12 reasons to visit Bolivia… and 13 not to visit
Bolivia is hands down my favourite country to visit in South America. It’s home to vibrant cultures, varied landscapes and gorgeous cities.
I loved my visit to Bolivia, so I couldn’t resist making this list of reasons why you too should visit. However, I know that there are many things that might make you think twice about booking your flight. Therefore, I’ve also made a list of reasons why you might NOT want to visit.
It’s definitely a balancing act between both sides, but I hope this list gives you some inspiration and a dose of realism at the same time.
12 reasons to visit Bolivia
1. It’s got the highest proportion of indigenous people in South America
Most of South America was colonised by Spanish settlers, who stayed there for hundreds of years. With that kind of dominance from the Spanish, South American culture has naturally had a lot of influence, and therefore the culture across Latin America can sometimes seem more similar than it is different.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Latin culture! However, that just isn’t what you get when you go to Bolivia. If you’re travelling the continent, the change can be refreshing.
Why? Bolivia has one of the highest proportions of indigenous people out of all the countries in South America. There are 36 ethnic groups, such as the Quechua and Aymara, whose roots lie within the people who lived on the continent before colonisation.
As such, Bolivia is a melting pot for a range of ethnic groups and communities. It takes its traditions seriously and I really like that about it!
2. It’s super authentic
Compared to its neighbours (Peru, Chile, Brazil and Argentina), Bolivia doesn’t receive high tourist numbers. Therefore, in many places, it doesn’t seem very touristy, even if there are lots of cool things to see.
As a result, Bolivia felt like very authentic country. Compared to other places, it appeared less like people were financially trying to gain from tourists. For the most part tourism wasn’t a central part of people’s daily lives. I felt like I got a better sense of the country as a result.
3. It’s very traditional
If you travel to see other cultures, Bolivia would be a great choice. It’s a great example of a country which has a strong sense of identity, not bowing down to global trends and changes.
Therefore, the way of life is very traditional compared to the surrounding countries. Markets, not supermarkets or shops, are the normal way of buying food and goods; it’s common to see chuleta women, wearing traditional long skirts and with long plaited hair and bowler hats; and it’s Quechua, not Spanish, which is the dominant language in some Andean regions.
4. It’s probably the cheapest country in South America
Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America. Whilst this isn’t great at all, it does mean that for international tourists the country seems very cheap!
Local meals cost from around 10 bs ($1.45 / £1.15). Food in touristy places comes much more expensive (40 to 50 bs / $6 to $7 / £4.50 to £5.50), but overall it is still much cheaper than the neighbouring countries.
This drop in prices is also reflected in accommodation and transport.
5. It’s home to a range of natural wonders
One thing that makes Bolivia special is how diverse the country is, with a range of natural environments to explore.
The Andes run straight through Bolivia, providing incredible mountain vistas and hiking opportunities. Meanwhile, the Amazon is located in the north of the country, which you can explore within places such as Madidi National Park. The lowlands in the east of the country would be a major contrast to both of these regions.
On top of this, there are some smaller national parks, such as Torotoro and Eduardo Avaroa, which contain gorgeous landscapes; I was so excited to explore these!
6. You can visit the biggest salt flat in the world…
For most people, the biggest draw for a visit to Bolivia is the Salar de Uyuni, or the Uyuni salt flat. This is the biggest salt flat in the world and is absolutely crazy to visit!
I’m not kidding. During my visit, we drove across the salt flat for two hours to reach the other side: a true testament to how big this is. The salt flats felt otherworldly, particularly when standing on the centre of the plain unable to see anything but salt.
I can see why a visit to Uyuni would be on many people’s bucket list and am so glad I got to visit.
7. … And the world’s highest cities and lakes
Given Bolivia’s position on the eastern flank of the Andes, it’s home to some areas at seriously high altitude. Therefore, its claims to fame include containing some of the world’s highest cities, such as Potosí, and lakes, such as Lake Titicaca.
As you’d expect for a country which is so high, its inhabitants have come up with different ways to manage the symptoms that come with being at altitude, such as chewing coca leaves. I loved learning about how these traditions blend with the history and culture of Bolivia.
8. Bolivia’s cities are gorgeous
Back when Bolivia was under Spanish colonisation, many areas of Bolivia flourished financially and became very wealthy. Possibly the greatest example of this is at Potosí, where silver from the Cerro Rico mine turned Spanish settlers very rich, killing thousands in the process.
Whilst Bolivia’s history is often cruel and brutal, it has also resulted in some stunning architecture. Sucre, for example, is a super pretty city with its terraced buildings and white washed churches. Meanwhile, Potosí’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its colonial Spanish buildings.
