Bolivia may be one of the poorest nations in Latin America, but it is packed with natural beauty, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and a rich indigenous history that keeps many traditions alive today making it a must-see South American destination. That said, during our allotted thirty days in this landlocked nation equivalent to three times the size of Montana, we really only scratched the surface of the central and southwest regions. Below is our personal list of stats, as well as upsides and downsides for the country.
Time Spent: 30 nights
Money Spent: $1644.28 or $54.80/day (with US mandated visa) or $1324.28 or $44.14/day (without visa)
Places Visited: Santa Cruz de La Sierra (2) Samaipata (3) Sucre (12) Potosi (1) Uyuni (3) Tupiza (4) Tarija (3)
Favorite Place: Tarija
Least Favorite: Uyuni (town)
Best Stay: Hostel Butch Cassidy (Tupiza)
Favorite Experience: Salar de Uyuni
Least Favorite: Getting food poisoning in Sucre for three days
Would we return? Yes, we now have a 10 year visa so it’d be a shame not to
Where would we go? The Cordillera de los Frailes hike (we missed it due to weather and illness), Lake Titicaca, hiking near La Paz, Cochabamba and Amazonas.
The Upsides of Bolivia
- The most understandable Spanish accent we have encountered
- A very affordable destination (other than visa). $44/day was easily attainable
- A rich colonial history nearly everywhere you go, which means lots of charm
- the country is very hiking friendly and has ample opportunities. That said, the trails aren’t always marked well so you often need to rely on GPS
- other than Uyuni, it never felt overly touristy.
- a vibrant indigenous presence
- the weather (October) is gorgeous with loads of sunny days
- Universal power plugs
- A resplendent fruit & veg selection featuring temperate and tropical fruits
- Comfortable and inexpensive long distance buses (usually a $1-1.50/hour)
- Safety conscious long distance drivers…they drive slow and steady
- The road conditions were better than we thought (other than Tupiza to Tarija)
- There is always spice on the table and they appreciate it in their cooking
- We felt incredibly secure with our personal safety
- We had a very positive experience in the emergency room in Santa Cruz
The Downsides of Bolivia
- A lot of pollution in the form of air, water, land and sound in the cities
- Safety and health standards are very low
- It’s commonly known as the “India of South America” when it comes to food poisoning. We got it, as well as our friends. There are also lots of stories about this online
- The transportation & infrastructure is often very disorganized and the times offered can be ridiculous
- Exorbitant visa cost and process (US citizens)
- The food is uninteresting…typical Latin American and often includes way too much chicken, rice and fries
- Water is not drinkable
- The stray dogs are everywhere often making sleeping and walking challenging. It’s the worst we’ve seen since Mexico.
- Everything is very cash based including most accommodations/little opportunity to use a credit card
- The quality of products purchased can be deceiving
- Limited pharmaceutical options
