South & Central America
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries
Visa Requirements – Holders of UK passports do not require a visa for entry into Bolivia, but you should have a full passport with a minimum of six months validity from the date of your return to the UK. Please also be aware that you need to have at least two blank pages in your passport.
Health Requirements – A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required for entry into Bolivia if you have come via an infected country. Even if you have not come via an infected country it is generally recommended if you are travelling around the country. There are no other mandatory vaccinations required for entry into Bolivia although Tetanus, Typhoid, Polio, Hepatitis A and Meningitis are recommended. Malaria exists in some parts of Bolivia, particularly in the low lying eastern strip of the country. It is therefore essential that you seek medical advice with regard to its treatment. Altitude Sickness in areas of over 3000m (such as La Paz, Potosi or Oruro) is possible if you ascend to that height rapidly (i.e. arrive there by plane) or if you over-exert yourself.
We strongly recommend that you contact your doctor or the MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) Travellers Health Line on 0870 60 62782 or their website at www.masta.org for all professional medical advice.
Time – Bolivia is 4 hours behind GMT.
Money – The currency of Bolivia is the Boliviano (Bs).
Although credit cards are accepted in many of the top-end hotels and restaurants in La Paz, there are still many places, particularly in the smaller and more remote towns, that do not yet have the facility to accept them, so it is important that you have alternative methods of payment with you. There are some ATM machines in the larger towns, so this is a way of getting cash out of the bank. There are banks and foreign exchange bureaus in the major towns & cities although you will usually be able to cash US$ travellers’ cheques or foreign currency on arrival at La Paz airport. Travellers’ cheques are not always accepted outside of the main cities and will often incur a high fixed commission charge.
Flights
|
Airline |
Route |
Frequency |
Via |
|
Iberia |
Heathrow/La Paz |
Daily |
Madrid/Lima |
|
Virgin & American Airlines |
Heathrow/La Paz |
Daily |
New York/Miami |
Climate - A rough guide
Bolivia can really be divided into three distinct geographical areas ranging from the high altiplano in the west to the low-lying jungles in the east and each area has its own distinct weather patterns. However the principal dry season is from April to October (winter) with the main rains falling between November and March (summer).
La Paz & the Altiplano: The dry winter months (April to October) are the best time to visit this high altitude region as there tends to be little rain and the temperatures during the day time can reach up to around 75F, although there can often be strong winds and it can be very cold at night with temperatures often falling well below freezing. The summer months (November to March/April) still tend to be reasonably dry although the occasional heavy afternoon downpour is possible and the temperatures don’t vary much from the winter.
The Valleys & Yungas: To the east of the high altiplano region is an area of subtropical mountain valleys, forests and productive agricultural land. Again the dry winter months (April to October) are the best time to visit as there tends to be less rain and the day time temperatures can reach around 80F with quite moderate night time temperatures. The summer months (November to March) tend to have significant amounts of rainfall with slightly warmer daytime temperatures.
Eastern Lowlands & Amazon/Pantanal: Stretching to Brazil and Paraguay, the Eastern Lowlands are vast and account for almost 70% of Bolivia’s land mass. These low tropical plains are the wettest region of the country with high rainfall and high humidity throughout the summer months and daytime temperatures reaching up to 90F. The winter months tend to be marginally drier and less humid, although temperatures are still very high. There is some regional variation such as the Chaco region, which tends to remain drier than most of this low-lying eastern belt.
Please note also that in recent years the traditional seasons in Bolivia, as elsewhere in the world, have become less predictable than in previous years due to global climatic changes.
When to go - Bolivia generally has a pleasant albeit varied climate and arguably the best time to visit is during the winter months between April and October, when it tends be drier and warmer, although the temperatures on the Altiplano can drop significantly especially at night.
|
La Paz |
||||||||||||
|
|
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Temp (F) |
62/ 42 |
62/ 42 |
64/ 42 |
64/ 39 |
64/ 37 |
62/ 33 |
62/ 33 |
62/ 35 |
64/ 37 |
66/ 39 |
66/ 42 |
64/ 42 |
|
Rain (in) |
4.4 |
4.2 |
2.5 |
1.2 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
1.1 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
3.7 |
Temp (Fahrenheit) = Average Maximum Temperatures (day/night)
Rain (inches) = Average Monthly Rainfall
