Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 214

RAINFOREST TRIPS FROM TRINIDAD
Trinidad makes a great base for birdwatching excursions into the surrounding wilderness, or as
the starting point for river cruises or camping expeditions into an area where tourists rarely
venture. Recommended tour operators include:
Fremen Cipriano Barace 332 T 03 4622276, W andes
-amazonia.com. Highly professional operator organizing
similar excursions, as well as four- to six-day cruises on
the Mamoré aboard a floating hotel, the Reina de Enín,
starting at about B$2980/person for a three-day trip.

Turismo Moxos Av 6 de Agosto 114 T 71130122,
E [e-mail]. Popular birdwatching excur-
sions with the opportunity of spotting rare blue-bearded
macaws. They also offer various one- to three-day trips
into the rainforest by motorized canoe.

2

Heladería Kivon Plaza Ballivián. Ice-cream parlour
right on the plaza serving cakes, sandwiches and meaty
Bolivian mains. Single ice-cream scoop B$5. Mon-Sat
9am-8pm.

fly from La Paz four times daily while TAM fly Mon, Wed
and Fri; make sure you book ahead. Amaszonas are more
expensive but they're the better option - if your flight is
cancelled, as is often the case, their next flight will come
round much sooner than TAM's. All flights arrive at the
airstrip a short distance north of the town, and are met
by free hotel minibuses for those with reservations, and
airline shuttle buses for those without, which charge a
small fee for transport to their of ces in the centre of town.
The Amaszonas ( T 03 8922472) and TAM ( T 03 8922398)
o ces, on Comercio and Santa Cruz respectively, are
marked on the map.
By bus Buses arrive at the Terminal Terrestre, a few blocks
away from the centre of town on the corner of Calles
Guachalla and 18 de Noviembre; you can get a motorbike
taxi into the centre for about B$5. Daily departures to
La Paz (minimum of 18hr) and Trinidad (10-20hr), and,
when possible, to Guayamerín and Riberalta.
By boat When the road is closed in the rainy season,
motorized canoes occasionally carry passengers between
Rurrenabaque and Guanay, a small town about 230km
northwest of La Paz (6-8hr) and Riberalta (8-10 days).
Book in advance with one of the tour agencies.

RURRENABAQUE
Set on the banks of the Río Beni about
400km by road north of La Paz, the
small town of RURRENABAQUE has
recently emerged as the most popular
ecotourism destination in the Bolivian
Amazon. Rurrenabaque, or “Rurre”,
is close to some of the best-preserved
and most accessible wilderness areas in
the region. These include the spectacular
rainforests of the Parque Nacional
Madidi and the Reserva de Biosfera y
Territorio Indígena Pilón Lajas , as well
as the wildlife-rich pampas along the
Río Yacuma , all of which are easily visited
with one of Rurrenabaque's numerous
tour agencies.

INFORMAT I ON
Internet The Entel o ce on Comercio also has internet
for B$6/hr.
Money Banco FIE and Banco Union both have ATMs on
Comercio.
Tourist information There is a small o ce at Vaca Diez,
at Avaroa (Mon-Sat 8am-noon & 2.30-6pm).

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Surrounded by rainforest-covered hills,
there is little in the way of formal sights
in Rurre but it's an enjoyable town to
watch the boats go by on the mighty
Río Beni or just relax in a hammock.
If you've an afternoon to spare, head up
to one of the swimming pool miradors,
either Oscar's Butterfly Pool (B$38),
or the nameless, quieter one (B$20) a
minute further up the same road. Both
have great views of the town and river.
Ask a mototaxi to take you (B$10).

ACCOMMODAT I ON
Rooms can be di cult to find in high season (May-Aug),
so book ahead.
Hostal Beni Comercio, at Ancieto Arce T 03 8922408.
Clean and modern rooms set around a peaceful patio.
Room s with air conditioning are much pricier. Doubles
B$60
Hotel Lobo Comercio. Overlooking the Beni River,
this grand palapa -roofed place looks unfinished, with an
empty pool and near-building site of a top deck. But the 11

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane Due to often impassable roads, many people
choose to fly to Rurrenabaque - the alternative is a
nightmarish bus journey of at least 18 hours. Amaszonas