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Best Trip of My Life
Terra Bolivia organized a cultural, spiritual and community immersion for me, my husband, my adult daughter and her boyfriend. It was the most exciting trip I’ve taken. This is saying a lot considering I have spent a lifetime of travel, both personal and professional, focusing on Latin America. My trip to Bolivia with Terra stands above them all, I think for two reasons: 1. Bolivia is largely undiscovered by tourists and therefore not overdeveloped; 2. Terra Bolivia has deep roots in the country and close ties with guides, proprietors, community members and community leaders, resulting in being able to curate authentic opportunities for visitors and Bolivians to connect. The whole trip was fantastic, but I am only including highlights here.
After extensive consultation between Alice Prevot and us four travelers, Terra produced an itinerary we would not have been able to come up with on our own, placing interactions with Bolivians and exposure to their beliefs and way of life at the forefront of our activities. Everything ran smoothly, even with chaotic settings and complex logistics. A big part of this was by providing us with amazing guides, starting with Jahel Amaru, who met us at the La Paz airport to whisk us across the altiplano to Oruro for its truly spectacular Carnival. Jahel is knowledgeable, patient, down-to-earth, smart patient, funny, and an extremely enjoyable person to spend time with. She guided us through the hectic Oruro Carnaval during its culminating weekend - with boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm. We had the time of our lives cheering on the colorful characters as they paraded and danced thanks to Jahel knowing exactly where to go, when, and providing invaluable context. If you want to visit Bolivia, I recommend following these tips: Work with Terra, plan your trip to coincide with the Oruro Carnaval, and request Jahel as your guide! In addition to Oruro, we were lucky to have her accompany us in La Paz, Tiwanaku, and important sites in Lake Titicaca like the Island of the Sun, Island of the Moon, and the town of Copacabana.
Community tourism (where visitors are connected with everyday Bolivians to learn about their lives) - has started to blossom in Bolivia, and Terra is one of its pioneers. We got to experience it in Potosi, where we had another excellent guide, Marlene Quispe. She took us through Cerro Rico mine, which was the world’s leading supplier of silver. Marlene has close ties to mining: her brothers, parents and even she has worked there. As we ventured deeper into the earth, we learned from her about the mining process and cooperatives involved with it. She also introduced us to one of the mine's “tios” (“uncles” who are believed to protect miners), to whom she made an offering as she explained his importance.
Marlene took us to the Quechua community of Phuto Phuto, one of several in the rural district Cabanias that welcomes visitors as part of its community tourism program. Families take turns showing visitors their homes and traditions, including cooking huts with steaming pots, whose contents you later share for lunch. Marlene and one of the family members we met then led us on a beautiful hike to a spot where they invited us to participate in a ritual offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). It was an incredible day I will always remember thanks to Terra and Marlene.
Another wonderful community tourism experience was in the majestic Cordillera Real (Central Andean range), where we appreciated both the nature and culture of the region by staying near the town of Tuni with the multi-generational Quispe family (not related to Marlene). Family members share with guests Aymara traditions like placing fishing nets, spinning yarn, making quinoa flour, and shearing alpaca fleece. Patriarch Jaime is a charismatic host and a certified mountain guide who along with his adult son Denys, also a certified mountain guide, have expertise leading visitors of different ages and abilities. We loved staying with them!
There are a few other places that stood out on our trip:
Hostal Las Olas in Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca with gorgeous, artistic “cabins” and lovely views
Templo del Retiro Espiritual Cruz Andina (the Andean Cross Spiritual Retreat Center), in Tiwanaku steps from the ruins and owned by spiritual and cultural guide Rosse Mary Vargas Vilela. It’s filled with cats and crystals and offers delicious vegetarian meals.
This is not a stop for everyone, but worth visiting or staying in if you are interested in mindfulness, ancient healing, and/or new age spirituality.
To conclude this review, we had such an incredible trip because we used Terra Bolivia. Terra’s Bolivian employees, contractors, and freelancers say that Terra treats them very well, paying the highest going rate or more for their services. While we might have saved money had we planned and paid for everything on our own, we would never have met these remarkable guides and hosts, had the meaningful experiences described here, nor had such a seamless travel experience. So, I offer my highest possible recommendation you use Terra if it’s in your budget.
