Bolivia was one of the highlight of my trip in South America. Especially because of Uyuni Salt Flat. It was definitely speechless and made me realize why I cannot stop traveling. But it was also tough because few of the issues I had along the way, so this blog post is more about helping you have easier trip in Bolivia. So let’s start with the tips, and then go with places to visit in Bolivia and what to do in Bolivia.
Tips on Going to Bolivia
High Altitude Sickness Is a Real Thing
Be aware that a lot of places you go in Bolivia will have high altitude, so be prepared for it. why? there is such a thing as high altitude sickness, and I was really sick. It gives you bad headache and dizziness. When I got off the plane in La Paz, I thought I was going crazy because the floor felt mushy and shakey. But it was the high altitude sickness lol. Not that it was funny but it was.
You can take some medications for high altitude sickness, and below picture is what I took. Take it before you actually get to hight altitude cities like La Paz or Uyuni Salt Flat. It really helped me get through the whole journey. Check out my vlog how bad it was.
If you are an American, you need a visa. You need:
- Fill in this form at this website and bring a copy of it
- All your documents from your hotels (Your Booking Confirmation)
- Flights detail (inbound and outbound)
- Very crisp clean $160
- Yellow Fever Certificate (You have to get a shot before you arrive in Bolivia)
- A proof that you have money (Print out our recent bank account statement)
Make sure to bring all of it to get a visa as you enter the border. The safest way is to just get it while you are in America. As a typical Rollin Lee and being lazy I had to do it when I was going through immigration. I had no issues doing it at the immigration, but you never know right?
Most of the people going to Bolivia will probably go to the Salt Flat. And you should be, because that is the whole point of going to Bolivia (at least it was for me).
You can do just Salt Flat or go to other great places like laguna colorado, verde and more. It will lead you to San Pedro Atacama, Chile. It was a great way to do it, because to be honest, there wasn’t much to do in Uyuni to stay too long except for Salt Flats.
Is It Safe to Go to Bolivia
It is totally safe to go to Bolivia. Locals were the kindest and the nicest. The tourism is not as developed as other countries, but it was one of the most memorable country I visited. I only went to La Paz, Cococabana and Uyuni, so I cannot say for other cities, but I never felt dangerous once. You can always check the government website on the current situation.
Is It Worth Visiting Bolivia?
YES, YES, YES. For me the highlight of the South America trip wasn’t Machu Picchu. Going to Uyuni Salt Flat (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia, San Blas Islands in Panama, Huacachina in Peru, and La guajira in Colombia were my top highlights. I have been telling my friends that I would love to go back to Salar de Uyuni, because it was that beautiful. For La Paz, I think it’s better to be a stopping point rather than stay long unless you are staying at a party hostel like Loki Hostel to party.
Bolivia, Places to Visit
Salar De Uyuni
Uyuni salt flat (Salar De Uyuni) should be on your number one list if you are going to Bolivia. I can write how great it was all day but words cannot describe how beautiful it was and you have to check it out yourself or I have created a separate page with all the Uyuni Salt Flats picture here.
There are many different ways you can do Uyuni. I did Uyuni -> San Pedro Atacama, Chile for three days. In this way you get to see not only the salt flats, but some of the most beautiful landscapes and lagunas. Trust me, I am not a nature person and I wanted to just go straight to San Pedo, Chile. But it blew my mind how beautiful the nature was.
I know going to Bolivia and planning can give you a great headache as there are so many choices you can opt in or so little information to draw a big picture. We not only help by giving information but also help travelers have the best experience by helping them create customized itineraries. If you need any help, please let us know by What’s App below or fill in a questionnaire here, so we can have a better understanding.
After working with many travelers I found out Oasis, was the best company. If you are going with Oasis, please look for Victor (If you can). He was rated the most among my clients. When I went to Bolivia Salt Flat, I went on a tour with Red Planet Tour, and it was also wonderful.
If you are looking to stay overnight, I highly recommend Jumari Hotel. You can find more information about Uyuni Salt Flat on my other blog post. I wrote 15 tips and lists that I wished I knew before going to Uyuni.
Salar De Uyuni Was the Highlight of My Trip in All South America (IT WAS THAT GOOD)
Copacabana
The same name as the famous Copacabana in Brazil, but this is a town in Lake Titikaka. It is relaxing and calm, but also a good way to get to Puno, Peru (which is famous for their floating islands). I think it is a great place to visit for a night or day trip as there isn’t much to do. You can do a short trip to a small island called Isla Del Sol which is beautiful. But personally, a day trip was enough for me unless you have booked a nice hotel like hotel Cupula where you can have a view of the lake and relax (check out their website, and if you are a slow traveler, this would be perfect to stay one night).
La Paz
To be honest, it wasn’t a bad city to spend, but it wasn’t the best city to spend either. It is not London or New York, but it had its own charm. You can just walk around the witch street where you can meet a lot of beautiful Cholitas, or you can actually go to a Cholita wrestling. The way to Cholita wrestling is not that safe, so it is best to do with the tour. Red Cap has known to be the safest and cheapest.
Cholitas in Bolivia are on fleek, and the Cholita wrestling is literally something I want to see more!
But the best part about staying in La Paz for me was to get on a cable car as a transportation. I know it sounds silly, but because the city was built in between mountains, they couldn’t build a subway, and brilliantly they have built a cable car as a transportation. It is super clean and easy to use and a great way to see the immersive city. You can check out my video below my experience.
Weather in Bolivia
People say the best time to visit Bolivia is between April – November when it’s a dry season with less cold and beautiful sky. And the peak season being between June and September. But some places are highlands and desert, it is always best to bring some sweater (more like a proper jacket) cause it can get really cold at night.
End of Rainy Season Can Be Best to Get Both the Mirror Effect of the Salt Flats and the normal Salt Flats
The rainy season is between November – End of March, and the people who go to Uyuni Salt Flat should be aware that a lot of places can be flooded and the cars won’t be able to access. But during the rainy season, it is best to get the reflection of the salts like below picture of me. I was told that end of rainy season and the beginning of dry season is the best to go to Uyuni Salt flat because if you are lucky, you can get both the dry desert and the mirror effect of salt flats. So I went end of March which I still was able to get the mirror effect (by the way, it was still really cold and some people were wearing thick jackets).
Where to Stay in La Paz, Bolivia
El Centro is probably the best area to stay. Lots of decent restaurants and bars are there. Also, a lot of sightseeing you can do by walking from plaza San Fransisco, Witches’ Market and Bolivia’s first and the world’s highest urban cable car, and Calle Jean. I loved the Steakhouse, and probably went almost every lunch.
I stayed at Nuevo Hotel which was perfectly located in El Centro. The hotel was close to every major sight seeings. I hear Loki Hostel is a good if you are looking to party, but I opted for somewhere quieter. One thing you should know about many hotels in Bolivia is that they don’t take credit cards. Nuevo Hotel was one of them.
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