BOLIVIA (South America)

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Bolivia is known as the 'Tibet of the Americas', the highest and most remote of the countries in South America. It is a landlocked country with two Andean mountain ranges binding the Altiplano, or High Plain, between them.  This plain has an altitude ranging from 9,000ft to 13,000ft (3,000m to 4,000m) and is where the majority of the population live.

The history of the region dates back to the Pre-Columbian times, from the ancient Aymará civilisation in 1,500 BC who lived on Lake Titicaca, to the Tiahuanaco and the Inca Empire of the Altiplano, until the conquest of the Spanish in 1538. Remnants from these civilisations can be seen in the architecture of the colonial cities, and are displayed in informative museums that can be visited at the sites of ancient ruins.

It is one of South America's more intriguing countries, being the most indigenous on the continent, the majority of the population maintaining their firmly established cultures and beliefs. This living historical culture is one of the reasons that Bolivia is such an exciting destination. Travellers will meet shy people in traditional clothing, colourfully dressed and red cheeked from the mountain air, see their traditional houses and age-old methods of agriculture, watch ancient techniques of weaving, producing handicrafts in extraordinary colours and styles, and experience the local food. They will hear the haunting sounds of the panpipes on the high Altiplano and the lively tunes of the stringed instruments in the warmer lowlands.

The dramatic geography affords many adventurous opportunities: explorers can track wildlife in the Amazonian basin, drive across the surreal landscape of the Salar de Uyuni, take a boat trip on the world's highest navigable lake, Titicaca, scramble through muddy shafts in the silver mines of Potosi, or hike in the magnificent Andes mountains. There is enough diversity to suit every taste.

The country combines extraordinary altitudes with spectacular landscapes, fascinating remains of ancient civilisations, rich indigenous culture and colonial treasures.