Bolivia Hotels

Bolivia is landlocked at the heart of Andean Latin America remains something of a well-kept secret. Throughout the country's colonial history, Bolivia was known as Upper Peru, until after Simon Bolivar led the country to independence in 1825, when it was named in his honour.

Today, those who venture beyond the mass tourism of neighbouring, modern day Peru will find a country offering a far more authentic take on Latin American culture. While upscale hotels and international standard restaurants do exist, there are also plenty of long bus journeys along mountain passes, rough-and-tumble jeep trips across empty landscapes and chilly nights in low frills hotels under llama-wool blankets.

The infrastructure may need some work but the country's innate charm lies in its staggering breadth of contrasts: the clash of indigenous and European culture the sweep of landscape from jungle to high altitude mountains and the diversity of activities from adrenaline sports to ancient monuments.

This landlocked country boasts the soaring peaks of the Cordillera Real around Sorata and the hallucinogenic salt flats of Uyuni, the steamy jungles of the Amazon Basin and wildlife-rich grasslands of the Southeast. Unparalleled beauty is also reflected in its vibrant indigenous cultures, colonial cities such as Sucre and Potosí, and whispers of ancient civilizations. This is exactly what attracts visitors, and with good reason. Bolivia is now well and truly on travelers' radars; opportunities for cultural and adventure activities and off the beaten path exploration have exploded. But while most travelers stick to the well-worn paths of the Altiplano, there's plenty to be found elsewhere, including the tropical east and the lowland regions in the south.