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Home > Destinations > South
America > Bolivia > Regional
News > Bolivia News
Tuesday, January 01, 2002
Bolivia News
Bolivia's amazingly rich natural and cultural heritage has been recognized by the United Nations. Noel Kempff National Park, the archaeological site of Tiahuanaco near Lake Titicaca, and three other sites in Bolivia have been declared UN World Heritage Sites.
| |  | | | Ahlfeld Falls |
Noel Kempff Mercado, a 3.7 million acre national park in the remote northeastern corner of Bolivia, contains an amazing variety of ecosystems, including humid tropical rain forests, seasonally flooded forest, savanna, cerrado grasslands, gallery forests, and large expanses of wetlands. Over 620 bird species inhabit the park, and approximately 130 species of mammals have been identified, including giant river otters, fresh-water dolphins, jaguar, giant anteaters, and the rare and endangered Maned wolf.
 | | | Huanchaca Plateau | |
One outstanding geological feature of Noel Kempff Mercado is the Huanchaca Plateau, a huge 850,000 acre Precambrian sandstone escarpment that rises abruptly 1,800 feet from rain forest to an elevated plateau of grasslands and cerrado forests. Numerous rivers flow over the edge of the plateau, forming over 10 spectacular waterfalls. The waterfalls, rugged mesas, jungle rivers, and dense forests of the park comprise some of the most awe inspiring natural landscapes in Latin America. On one of our Wildland Adventures you'll travel with expert naturalist guides specializing in birding, wildlife observation, and natural history of Noel Kempff Mercado.
Bolivia's Developing Infrastructure
Bolivia's tourism operators and government have been quite busy investing and developing the country's tourism infrastructure. New lodging facilities, roads, and airports have opened at a number of prime destinations. Every year the country has been expanding its transportation facilities and inaugurating comfortable new accommodations for world travelers seeking a truly unique destination in the heart of the Andes..
A new ecolodge, the Posada del Inca, provides lovely accommodations on the Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca's serene Island of the Sun. The island offers hiking routes among villages and ancient Inca terraces with breathtaking views of the deep blue lake and snow-capped Cordillera Real mountain range. Lake Titicaca is home to the Aymara, the principal traditional culture of Bolivia, who live in villages around the lake, as well as on floating islands made of the lakeside reed known as "totora". A new totora floating island is welcoming visitors at Huatajata, an Andean village next to the Inca Utama Hotel, on the southeastern shore of the lake in Bolivia. The floating island, built by members of the Urus Chipaya culture, is available for visiting by paddling a native totora reed boat on a five minute jaunt from the shore.
See the Bolivia section of our website for future details including trip itineraries to all these sites.
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