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An update from Evaneos

Best places to visit in Bolivia

To travel to Bolivia is to choose a destination in which mass tourism and all-inclusive package deals have no role to play. And so much the better! Most travellers do, however, combine a trip to Bolivia with a trip to Peru and are happy enough just to visit the area around La Paz. That's such a shame! With its virgin Amazon rainforest, the huge mountains of its Altiplano, and the arid plains in its east, Bolivia has scenery and landscapes unlike anything else in the world to offer. And that's without even mentioning its indigenous culture, which is so much in evidence everywhere in the country and so highly respected. It really is delightful!

What better way is there to get the most out of a travel destination than by swapping tips and ideas about what to see and do there? Evaneos' community of seasoned travellers have provided reviews of both the essential places to see and visit in Bolivia and their favourite off-the-beaten-track and out-of-the-way places.

La Paz, Bolivia's capital, is a charming, atypical and cosmopolitan city, and well worth spending several days exploring. The 4x4 tour of the Uyuni salt flat and Sud Lipez Province is definitely something every self-respecting adventurer should have on their to-do list. On your return, make a stop at Potosí mines, which were once a source of great wealth for Latin America.

To finish off this high-altitude excursion, spend some time in the Amazon rainforest atRurrenabaque, where you'll have the opportunity to see all kinds of jungle animals, including everything from caimans and monkeys to pink river dolphins. And why not reach to this region via the famous 'Death Road', Coroico, perhaps even descending it by bicycle?

Those with enough time on their hands should definitely go to see the giant tree ferns of Amboró National Park in the east of the country, which so many tourists miss the opportunity to visit. Something tourists normally don't miss, however, is the chance to let their hair down and enjoy themselves to the sounds and rhythms of the Diablada at the Oruro Carnival, the most famous in South America after that of Rio de Janeiro, and the opportunity to tour round the Jesuit missions of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

And when you've done all this, you will no doubt head next for Lake Titicaca and Peru, to visit an area which, with its wonderful landscapes and scenery, really is one of the essential places to see in South America.

What a programme! We'll leave you to browse the Evaneos website and find out more about all these sites for yourself. A word of warning however: they are all so wonderful that you might have difficulty deciding which to visit!

Julie Olagnol
Pampas del Yacuma is a tropical zone located in the department of Beni, approximately 300 km from the Bolivian capital.
The city is famous for its mines.
Pulacayo is a town located very close to the Salar de Uyuni salt flat and is home to train cemetery, formerly used to transport silver to Chili.
The gateway of the Amazon, Rurrenabaque, or Rurre for everyone else, is the ideal starting point for a journey in the jungle or the pampa.
Salar de Coipasa is a salt desert located north of Salar de Uyuni, in the department of Oruro.
A city with colonial architecture and a green heart.
About 50km east of Sucre, the village of Tarabuco is known for its craft market, one of the most traditional craft markets in Bolivia.
A city with Andalusian flair, located in the extreme south of Bolivia, Tarija has the highest vineyards in the world. This is where your Bolivian wine journey will begin.
In the department of Cochambamba, on the banks of the Chapare River, Villa Tunari is a town surrounded by tropical forest.
Yumani is an indigenous village located on Isla del Sol at the southern end of the legendary Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.
Aldea de Tulor is an archeological site very close to San Pedro de Atacama, in Chili.
Campo Canal is a base camp located at an altitude of approximately 4,800 m. It's one of the stopping places on the Cordillera Real trek.
Campo Venado is a base camp which sits about 4,300 metres above sea level. This is one step of the trek across the Cordillera Real.
The Las Cuevas waterfalls are 3 waterfalls located about twenty kilometres from Samaipata, in the province of Santa Cruz.
Chaupi Orco is a mountain in the Cordillera Apolobamba which is located to the north of the mythical Lake Titicaca and which straddles both Bolivia and Peru.
Laguna Chilata is a high altitude lake located in the Cordillera Real.
Located 370km from La Paz, Cochabamba is the country's third largest city. The climate never fails to impress visitors who often choose to stay in Cochambamba longer than originally planned.
At the heart of the Cordillera Real, Condoriri National Park is home to around 20 summits, some of which are over 5,000m high.
About 56 ml from La Paz, in the heart of the Yungas region, the town of Coroico is a sort of link between the Andes and Amazonia .
Curahuara De Carangas is a Bolivian city known for its beautiful colonial church. It's located in the Sajama province, 200km from the town of Oruro.
Jirira is a village which sits on the north bank of Salar de Uyuni.
A stone's throw from YumaniKalaki is a village located north of Lake Titicaca, not far from the city of Copacabana. It's one of the departure points for the Cordillera Real trek.
Nicknamed the "lagoon of birds", Ajwani Lagooncan be explored during a trek in the Cordillera Real.
Laguna Chiarkhota is a high-altitude lake located in the Cordillera Real mountain range.
Laguna Chiscacalliuni is a high altitude lagoon located in the Cordillera Real.
The Congelada Lagoon is a lagoon at high altitude located in the heart of the Cordillera Real, not far from the Jurikhota Lagoon.
Laguna Glaciar is a glacial lagoon at altitude located between the village of Sorata and Laguna Chillata.
Laguna Jist'aña Quta is a high-altitude lake located in the majestic Cordillera Real mountains in the La Paz region of Bolivia.
Laguna Jurikhota is a high altitude lagoon that you can explore while trekking in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia's most impressive mountain range.
Laguna Kacha is a lake located at the heart of the Cordillera Real mountains east of La Paz.