Things to Know Before You Go to Bolivia

So Bolivia is your chosen travel destination – an amazing choice! This country has it all – from a rich Indigenous culture (the largest population in South America – 60% of the population) to the highest mountain range outside the Himalayas; from the world’s largest salt-flat desert to the humid jungle. It really has a ton to offer.

However, Bolivia has its own pace and manner. It is the poorest country in south america and suffers from political instability and lack of infrastructures.

From our experience, everything works out somehow eventually, but patience and fexibility are good thing to pack with you for a trip to Bolivia! Here are some tips and resources we found helpful during our travel in Bolivia.

Bring US Dollars or Euros

Bolivians stopped believing in the BOB (Bolivianos), their local coin, and often searched to exchange their savings for foreign currencies. This means the demand for dollars or euros is high, but the supply is very low as it is not possible to get it inside the country (even if you try using Western Union, the amount you will get is the equivalent in BOB to the official rate).

This results in a “blue”, unofficial exchange rate that is currently (Oct 2024) 40% higher than the official exchange rate! This means instead of getting 7 BOB per dollar, you are likely to get more than 10. This rate is fairly unstable and may change due to different government actions (during June 2024, 1$ was worth 14 BOB in the blue market). The demand for other currencies (like Chilean peso or Peruvian sol) is lower, so though you do get a better rate than the official for exchanging these bills, it’s not significant.

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your money:

1. Get dollars in Peru: If you travel from Peru, it turns out some ATMs allow you to get dollars from your account. We used Caja Cusco Bank – there is also a branch in Puno. The limit was 140$ for each withdrawal, but the number of withdrawals was not limited and the fee you pay depends on the credit card.
2. Bills specification: for some reason, the Bolivians don’t like 20$ or 50$ bills and prefer 100$. If you have small notes, it is possible you will get a lower exchange rate. If you have the option, bring/change to large notes and make sure they have no defects like tears or scratches – it’s likely to be checked by the cambio.
3. Check the rate: BolivianBlue and DolarBO are two resources where you can see more or less the current exchange rate in the street cambios. It’s a good starting point but you may not get the exact rate but more / less.
4. Do a market survey (and bargain): As described in the frame below, most money exchange opportunities are either in random stores (phones, souvenirs) or just in the street. Mostly there are specific areas full of shops or vendors that offer money exchange, so you can ask several of them to see who gives you the best rate. Don’t hesitate to bargain and show the current blue dollar website to try and get a better rate.

In most cities and towns, the change (cambio) is not in an official casa de camio - those would mostly give you the official exchange rate. Rather, it's either a store-owner looking for additional income, or full-time-job money changers that just stay in the street.  We have heard from an expat living in Santa Cruz for 13 years that fake money is not really an issue in Bolivia, but it's always a good idea to count and check that all the notes you get look legit. All the bills now have a new format, but the old one can still be found (you can have a look in the official bank of Bolivia site).

Areas with cambios we found (please let us know if you have other tips):

1. Copacabana: As the first stop in Bolivia, we had the feeling money exchange rates are not as good here as in other places. There are a few cambios along Avenida 6 de Agusto, and one in the corner of Avaroa St.
2. Cochabamba: In Plaza San Antonio (near the bus terminal and La Cancha market) there are multiple stands.
3. Sucre: Along Avenida Hernando Síles, from calle Junin direction Bolivar park, there are many stores that sell cell phones and exchange money.

Beware of Bloqueos (roadblocks)

Political demonstration, specifically blocking roads, is a national sport in Bolivia. The reasons are varied, from worker rights to gasoline prices to replacing the president. El Alto, the 2nd largest city in Bolivia, basically controls all entries and exit from the capital La Paz, so it’s often influenced by such protests. Many times, the blockage is a few people sitting on the road with stones or signs, or large vehicles that stop in the middle of the highway.

Roadblocks can significantly effect travel times and plans so it’s important to be aware of them and take buffers!

For example, the road from Samaipata to Sucre took 23 hours instead of 9 in October (poor Grant 🙁 ). In some cases (but not all), you can drive until before the blockade, walk by foot in the blocked area and continue with a bus or taxi on the other side, but it depends on the scale of the blockade and the timing of your arrival.

Some helpful tips and resources:

1. Ask in your accommodation: Always ask before leaving to your next destination. People who work in tourism are normally informed and can also offer alternative routes.
2. Check live reports (transitabilidad): this website has a map with marked blockage status.

Getting Around by Bus

We heard terrible things about buses in Bolivia before coming but were positively surprised. Indeed, most of them are old, sometimes a bit smelly – but they run frequently and are, without a doubt, the best way to move around in the country.

How to find the bus you need? We always start with Tickets Bolivia – they have the names of the companies and the itinerary. The prices they present are often 10-20BOB more expensive than when you book directly in the terminal, but it can give you an idea of the price range and difference between companies.

rome2rio is also a good source to find names of bus companies going in your route. Itineraries are not accurate, but they always have contact details and you can write onhere is an article from Argentina’s most common newspaper “la Nacion” WhatsApp (in Spanish) to get the full info.

