Travel Favourites: Bolivia

I am a travel fanatic; I find travelling to be one of the most wonderful, happiness-inducing experiences out there. As such, I think Happier Than Larry deserves a travel section. At last count I had made it to 30 countries, so I thought it was time to share some of my top places. I'd love to hear some of your favourite spots and incorporate them into a future trip, so please feel free to comment with any of your recommendations. In the meantime I hope my Travel Favourites feature gives you some inspiration or nostalgia for adventures of your own. 

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Bolivia is easily one of my favourite countries. With a breathtaking array of natural wonders and rich indigenous culture, it is easily a place to fall in love with. Much poorer and less industrialised than some of its more European neighbours, Bolivia has a humble vibe and offers a slightly slower pace of life. Major ethnic groups are broadly divided by the altitude, between the higher, colder mountainous Altiplanos region and the lower warmer regions. There are many subcultures and ethnic groups, as well as populations of Europeans, mestizos of mixed euro-indigenous descent and afro-Bolivians. Unlike in some parts of the world, you feel that the indigenous cultures are very much alive and present and not a thing of the past. This is visible in the rituals, customs, music and dress, which are utterly captivating.

Celebrating the sunrise on winter solstice in Tiwanaku. Source: Makanaka

La Paz from above

La Paz , is a chaotic, sensory overload of a city, which takes up every perceivable inch of land in the valley it occupies. At 3600+ metres above sea level, you can expect to feel somewhat incompetent during any physical excersion until your red blood cell count increases after a month or so. This is particularly poignant when you're being quite significantly overtaken by people in their 70s and 80s whilst walking uphill!

Spice Markets. Source: Trekearth

La Paz is an abbreviation of Nuestra Señora de La Paz, which translates to 'our lady of peace'. There are many peaceful elements to the city, but they are juxtaposed against the loud traffic and the hustle and bustle. You can absorb some of the countries history and culture exploring the museums or witches markets or venture off to trek the local mountains or ruins. The city offers vibrant fabrics, gorgeous wool clothing, rich herbs and spices, llama foetuses and strips of technology shops; it's a real mix!

Source: Too Grey To Grind

For the adrenaline junkies, 'The World's Most Dangerous Road' is one hell of a ride. You can cycle down the perilous trail. Starting up at nearly 5000m, where the altitude hits you, you are surrounded by frozen lakes and llamas with icycles in their fur. As you descend, it gradually becomes warmer, you cycle down through the clouds and waterfalls and are faced with a perilous drop, hundreds of metres down to the jungle below. After an exhilarating several-hour descent, you end up down in the jungle, with a tropical climate and the sounds of birds and monkeys around you. You can take the safer road back to La Paz, or recuperate in the jungle for a couple of days.

There are many other interesting cities and towns across the country, including Sucre: the whitewash sugar cube style capital, Oruro: a truly incredible place to celebrate carnival, and some striking mining towns.  However I think what really makes Bolivia special, is the range of natural beauty at your fingertips. Salar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt flat, is perhaps the most awe-inspiring place I've ever been. It was formed as an ancient salt lake when the Nazca and South American continents colided, forming the Andes mountain range. The lake has long since dried out, leaving beautiful, geometric salt formations for miles. 

Jeeps on the salt flats

Sunset on the salt flats, copyright Ian Parker

If you visit when there is a little rain on the salt, the surface perfectly reflects the sky and it's as if you are walking in the clouds. It feels truly magical. 

Thunder over the salt flats, copyright Ian Parker

Pink dolphins. Source: Andes Discovery

One of the other great natural beauties of Bolivia is the Amazon Basin; home of elusive jaguars, crocodiles, alligators, piranha, anaconda, capybara, monkeys and a plethora of weird and wonderful creepy crawlies. A lesser known occupant of the Bolivian Amazon is the Amazon river dolphin. If you can brave the parasite and alligator infested waters, you can swim with these playful, pink (!!) dolphins. On hindsight, like The World's Most Dangerous Road, this sounds like a terrible idea, but it is seriously fun as well! 

There is so much more to mention, not least lake Titicaca with its floating islands that people live on. I've spent a couple of months in Bolivia and still feel like there is so much more to see. I cannot recommend it enough. Also it is insanely cheap, so you can do all of these incredible activities without breaking the bank. 

Bolivia is a country not without its struggles (socio-political and economic), so if you are there, try to travel responsibly, reinvest money into the local communities and perhaps get involved with some community projects. (You may have heard me raving about the CMA - a charity providing prosthetics to low-income Bolivian amputees.) 

Happy travels everyone!