Bolivia Adventure Guide

Annotation Tropical jungles in the Amazon Basin give way to beautiful deserts in the altiplano. The Andes, with four of the world's highest peaks, offer some of the best hiking, climbing and caving on earth. Ruins of ancient civilizations dot the land. Bolivia has much to offer, and this guide shows you how to experience it all, through the people, the culture and exploration of even the most remote spots, with their hidden treasures. An extensive Introduction covers the history, geography and the unique landscape, and provides a list of the country's top highlights for easy planning.

Hunter Pocket Adventure Guides contain all the practical travel information you need - places to stay and eat, tourist information resources, travel advice, emergency contacts, and more - plus condensed sections on history and geography that give you good background knowledge of the destination. The author is fascinated with the destination and her passion comes across in the text, which is lively, revealing, and a pleasure to read. Sidebars highlight unusual facts and tell of local legends, adding to your travel experience. Detailed town and regional maps make planning day-trips or city tours easy. Adventures covered range from town sightseeing tours and nature watching to sea kayaking and organized jungle excursions. Travelers looking for a more relaxed vacation may want to sign up for traditional dance lessons in Bolivia, drum classes in the Dominican Republic, or attend a weaving school in Bolivia - these cultural adventures will introduce you to the people and afford you a truly unique travel experience. Over the last two years I have traveled Bolivia four times. Among the score of Bolivian guides that I have reviewed, two stand out: Pocket Adventures Bolivia and Footprint Bolivia. Both are solid guides, yet, both have their flaws.

This guide is based on our much larger (530-page) guide to Bolivia. Here we zero in on La Paz, The capital, and all of the nearby attractions. La Paz is not a big city on the world scale, but it is certainly one of the more interesting ones. Built in a bowl created by the Choqueyapu River, The upper parts of the city stand 1,645 ft/500 m above the lower sections. Unlike any other city in the world, The richer neighborhoods are located at the lower levels. This is partly due To The fact that it is warmer and easier to breathe at the lower altitudes. Also, The pinnacles and spires of conglomerate rock and clay that have been sculptured by wind and water make a dramatic backdrop for those living below them. The higher up the bowl one goes, The more unstable the land becomes And The more likely a landslide will occur. The plazas, squares and Prado are well kept in La Paz and even in the depth of winter plants are tended to help make the city attractive. Street cleaners are out every day and local merchants regularly wash the area in front of their shops. On a clear day, Mount Illimani, a snow-covered monolith, can be seen as a sentry towering over the city. Valley of the Moon is six miles/10 km from the center of La Paz and can be reached by joining a tour or by taking micro bus #11 or minibus #231 or 273 to Mallasilla. The hillside features a maze of clay canyons and pinnacles that have been sculpted by wind and rain. Narrow trails through the landscape take about an hour to walk. There is also a cactus park just before the entrance. The park overlooks a gorge and has paths leading around numerous types of cacti. As you continue up the road you will come to Parque National Mallasa with its bird observatory and, across the road, The zoo area. The road passes under natural stone bridges and past Chulpani's Red Hill. There is no mistaking which hill this is. From Mallasa one can see across the river To The highest golf course in the world. Devil's Tooth or Muela del Diablo is a huge volcanic plug sticking out of the landscape to a height of 13,000 ft/3,950 m. Several trails go To The right; follow the one that obviously leads To The village. From there, go To The left for .3 miles (about half a kilometer), To the foot of the rock. Climbers are occasionally found on the east face. Canyon de Palca, or Valle de Animas, Is a deep canyon that was carved by the Rio Palca centuries ago. To get there, take a bus going to Huni from Plaza Belzu on Avenida Mexico in San Pedro. There are huge pinnacles and wind-carved conglomerates. The trail continues along the bottom of the canyon to a natural obelisk. Just past the obelisk is a rock that has the appearance of a human hiding in a cave. The rock is called the hermit of the canyon. Continue along the canyon to its end and climb to your left up To The village of Palca. This is a long day-hike. All of the detailed information you need is here about the hotels, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing. But we also lead you to new discoveries, turning corners you haven't turned before, helping you to interact with the world in new ways. That's what makes our Adventure Guides unique. "An excellent addition To The Adventure Guide series, packed with detail, from where to stay and eat, To where to shop for local crafts and how to enjoy historic sites. This guide surveys the wildlife and outdoor opportunities of the country, which range from tropical jungle to high plains deserts. Hiking and viewing opportunities blend with cultural insights. Highly recommended." - The Midwest Book Review.

Discover Bolivia with the most incisive andentertaining guidebook on the market. Whether you plan to swim with pink riverdolphins, cycle the world's most dangerous road, or follow in the footsteps ofChe Guevara and Butch Cassidy, The RoughGuide to Bolivia will show you the ideal places to sleep, eat, drink andshop along the way. Inside The Rough Guide to Bolivia - Independent, trusted reviews written in Rough Guides'trademark blend of humour, honesty and insight, to help you get the most out ofyour visit, with options to suit every budget. - Full-colour maps throughout -navigate the steep, narrow lanes of La Paz's market district or theordered colonial streets of Sucre's historic centre without needing toget online. - Stunning, inspirational images - Itineraries - carefully plannedroutes to help you organize your trip. - Detailed regional coverage -whether off the beaten track or in more mainstream tourist destinations,this travel guide has in-depth practical advice for every step of the way.Areas covered include: La Paz; Oruro; Potosí; Sucre; Cochabamba;Santa Cruz; and Rurrenabaque. Attractions include: Mercado de Hechihería;Tiwanuku; Lake Titicaca and Isla del Sol; Coroico and the "Death Road"; theInca trails; Salar de Uyuni; Reserva de Fauna AndinaEduardo Avaroa; the Che Guevara trail; the Jesuit missions of Chiquitos;Parque Nacional Madidi and the Amazon. - Basics - essential pre-departurepractical information including getting there, local transport,accommodation, food and drink, fiestas, health, national parks andreserves, outdoor activities, crime and personal safety, culture and etiquetteand more. - Background information - aContexts chapter devoted to history, wildlife and ecology, books, musicand dance,plus a handy language section and glossary. Make the Most of Your Time on Earth with theRough Guide to Bolivia. About Rough Guides: Escape theeveryday with Rough Guides. We are a leading travel publisher known for our"tell it like it is" attitude, up-to-date content and great writing.Since 1982, we've published books covering more than 120 destinations aroundthe globe, with an ever-growing series of ebooks, a range of beautiful, inspirationalreference titles, and an award-winning website. We pride ourselves on ouraccurate, honest and informed travel guides.

The only English-language climbing guide available to Bolivia's mountains, this is also the first to cover all four of its ranges. Major and alternative routes on 37 peaks are thoroughly described and are accompanied by clear topographic maps and photographs. Includes a short history of climbing in Bolivia.

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Bolivia is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Tour the world's largest salt flat, walk in the path of the Inca or search for magic potions in La Paz markets; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Bolivia and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet Bolivia Travel Guide: Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, religion, politics, indigenous cultures, weaving, music, dance, landscapes, wildlife. Over 40 maps Covers La Paz, Lake Titicaca, the Yungas, the Cordilleras, the Southern Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni, Cochabamba, Potosi, Santa Cruz, the Amazon Basin and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Bolivia , our most comprehensive guide to Bolivia, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring guide. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet. About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.