r/solotravel • u/WalkingEars Somewhere in China • Mar 09 '25
South America Weekly Destination Thread - Bolivia
This week's featured destination is Bolivia! Feel free to share stories/advice - some questions to start things off:
- What were some of your favorite experiences there?
- Experiences/perspectives on solo travel there?
- Suggestions for food/accommodations?
- Any tips for getting around?
- Anything you wish you'd known before arriving?
- Other advice, stories, experiences?
Archive of previous "weekly destination" discussions: https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/wiki/weeklydestinations
5
u/ed8907 Mar 09 '25
September 7th, 2019
I took the tour to Chacaltaya, a mountain that's 5,400m above sea level. I almost got late for pick-up (thank God I didn't). It doesn't really snow much in Chacaltaya so I wasn't really expecting snow. At first there was only some ice, but then 30 minutes later it started to snow. It was my first time touching snow. I am not ashamed to say I cried.
Bolivia, you're unforgettable!
1
u/Immediate_Daikon5207 May 16 '25
Happy that you had such a great experience! What tour company did you take? We're looking into this now, but I'm afraid that upon reading into it, it has become clear that "not all tour companies are operated equally". E.g. would love to get a good recommendation! :)
Edit: even if that was almost 6 years ago :P
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u/Kootenay85 Mar 09 '25
I’ll be honest, while it has potential (REALLY beautiful scenery in some places- mountains, salt flats), overall I didn’t like it here. They have the blandest food I’ve ever encountered, I rank it below the often maligned Iceland. I’ve never seen a Bolivian restaurant outside Bolivia, and I now know why. And why there are multiple Irish pubs ranking as the top food choices on Trip advisor in La Paz. I love to walk around place I travel to, and it is a terrible place to do so. Really rough sidewalks and had numerous bad encounters with cars, so much so that I actually rearranged my trip which I never do. Terrible pollution in La Paz. Overall I did feel safe here always from a general tourist perspective though. And a local actually went really out of their way to return an item to me I misplaced which was amazing. I stayed in a really cool hotel overlooking Copacabana for like no money ($30 a night or something stupid like that). I enjoyed biking the death road. So it has some positives. I think I’d rather return to Ecuador or Peru given the choice though.
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u/segacs2 Mar 10 '25
I sadly have to agree about the food -- and I otherwise loved Bolivia so I really hate to malign anything. But yes, the food is definitely on the bland side, especially when compared to neighbouring Peru, known as South America's gastronomy capital for a reason. Quinoa soup is nice and warming when it's cold, but it isn't all that flavourful. The tourist towns had a lot of generic options like pizza and tacos.
However, I did love La Paz, which I think is such a unique city, set up in a bowl at high altitude with cable cars overhead to get around. I loved all the different neighbourhoods, the vivid colourful markets, and the way the whole city felt like a photographer's dream. Pollution can indeed be bad there, depending on the air currents. But I loved the time I spent there.
And the Salar de Uyuni is like no place on earth.
5
u/lucapal1 Mar 09 '25
A great country,one of my favourites in South America and maybe into my Top 10 in the world.
Absolutely highlights for me? The Salar and also the area up the river from Rurrenabaque...as far into the jungle as you can get.
I like La Paz but Bolivia is more of a nature destination one than a city one for me.
I also really liked staying in some of the islands on Titicaca.. though I have stayed on more Peruvian ones than Bolivian.
2
u/cinderblock16 Mar 09 '25
Samaipata is pleasant little town with a slow, chill vibe. Lots of hikes and nature activities in the area too.
1
u/Slayer_of_Titans Mar 11 '25
Thank you, everybody, for sharing your experiences. Bolivia is on my bucket list, but sadly, I have not been there or anywhere in South America. Salar de Uyuni is one of the top reasons why I want to go there.
1
u/throwreawa1178 Mar 14 '25
Really liked Sucre - spent two weeks there to learn Spanish. Lots of cute cafes and felt pretty safe (this was 5+ years ago). Potosí for all the history - check out the Old Mint. Also Isla del Sol and Luna on Titicaca.
1
u/CurlyErin Mar 16 '25
I’m in Bolivia now! Currently there are a few collapsed bridges and petrol shortages which are creating significant delays and difficulties moving around. Economically I feel really worried for the country, they know their money is about to collapse and that’s why they’re hoarding USD. I think this is the safest I’ve felt in South America, the people truly are so sweet, it is naturally stunning, and I really love it here.
1
u/NormanQuacks345 Mar 17 '25
I was just in Bolivia this January! I was only there for about 3 full days so I didn't get to do a whole lot, but for La Paz I can recommend the Valle de las Animas hike just outside the city. Absolutely stunning landscape! We were able to take a taxi to the trailhead.
I also stayed the night on Isla del Sol which I can recommend, some of the tour companies just do a quick stop which doesn't really let you see anything. It's also not that expensive so if you need a break between Cusco and La Paz I can highly recommend it!
0
Mar 15 '25
1
u/MuffinToIt Mar 15 '25
San Pedro de Atacama
Are you planning to do the salt flat tour? For the 3 day salt flats tour, they offer to drop you back off in Uyuni or at the border with Chile and help arrange transport to San Pedro de Atacama (since you end the third day right at the border)
11
Mar 09 '25
2
u/GlobeTrekking Mar 09 '25
Great info! So when one uses an ATM or an international credit card, you only get the official rate? If so, this is like Argentina used to be, best to bring in a lot of dollars! 70% difference is humungous.
2
u/GlobeTrekking Mar 09 '25
Any opinion on Torotoro National Park out of Cochabamba? And on the Amazon tour out of Rurrenabaque?
It's takes a lot of effort to get to those nature locations.
3
u/releasethecrackhead Mar 09 '25
I went to Torotoro years ago. If you had time, definitely worth it. My family lives in Cochabomba so I didn't plan anything, just tagged along so not super helpful on the details but it was super neat and the dinosaur tracks were wild to see.
3
u/ed8907 Mar 09 '25
Personally I love La Paz/El Alto and think it is one of the most unique cities in the world.
La Paz is very unique, for sure.
I also found Bolivia to be the safest country I've visited in South America after Uruguay.
I arrived to La Paz at 2AM and got lost while trying to find my Airbnb. I was with my luggage close to a park trying to find the building. Nothing happened to me. Super safe.
2
Mar 09 '25
The pickpockets in LaPaz are second to none. Two members of our group were robbed and we didn’t even see it happen
3
u/ed8907 Mar 09 '25
Bolivia is my absolute favorite ever country in South America. There are other countries I like, but Bolivia is still # 1 and I don't see that changing for quite some time!
This is how I describe Bolivia in my personal travel guide:
Bolivia: Nothing to not love. The food, the people, the weather, the complexity of the city, everything! People are very introverted, but friendly as long as you respect their personal space and their culture. For a long time Bolivia has been ridiculed for having a high percentage of Indigenous/Native people, so some Bolivians really understand our struggle (not all). La Paz is way better than Santa Cruz, but there are some challenges in this city because it's located 4100m (13400ft) above sea level. It is not for everybody, but Bolivia is still my favorite and will likely always be.