You can travel to Bolivia all year round. But generally it rains throughout November to March, both in the Amazon and on the Altiplano. However, it is also warmer... From April to October, the sky is most often blue (on the Altiplano at least) but it is fresher. However, climate change requires that it be weighted.The two very high tourist seasons correspond to January/February (school holidays in South America, particularly in Chile, Argentina and Brazil) and in July/August/September (holidays in Europe and the United States). Take a look at the tourist peaks during religious events (Holy Week, especially) and local festivities (especially carnivals)!
Diversity of landscapesLike twice France, Bolivia offers an incredible diversity of geographical and biogeographical landscapes. Altiplano, Llanos, Titicaca, Yungas, Lipez, Amazon, so many names for very different landscapes. High plateau perched at 4 000 metres and surrounded by peaks culminating in more than 6 000 metres above sea level, endless plains lost at the borders of Brazil and Argentina, desert of stone and volcanoes... To find out more about these beautiful landscapes of Bolivia, nothing like hiking with an experienced guide commissioned by a local travel agency.A population rich in diversity10 million people, including over 6 million Indians who, apart from the same passport, often have nothing common. A Aymara of Altiplano has nothing to do with a Yungueño and even less with an Indian in the Amazon Basin. Colour of skin, language, traditions, everything differs radically. In this regard, Bolivia is undoubtedly the last refuge in many Amerindian cultures: ..., Quechua, Guaraní, Tocaña, Essejas, Chimanes...By organizing your stay in Bolivia with a local agency, you can easily contact these local populations for an authentic journey.A living and preserved cultureBolivia has kept intact its traditions and customs. His folklore remains extremely vivid in such a way that ancestral dances and musics are perpetuated at the numerous festivals, religious or civilian, that account for the calendar.The minimum wage is approximately 1 000 Bs per month: or more than 110 ! It will therefore be understood that life is not expensive in Bolivia but that the population is not very rich. Therefore, you can travel less cheaply by eating local (10/15 Bs a dish in a market), travelling with rudimentary buses (little more than 80 Bs for 20 h bus between La Paz and Rurrenabaque) and sleeping as you can (camping if possible, dormitory most often). A small bottle of water costs 4 or 5 Bs on the street; a salchipapa (sausage/fries) or a hamburger not more than 6 or 7 Bs, still on the street. For a hairdresser, count between 25 and 50 Bs the cup. For a taxi, little more than 10 to 15 Bs the race... An excellent restaurant, however, does not require more than 90 Bs per dish, or about 10 , which is very suitable, agree! Domestic flights, with BOA or Amazonas, are also very accessible (from US $ 50 in general). It will be understood: you can count on them every day to spend as little as possible, or to pay the luxury of petites from time to time, because life is really not expensive in Bolivia, for a European. Try not to back for anything and not to bargain like a mad mad fool for 2 !FormalitésTo enter the country, a valid passport is required. A stay of 90 days will be granted upon arrival. No prior action is required for the French, Belgians or Canadians. Beware, you should not lose the green form you give the customs, it will be required upon leaving the territory.
Spanish (castellano) is the language in all cities. In the campaigns of the Altiplano or the Oriente, you will usually find at least some people who speak Spanish even though the language of use on the ground is different (Aymara, Quechua, Guaraní, etc.). Even in large cities, very few people speak English or French.Learning the language. There are different ways to learn a few basics of language and the offer for self-learning can be done on different media: CD, DVD, exercise books or even directly on the Internet.
The name of the currency is boliviano, divided into 100 centavos. The ISO code of Bolivian currency is: BOB. The cuts are 10 (blue), 20 (orange), 50 (purple), 100 (red), and 200 (light brown) bolivianos. Coins are 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1, 2 and 5 bolivianos. Consider having 5, 10 or 20 bolivianos cuts for current expenses (transportation, taxis and food). Small cuts are often in poor condition. In order for them to be valid, the two serial numbers must coincide to the right and left of the ticket. To the extent possible, all prices in this guide are indicated in Bolivianos (Bs) and US dollars (US $), many used in the country.
Altiplano and Amazon: dry season generally from mid-March to mid-November. The wet season runs from the end of November to mid-March. The best thing is to travel in a dry season. The average temperature is about 8,3 ° C on altiplano and 27 ° C in Amazon.Sugar and its surroundings: hot the day. Costs at night (medium altitudes: from 2 100 metres to 3 500 metres). Average temperature around 17 to 19 ° C.Salar d'Uyuni: sunny day, cold at night (altitude: 3 650 metres). Average temperature: 3 ° C, about 15 ° C in the day and -13 ° C during the night.Lake Titicaca: sunny day, cold at night (altitude 3 800 metres). Average annual temperature of about 13 ° C.Good season from March to November. If the days are warm, the evenings can be very fresh on the Altiplano. In general, sun and great blue sky.
© Dominique Auzias & Jean-Paul Labourdette
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