Bolivia lies in the heart of South America, stretching from hights of the Andes Mountains to the tropical Amazon River Basin, with a population composed mainly of Native Indian ethnical groups and Mestizos.

Touristic attractions in Bolivia tend to be as diverse and fascinating as its people or its landscape; the cultural richness inherited from ancient civilizations and the abruptly changing geography Bolivian's are used to, invite the foreigner to discover the countless wonderfull touristic sites one can visit, and be a part of the events and festivities that mark the rythm of Bolivia's every day life.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Area: 1,098,581 sq km (424,164 sq miles). Population: 8,445,134. Population Density: 7.6 per sq km. Capital: Legal: Sucre. Population: 223,436 (official estimate 2000). Administrative: La Paz. Population: 1,004,440 (official estimate 2000). Government: Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1825. Head of State and Government: President Carlos Mesa has stepped down. Head of the Supreme Court, Eduardo Rodriguez, has been sworn in as interim leader.

Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara.

Religion: Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority.

Electricity: 220 volts, 110 volts. 110 Volts in La Paz; 220 Volts in the rest of the country.

GEOGRAPHY: Bolivia is a landlocked country bordered by Peru to the northwest, Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south and Chile to the west. There are three main areas: the first is a high plateau known as the ‘Altiplano’, a largely barren region lying approximately 4000m (13,000ft) above sea level. It comprises 10 per cent of the country’s area and contains 70 per cent of the population, nearly one-third of whom are urban dwellers. The second area is a fertile valley situated 1800m (5900ft) to 2700m (8850ft) above sea level. The third area comprises the lowland tropics which stretch down to the frontiers with Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, taking up some 70 per cent of the land area. Rainfall in this region is high, and the climate is hot.

TOP

BOLIVIA TRAVEL INFORMATION

Don't refer to Amerindians as indios or campesinos - call them indigenos, which means "indigenous people." Refer to locals as campesinos only if you are in el campo (the countryside). Similarly, the term Camba is used for people of the lowlands of Bolivia, particularly those from Santa Cruz. The term Kolla (COAL-ya) is used for those from the highlands - La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosi, Sucre, etc. Avoid using these terms because they carry with them a certain amount of animosity - the cultures of the highlands and the lowlands are very different and have inherently different views about the direction of the country.

Do ask before snapping anyone's picture. Brightly-dressed Aymara women often object. You may find, however, that a few Bolivianos may change their minds if approached politely.

Do take along small gifts for the poor children who will inevitably approach you looking for handouts. Many of the children ask for caramelos or dulces (candy) or money. Given that these children have little or no access to dental care, dispensing candy does more harm than good: We found that colored chalk, which brightens any sidewalk, was a more innocuous, but equally welcomed, gift.

TOP

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

A valid passport is required to enter and depart Bolivia. Visas are not required for stays of up to 30 days if you're a citizen of one of 45 designated countries, which include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany, and Switzerland. (Visit www.bolivia-usa.org or check with your local embassy to determine whether you'll need a visa.) It's very easy to extend the tourist card for an additional 60 days by requesting one at an Oficina de Migración (immigration office). In La Paz, the office is located at Camacho 1433. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 12:30pm and 3 to 6pm; it's best to go late in the afternoon. Click here for Visa Informations

Bolivian Embassy Locations

In the U.S.: 3014 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202/483-4410; www.bolivia-usa.org)

In Canada: 130 Albert St., Suite 416, Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 (tel. 613/236-5730; fax 613/236-8237)

In the U.K.: 106 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AD (tel. 020/7235-4248 or 020/7235-2257; fax 020/7235-1286; embolivia-londres@rree.gov.bo)

In Australia: The Consulate of the Republic of Bolivia is located at 4 Bridge St., Suite 305, Sydney NSW 2000 (tel. 02/9247-4235; fax 02/9251-7741).

TOP

BOLIVIA ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

El Alto International Airport, located at 14 kilometers southwest of La Paz, is the main access door for the visitors that arrive to the Republic of Bolivia. However, an important group of travelers enter by road from the neighboring countries, mainly from Peru, using the Puno-Desaguadero-La Paz or Puno-Copacabana-La Paz routes.

