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Category: Bolivia

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

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Long distance bus travel is likely to form a central component of any South American trip. For cash-strapped backpackers, an overnighter also helps save money as it gives you a nights accommodation as well as the means to get from a to b. The level of comfort (and safety) of South American buses depends on the country you’re in and the bus company you go for. On one bus, we were served champagne (yes! champagne) after our meal (yes! we were served a…

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Crossing Borders: In pictures

Crossing Borders: In pictures

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We crossed a number of land borders throughout our 6 and a half months in South America – quite a novelty for two Brits! Here are some of our border crossing photos.  Leaving Peru, we were pleased that the border crossing was well marked with the iconic Peru sign and a big bottle of Cusquena beer! We walked across the border into Bolivia and were less delighted with the queue for Bolivian immigration that we were confronted with. We left Bolivia…

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Nine South American Sunsets

Nine South American Sunsets

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A paddle in the Pacific 1. Lima: Our first South American sunset was in Peru’s capital Lima, where on day one of our 6 month trip, I enjoyed my first ever paddle in the Pacific Ocean as the sun went down. We then walked up the path from the beach to Barranco – the arty area of town we were staying – to enjoy a cold one as the sun  disappeared below the horizon on our first day away. The Peruvian…

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Where we stayed – Bolivia

Where we stayed – Bolivia

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Overview:  Bolivia is the cheapest country in South America. Depending on your budget you can find cheaper places to stay than those listed here. Alternatively, you can splash out a little bit and stay in some very nice places. Our choices were largely above complete budget, but were, on the whole, great value for money. Copacabana – Fresh off the bus from Puno, Peru, we headed to La Cúpula to see if they had any rooms, as the hostel had been recommended…

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Being vegetarian in Bolivia

Being vegetarian in Bolivia

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We’d been told in Peru from travellers coming north that Bolivian food was rather underwhelming and that there was little choice for vegetarians. I’d had quite an easy time in Peru and so was bracing myself for a month or so of nothing but rice and omelettes. However, while it was true that Bolivia is less foodie than Peru, there were some good veggie options and I only ate about two omelettes in almost two months. (And they were nice…

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The highs (and lows) of our visit to the Bolivian salt flats

The highs (and lows) of our visit to the Bolivian salt flats

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Our trip to Bolivia’s salt flats and other worldly landscapes of the country’s southwest was somewhat cursed from the start. First off we missed the bus that we had intended to take to Uyuni (where most tours to the salt flats start), as we struggled to find a taxi and then the police decided to check our taxi drivers papers. We arrived at the bus station, just as the very full bus was leaving. This was not too much of…

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Siete Cascadas and the road to nowhere

Siete Cascadas and the road to nowhere

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One Sunday in Sucre, we decided to go for a relaxing afternoon to the Siete Cascadas (seven waterfalls). We’d been told it was a beautiful spot, with pools to bathe in and areas where you could jump in. And it was only a short ride outside of Sucre. By the time we’d got ourselves ready, it was getting a little bit late and so we decided to “splash out” and get a taxi rather than work out where to catch…

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Highlights of Sucre

Highlights of Sucre

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The main square in Sucre We spent 3 and a half weeks in Bolivia’s constitutional capital, Sucre. Independence was officially declared in the town and while most of the administrative functions of Bolivia have moved to La Paz (with the exception of the Supreme Court), Sucre is still officially the capital, according to the constitution. It is considerably smaller than La Paz though and you can get to know it, or at least the central area in a matter of…

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And into the jungle!

And into the jungle!

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Madidi Travel’s resident parrot A trip to the Amazon basin is on most travellers’ bucket list. But it doesn’t come cheap. Our research showed us that Bolivia was one of the more affordable entry points into the jungle. In Peru, we met people travelling north from Bolivia – all of whom recommended different trips and tour companies.We decided fairly quickly against a ‘pampas’ or wetland savannah trip, as although you have a higher chance of seeing animals, due to the…

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The world’s most dangerous road

The world’s most dangerous road

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Its a long way down! Before arriving in South America, I had read about the so called ‘death road’ in Bolivia, which according to Wikipedia claims up to 300 lives every year. I watched youtube videos of buses travelling along very narrow stretches of road, with sheer drops of over 600 metres. It looked horrible. Looking over the edge Then I started to read that it had become a bit of a tourist attraction. Travelling down this road where so…

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