Before You Book

PREPARING TO GO TO BOLIVIA

Bolivia is a land of diverse clashes: from ice-capped peaks, coloured lagoons and flamingos, to rugged lowlands, Amazonian rainforest, beautiful valleys and colonial cities, the innate magic of this country will not fail to dazzle. Landlocked at the heart of Andean Latin America by Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay, Bolivia is dominated by its varied geography, the soaring Andes and its distinctive culture.

CAPITAL

La Paz

LANGUAGE

The official language is Spanish, but the main indigenous languages you’ll hear on the streets are Quechua, Aymara and Guaraní. English is often spoken by a small number of officials and businesspeople in commercial centers, though it’s best to learn simple phrases

RELIGION

Primarily Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority, though indigenous beliefs still hold strong with a large percentage of the population

ELECTRICITY

Bolivia uses the world standard of 220 volts at 50Hz cycles. But in certain areas like La Paz and a few other areas in Bolivia, 110 volts at 50 cycles (like the US and Canada) is also used. Be sure to ask before you plug in. If in doubt assume its 220 and use a converter but be sure that it is for the intended purpose and for the correct electrical appliance.

Plugs are two-pronged with round prongs (European) and flat-pronged pins (US).

PASSPORT & VISA

A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.

LOCAL TIME

The standard time for Peru is calculated from La Paz. Bolivia Time is 4 hours behind GMT.

LOCAL CURRENCY

Notes are in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 bolivianos. Coins are in denominations of Bs5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 centavos. Bolivianos are sometimes referred to as pesos.

The Boliviano is tied to the US Dollar. Due to the relative weakness of the Bolivian economy, the boliviano remains vulnerable and so many businesses operate in US dollars. Most hotels quote in dollars and will accept payment in either currency. Smaller shops, stalls and local businesses will only accept bolivianos.

Change and coins are in very short supply in Bolivia, which is something of a vicious circle as local buses, shops and taxis often won’t accept large denomination notes. Try to break big notes wherever possible – namely hotels, restaurants, and large stores.

XE.com is a useful site for currency conversion.

MONEY EXCHANGE, CREDIT CARD & ATM

To change money one can, go to Casas de Cambio (money exchange houses) or to the money changers on the street. Banks will change money for you even if you don’t have a bank account.

Credit cards:

Visa and MasterCard are the most widely accepted in most mid- to top-range hotels and restaurants, but otherwise have limited acceptance. American Express is rarely accepted. It is best to carry cash with you – there are ATMs in larger towns and cities.

ATM:

There are ATMs in most of the larger towns and cities. Even the smaller towns have at least one bank with an ATM, and there are ATMs available at the larger airports. Enlace is the nationwide network from which you can withdraw either US dollars or bolivianos. Sometimes in smaller towns, banks will offer international withdrawals for a small fee over the counter.

COMMUNICATION

Internet
As with everywhere, the easiest and cheapest form of communication is via the Internet. You will find Internet cafés in every major Bolivian town/city. The average cost is approx. US$0.40c per hour. Connection is generally slower in the smaller more remote places, do your emailing in main cities if possible. These bigger cities are now starting to offer internet phone calls which can cost as little as US$0.15 per minute to anywhere in the world.

Phone
Another option is to go into one of the many phone offices and pay approx. US$0.60- 0.80 per minute or buy a phone card which will cost about the same but will allow you to call from any phone in Bolivia (it has a free phone number on the back of the card with pin number and instructions in Spanish and English).

Post
The postal service is good, and stamps are available everywhere.

CLOTHING

As a general guideline, clothing should be lightweight, loose fitting, hard-wearing, easily washed, and natural fabrics, waterproofs are best. In the hot summer months, cotton clothing is much more comfortable than man-made materials like nylon. Be prepared for cooler evenings; for this reason, you will generally find layering is a good idea. A fleece can be valuable and double as a pillow. Water resistant jackets and trousers are essential during the rainy season between November and April. Warmer clothing is necessary at night in the Altiplano, especially in La Paz, Oruro and Potosí. If you need warm clothing, the markets of La Paz and Sucre are a good place to find alpaca wool jumpers and scarves.

FOOD

Bolivian cuisine is as distinctive and varied as its landscape. There’s nothing in the form of haute cuisine here, but you will find a large range of both national and international restaurants available at cheap prices, especially in the large cities. Local specialty food and drink is a must – these differ according to region (highlands, lowlands and the Altiplano). La Paz offers the biggest variation. Go straight for the markets or set lunch menus, or alternatively you can also find pizzerias, fast food, Chinese restaurants (known as chifas), popular spit-roast chicken restaurants as well as high-end eateries. Food in the Altiplano is less varied; Aymaran cuisine is centered on carbohydrates – especially potatoes, rice, and quinoa – and meat (mutton and llama). Food in the lowlands tends to be more tropical (yucca and plantain are staples) with beef featuring heavily due to the cattle herding in the region. Although Bolivia is landlocked seafood is still available, mostly around Lake Titicaca.