If you keep exploring the country, you’ll find more modern cities, such as Santa Cruz and Cochabamba, although be assured they don’t feel Western in the slightest. Even in the most contemporary cities, you’ll find old churches, markets and plazas set against newer buildings.
9. It’s easy to add Bolivia onto a Chile or Peru trip
Bolivia is a land locked country with plenty of border crossings. That makes it perfect to add onto a trip from Chile or Peru, which are already popular with backpackers.
From Chile, a good option is to cross the border close to San Pedro de Atacama, which takes you into the south-west of Bolivia. This crossing is used for tours from San Pedro to the Salar de Uyuni, but 12 hour buses between Calama and Uyuni also exist on this route.
From Peru, you can enter at the border crossing close to Puno, a city on Lake Titicaca, which connects to Copacabana, also on Lake Titicaca, in the north-west of Bolivia.
Travelling overland through Bolivia is a great way to connect these two countries if you’re on a longer South America trip.
10. Plenty of buses are available to get you between cities
Whilst you’re in Bolivia, it’s relatively easy to get around. As with most of South America, the main long-distance method of transport is buses, and these are plentiful in Bolivia.
Best thing: these buses are CHEAP!
11. There are no mosquitos across the Andes
Anyone who’s visited any tropical country in South America will be glad to hear that most of Bolivia’s top sights are located in the Andes. Whilst the altitude can be problematic in many ways, it has a big upside, in preventing mosquitoes. They like being high up even less than we do!
That isn’t to say there are no mosquitoes in Bolivia: these irritating bugs are plentiful in low-lying areas, such as the Amazon or lowlands. However, I never visited these places and they can be avoided easily during a trip, as the main route through the country is through the Andes in the west.
12. It’s safe
When you consider how poor Bolivia is, it’d be easy to assume that theft and crime are common.
Fortunately, I didn’t get this impression at all when visiting the country. I felt very safe in many areas of Bolivia – much safer than I did in nearby countries like Chile and Ecuador.
This isn’t to say that crime doesn’t exist. It does, particularly in big cities like La Paz, where you should be careful where you go. However, in many places like Sucre, I felt safe most of the time, even when walking after dark.
… and 13 reasons not to visit Bolivia
1. You could get altitude sickness
One thing that puts people off from Bolivia is the same reason why other people find it so intriguing: the altitude.
Being so high means that the atmosphere is thinner, with less oxygen available. This can result in symptoms like headaches, tiredness and dizziness, which can manifest heavily for some people. Even for the lucky people who are minimally affected by the altitude, it’s common to feel out of breath, particularly when exercising (or walking up hills).
Unfortunately, there’s no way of avoiding it. Unless you’re used to going to such a high altitude, you won’t know if you’ll be affected until you get there.
2. There are less tourist amenities
Whilst having lower numbers of tourists compared to nearby countries makes Bolivia seem more authentic, it does have a bad side-effect, in that there are lower tourist amenities.
You’ll likely find that outside the main tourist hotspots, there are less restaurants, bars and tourists which are tailored to an international audience. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can make things harder than they’d otherwise be.
3. Some Bolivians aren’t used to tourists
The lower number of tourists can also mean that, in some areas, Western visitors are seen as a bit of an oddball. We found that there was a lot of catcalling towards us, particularly during Carnaval, and we were the subject of a lot of stares!
To say that people are unfriendly would be a bit harsh; we didn’t feel unwelcome. However, we got the impression that not all locals are accustomed to seeing Western tourists in their cities, and some of them weren’t quite sure what to make of us.
4. Most people don’t speak English
Most people in Bolivia don’t speak English. Some do, particularly in tourist circles or in bigger cities, but outside of this context it was rare to meet anyone who could speak English to a conversational level.
In other areas – Potosí for example – many people have Quechua or another language as their mother tongue, so, even if you know a bit of Spanish, it can be hard to eavesdrop into conversations on the street…
Therefore, when visiting Bolivia, knowing a bit of Spanish is invaluable. On the flip side, Bolivia wouldn’t be a great choice if you’d prefer to visit places where English is widely spoken.
5. There’s a relatively high food poisoning risk
We met a LOT of people in Bolivia who got food poisoning. At points during our trip, it almost felt guaranteed that we too would get it. We didn’t, but I felt lucky to have avoided it.
To reduce the risk, we cooked for ourselves a lot and mainly ate at tourist-oriented restaurants. We avoided street food and only went to local restaurants which appeared reputable. Still, it’s impossible to fully eliminate the risk of getting food poisoning.
