| Bolivia is sometimes called the Tibet of the Americas, | | | | Inca empire was created. You can also go down a |
| for its arid, high-altitude desert-like plateau, more vivid | | | | terrifying but spectacular road to Coroico, a popular |
| when called by its Spanish name altiplano. This is one | | | | resort town in the sub-tropical Yungas valleys. |
| of the toughest inhabited environments on earth from | | | | With more time, you could explore the remote corners |
| shimmering Lake Titicaca, the only lake to give birth to | | | | of the Southern Altiplano. Old colonial Potosi is said to |
| an empire, to the surreal Salar de Uyuni, the biggest | | | | be the most interesting of Bolivia's cities and the site of |
| and highest salt lake in the world - 12,000 sq km of | | | | the Spanish silver mines. Nearby is the official capital, |
| blinding white, completely flat nothingness. | | | | Sucre, with its fascinating colonial architecture. |
| Bolivia has also been called the Nepal of the Americas, | | | | Southwest of Potosi is Uyuni, which sets you off on a |
| for its Cordillera Real with almost a thousand peaks | | | | 3-4-day tour to the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest |
| soaring over 5,000 meters and matching anything the | | | | salt lake. Further south, near the Chilean border, are |
| Himalayas can offer in climbing and trekking, but with | | | | deserts, volcanoes and multi-colored soda lakes |
| much less of the human traffic. | | | | carpeted with flamingoes. The south is also home to |
| The major attraction tourists have for Bolivia is its wild, | | | | the vineyards of Tarija and the graveyards of |
| unexplored natural beauty. The country, or the greater | | | | dinosaurs. The Sajima National Park, near the Chilean |
| part of it, lies off the beaten track; a vast wildness | | | | border, includes the highest peak in Bolivia. |
| waiting to be seen and appreciated. This land-locked | | | | East of La Paz, you escape the cold of the altiplano |
| country at the heart and peak of South America | | | | and go down the Amazon jungle towards Brazil. The |
| offers magnificent trekking, especially around Coroico | | | | Torotoro National Park is full of fossils, dinosaur |
| and Sorata in the Cordillera Real. You can go to the | | | | footprints, caves and waterfalls, the real trip for those |
| Amazonian rainforests in its eastern parts by | | | | who love the unbeaten paths. |
| breath-taking airplane flights or by hair-raising, or rather, | | | | Bolivia's newest attraction is the Chalalan Eco-lodge, in |
| heart-stopping bus rides. | | | | the Madidi National Park, right in the Amazon jungle. |
| Special Treats | | | | This is ecotourism in capital letters, and the place has |
| Some travel companies offer the adventurous a | | | | the greatest biodiversity in the whole planet. There are |
| one-week ice-climbing and biking vacation. After a day | | | | over 300 types of birds, 1,200 butterfly species, |
| of training on the mountain bike, you pedal away on a | | | | monkeys, jaguar, tapir, caiman, and other wildlife. |
| mountain road ringed on the sides with 800-foot drops. | | | | Best time to go |
| If that's not enough, another route will pass by a | | | | Bolivia's roads are notoriously poor, so you'll want to |
| section with a 14,000-foot drop. The route takes you | | | | avoid the rainy season from November to March, if |
| from the peak of the Chacaltaya Mountain and goes | | | | you want to visit the jungles. The Altiplano does not |
| down into the impenetrable jungles of the Zongo | | | | get much rain, so timing is not so crucial although hiking |
| Valley. A brief rest, and then you undergo one more | | | | trails can get muddy. June and July, the winter months, |
| day of training prior to a two-day climb up Huayna | | | | are colder but the nights are clearer, and these are the |
| Potosi, one of the highest peaks in the world at 20,000 | | | | best months to visit the Salar de Uyuni. June to August |
| feet. | | | | are the busiest tourism months and hotels will be full. |
| What Else to Do | | | | The best festivals (Carnival and Holy Week) happen |
| Most parts of the country are remote, and can be | | | | during the rainy season. |
| reached only by long bus rides. Vacations lasting a | | | | Planning your trip |
| few weeks would hardly be enough to see what | | | | Airlines are busiest from early December to |
| should be seen. You may have to fly to other | | | | mid-January and July to September. The best |
| destinations. La Paz is the jump-off point for Bolivia's | | | | connections to La Paz are through Sao Paolo, Rio de |
| sites. From the capital La Paz, you could take a trip | | | | Janeiro, Buenos Aires or Miami. The main cities have |
| north to the city of Tiahuanaco, which preceded the | | | | their hotels, but away from them, there are suitable |
| great Inca Empire; further north is Lake Titicaca. On the | | | | hotels for every budget, which offer excellent value - |
| lake is the beautiful Isla del Sol, where legend says the | | | | not luxurious but clean and popular with travelers. |