Bolivia

• You need a passport of at least six months of validity before you start your travel to this country. European, Australian, and Canadian nationals do not require a visa if they are visiting Bolivia as a tourist. U.S nationals do require a visa.

• You can take cruise trips and air travel to most of the cities in Bolivia.

• Handshake is customary when greeting locals in Bolivia.

• Bolivians have the habit of standing close when conversing.

• Always make direct eye contact when talking, as it is considered untrustworthy if you do not make eye contact while talking.

• Never eat anything with fingers. Even finger foods and fruits are eaten with fork and knife.

• You must eat everything on your plate as it is considered polite.

• After you finish dining at anybody’s home stay for 30 minutes at least, before you leave.

• Do not wear shorts when touring in Bolivian cities.

• Do not discuss political issues or share your opinions on them.

• Bolivians are warm and friendly and appreciate the same attitude of the tourists.

• When travelling at higher altitudes, chew cocoa leaves to reduce altitude sickness.

• Take Spanish lessons at any learning centre in Bolivia.

• Do not wear expensive clothes, accessories, or jewellery when travelling to Bolivia. Carry as less as possible.

• Always keep your travel documents and travel insurance with you.

• Do not use ATMs at night if you want to prevent armed robbery.

• Do not entertain strangers who drop cash at your feet and ask you to check your wallet for dropped cashed. This is a scam to accuse you of theft or rob your wallet.

• Only show documents to officers in uniforms. Many thieves scam tourists posing as police offers asking to check their cash for counterfeit notes and rob them of their valuables.

Landscapes, colonial cities, and rainforests

Visit La Paz to get a closer glimpse of its indigenous culture and vibrant markets. Visit Lake Titicaca for trekking, camping, and mountain biking. Visit Tiwanaku for sightseeing monuments made in sandstone, and get a view of the pre-Columbian and Inca history. The Salar de Uyuni and the Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa has the largest salt lake where you can spot flamingos. You can visit this lake for its exotic beauty. Visit the silver mines at Potosí and take a breathtaking view of their colonial architecture. This place has a tragic history. Sucre, the capital city of Bolivia has spring-like pleasant climate throughout the year. Visit this city for its historical sites and architecture. The Jesuit missions of Chiquitos has many churches and a fascinating history. Get a glimpse of biodiversity at the Rurrenabaque and the Amazon.

Wildlife and nature

Pink silver dolphins can be spotted in one of the most popular national parks in Bolivia, in Parque Nacional Madidi. Take a look at the biodiversity of the flora and fauna present at this park. You can take a look at exotic species of birds and animals at Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado. The Parque Nacional Amboró has 300 species of birds, the most exotic place for bird watching. You can take walking trails and treks at Yungas, Cordillera Real and Cordillera Apolobamba.

Sightseeing, music, civilization

Peña showcases live traditional Andean music. The musical instruments like, zampoña and charango are used. Get an insight into the mysterious civilizations that existed in the history when you visit Tiwanaku. The Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna, Lake Titicaca has many sacred islands that are important to people who follow the Andean tradition. This is considered to be the birthplace of sun and moon. You can visit monasteries, churches, colonial buildings, and museums in Sucre. Get the bizarre view of folk medicines at the Witches market in Mercado de Hechicería, La Paz.

Trekking, water sports, and camping

Trekking and camping is free in most of the Bolivia. You can choose your own trekking and camping site and take care of your safety. If the area involves locals, take their permission before you camp at that site. The Sorata town in La Paz offers many places for trekking. You can take a three day trip and trek at various sites and explore these places. You can visit Coroico for rafting, canoeing, waterfalls, and hiking. You can visit the Isla del So for its Inca history. You can take walking and trekking trails at this place. You can visit Irupana for paragliding.

Bolivia is located in the western central South America. Since it is a developing country, it is very well connected to the other nations. One can go to Bolivia through many ways. Some of the ways to reach Bolivia are:

• By Air- Bolivia has a very well developed aerial transportation system. They have several airports in the country. People touring Bolivia generally take the flight to Santa Cruz and land on the Viru Viru International Airport. If they want to visit any other city in the country, they can go there by road.
• By road- The road system of the country is excellent. Many people go to Bolivia by road. In order to enter Bolivia by road, one will have to enter it through its neighboring countries such as Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. The roads from Argentina and Peru are of higher quality than that of Chile and Brazil.

Bolivia is a very pretty country with beautiful mountains, highlands, and lowlands. The weather in the country becomes more and more pleasant as one goes on higher altitudes. The country is filled with amazing sites which can’t be compared to anything in the world. Some of the things one can do in Bolivia are:

• Trekking- Bolivia is filled with mountains and hills. One cannot stop itself from trekking on these hills after seeing them. The hills in Bolivia are so beautiful that one cannot stop marveling it.
• Sightseeing- Bolivia is blessed with such highlands and lowlands that one is left speechless. The natural terrains and the lovely beaches of Bolivia are among the best in the world. The Panoramic view of the surrounding which one gets from the top of a hill is breathtaking.
• Forest tours- Bolivia is home for one of the greatest forest in the world, Amazon forests. This makes forest tours an integral part of visiting Bolivia. One gets to explore Amazon and the other forests in Bolivia and observe the fauna and flora there.

Bolivia is traditional South American country and the Bolivian cuisine is to die for. It is delicious, to say the least. The main things which the Bolivians have are potatoes, corn, quinoa, and beans. They make various dishes using these four items and the outcome of their variations are mouth-watering. Some of the best places to enjoy their local cuisine are:

• Las Cholas
• Luciernagas
• Café Bistrot Copacabana
• Ali Pacha
• Vinapho
• La Cueva

Bolivia is a developing country, therefore, the transport system of the country is not the best in the world. But it is decent enough for people to commute within the country. Bolivia has a very well connected transport system for buses. The bus is one of the main modes of transport in the country. They run very frequently within the country and is the cheapest way to travel in the country. One can also take a cab to travel if they want. The locals and the hotel staffs are amiable and help people to find cabs.

Bolivia is very diverse country. There are a lots languages spoken in the country because of its diverse nature. More than 40 dialects are spoken in Bolivia. The national language of Bolivia is Spanish, therefore the majority of the people speak Spanish here. Some of the common greetings in Spanish are:

Hi- Hola

Good morning- Buenos dias

Good afternoon- Buenos tardes

Good night- Buenos noches