VISAS
Regulations change frequently, but currently citizens of Japan and most EU countries can stay 90 days without a visa; citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can stay 30 days without a visa. Most other nationalities require a visa in advance - usually issued for a 30-day stay.
SECURITY
You just need a little caution and your walks by the cities of Bolivia will become an unforgettable experience of blue sky, snowy silhouettes, with cotton clouds, old mansions of colonial and republican airs, narrow and irregular streets and avenues of vertiginous traffic tattooed of modernity.
To become unforgettable this experience, keep always with you a photocopy of your passport and of your air ticket; also, take only the necessary money and be very careful with your personal belongings (jewels, photographic equipment, video cameras, etc), because although the Bolivian cities are extremely welcoming and calm, they are not free of acts of delinquency.
PHONE SERVICES
Getting communicated by phone doesn't represent any difficulty in Bolivian lands. Besides the public booths located strategically in the main streets and avenues, there are offices of the National Company of Telecommunications (Entel) from which can be carried out calls to the world.
HEALTH
Tourists coming from countries in those that cases of yellow fever have been reported, should present a vaccination certificate to enter Bolivia. That is the only immunization document that is requested, but, you, for caution, should consult with your doctor and, if find it necessary, be vaccinated against the hepatitis A, the cholera or the tetanus.
The illness that more frequently affects to the travelers is the light diarrhea. To slip away of this annoying malaise, you can take some precautions:
- Drink only boiled or bottled water. Avoid to consume it directly of the faucet.
- Do not eat raw vegetables or milky products, as cheese, yogurt and milk, ice or ice creams of doubtful origin, because they could be made with faucet water.
- Wash your hands before ingesting your foods.
In the event of being victim of this illness, it is recommended to drink many liquids with re-hydrating salts and to rest. If consider it necessary, go to the nearest medical center.
Another recurrent illness in the cities of the highland, is the called soroche or altitude sickness, that is usually accompanied with headaches, nauseas and a decrease of the arterial pressure. Although there is not an completely effective way to avoid it, the visitor should follow these advices:
- During the first 24 hours, don't carry out long walks or carry heavy suitcases or backpacks.
- Try not to get tired too much in the first day. Rest and avoid heavy foods and alcohol, because the digestion process is longer in the cities of height.
Medical insurance
It is recommendable -before undertaking your trip through Bolivian lands- to hire a medical insurance in your origin country. This way you will be protected in case any emergency occurred
SCHEDULES
From Monday to Friday the attention at the public and private offices is in two shifts. In the morning from 08:30 until noon, and, in the afternoons, from 14:30 until 18:30. On Saturdays, the schedule is from 9 in the morning to noon.
The bank agencies have a quite similar schedule. The only difference is that they close their doors at 17:00. Only a few credit entities carry out operations on Saturdays, from 09:00 until noon.
The schedule in the stores and commercial centers is very dissimilar, but the attention generally begins at 09:00 or 10:00 and culminates at 20:00 hours. Do not forget that most businesses close their doors at noon
LODGING
In Bolivian lands you will find an efficient hotel offer that will make more pleasant your stay. So don't worry too much, there will always be a place -warm, pleasing, welcoming- for all those travelers desirous of discovering the wonderful mysteries of the mountains, valleys and unknown forests of this magical Andean country.
The main cities of Bolivia, as La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba, have the necessary infrastructure, to satisfy the tourists used to luxury and comfort; and, also, there is a good number of inns and Lodgings that, because of its economic rates, are the favorite of the adventurers.
Is always advisable to be safe and to make hotel reservations in advance to avoid any setback that could darken your days of rest.
This advice is applicable, mainly, between May and August that are the months of more tourist affluence; you should also make reservations in advance, if you are willing to attend the colorful Bolivian carnivals (February), an almost endless party that stirs up great interest, being the city of Oruro the most visited one
* If you need any further information about Bolivia, do not hesitate to contact us.