Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Parks & Reserves
The Bolivian Amazon is part of the most biodiverse biome on earth, and the country's
best-known national parks and reserves are located here. For bird-watchers, monkey lov-
ers and jaguar seekers, this region is paradise. You can choose between the jungles and
wild rivers of lush Parque Nacional Madidi, the less-frequented
cerrados
(savannas) of
Reserva Biosférica del Beni, the Barba Azul Reserve, home to one of the world's rarest
parrots, and the virtually unexplored 'lost world' of Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mer-
cado.
Conservation International
(
www.conservation.org
)
is attempting to raise aware-
ness of the need for protection of the headwaters of several major Amazon tributaries with
its ambitious Vilcabamba- Amboró Conservation Corridor initiative, which aims to link
Madidi with Manu National Park in Peru.
Getting There & Around
Rurrenabaque in the west and Trinidad in the east are the main access towns to the region.
Though it's easy enough to get to Trinidad from Santa Cruz, delving deeper into the re-
gion either involves flying (if you are smart) or uncomfortably long bus rides on unpaved
roads (get ready to push if it rains!). If there is even a hint of a shower you'll need a 4WD
to get where you are going or, if you are lucky, bank on your bus taking at least twice as
long as the ticket salesman tells you. Particularly tedious is the route from La Paz to Rur-
renabaque. Many people decide to wing it (or take a faster 4WD) after surviving the initial
bus ride.
The main airlines all fly to the region, with Aerocon and Amaszonas specializing in the
more remote destinations. Though handy, flights are frequently canceled during inclement
weather. When flying from La Paz to Rurrenabaque the low-flying planes afford great
glimpses of Lake Titicaca after takeoff, before squeezing past Chacaltaya and soaring over
the Yungas. Watch the landscape change from desolate, rugged highlands to lush, forested
lowlands.
Boat travel is big here, especially in the rainy season, when it is usually the only viable
option. Riverboat travel isn't for everyone: it's relaxing but slowgoing, and there are no
real schedules. While the scenery can be mesmerizing, it changes little, so you'll want to
bring a couple of books along. Passenger comfort is the last thing cargo-boat builders
have in mind, but Bolivian accommodations standards are still superior to those on the
Brazilian 'cattle boats' that ply the Amazon proper.
