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Bolivia Travel

Bolivia is one of the most beautiful countries of South America. It will conquer your soul and touch your heart. It's such a travel friendly country and it's people are my favorites. The thing I loved was the wonderful combination of traditonal and modern life.

Everything in this country is "the highest in the world". Lake Titicaca, the capital La Paz, the silver mines of Potosi. If you arrive by plane you'll have to take it easy the first few days when you travel in Bolivia as your body is adjusting to the high altitudes. Once you're ready, Bolivia will embrace you with open arms.

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Inca Heights - SA03 Dates Available! TOUR TYPE: Overland Tour LOCAL PAYMENT: US$745.00 TRAVEL IN: Bolivia - Peru

21 Days

US$1,365.00

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Travel in Bolivia! Do check out our amazing Bolivia tours!

La Paz

The capital of Bolivia,La Paz, lies on an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,800 ft.) and is the highest capital of the world. If you arrive by bus the driver will stop at a point where you can see the city in the valley below. The snow-capped Illimany mountain in the horizon makes for an impressive sight. La Paz is a very pleasant city that displays a kaleidoscope of traditional and modern life. If you start your tour in La Paz then take it easy for the first days. Your body needs to acclimatize to the high altitude.

Plaza Murillo in the city center is just paradise for "people-watching". Really a lot of fun. A "must do" is the Witches Market (Mercado de las Brujas) where everything from a lost love to a lost job is solved with some magical potions or tarot cards. If you're interested in indigenous handicraft than La Paz is the place to be. Various markets offer handicraft of excellent quality for an unbeatable price.

Check out some of these wonderful budget hostels and amazing hotels in La Paz

A visit to the Gold Museum or the Musical Instrument Museum can be done if you want to escape the busy streets.

The city is the ideal base to set out on adventure travel in Bolivia.

Read more about La Paz

La Paz - Bolivia

Note: Be aware that Bolivia hosts some narrow mountain roads. My nerves were being tested to their limits when I traveled to Sorata, a must see town in an astonishing valley. Inform about road conditions either going to Rurenabaque (Amazon Basin) or Sorata. You can get stuck in the rain season as roads get inundated.

Lake Titicaca

is the highest navigable lake in the world (3,800m. (12,500 ft.) above sea level), is the most spiritual lake I have ever experienced. It's impossible to describe the beauty of Lake Titicaca, which Bolivia shares with Peru.

The Peruvian side hosts the floating islands, the Bolivian side has the honor of having the Island of the Sun, where, according to legend, the Inca empire arose. I've spend the night on the Island of the Sun and had the most spectacular starry night I've ever seen. A highlight when you travel in Bolivia. My picture above is taken on the Island of the Sun.

Read more about Lake Titicaca

Tiwanaku

The site of Tiwanaku was founded about 200 BCE, as a small village, and it grew to urban proportions between 300 CE and 500 CE, becoming an important regional power in the southern Andes, but collapsed suddenly around 950 CE.

It is characterized by large stones, weighing up to 100 tons, and cutting, squaring, dressing, and notching exceeding even the Inca in artisanship. At its maximum extent, the city covered approximately 6 square kilometers, and had as many as 40,000 inhabitants.

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Salar de Uyuni

The big secret of Bolivia is without doubt the Salar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt flat, a dried up salt lake with islands (click on photo collage for pictures). It's the largest in the world, a staggering 10,500 km² (4,045 miles²) (that is one third of the surface of Belgium). The salt flat consists of 11 layers with thickness' that vary in between 2 and 10m. (6 and 33 ft.), the crust that is found on the surface has a thickness of 10 meters (33 ft).

Your senses will be provoked mercilessly. I can highly recommend the tours available in Uyuni when you travel in Bolivia. They take you on the salar and into the desert all the way to the border of Chile. On the trip you see, besides the salar, the green and the red lake, geysers, Isla Pescada (Fish Island) and hot spring baths. You're accompanied of a gorgeous never ceasing tranquility.

Read more about Salar de Uyuni

Potosi

While you're in the Uyuni area, go to Potosí (the highest city of the world) and visit the silver mines. The guides will advice you to buy coca leafs. In my case it got me over my dizziness when I entered the mine shaft (remember that you're at 4,000m. (13,120 ft.). I just chewed on a coca leaf and my head cleared up immediately.

The mines will leave a big impression as working conditions are really abdominal. In the center of the mines there is a "devil" statue adorned with coca leafs. The statue is for good luck and prosperity.

Want to see "the devil statue"? Just click on the picture.

Read more about Potosí and the Silver Mines

Amazon Basin

I've spend a few weeks in Bolivia's Amazon Basin. I had a wildlife tour in Rurrenabaque and it was just fan­tas­tic.

Crocodiles, piranhas, ana­con­das, and my favorites, capybaras (say again?) and thousands of tropical birds were my companions.

I also traveled for one week on a river boat (the only "gringo" on board) all the way to the border of Brazil. An unforgettable Boliva travel adventure. You can read and see pictures of my river boat trip in the amazon basin.

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For detailed information on Bolivia please consult the excellent Wikipedia chapter of Bolivia.

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Che Guevara in Bolivia?

The image of revolutionary Che Guevara, born in Rosario, Argentina, has spread throughout the world. I'm still amazed to see teenagers wonder around with T-Shirts displaying Ernesto Guevara as the symbol of 'La Revolución'.

Che left Argentina and became legendary in Cuba. After many years of fighting to "liberate" Latin America, a dream that still is a nightmare for many in Cuba, he died in... Bolivia

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Must See Boliva Travel Places

La Paz	Lake Titicaca	Salar de Uyuni

Oruro (Carnival)
Pampas (Amazon Basin)

Potosí
Sorata
Tiwanaku

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Check out great hotels in Bolivia

Read about the traditional music of Bolivia:

Andean Music

© All photographs by Mark Van Overmeire