Specialties: 

• Salteña (pastries filled with meat, vegetables, sauce, olives and hard-boiled egg). The best ones are found in Sucre). 
• Lomo montado (fried tender loin steak with two fried eggs on top, rice and fried banana). 
• Picante de pollo (southern fried chicken, fried potatoes, rice, tossed salad with hot peppers).
• Chuño (naturally freeze-dried potato with a nutty flavor used in soup called chairo). 
• Lechón al horno (roast suckling pig served with sweet potato and fried plantains).
• Api con buñuelos (sweet, thick maize drink with cinnamon usually served with deep fried pancakes).
• Ilajua (a hot chilli sauce served with most dishes).
• Chorizos chuquisaqueños (pork sausages in a spicy sauce).
• Cuñape (a pastry made from cheese and yucca flour).
• Surubí (a white fish from the Amazonian rivers).

Local vegetarian options are slim (though there are a lot of egg-based dishes). Vegetarians will find more variety at the international restaurants in big cities.

DRINKS

You should be wary of drinking the local tap water. Bottled water, carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices (jugos) are widely available and are generally safe to drink. Please note however that fruit juices are sometimes made with unboiled tap water and could upset your stomach. Bottled water and other drinks are widely available and recommended to drink

While typical international drinks like Coca-Cola and Sprite are easily found, there are many specialty drinks in Bolivia. Bolivia has a fledgling wine-making industry with its 'wines at altitude' from La Concepción label garnering international plaudits. Imported wines from Argentina and Chile are also available.

Specialties:

•  Mate (a herbal tea, usually made from the coca leaf which helps with altitude sickness).
• Paceña (beer made in La Paz).
• Huari (beer made by the same brand as Paceña but saltier in taste).
• Taquiña (beer from Cochabamba).
• Potosina (beer from Potosí).
• Ducal (beer from Santa Cruz).
• Chicha (a fermented maize beer available in the Cochabamba region. It’s an acquired taste and considered sacred by the Incas).
• Singani (a popular brandy made from fermented grapes. Used in cocktails and great with lemonade).
• La Concepción (a label of high-altitude wine which comes from Tarija).

MEALS

Approximate costs for meals and snacks not included are shown below:

• Simple snack - US$ 0.50-3
• Light meal - US$ 5-10
• Fancy restaurant - US$ 20-35 per person

WEATHER & CLIMATE

Bolivia has a temperate climate, but temperatures can differ dramatically between day and night. The wettest period is November to March, which, in extreme circumstances, may induce landslides in mountainous areas, and cause certain roads to become impassable. During the wet season the salt flats become flooded – it is a beautiful spectacle, as the flats turn into a mirror of the sky above. Winter is perhaps the best time to visit (May-October), especially in the hot and humid lowlands, as it is cooler and drier. In the highlands, it rains much less, remains sunny through the day but gets noticeably colder at night. Visitors sometimes find the highlands (especially La Paz) uncomfortable because of the thin air due to high altitude. The mountain areas can become very cold at night. The northeast slopes of the Andes are semi-tropical.

La Paz: (approx)

TIPPING

Generally speaking, tipping is a way of life in Bolivia and most service personal expect to receive a small sum. Taxi drivers are the exception, you can round up, but they do not expect a tip unless you hire them for hours, then leave a 10% tip.  It is customary to add 10% as a tip in addition to the 13% service charge added to hotel and restaurant bills.

It is a way of showing your appreciation and will be welcomed by the recipient, although if you decide not to tip in a particular circumstance, this doesn’t mean you’ll receive a lower level of service. Ultimately, tipping is discretionary and should be done at a level that feels comfortable.

Here are some guidelines that you may find helpful:

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), commonly known as altitude sickness, can affect anyone and care should be taken. Symptoms include nausea, dizziness, and loss of appetite, breathlessness, headaches, and a rapid heartbeat. Drugs can be bought from local pharmacies, or you can try coca tea which the locals swear by. Allow time to acclimatize to high altitude, especially upon arrival in Altiplano cities. Take extra precautions to prevent against mosquito bites because of the risk of Dengue Fever in Eastern departments. Affected provinces are Beni, Chuquisace, Cochabamba, La Paz, Pando, Santa Cruz and Tarija.

Upset stomachs are common with travellers passing through Bolivia, caused either by contaminated food or water, or adjustment to new bacteria. Drink plenty of liquids and rehydration salts.

VACINATIONS

Consult a health care provider or visit a travel health clinic preferably a minimum of six - eight weeks before you travel.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.