| A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in | | | | are always tempered by cooling breezes. |
| sight. Sound like a dream? It's not. This slice of paradise | | | | Bolivia is a republic with a presidential system of |
| does exist. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains of | | | | government. Its fully democratic, American style |
| South America, Bolivia is a little-known retreat | | | | system retains the respect of individual rights and |
| exotically spiced with a unique Latin and Native | | | | freedoms. |
| American flavor. Bolivia has a lot to offer...a very low | | | | Bolivia enjoys a remarkably low crime rate, with violent |
| cost of living, unspoiled natural environment, friendly | | | | crime being virtually unknown and theft not |
| people and a range of climates to suit virtually every | | | | commonplace. |
| taste. | | | | Americans, Canadians, Australians and most |
| Property prices are among the lowest in Latin America | | | | Europeans don't need a visa to spend up to 90 days |
| and it has the potential to become the world's next | | | | as a tourist in Bolivia and nonresidents may buy |
| great expatriate haven. Bolivia has long been a | | | | property. Live the good life on less than $9,000 a year. |
| favorite destination of adventure travelers, yet few | | | | Besides the fact that there's no such thing as a rat |
| mainstream American and European tourists make it | | | | race in Bolivia, its biggest asset is its cost of living. You |
| to this secretive outpost. Why? Well, perhaps it's | | | | can stay in a clean, friendly hotel in the city center for |
| because Bolivia isn't a destination you stumble across | | | | $8 a night (or US$125 per month) where every meal |
| by accident. Shrouded by great mountain ranges, it lies | | | | costs less than $3. Groceries are up to 70% cheaper |
| hidden between Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru and | | | | than in the United States or Europe. A routine trip to a |
| Paraguay. | | | | good English-speaking doctor will set you back no |
| The country's most famous visitors were Butch | | | | more than $20. You can take in an American movie |
| Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the American outlaws | | | | for only $2 or get a taxi across town for as little as 80 |
| who fled to South America in the early 1900s - they | | | | cents. And you're certainly not going to have high utility |
| are said to have had their last stand with the Bolivian | | | | bills: Electricity and heating costs average $15 a month. |
| army and are buried here. As recent as the 1980s, | | | | Cheap Real Estate |
| wise old men in towns throughout the Bolivian highlands | | | | To give you an example of the costs, here are some |
| could be heard gossiping about the fate of two of | | | | properties on offer right now: |
| America's most notorious outlaws. In Bolivia, myths | | | | A 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 2500-square-foot home in |
| come thick and fast, and one legend has it that the | | | | an affluent neighborhood with a large garden, a |
| Incas have an underground network of secret | | | | garage, an alarm system, and every modern |
| passageways on an island located in Lake Titicaca, | | | | convenience, for $75,000. |
| which is praised by visitors as being one of the | | | | A 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom, 800-square-foot apartment |
| deepest blue and most beautiful bodies of water in the | | | | with a dining room, a kitchen, central heating, a balcony, |
| world. | | | | and parking, costs $15,000. |
| Leave your worries at home | | | | Rentals are downright cheap by First World standards. |
| Bolivia is one of those countries that seduce you | | | | Apartments begin at around $75 per month for |
| through sheer personality. The colorful bustle of its | | | | something small, with houses starting at the $200 mark. |
| markets and street vendors, the liveliness of its nightlife, | | | | You could certainly rent a nice two-bedroom |
| and the charm and friendliness of its people, make it | | | | apartment in one of the best parts of town for $175 to |
| one of the most livable places in Latin America. Bolivia | | | | $350 a month. And you can lease a luxury |
| has a bit of something for everyone: charming | | | | three-bedroom suburban home would rent for |
| old-world colonial towns with great restaurants, | | | | between $275 and $400 per month; homes with |
| museums, and nightlife, as well as slow-paced cozy | | | | private swimming pools start at around $500 monthly. |
| developments in rural areas near indigenous villages, | | | | Recently, I helped a client find a lot to build on for less |
| where hunting, gathering and fishing are a way of life. | | | | than $5000, with good shopping, a lake and the airport |
| The climate is another plus. Temperatures in Bolivia | | | | all in walking distance. |
| range from the mid 60s to the low 80s, with the | | | | These deals and many more make little-known Bolivia |
| average being in the mid 70s. Even the hottest days | | | | worth investigating. |