Villa Antigua, Sucre, Bolivia - Interactive Hotel Directory - Hotel & Location Chat - Local Businesses - Pictures

Bolivia, landlocked at the heart of Andean Latin America, remains something of a well-kept secret. Throughout the country's colonial history, Bolivia was known as 'Upper Peru', until after Simon Bolivar led the country to independence in 1825, when it was named in his honour.

Today, those who venture beyond the mass tourism of neighbouring, modern-day Peru will find a country offering a far more authentic take on Latin American culture. While upscale hotels and international-standard restaurants do exist, there are also plenty of long bus journeys along mountain passes, rough-and-tumble jeep trips across empty landscapes and chilly nights in low-frills hotels under llama-wool blankets. The infrastructure may need some work but the country's innate charm lies in its staggering breadth of contrasts: the clash of indigenous and European culture, the sweep of landscape from jungle to high-altitude mountains and the diversity of activities from adrenaline sports to ancient monuments.

With around two thirds of the population being of indigenous origin, the authentic culture has not been watered down. Native religions, dialects, clothes, music and medicines all form part of the daily life on the street. While the Spanish influence is strong in the colonial architecture, most notably in Sucre, Bolivia has remained close its roots, electing its first-ever indigenous president, Evo Morales, in December 2005.

Accommodation

Hotels:
Bolivia has several deluxe and first-class hotels. Service charges and taxes (amounting to 25-27%) are added to bills. Rates are for room only, except where otherwise indicated. There is an assortment of mid range hotel accommodation available, generally of good value.

Bed and breakfast:
Pensions in major cities provide visitors with comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price.

Camping:
Camping is rare but possible in Bolivia. There is no formal organisation or marked zones but adventurous travellers may find adequate lodging for a small fee. Mallasa, Valencia and Palca in the river gorge below the La Paz region of Zona Sur are possible options.

Other accommodation:
These offer a more in-depth experience and a fuller appreciation of cultural identity. Community-based tourism is a growing sector with homestays a popular option as a way to learn the language at grass-roots level, or volunteering with community projects in return for board and lodging a good way to get under the skin of the local community. Local tour companies and NGOs can help advise on options.
Eco lodges are primarily based around Bolivia's Amazon region. Rurrenabaque is the hub for lodge stays and packages typically include full board, nature trails and wildlife-watching excursions into the rainforest. The original and best known lodge in Bolivia is Chalalan (website: www.chalalan.com), a community-run eco lodge managed by the indigenous community of San Jos� de Uchupiamonas.

Getting There

Flying to Bolivia

The national airline is AeroSur (website: www.aerosur.com).

Flight times:
There are no direct flights from the UK. The main routes involve transit in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires or Miami for connections to La Paz and Santa Cruz. Flight time from London via Buenos Aires and Madrid is 16 hours. From Miami to Santa Cruz is 7 hours.

Air passes:
oneworld Visit South America Pass: valid for unlimited travel to 34 cities in ten countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile (except Easter Island), Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Participating airlines include American Airlines (AA), British Airways (BA), Iberia (IB) and LAN (LA). The pass must be bought outside South America in the country of residence. A minimum of three flights must be booked, with a maximum of 20; prices depend on the amount of flight zones. For further details, contact one of the participating airlines.

Departure tax:
US$24. Payable in US Dollars for all non-residents. There is also a national passenger tax of Bs169 for international departures. Travel by rail

There are rail connections from Oruro to La Quiaca and Pocitos (Argentina), and a connection to Corumba (Brazil).

Getting to Bolivia by boat

Steamers cross Lake Titicaca to the Peruvian port of Puno from Guaqui, the most important port on the lake. Situated 90km (56 miles) from La Paz, it is accessible by road but the journey is a rough one.

Cruise ships:
Although it is a member of the International Maritime Organisation, Bolivia is wholly landlocked and not served by cruises. However, it is possible to reach ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru by ship and, from there, there are rail connections to La Paz or Santa Cruz. The nearest seaport is Arica in the extreme north of Chile. There are also crossings at Port Heath on the Madre de Dios river (Peru), the Bermejo or Pilcomayo rivers (Argentina) and from Brasilia to Cobija across to the Acre River and from Guayaramerin across the Heinez river (both in Brazil).

Things To Do

Carnival
Join in the street party at the annual Carnival (www.orurocarnaval.com), the most faithful expressions of folklore in South America being in Oruro with its historic Entrada and Diablada procession. It is often viewed as one of the world's last 'authentic' cultural celebrations.

Che Guevara Trail
Follow in the footsteps of the iconic Che Guevara and visit the place where he died by taking the Che Guevara Trail from Santa Cruz through the southeast lowlands of Bolivia to La Higuera.

Cochabamba
Discover the garden city, Cochabamba, with its excellent local cuisine, warm climate and imposing statue of Christ.

