
Thanks for exposing me to what other parts of the world contain and look like. Truly amazing! Well written. What is next?
Once again, great adventures. You both manage well figuring out your tours and transportation. Great work team Camham!
My favourite photos. Excellent work.
xoxo Mom