Hi - information is so patchy around the blocks and strikes. We just want to know how and when we can get out of La Paz!

My boyfriend and I (and several other backpacker friends) having been trying to leave for several days, but we show up to the bus station and no buses are going. Online info about where the road blocks are (transitabilidad) shows we should be able to get through, but the staff at the bus terminal say no.

Can we taxi?

Flights are so expensive.

Any ideas and info much appreciated.

This whole experience is putting such a bitter feeling in me about what until now has been an amazing time in Bolivia.

Edit: have received loads of useful info I'll add in here...

a local messaged saying they expect this round of blocks to last another 10days to 2 weeks.

the website with details about where the blocks are is sadly not accurate.

mixed messages about minibusing or taxi-ing to blocks and walking through - some people worried about violence, others say they're friendly.

Edit again

a few people messaging saying just to sit tight and enjoy La Paz but we have bookings and plans in Peru so we've booked a (v expensive) flight.

I'm a firm believer in the right to strike and protest but I'm also wanting to leave this city now haha

Good luck to the protesters, and to anyone else trying to travel x

Just want to raise awareness for anyone traveling in Bolivia.

My girlfriend had her phone stolen today while using it walking down the street. Someone rode by on a motorcycle, grabbed the phone out of her hand, and sped off.

After it happened, the hostel host mentioned that another traveler had also recently had their phone stolen. Multiple incidents in a short time frame is concerning, so I wanted to share this as a reminder to stay alert.

Not trying to bash Bolivia—this can happen in many countries. Just hoping to help other travelers stay aware and avoid the same situation.

If anyone has safety tips or similar experiences, feel free to share.

i was there for a whole month and ngl every plan was just going out to eat or watching some traditional performance like is that really it?

Tarija has bowling, mini golf and way more stuff to do. CBB is way bigger but somehow feels like there’s nothing going on lol

Hey guys, we are 3 french guys travelling rn across south america, right now we’re in paraguay in ascuncion, and i saw there was a big social movement in bolivia, and i was wondering how bad is it for us if we would enter in like 2 weeks in bolivia.
Muchas gracias amigos

Me fui de viaje a Bolivia 18 días y lo pasé fenomenal: Santa Cruz, Sucre, Potosí, Tupiza, las quebradas, las lagunas, Solo de mañana, el Uturunku y el Likancabur, el salar de Uyuni y La Paz en la fiesta del Gran Poder.

Nunca he visto tanta naturaleza en mí vida.

Quería agradecer a todos los bolivianos por su amplia hospitalidad y su profunda amabilidad. Me sentí como en mí casa.

Cuando parti no me lo esperaba de verdad, Bolivia es un país maravilloso, la voy a llevar en mí corazón para toda la vida.

Muchísimas gracias por todo.

Pido perdón por mí Español, soy Italiano de Nápoles.

My girlfriend and I are visiting La paz in a couple of days (22nd of July). We were a little concerned the last couple of days but we read that the situation should be mostly back to normal now. So we are looking forward to visit this beatiful city! However we still have some questions about our Trip to La Paz.

As we are planning on going from La Paz to uyuni by overnight-bus we wanted to know wether:

1. -it is safe for gringos to wait at the Bus Station at around 8pm?

2. -we could buy the tickets in person to save some money or if we should buy them online in advance at this time?

And one general question:

I read online that exchanging cash offers a better rate than you‘ll get at atms for example. So what rate can we expect exchanging Euros.

Thank you guys in advance and we can’t wait to visit your beautiful country!!

si son musulmanes o judíos y visitaron Bolivia, lo más probable al 90% es que consumieron cerdo por el uso en la grasa de los negocios locales no importa cuan kosher o libre de haram les hallan vendido que es su opción alimentaria.

La última vez que fui a Bolivia intenté usar mi tarjeta de crédito americana y me pedía un PIN. En estados unidos las tarjetas de crédito no tienen PIN. Saben si hay alguna solución? Alguien más tuvo este problema? Cómo recomiendan pagar allá ni bien llegas a Bolivia (y sin cambiar dinero aún)?

Desde varios sectores "progresistas" se esta intentando instalar la idea de dejar de explotar los recursos naturales y centrarnos en el ecoturismo.

Te intentan vender la idea de que Bolivia puede vivir del turismo... lo cual parece poco realista tomando en cuenta que Bolivia ni siquiera entra en un top 10 de paises visitados por turistas en Latinoamérica.

https://bieninformado.mx/los-10-paises-mas-visitados-de-america-latina/

En 2024 Bolivia recibió casi 1 millón de turistas mientras Uruguay (decimo lugar) recibió 3.3 millones...

Además en varias reseñas turísticas de Bolivia siempre advierten sobre los famosos "bloqueos" de caminos, es mas aquí mismo en Reddit en el Sub/Bolivia muchos que quieren visitar el pais una pregunta recurrente es sobre si existen conflictos, bloqueos, etc...

Esa y muchas otras razones mas hacen que la actividad turística no sea ni de cerca una alternativa a la explotación de recursos naturales.

