You can spot huge flocks of wild macaws and parrots mostly around Madidi National Park, the Pampas del Yacuma, and Amboró National Park. Lots of eco-lodges in the Madidi basin end up close to natural clay licks; locals call them colpas. Here, the living birds gather very early in the morning, so they can eat…
You’ll need at least three or four days for a Rurrenabaque tour to properly and, yes, adequately explore either the Pampas wetlands or the deeper Madidi National Park jungle. If you want to taste both distinct ecosystems, plan for at least five to six days. Also, keep in mind that flights from La Paz can…
A standard 3-day, 2-night Pampas wildlife tour from Rurrenabaque usually goes for about $150 to $250; it really depends on the agency’s reputation and lodge level, too. That advertised price normally includes the basic lodge stay, all meals, river boat transport, and an English-speaking guide. While some backpackers look for a bit less cost on…
Yes, capybaras are incredibly common during Pampas tours along the Yacuma River, and you can be basically sure you will spot big groups sprawled out on those muddy riverbanks. Since the Pampas is an open wetland savannah, not a thick-canopy jungle, animal viewing is excellent. The world’s largest rodent relatives tend to hang near the…
Packing for a Bolivian Amazon safari takes lightweight, breathable clothing that covers your skin, so you aren’t constantly dealing with aggressive mosquitoes or getting hit by intense tropical sun exposure. Focus entirely on practicality over style. Essential items include:
Hunting for anacondas in the Bolivian Amazon is usually done by arranging a guided Pampas tour out of Rurrenabaque and walking through those shallow, swampy stretches of the Yacuma River. During the dry season (May to October), falling water levels draw in wildlife, which makes it a lot easier for local indigenous guides to trace…
The Oruro Carnival is a massive UNESCO-recognised religious and cultural festival in Bolivia. It blends Catholic traditions with older Andean pagan rituals in a kind of living way. It happens every year just before Ash Wednesday, and honestly, the centrepiece is the traditional Diablada, Dance of the Devils. Tens of thousands of extravagantly dressed dancers…
The Casa de la Libertad is Bolivia’s biggest, most important historical building, and it is also the exact place where the Declaration of Independence was signed on 6 August 1825. This place was first put up as a Jesuit chapel back in the 17th century, and later it became this beautifully preserved whitewashed museum, where…
You can stop by the Sunday Tarabuco indigenous market if you travel from Sucre. Usually, you take a shared minivan (trufi) from the intersection at Avenida de las Américas, and it takes about 1.5 hours, more or less. On Sunday mornings, the minivans leave pretty often once they are filled up with passengers. Also, you…
Amboró National Park is a vast, hyper-diverse nature reserve in central Bolivia where the Andes mountain range, the Amazon basin, and the northern Chaco ecosystems come together. This particular geographic mix makes for an extraordinary level of biodiversity, and it protects vulnerable species such as the spectacled bear, the jaguar, and the horned curassow. The…