Some hostels have a booking service (for a small fee) and can give you information and take care of the booking. Some bus companies allow to make a reservation through WhatsApp, but some require QR payment (you can only do that with a Bolivian bank account) so it’s possible to buy only in the terminal.

We did some unusual routes, so you can check these posts if you are going in similar routes.

Stomach Issues – the Best Icebreaker (but seriously – how to avoid them?)

A classic backpacker situation: I don’t know your name, but I know when was the last time you went to the toilet and how is your stomach doing today… Though it’s a great icebreaker, you can probably find other topics to talk about and keep healthy!

From what we heard, stomach issues in Bolivia are almost inevitable due to a lack of fresh/running water and low hygiene standards. After we had Salmonella and suffered from 2 different types of parasites (on 2 different occasions) in Peru’s scared valley, we were really scared.

There are a few rules that kept us safe during our 3 months in Bolivia. It’s sometimes depressing and we really do crave a salad! But even if you don’t follow them all, I think baring them in mind can be helpful:

1. Buying water – although we have our sawer squeeze filter, in Bolivia we didn’t take the risk and bought bottled water. It’s too much plastic 🙁 but kept us safe. In most places, you can buy 7 liter bottles and in some hostels even refill your personal bottle for a small propina (tip).
   • Beware of ice
   • Beware of juices – you can always ask to use orange juice and not water as a base.
   • Agua filtrada: filtered water. Agua hervida: boiled water.
   • In altitude, water boils at a temperature lower than 100°, so make sure you boil for at least 3 minutes to be bacteria-safe.
2. “Peel it, cook it, wash it” – this is a known rule of thumb regarding fruit and vegetables in south America. In Bolivia, we didn’t trust the water, and didn’t use our precious filtered water to wash veggies. So we were left with “peel it” (lots of fruit, some veggies including avocado 🙂 ) and cook it. The salad was out, and so did the strawberries. Robin was at times adventurous and ate some fresh tomato or cucumbers, but Shir was too scared.
3. Cook your eggs – we always asked for huevo duro (hard) and when cooking ourselves, we made sure eggs are cooked for at least 4 minutes. In Sajama, we had an incident with eggs – not cooking long enough caused mild Salmonella :/
4. Be smart – Don’t eat in places that look dodgy…

If you are cooking for yourself, here is our list of hostels with a kitchen in Bolivia.

Fuel Crisis

As of September 2024, Bolivia is experiencing a huge shortage in fuel. There are several reasons for that, but from our understanding the main ones are high subsidization of fuel by the government (1 liter used to cost 3 BOB for locals and 9 BOB for estranjeros), shortage in local production (or, as we heard, local fuel producers that prefer selling to neighboring countries in a higher rate), and the high exchange rate of BOB to foreign currency (meaning that if the Bolivians want to buy fuel from other countries, they have to pay a lot).
How does it effect you?

1. May cause bloqeos (see chapter…)
2. Going with your private vehicle to Bolivia may not be a good idea – If you are driving you own vehicle, getting fuel in Bolivia nowadays might be impossible for you, or at least extremely difficult. We saw lines stretching over several kilometers where each vehicle is limited to buying fuel for 10 BOB (around 30 Liters).
3. Unexpected “Dia del Peaton” – this is a day where it’s not allowed to fly / drive (no buses go). It’s actually a pretty cool day, where everyone is in the streets walking or biking, there are stands and music. There is 1 official “Dia del Peaton” in Bolivia every year, but the shortage in gas can cause the government to declare one a week in advance (like we experienced in September 2024). Would be a good idea to check if you are in a hurry.
4. Transportation is more expensive – although buses and colectivos within cities are not immediately affected by rising fuel prices (but I guess they also will at some point), some forms of transport like taxis, tuktuks and buses for shorter distances between cities (e.g La Paz -> Coroico) immediately increase the price saying no hay gasolina. You should bargin anyway, as it’s sometimes just an excuse to increase significantly the price. In case the official bus line is not going due to lack of gasoline, there are often private van drivers coming to the bus station and offering the same route for double the price. Our tip is to find a friendly boliviano going the same way and following them.
5. Everything is more expensive – or at least everything that gets delivered from far. It’s a good excuse to buy and eat local (platanos in the Rurrenabaque and quinoa in Uyuni…)

In case you are interested in the politics, here is an article from Argentina’s most common newspaper “la Nacion” trying to explain the phenomenon and its future possible impacts.

Be Patient and Flexible

In Bolivia there is always something going on – a blockage, a fiesta, unusual (yet predicted…) weather, lack of gasoline or electricity, a national day without cars, just name it. Be aware these can and will happen and try looking at them as an opportunity to get to know the Bolivian culture and lives a bit better. The locals will always be happy to explain (in Spanish) about the current craziness and help you navigate your way out of the current trouble. Just let them 🙂

Already in Bolivia? Check out all our Bolivia tips about hikes and spots we loved.