6. The country is less developed, making getting around more dangerous
Whilst I found it interesting to visit a country which isn’t as developed as the UK or other Western countries, I can’t deny that the lower level of development makes the transport more dangerous.
The roads often lack tarmac and are just gravel, leading to some routes famed for their bumpy paths! There is also a general dislike of many bus companies, who are known for their overworked drivers and looseness around drunk driving, although we didn’t have any problems with this.
Not to mention, I’ve never seen such battered taxis before!
7. Healthcare is poor
The healthcare in Bolivia isn’t great. One of the hostel owners we stayed with said she dreaded the day one of her customers would need to go to the hospital, as the quality of care was so poor.
Bolivia is definitely one of those countries you want adequate travel insurance for, just in case you need to go to an expensive private hospital to get the treatment you need.
8. There are a lot of stray dogs
Bolivia is one of those countries where there are stray dogs at every turn. Outside the cities, it was rare not to have dogs begging us for food whilst we ate. I remember one particular meal in Torotoro where the four dogs watching us began fighting in hopes of being the one to claim our dinner!
For people who are sensitive to animal welfare, the health of these dogs can sometimes feel upsetting. Sadly, seeing dogs like this is widespread across this part of South America.
9. Try getting out of Bolivia by plane – it’s no mean feat!
Getting out of Bolivia by land is easy. But by plane? It’s an ordeal!
You can only get international flights out from La Paz and Santa Cruz. Even then, there are only flights to a couple of places – and they’re expensive at that.
To fly out of La Paz, we (and everyone else we spoke to) had to take a 3:30 am flight to Bogotá. There were no other options unless we were heading south to Chile or Brazil.
The security at the airport was also one of the weirdest I’ve ever been through. We had to go through an additional narcotics search on top of the normal screening. When we came to board the plane, there was a second search with sniffer dogs; never before have I been searched at such a late point during boarding.
10. Many people think the food is one note
There’s a reason you don’t find Bolivian cuisine worldwide. Its international reputation (where people have had the chance to try it) is not exactly glowing.
Bolivian food is mostly grilled meat with rice. Sometimes they’ll throw in an egg, potato, plantain or soup, but otherwise meat, rice and salad is the norm. I liked it, but I would have less enamoured if I had eaten it every day.
11. Low lying areas have malaria and dengue
If you visit the low lying areas of Bolivia, there are mosquitos, which can transmit malaria and dengue. When I visited there was a major dengue outbreak in Santa Cruz, which made us avoid this city.
On a positive note, most of the tourist attractions are located at altitude, which minimises the chances of you coming into contact with any mosquitos. It should also be said that malaria and dengue are found in most tropical countries, so you will hardly avoid it elsewhere.
12. Many of its draws can be explored in nearby countries just as easily
It pains me to add this point, but it is one worth noting.
Bolivia has many draws, but most of them can be found in other nearby countries. The Salar de Uyuni is unique, but otherwise, you can explore the Andes in Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The Amazon is easier to visit in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. Many of these countries also have gorgeous cities, varied landscapes and a similar cuisine, whilst also being easier (and cheaper) to get to than Bolivia.
Another side point is that these countries often have additional attractions, which make them more appealing than Bolivia if you’re only visiting one country. Take Macchu Picchu in Peru, the Atacama Desert in Chile, or Ciudad de Perdida and a long coastline in Colombia. Do I think they beat Bolivia in interest just because they have these things? No – but they provide major competition.
13. There is a risk of earthquakes
One thing that scared me a bit when I was in Bolivia was the poor building standards. Often you’ll see buildings which are incomplete, with steel poles sticking out the top and obvious frames; I later learned this is because in many regions, taxes aren’t paid on unfinished buildings.
Normally I wouldn’t be too concerned, as surely they couldn’t be as bad as they look or no one would use them? However, Bolivia’s also in a tectonically active area with volcanoes along its border, and experiences earthquakes from time to time.
My personal fear is that an earthquake in Bolivia is a disaster waiting to happen – and to be frank, I don’t want to be in the country when that happens, given how poor the buildings look.
Conclusion
I adored my visit to Bolivia. It’s such a vibrant country full of culture, and I loved learning about the different communities and experiencing the various landscapes.
My list may have more reasons not to visit than it does reasons to actually visit, but don’t let that put you off. It may not be as easy to visit as other countries in the region, but personally I think that makes it all the more worthwhile; that’s not something I can easily resolve in a list like this.
What other things would tempt you to visit Bolivia – or to give it a miss? Let me know in the comments.
