How to Find Hotels in Bolivia

The only landlocked Andean country, Bolivia has a largely indigenous population that has preserved much of its traditional way of life. Bolivia offers tourists beautiful mountain scenery, biodiverse jungles, Inca ruins and historical architecture.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer to make reservations

Know Your Destination

1. Check the altitude, which affects the weather more than the season. La Paz tends to be quite cool year round, while the lowlands of Bolivia consistently hover in the high 80s.
2. Listen carefully. The official language is Spanish, but there are 39 other languages spoken by people in the different regions, and Bolivian Spanish often blends these languages.
3. Leave your Euros at home. Most banks will exchange Dollars into Bolivianos, but few will exchange Euros.

Find Your Way Around Boliva

4. Travel safely between cities with Trans Azul bus service, which transverses Bolivia. Transfers to smaller bus companies may be required, but bus operators will handle the arrangements for you.
5. See the countryside from the back of a truck. Passenger truck stops are located throughout the major cities and the fare is half that of a bus.

Find a Place to Stay in Bolivia

6. To book accommodations, contact Bolivia Vice-Ministry of Tourism at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).
7. Save your money. Hostels are quite popular and are only a few bucks a night.
8. Bring your family to Bolivia. Hotel Calacoto in La Paz offers one of the truly family friendly hotels in the bustling city.
9. Check the Web sites of the major hotel chains. Most of the larger chains offer safe accommodations in the cities of Bolivia.

Discover Bolivia

10. Check out the Witch's Market in La Paz. From dried frogs for money to ceramic couples for fertility, you won't want to miss the many wonders of the market.
11. Visit the highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. Copacabana, located on the Bolivian shores of the lake, is the best place to find accommodations.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep spending cash on hand as the majority of shops will not accept credit cards.
• Buses only run at night, and the weather can quickly drop to the single digits, so traveling with a sleeping bag is a must.
• Political and civil unrest is not uncommon, which can make travel between cities dangerous.
• Check with tour groups, as many of the historical accommodations have exclusive contracts.
• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Save on the high airfares into Bolivia by flying into another South American country such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile or Peru, and travel overland to Bolivia.
• Stay alert. Tourists are frequently the victims of scams and shake-downs, especially in the capital city of La Paz.