7 independent reviews for Bolivia tour, tailor made
Reviews for Bolivia tour, tailor made
Jon Erik Rosenborg review 1 Jul 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Jon Ng review 25 May 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The beautiful and contrasting landscapes2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
If planning to go Amazon jungle, go with Bala Tours as they have their own ecolodge3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, in Rurrenabaque, the tour uses local indigenous people and help them to have extra income4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Overall was a great trip. The 27 days tour starting from Uyuni and ends in Lake Titicaca was amazing. All the guides were friendly and professional, especially the one in La Paz (Leonardo), he was Super helpful and knowledgeable and would strongly recommend people to use he.Phil Bland review 19 May 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We loved the variety offered by Bolivia, from the stunning mountains of the Altiplano to the breathtaking views over lake Titikaka to the exciting wildlife in the pampas grasslands to the incredible, other-worldly experience of the salt flats and desert. It's therefore extremely difficult to single out just one aspect of the trip.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
You experience extremes of temperature during this trip and extremes of altitude. Packing is therefore a challenge. Make sure you layer up as much as possible and make clothes/ shoes double up as much as possible. You'll need a torch and good wet/ cold weather gear. Take a trekking towel. Take toilet paper and always have some on your person.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Very much so. From a visit to a local Yampata community to the eco-lodge in the Pampas, we felt that we were able to support local people over and above the guides that were used.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This extended trip to Bolivia was a fabulous start to our kind of "gap year". You feel that you need at least a month to try to do justice to a country as large and diverse as Bolivia and that there was even more that we could have done. That said, the program covers a lot of ground and packs in so many amazing experiences and we felt far richer for the experience.David Torres review 10 Jan 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The Uyuni Salt Flats. We were fortunate enough to see it after a rainfall and it was looking into a reflective pool.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be prepared for any weather – we had some hot weather, cold weather, and rain. Also, be prepared for altitude as La Paz starts at over 3000m and everyone reacts to altitude differently.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we used local guides, stayed at a mix of hotels/local homestays, and ate at local restaurants.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
We had a wonderful time in Bolivia, we wish we had more time to explore the country more, we'll be back!Gyoku Block review 7 Feb 2015
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Going in the hot spring and watching the sunset at 4900m in Bolivia Getting an Inca tattoo in Cusco. Second Home Peru Hotel was amazing and we would like to come back just to stay in that hotel for a week. The hotel in Salar de Uyuni was incredible.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Going to a different city by airplane everyday was exhausting, especially most of the flight were very early in the morning. I suggest to combine some flights and stay in one place for a few days.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Not sure what the question mean.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was truly amazing. We had a great time. Good coordination between local operators and no major errors (except Lima airport, the driver didn't show up and we had to take a taxi). Great hotel choices. Some flight choices were questionable. For example, we took 6:45am flight from La Paz and Uyuni. We got to Uyuni before 8:00am, had to wait till 11am for the tour departure. We could've taken later flight. Also, another day, we had to fly from Uyuni to La Paz to Santa Cruz to Lima while there was a direct flight from La Paz to Lima.Read the operator's response here:
We are very happy to read that our clients had a marvellous time ! It is very rewarding for a whole team of local operators and trip design to hear that a travel worked out that well. We have some extra comments about the flight schedules. The departures of flights La Paz – Uyuni are always at 06:00 and 06:20. Very early but that is it how it they are programmed and sometimes they even decide to go earlier. When you have a private Salar tour or jeep trekking you can start directly after arrival with your flight with the Salar tour. When it is a grouptour you will have to wait until the operator and group are ready for departure. The best alternative for a flight is to take the bus from La Paz to Oruro, from there continue by train to Uyunyi and stay overnight in Uyunyi. The next day the Salar Uyunyi jeep trekking starts, whether as private or group trekking. This combination of bus with train to arrive to Uyunyi is however not offered on all days. It is therefore not very practical for travelers with only few days and compact programs. The flight Uyunyi - La Paz via Santa Cruz to Lima was unfortunately the only connection available for our customers on this particular date.
chris fleckney review 28 Oct 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
We had such a wide range of interesting and exciting experiences that it would be difficult to choose just one. From trekking to base camp in the Condoriri Mountains (the snowstorm made it particularly memorable!) to the magnificent spaces of the Uyuni Salt Flats, the legacy of the Jesuits in the Missions to the impoverished lives of some of the indigenous people now, the colonial charm of Sucre and Potosi, the vibrancy and colour of La Paz, the wealth of wildlife in the pampas, the heat, the height, the cold, the people we met (both indigenous and traveling) … I could go on.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We had a mixture of private tours with our own guide and driver, and small group tours (Uyuni and pampas) - this worked really well for us. Local hotels are often converted colonial houses, which have a charm of their own. Guides' recommendations for restaurants tended to be higher-end, but the food was excellent and there was no problem at all with food hygiene (we even ate the salads).3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We were very aware of concerns for the environment and conservation, particularly in Uyuni and even more so in the pampas - attitudes that we would wish to encourage and support. I hope our visits to local indigenous people may bring some benefit - our small gifts seemed very meagre. We hope we put some money into the local economy, through our choice of local hotels and restaurants rather than big international chains.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was an excellent trip - Marcel went to a great deal of trouble to ensure that we covered all the things we wanted to do. The guides and drivers were all outstanding, as was the service and attention to detail. We did not feel that a single moment was wasted, with a good balance of different activities and experiences. I am converted to tailor-made travel (we have mostly done small-group travel before) - you see so much more and can focus on your personal interests. (I am torn between 5 stars and 4 stars, but only because we have been on many wonderful vacations before, and each experience is so different that they cannot be compared. On balance I will go for 5 stars, with the reservation that it is ONE of the best vacations I have ever been on.)Janet Balling review 22 Jul 2014
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
traveling up from Tupiza past volcanoes and lagoons and over the salt flats2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Be careful with public transport! We got stuck in a roadblock protest and the bus couldn`t go any further. The protesters themselves advised us to cross and find a taxi on the other side. Definitely worth doing. Got to our destination in time for the pre-planned activities. Had we stayed with the bus, who knows when we would have got there.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All the hotels appeared to be run by the locals. Our guides were all locals. So the money seemed to be going back into the local communities. It is difficult to assess either of the other 2 criteria.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent. A couple of minor hiccups - confusion over when the bus went meant we had to change plans at the last minute, but it all worked out in the end. The roadblock meant we had to organise our own transport then and there. Otherwise everything had been well planned and arranged.Read the operator's response here:
We are very happy that the overall experience of the vacation for our clients was excellent ! The whole itinerary was tailor made and we did our very best on all trip details. We like to make a small note on the following subject that is mentioned. When road blockades are announced and form part of regional or national strikes itineraries are immediately adapted together with our customers, when they are not foreseen and very local, they are out of control of any operator at that moment, esp. when you travel with public transport and the bus can not continue.
All the itineraries can be made with private taxi transfers, in this way you have and more comfort but also more flexibility to make photo stops and in case of a local roadblock you may have alternative small mountain ways to drive around a local strike for instance. The public transport in Bolivia gives a very basic service, that is why in general we recommend all private taxi transfers when this is possible within the given budget.
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