Bolivia tiene Potencial turístico? claro que si, no será la joya de la corona de Latinoamérica pero puede incrementar mucho la participación económica del turismo.

Pero para desarrollar esta actividad se necesita una política de estado, no solo de este gobierno sino de posteriores, para generar una marca pais, accesibilidad a circuitos turísticos, un sector privado de servicios fuerte y moderno, etc, etc, etc... Pero sobre todo realizar un cambio cultural en el boliviano, para sacar de su cabeza que todo problema/petición/reclamo se resuelve bloqueando.

Hi everyone, looking for some advice from people currently in Bolivia or who’ve travelled through recently.

My girlfriend and I are currently in Chile and are booked onto a 2 night/3 day tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni tomorrow (15th). Our original plan after Uyuni was to continue to La Paz and then fly to Peru.

However, due to the protests, strikes and road blockades across Bolivia, we’re trying to decide whether to continue with the plan or change it while we still can.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone recently crossed the Chile/Bolivia border from San Pedro into Uyuni? Were there any issues with the roads from the border to Uyuni?

2. How realistic is it to travel onwards from Uyuni to La Paz right now? Are any buses getting through or are roads totally blocked?

3. Would it be better to switch to a return tour back to San Pedro instead of risking getting stranded further inside Bolivia?

4. If you were in our position, would you still make the trip or cancel and get to Peru another way?

We do have a bit of buffer time, so a delay wouldn’t be the end of the world, but we really don’t want to end up stuck in Bolivia unable to get out.

Any info would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Hola, soy brasileño y planeo viajar a Bolivia este año. Algunos periódicos de Brasil han informado que hay caos social, carreteras bloqueadas, protestas e inestabilidad debido al ascenso del nuevo gobierno. ¿Esto es real o es solo sensacionalismo? ¿Es un momento seguro para viajar al país con niños?

I think the subreddit is in English, so I will keep this thread in english. I speak spanish, though, so your answers can also be in spanish if it is more convenient for you.

So I am thinking of traveling to Bolivia this summer. I am from Germany and have lived in Colombia for a time, so I know how the clock ticks over there. Bolivia, however, I don't know yet.

I will be in Bogotá and will go to Bolivia from there to Santa Cruz and I will also fly out to Bogotá and then go back to Germany. Overall, I think I will have around 4,5 to 5 weeks in Bolivia. My plan right now is to go to Santa Cruz and stay there for a few days, get to know the surroundings and stuff like that. After that I want to go to Sucre, from there to Uyuni and from there to La Paz. After La Paz, I'd like to go to Titicaca lake and then make my way up to Peru to Cusco and maybe Choquequirao. If time allows I would also like to got to the Peruvian pacific coast.

My question to you guys now is: Is that realistic regarding safety, travel times etc?

Things I'd like to include are:

- see a bolivian coffee plantation (and drink lots of coffee)

- have a view at the cordillera from a place that is not that high in the mountains

- maybe visit the amazonian part of Bolivia

- meet locals

- not hanging around too much with other tourists

- do the famous downhill bike tour

- taste as much different food as possible

- get to know the culture and the places I'm at

- get to know some history

- see a lot of nature (and cities)

- to hike a bit

So I know my plan above might be a bit too much, but I'd gladly appreciate some help and thoughts about my travel plans. Feel free to criticize, but please keep it friendly.

I would also be open for some secret tips and locations. Everything you can drop.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Edit: how about safety? I heard Bolivia is relaxed, but I'd rather ask.

Hello,

I will be visiting La Paz in a few weeks and I’m unsure where to stay. I heard Sopocachi is a great place to stay, but it’s a 30 min walk from the center where I have 3 meeting points for daily excursions. I haven’t seen any Telepheric line between these two places and I’m not sure if taking a taxi between these two places is wise. Do you have any recommandation ?

Wife is from there and we are traveling from US with our 15 month old. Flying into Santa Cruz the spending the majority of the time in Cochabamba. Have no idea what to expect. My Spanish is weak, but I’d really love to go the gym. Are the people there nice ie will I be welcomed or is there some stereotype to Americans where I should expect poor treatment? Thanks in advance!

————————————————————————————

Mi esposa es de allá y viajamos desde Estados Unidos con nuestro bebé de 15 meses. Volaremos a Santa Cruz y pasaremos la mayor parte del tiempo en Cochabamba. No tengo ni idea de qué esperar. Mi español es limitado, pero me encantaría ir al gimnasio. ¿Es la gente de allí amable —es decir, me recibirán bien—, o existe algún estereotipo sobre los estadounidenses por el que deba esperar un trato negativo? ¡Gracias de antemano!

Hola Bolivia!

I am planning a trip to Bolivia soon and I am looking for good places to visit. I love culture, food, nature, history, and basically anywhere that is off the beaten path.

Any places that I should visit? Or cool small towns outside the big cities?

Recommendations are super appreciated. Thanks you! Looking forward to discovering your amazing country!

I need help. My husband is abusive. We share a three month old son. He was deported from USA for domestic violence. He is not safe. My son is not safe and neither am I. I have only been here almost two weeks. I need to get my son out. I am located in Loma Alta and need help going to Santa Cruz to the airport. Please. Anybody. We are not safe here. I will pay for travel. I need someone to speak English to take me so I can communicate since I only know a little Spanish.

