Why and When to Travel to Bolivia?

Bolivia is South America's most exotic and surprising country: nearly twice the size of France, with barely 11 million inhabitants, it is a land of vast open spaces, still largely untouched by organized tourism. Traveling here - on the altiplano or in the tropical forest - still feels like an adventure, with the unexpected always lurking around the corner.

Here are some of the things you will find on any trip to Bolivia:

• A wild nature with still-pristine, breathtaking landscapes: the surreal Uyuni salt flat, the colorful lagoons of South Lipez, the snow-capped Cordillera Real, the vertiginous Yungas cliffs, or the lush Amazon forest.
• A predominantly indigenous population preserving ancestral customs, with a stronger social, economic, cultural and even political influence than almost anywhere else on the continent - expect a genuine change of scenery.
• Historically significant sites and cities: Potosi, the world's largest silver deposit, mined by the Spanish from the sixteenth century with an immense impact on the region's and Europe's economy; the colonial city of Sucre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and Tiwanaku, center of a pre-Inca civilization.
• A country still untouched by mass tourism, though its infrastructure (roads, airports, hotels) has clearly improved, allowing a decent level of comfort - some destinations, such as South Lipez, remain reserved for real adventure-seekers.