To enter Bolivia it is indispensable to have a valid passport. Visa requirements are extensive only to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bangladesh, North Korea, Popular China, Haiti, India, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Rumania, Singapore, Syrian, Tunisia, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Northern and Southern Yemen.

The legal devices of the National Migrations Department, allow every foreign citizens a stay of 30 days, although it is feasible to extend the term 60 more days by a simple procedure.

You should reconfirm your flight in the days previous to the departure date. The most appropriate thing is to make it with 72 hours of anticipation. So do not forget to contact your travel agency or the airliner offices.

On the date of your trip, you will have to be in the airport two hours before the take off. Remember that after obtaining the boarding pass, you will have to pay, obligatorily, an exit tax of 25 dollars.

TOP

CUSTOMS

Visitors to Bolivia are legally permitted to bring in up to $2,000 worth of items for personal use, including cameras, portable typewriters, tape recorders, sports equipment, 5 liters of alcoholic beverages, and 400 cigarettes (two cartons), 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco. If you bring in any new consumer goods with a value of more than $1,000, you must declare it at Customs.

There are very strict laws regarding removing national treasures (for example, pre-Columbian artifacts, historical paintings, items of Spanish colonial architecture and history, fossils, and some native textiles). Beware: The Customs officials at the airports do search every person (for both drugs and national treasures) leaving the country.

TOP

BOLIVIA TRANSPORTATION

Railways: total: 3,691 km (single track) narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995) Highways: total: 52,216 km paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways) unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.) Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,948 GRT/58,472 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 5 (1998 est.) Airports: 1,130 (1998 est.) Airports—with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 1,118 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 70 914 to 1,523 m: 224 under 914 m: 821 (1998 est.)

Railways: total: 3,691 km (single track) narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995) Highways: total: 52,216 km paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways) unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.) Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,948 GRT/58,472 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 5 (1998 est.) Airports: 1,130 (1998 est.) Airports—with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 1,118 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 70 914 to 1,523 m: 224 under 914 m: 821 (1998 est.)

TOP

BOLIVIA PHONE SERVICES

Getting communicated by phone doesn't represent any difficulty in Bolivian lands. Besides the public booths located strategically in the main streets and avenues, there are offices of the National Company of Telecommunications (Entel) from which can be carried out calls to the world.

Telephone Codes: 591, country code.

TOP

BOLIVIA EMERGENCIES

If by any chance an accident or incident would happen to you when being in Bolivian lands, do not doubt to contact the Tourism Police. The troops of this division receive a specialized preparation to assist the requirements of the visitors with courtesy and readiness.

Also, before any unexpected situation, it is always advisable to communicate with the diplomatic delegation of your origin country that will offer you the consultantship and indispensable help for the solution of your problem.

TOP



BOLIVIA SECURITY

You just need a little caution and your walks by the cities of Bolivia will become an unforgettable experience of blue sky, snowy silhouettes, with cotton clouds, old mansions of colonial and republican airs, narrow and irregular streets and avenues of vertiginous traffic tattooed of modernity.

To become unforgettable this experience, keep always with you a photocopy of your passport and of your air ticket; also, take only the necessary money and be very careful with your personal belongings (jewels, photographic equipment, video cameras, etc), because although the Bolivian cities are extremely welcoming and calm, they are not free of acts of delinquency.

TOP

BOLIVIA CURRENCY

In November 28th, 1986, it was created the Bolivian (Bs), the monetary unit of Bolivia. At the present time, coins of 10, 20, and 50 cents and of 1 and 2 Bs are in circulation; also, bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 Bs.
In the main cities of the country, the traveler will be able to change foreign currency -mainly US dollars- without any inconvenience. In La Paz, Sucre, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, there are many casas de cambio - that are safer and offer a better guarantee in the transaction- and street cambistas that are not completely reliable.

Credit cards - Mayor credit cards are accepted in the most important hotels, restaurants and commercial centers, however the same thing doesn't happen in the smallest establishments neither in the remote towns.
In general, Mastercard, Diners, Visa and American Express are very well accepted. It is recommendable to consult with your travel agent about the possibilities of use of credit cards.

