Bolivia: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Bolivia feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 69 written places.
The Andes at their most indigenous and least varnished; patience is the entry fee.
✓ Considered polite
- Acclimatise seriously - La Paz airport sits at 4000 metres
- Chew coca leaves or drink the tea for altitude like locals do
- Book Uyuni salt flat tours with reviewed operators - quality varies wildly
- Carry cash in small notes - change is scarce
✗ Better avoided
- Photograph people without asking - especially cholitas in traditional dress
- Expect schedules to hold - blockades and delays are part of travel here
- Drink tap water
- Underestimate cold nights on the altiplano even after warm days
Worth knowing
- Cash rules - cards work only in better city venues
- Tipping is small change, not percentages
- The rainy season floods the salt flat into its famous mirror - December to March
- Night buses are cold - bring the sleeping bag inside
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.