THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bolivia - page 419

Hotel Rurrenabaque Vaca Diez and Bolívar 03 8922481, hotelrur-
[e-mail] . As the oldest two-storey house in town, this is the place to stay if
you want some character in your lodgings. Most of the floors and some of the walls still bear
the original wooden boards, while the carved doors add a touch of class. The rooms them-
selves are clean and - owing to the thickness of the old walls - slightly cooler than you'll
find elsewhere, and some are en suite. There's a communal balcony overlooking the street
strung with a couple of hammocks, as well as a sizeabl e gard en (camping available), restaur-
ant, laundry service and free wi-fi. Breakfast included. Bs150
Hotel Safari Comerico and Tarija 03 8922210, [e-mail] . A 10min
walk from the town centre, with an estate-sized garden and a secluded, near-riverfront loc-
ation, this friendly, Korean-run place is perfect if you really want to get away from the ubi-
quitous hum of cruising motorbikes. Its longhouse-like run of thatched, one and two storey
cabins - with hardwood floors, pastel-blue walls and crisp, striped linen - is popular with
older gringos and wealthy weekenders from La Paz. The swimming pool is as modest as the
grounds are lavish, an d there 's also a restaurant overlooking the river. Breakfast included and
credit cards accepted. Bs300
Hotel Santa Ana Corner of Avaroa and Vaca Diez 03 8922314. The best of the rock-bot-
tom cheapies by far, and a veritable labyrinth of leafy courtyard rooms. Walls are partially
tiled for at least the impression of some extra coolness, and there's a choice of shared or
private bathroom. Staff are horizontally l aidba ck, as is the atmosphere amid the palalpa-
roofed patio's bevy of inviting hammocks. Bs60
Hotel Los Tucanes de Rurre Bolívar and Aniceto Arce 03 8922039, hotel-tu-
canes.com . Though the endearing, thatched-roof reception suggests the rooms may be
slightly smarter than they are, this is nevertheless one of the nicer budget options, and even
if the rooms deserve a lick of paint, they're clean and cool enough, come with private bath
and are grouped around a small bar. The fact that br eakfa st is included, moreover, renders it
a good-value cut above the bottom-end competition. Bs90
EATING
Note that time is conspicuously elastic when it comes to restaurants ; don't be surprised to
find somewhere closed when it should be open, or, occasionally in the middle of the after-
noon for the whole town to be minus any eating options at all (if you're wise - and indeed,
up in time - you'll eat a decent breakfast).
La Cabaña Bottom of Av Santa Cruz by the riverbank. Smack bang in the heart of the Sun
market, this family-run, thatch-roofed institution is a great place to sample freshly caught
river fish (in the Bs30 range), chance local speciality Jochi Frito (fried pork) or simply drink
a cold beer and watch the sunset over the Río Beni. Mon-Sat 7am-11pm, Sun till 3pm.