Traveler checks - In the main cities of Bolivia, the casas de cambio and some other establishments accept travelers checks, reason why selling them won’t be any difficult; but, the situation is different in the smallest towns, for what is recommended to take cash.
One more thing, if you plans to take travelers checks, the best thing will be to have them issued in American dollars.

TOP

BOLIVIA SHOPPING

Llama and alpaca sweaters (note the differences between handmade and machine-made items), place mats, handwoven chullos (stocking caps with ear flaps), rugs and ponchos, inexpensive gold and silver jewelry, hammocks (in the lowlands) and native musical instruments are among the best buys. In La Paz, the area above the Plaza de San Francisco has the largest concentration of shops selling sweaters, jewelry, musical instruments and souvenirs. Prices are slightly higher there than in other markets around the city - probably because of the number of tourists who visit the plaza. In general, however, we found the prices in Bolivia to be better than in Peru, Chile or Argentina. In rural areas, look for folk art, wood carvings, tin and other handicrafts, textiles and ekikos (statues of the god of good fortune in silver, ceramic or gold). In the lowlands, Santa Cruz is a great source for arts and crafts.

When shopping, bargaining is acceptable and expected. But be polite, patient and respectful and never criticize an item in hope of lowering the price.

Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 9 am-noon and 2-6 pm, Saturday 9 am-noon.

TOP

TIPPING

Except in expensive hotels and restaurants, don't tip. Bolivians will consider you to be a silly gringo throwing money away. Trekking and jungle guides appreciate being tipped.

TOP

BOLIVIA PEOPLE

The people of Bolivia are made up of roughly 55 percent of Native Americans and about 30 percent of mestizo who are a mixture of Native American and European race. The remaining 5 percent is made up of white people, mainly of Spanish descent. Most of the people live in urban areas, only around 37 percent live in rural areas.

TOP

BOLIVIA SPORTS & ACTIVITES

An increasing number of local and international tour operators offer customised adventure tours to Bolivia, with a strong focus on trekking, mountaineering, ecotourism, and wildlife and jungle tours. For further information, contact the Viceministerio de Turismo (see Contact Addresses section).

Trekking: Bolivia’s large range of geographical regions and climates makes for an exceptional variety of ecosystems, flora and fauna. There are currently 10 national parks and eight protected areas, as well as another dozen or so areas that are being re-evaluated for park or protected area status. La Paz is the most popular starting point for trekking excursions, many of which follow ancient Inca routes through the Cordillera Real and end up in the Yungas - an area of deep valleys that separates the high Andes from the Amazon basin. Well-known trekking routes include the La Cumbre to Coroico trail (three days); the Taquesi route through the Cordillera Real (two days), also known as the Inca Trail; and the El Camino de Oro route (six days), starting at Sorata and ending at the Río Tipuani gold fields. Good maps of Bolivia can be obtained from the Instituto Geográfico Militar in La Paz and other major cities.

Jungle tours: Most treks to the Amazon jungle start from Rurrenabaque (235km/145 miles northeast of La Paz). Typical jungle trips include a motorised canoe trip up the rivers Beni and Tuichi, with rainforest walks and camping en route. Most tours are led by local guides who have an intimate knowledge of the indigenous plants and wildlife (which includes hundreds of species of tropical birds). Further popular itineraries for treks in the Amazon region include expeditions to the pampas (good for wildlife viewing); the remote Parque Nacional Noel Kempff; and river trips along the Río Mamoré.

Mountaineering: The best opportunities are in the Cordillera Real, which has several peaks above 5000m (14,500ft). Climbing excursions (complete with mules, porters and guides) can also be booked in Sorata, which is set in a beautiful valley with an abundance of trees and flowers. Mountain bike tours are also available (website: www.hoodoobiketours.com).

Skiing: At an altitude of 5486m (18,000ft), Mount Chacaltaya (55km/35 miles from La Paz) is reputedly the world’s highest ski resort. Visitors should note, however, that lift and accommodation facilities are fairly basic and that low oxygen levels and icy snow often make for difficult conditions. The best time to attempt skiing here is from April to June.

Fishing: Bolivia is reputed to offer some of the best lake fishing in the world, especially for trout.

TOP

BOLIVIA TIME ZONE

4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.

TOP