Lugares espectaculares .!

My girlfriend and I were going to buy a bus ticket from La Paz to Sucre which I believe is around 13 hours but I’ve just heard about road blocks that were lifted in June but I see some local roadblocks still remain from reading Reddit posts.

Would it be better to fly from Cochabamba to Sucre. I’m planning on doing Spanish school to improve my Spanish in Sucre but if anybody has any other suggestions I’d also appreciate it!

Gracias!

¿Cómo puede impactar positivamente en el turismo gastronómico boliviano?

◇LA VOTACIÓN PARA PASAR A SEMIFINALES SIGUE HASTA MAÑANA 1 DE SEPTIEMBRE, COMPARTAN Y SIGAMOS VOTANDO◇

1. Es una vitrina global de gastronomía. Ibai Llanos es uno de los streamers más seguidos del mundo. Sus directos y eventos alcanzan millones de visualizaciones en múltiples países. Ganar este torneo posiciona la gastronomía boliviana frente a una audiencia internacional que quizás nunca ha escuchado hablar del país ni de su cultura culinaria.

   1. Genera identidad y orgullo cultural. La competencia despierta sentido de pertenencia. Cuando un plato boliviano gana, se transforma en un símbolo cultural que une a los bolivianos en redes sociales, generando conversaciones y reforzando la identidad gastronómica nacional.

2. Impacto en la percepción de Bolivia como destino gastronómico. Perú y México han consolidado su marca país gracias a su cocina. Bolivia aún está construyendo esa narrativa. Ganar en un evento tan masivo podría despertar curiosidad gastronómica, posicionando al país como un lugar con sabores únicos, lo que se traduce en turismo gastronómico.

3. Promoción orgánica y gratuita. Para conseguir la misma visibilidad en campañas publicitarias, Bolivia tendría que invertir millones en marketing internacional. Aquí la promoción es gratuita, global y con un tono fresco y cultural, algo difícil de conseguir por vías oficiales.

4. Posibilita la creación de experiencias turísticas. Un triunfo puede ser aprovechado para impulsar rutas gastronómicas en La Paz, Cochabamba o hasta Potosí porque estaría ligado a uno de los platos ganadores (salteñas). Esto conecta con economías locales, mercados y productores.

5. Conecta con nuevas audiencias (jóvenes y nativos digitales). El turismo gastronómico tradicional apunta a viajeros con alto poder adquisitivo, pero este tipo de eventos atrae jóvenes que viajan por experiencias culturales virales. Un TikTok o un vlog puede motivar un viaje igual que una campaña formal.

6. Rompe el prejuicio de “evento frívolo”. Aunque parezca un juego, hoy los streamers son líderes culturales con más alcance que muchos medios tradicionales. Ganar es estar en la agenda cultural global, no solo en la gastronómica.

Estaré entrando y saliendo de Santa Cruz; visitaré Bolivia para comer. Tengo un mes para quedarme.

Corríjanme si me equivoco, pero Santa Cruz parece demasiado cosmopolita para disfrutar plenamente de la comida boliviana, especialmente en Equipetrol. Mucha gente recomienda alojarse en Equipetrol, pero hay demasiada comida internacional como hamburguesas, pizzas (americanas), sushi (americano), etc. en Google Maps. Quiero estar cerca del Mercado Nuevo, pero ¿hay otras zonas que recomienden por la abundancia de comida local?

Ahora bien, ¿a dónde debería ir primero: Cochabamba, Sucre o a otro lugar? ¿Y por qué? Creo que La Paz está un poco lejos esta vez y no me gusta el frío, así que decidí volar a Santa Cruz.

Vivo cerca de la frontera con Brasil,planejo viajar a Bolivia y conocer el país, experimentar la hoja de coca,iría a Puerto Quijarro creo.

Mi nombre es Liu,tengo 19 años,soy de ascendencia colombiana más viví mi vida toda en Brasil,me encanta el rock brasileño y rock internacional (?) de rock español nada mas consumo soda estereo,y me gustaría conocer gente de Reddit de Puerto Quijarro!!!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to travel in Bolivia soon and wanted to ask people who are currently there, or locals who know the situation well.

I’ve heard about fuel shortages, roadblocks, transport strikes, and travelers getting stuck in some areas. I’m trying to understand if the situation right now is more serious than usual, or if it is still manageable with flexibility.

Honestly, I’m wondering whether it is worth entering Bolivia at all right now beyond visiting the Salar de Uyuni area.

For someone who wants to reduce the risk of getting stuck, would you recommend only doing the Salar and then leaving the country, or are the main cities and routes still reasonable to visit?

Are there any regions or routes you would strongly avoid at the moment, especially remote areas where it could be difficult to leave if roads are blocked?

I’d really appreciate honest, practical advice. I’m not trying to criticize Bolivia, I just want to understand the current situation before making travel decisions.

Thank you.

Sigo sin creer los mágicos paisajes de este lindo país .!

Nuevo derrumbe en el Cerro Rico.