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