Go climbing
Climb the Cordillera Real, which has several peaks above 5,000m (14,500ft). Climbing excursions (complete with mules, porters and guides) can also be booked in Sorata, an Alpine-style village. Seek out the caf� Pete's Place for the latest news on routes and access.

Jesuits Missions Trail
Admire the striking churches along the Jesuits Missions Trail (www.chiquitania.com, built in the 17th-century and rescued from disrepair in from the 1950s onwards by Latter-Day Jesuits. The sites are now UNESCO-protected and home to a bi-annual sacred music festival.

Jungle trips
Venture into the Amazon and stay at a jungle eco lodge, such as Chalalan (www.chalalan.com). Typical jungle trips include motorised canoe trips, guided rainforest walks with a local guide who knows the indigenous plants and wildlife, and rustic lodge accommodation.

La Paz
Explore the streetlife in the world's highest capital city: La Paz is situated 3,632m (11,910ft) above sea level and is overlooked by Mount Illimani.

Laguna Colorado
Travel around the Salar de Uyuni and marvel at Laguna Colorado, its fiery-red waters illuminating wandering flamingos that criss-cross the terrain, framed by copper mountains, and Laguna Verde with its conical volcano on the Chilean border.

Lake Titicaca
Take a cruise on Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world, which straddles the Bolivia-Peru border. The enormous freshwater lake is home to several small island communities, including the Uros islands made entirely from reeds.

Mountain bike
Hurtle down 'the world's most dangerous road' on a mountain bike. Starting from the Bolivian Andes outside of La Paz, descend rapidly down twisting mountain roads into the Yungas jungle.

Mountain scenery
Admire some of Bolivia's spectacular mountain scenery on a day hike or horse ride around the Zona Sur region of La Paz. Hotel Calacoto (www.hotel-calacoto-bolivia.com) can arrange excursions.

Potosi
Explore historic Potosi, once the most important city on the continent. Situated at the foot of Rich Mountain, it was famed for its mineral wealth, especially silver. Today guided tours visit the mines and the former Royal Mint, Casa de la Moneda.

Salar de Uyuni
Soak up the unique atmosphere and revel in the exotic wildlife on a tour of the Salar de Uyuni, the world's highest salt flats. Agencies in Uyuni will arrange a two-night excursion with basic accommodation and guides.

Sucre
Marvel at the colonial facades of Sucre, 'the white city', with its UNESCO-listed architecture and tranquil central square for strolling and chatting with the locals.

Tiahuanaco
Ponder the mysteries of ancient history at Tiahuanaco, believed to be the capital of the Pre-Inca civilisation. The site is dominated by a series of evocative temples and a compelling museum of ancient artefacts.

Trekking

Go trekking through ancient Inca trails. Most treks start from La Paz and Sorata, and the most popular trek is the moderate three-day Choros Trail from La Paz to Coroico. The three-day Taquesi Trail is a moderate hike from La Paz, while the Illampus Circuit from Sorata is a rewarding but demanding six-day trek.

Transport

Air:
Internal flights are operated by AeroSur (website: www.aerosur.com). Because of the country's topography and tropical regions, air travel is the fastest, but not cheapest, method of transport, although delays, cancellations and unreliability are common. La Paz (El Alto), which is the highest airport in the world, and Santa Cruz (Viru Viru) are the principal domestic air hubs.

Departure tax:
Bs15.

Side of road:
Right

Road quality:
Most major roads are paved, but B roads can be made of gravel or dirt in country areas.

Car hire: There are international and local companies in La Paz and Santa Cruz.

Taxi: Taxis generally have fixed rates and sharing taxis is common. Tipping is not necessary.

Regulations: The national speed limit is 90kph (55mph). The use of seat belts is not enforced.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. This can be issued by Federaci�n Inter-Americana de Touring y Automovil on production of a national licence, but it is wiser to obtain the International Permit before departure.

Getting around towns and cities:

Bus services in La Paz are operated by a confederation of owner-operators. There are some fixed-route taxis, known as 'Trufis', which show coloured flags for particular routes. Fares are regulated. In rural areas, catching a 'truck' is a cheap but rough form of transport.

Rail:
Bolivia has two separate and unconnected networks - Eastern and Western. The Eastern network's hub is Santa Cruz from where Ferroviaria Oriental (website: www.ferroviariaoriental.com) runs trains to the Brazilian borders, the latter known locally as 'the death train'. The Western line, running from Oruro via Uyuni and Tupiza to Villazon for trains to Argentina, is run by Empresa Ferroviaria Andina (FCA) (website: www.fca.com.bo). Trains have three to four classes and restaurant cars. Buy tickets in advance from the offices in Santa Cruz and La Paz respectively.

By water:
Double-decker passenger boats operate between the various small islands on Lake Titicaca with regular departures from Copacabana. Motorised canoes traverse the many rivers of the Amazon basin with the most regular departures from Rurrenabaque.