After 3 days stuck in a jeep exploring the magnificent landscapes of Southwestern Bolivia, we were excited to finally make it to the Salar de Uyuni – the largest salt flats in the world. The night before, we caught our first sight of this amazing natural wonder as we made our way to our final [...]
We booked a 4-day jeep tour to the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats, while in Tupiza. This would be slightly different than the “standard” 3-day tour which departs from the town of Uyuni. Instead of spending the first day on the salt flats, our tour would culminate in us visiting them the [...]
The roads in much of Bolivia are notoriously terrible. The majority are unpaved, dirt roads that curve around mountains with sheer drops (like the Death Road). Although we’ve had many scary, winding bus rides, the ride from Tarija to Tupiza was the most memorable to date. Our guidebook warned us the ride was an extremely [...]
When we were preparing to leave Sucre after spending Christmas there, we were shocked to hear from our very sweet host and hostel owner that the Bolivian government had swiftly and unexpectedly removed a gas subsidy, causing the price of gas to double overnight. This would mean higher bus fares, higher taxi fares and most [...]
Bolivia is home to some strange and scary tourist attractions. We’d already toured a working prison and gone mountain biking down the World’s Most Dangerous Road, but there was still another famous site left to visit – the depths of hell in the Potosi mines. At one point in time, the Cerro Rico mines in [...]
This adventure is an incredible journey through landscapes and cultures, people and foods we’ve never even imagined before. Every day is amazing and words cannot really properly describe it. But one thing I’d been dreading was spending the holidays away from home. Skype is wonderful and I am so incredibly thankful that we are travelling [...]
Descending 3,400m (11,000 ft) from a high mountain pass near La Paz to the tropical lowlands of Coroico, the North Yungas Road has famously been dubbed “The Death Road” and “The World’s Most Dangerous Road”. Until a new road was constructed in 2006, this narrow unpaved “highway” – a major artery linking the capital city [...]
After stomach ailments and altitude sickness in La Paz, we finally booked a flight to Rurrenabaque. This is the small riverfront town where tours depart for the jungle and Pampas. We had heard from other backpackers along the way that the Pampas tours were great, so after a disappointing trip to the Amazon in Iquitos, [...]
It’s not listed in most guide books, yet travelers up and down the “gringo trail” in South America talk about it nonstop. “Have you been to the prison?” they inquire of anyone that’s passed through Bolivia. The “prison” they are referring to is the infamous San Pedro Prison, located off a quiet, pretty square in [...]
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Bolivia by the Numbers
Our guidebook warned us in advance, “in Bolivia, learn to expect the unexpected.” That advice proved true time and time again as this high-altitude, landlocked, South American country repeatedly surprised us (for good and for bad). Only in Bolivia can you mountain bike down the world’s most dangerous road, come face to face with colorful [...]