Information About Bolivia
Location: Located in the heart of South America
Population: 9.000.000 approximately
Area: 1.098.581 Km2 (428.446 square miles)
Capital: Sucre
Official languages: Spanish, Aymara, Quechua, Guarani and other 33 indegenous languages
Government: Democratic
Religion: Catholic 90%, but law guarantees freedom of worship.
Local Time: 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
When to visit:
All year around but avoid the rainy season December to March. Mountaineering, trekking and Mountain bike are best from May to September, skiing February to May and jungle and pampas June to October.
Visa requirements:
Europeans are granted a 30-day tourist visa on arrival that can be extended free of charge to 90 days. Most other nationalities including US citizens must ask for a visa.
Visas to Bolivia: www.rree.gov.bo/webmre/principal.aspx?idpagina=30
Health requirements:
Normal Third World precautions and vaccinations troughs if arriving in La Paz at 3.600m directly from sea level, take it easy for a few days while acclimatising. Anti-malaria and Yellow Fever are necessary if going to the lowlands (below 2.000m), jungle and pampas.
For more information about health precautions and tips, visit the following sites:
World Health Organization: www.who.int/ith/engligh/welcome.htm
The Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet.com/dealth/health.htm
MCW International Travelers clinic: www.intmed.mcw.edi/travel.html
Travel health Online: www.triprep.com/index.html
Cultural:
Pre-Inca remains are spread all over Bolivia from Tiwanaku and the Isla del Sol to Iskanwaya and Samaipata. There are also the beautiful Jesuit missions in Santa Cruz, the colonial cities of Sucre and Potosí and much more.
Mountaineering:
There are getting on for 1.000 peaks higher than 5.000m in Bolivia’s four cordilleras and 12 over 6.000m, The biggest range is the Cordillera Real which stretches for 160km. Access is easy to such peaks as Huayna Potosí 6.088m and Illimani 6.439m. Bolivia’s highest peak is Sajama 6.542m in the volcanic Cordillera Occidental. The Cordilleras Apolobamba and Quimsa Cruz are rarely visited with a huge potential for new routes. Routes in all cordilleras range from easy to extremely difficult.
Trekking:
Well-preserved paved pre-Inca roads downhill from the Altiplano to the sub-tropical forests of the Yungas and high altitude treks around or along the cordilleras, such as the The Royal Trek.
Mountain Bike:
There is a big number of circuits for trips on mountain bikes, the Coroico road is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the World, biking down the hill trough this spectacular road that starts on 4.700m. and ends at 1.700m; or a Cross Country Expedition in Stone City a volcanic formation area on the Altiplano, crossing the area through Rocky Labyrinths and high Plato adventure trails.
Jungle and Pampas:
Facilities exist for a quick trip for places like Rurrenabaque to absolutely out their trips in the middle of nowhere via air, boat and machete. Flora and fauna are abundant and amazing.