Backpacker Guide to Bolivia for Solo Travellers  

As a solo destination:  

Bolivia is an exciting and challenging destination for solo travellers, but virtually none of the locals speak any English so you really need at least a basic understanding of the language (Latin American Spanish). They are an exceedingly friendly people though, who will go out of their way to try to understand and help you. It's fairly well geared towards the average backpacker and you will meet a lot of people from all over the world as you go.

Accommodation for the solo travellers:

As Bolivia is a very poor country overall, pretty much everything is budget. You will find hostels that provide dormitory style accommodation (a few will offer a camping area for a small fee) and hotels in bigger towns and cities, but only Poussadas, (the lowest ranking hotel accommodation) in the smaller towns and villages. The Poussada is by far the cheapest place to lay your head, providing; a room with bedding and a shared toilet and bathroom (don't expect any hot water). However, a hostel is still the best place to meet people.

Budget for solo travellers:

Poussadas start at around £1 per night (15 BOB) for very cheap rooms and £2-3 (30-45 BOB) for a more expensive room. You can pay as much as £5 (75 BOB) for a hostel, but cheaper can be found. Your biggest expense may be your accommodation, how you decide to eat or laundry bills. If you eat in local cafes, you can get a good, wholesome, 3 course meal with a litre of beer for 70p (10 BOB). A restaurant aimed at tourists will cost closer to £2 (30BOB) per course. Cooking for yourself will involve staying in a hostel and ingredients tend to be sold in bulk, pushing the budget up again. So, to eat cheaply, stick to the local staple...Pollo con arros (chicken and rice) and empanadas (a kind of pasty to snack on).

Trips and activities for solos:

The best way to see the remote and unique landscape that Bolivia has to offer is via organised tours. This is a fantastic way to meet people and, by far the safest and most informative way to see something. Just make sure you research the tour company well, as a lot of the tour operators are dishonest, paying the local tour guides a tiny fraction of the overall price you pay.

Here is a list of ideas:

The Salar de Uyui Tour (Salt flats, red, blue, white and green lakes, a Salt hotel, 2000 year old cactuses etc.)

5 days in the Pampas (swimming with pink dolphins, piranhas and more)

5 days in the Jungle

A boat trip on Lake Titicaca

A boat to the Isla de la Luna (the island of the moon)

Bolivia has history, culture and wildlife, there is so must to see and experience you can't possibly get bored!

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