Bolivia sits in the heart, the geographic center, of South America. One of the hemisphere's two land-locked nations, Bolivia is roughly the size of Texas and California combined. Diverse and rugged geography has slowed the country's economic development. Travel by ground is at best difficult, with more than 75% of Bolivia's roads unpaved. Most roads are located in the west, on the Altiplano, in the Andes and in the highland valleys known as the Yungas and Chapare. Consequently, our adventures will occasionally take you to villages and towns that have been secluded for centuries.

The diversity of the topography is awesome: majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Andes mountains, lush and impenetrable jungles, sweeping desert plains and broad fertile valleys. This inaccessibility is responsible for another reason to visit, to see Bolivia's impressive flora and fauna. Primitive roads have retained the pristine state of immense tracts of land. This ancient land is the home of the pre-incan Tiahuanaco ruins and the world famous Lake Titicaca - the highest lake in the world. As legend has it, Manco Capac and Mama Oclio, the ancestors of Incan culture, rose from its depths to bring knowledge to humanity.

Bolivia is also rich in human diversity. More than 30 ethnic groups together account for more than 50% of Bolivia's population. The age-old customs, fiestas and culinary treats of the Aymara, Quechua, Tupi, and Guarani cultures are ever-present. Bolivia is the fifth-largest country on the continent with five geographical regions (click for a physical map of Bolivia):

the highly populated Altiplano, a 3500-mtrs-high plateau stretching from the Peruvian border north of Lake Titicaca to Argentina;
the Highland valleys, with near optimum climatic conditions and fertile soils; 
the Yungas, the transition zone between the icy peaks of the Andes and the steamy Amazonian forest; 
the Chaco, a hot, dry, impenetrable and uninhabited plain along the Paraguayan and Argentine borders; 
the swamps, savannas and rainforest of the Amazonian Basin.

Climatically there are two seasons: wet and dry. With its extreme geographical variations, Bolivia has a wide range of climatic patterns. Generally, temperatures are cool, with the rainy period extending from November to March in most of the country. The cities of La Paz and Potosí often experience very cold temperatures and sometimes snow, while the Altiplano region is prone to severe flooding. During the dry period the climate is pleasant, though clear skies can cause night-time temperatures to drop. In the lowlands, the weather is hot and sunny, with the occasional cloudburst helping to cool things down. But altitude, not latitude, determines climate. in the Andes, we can experience all four seasons in a day: a night as cold as winter, a morning like spring, a midday summer, and an afternoon with the crisp air of autumn. From the highlands in the west to the lowlands in the north, east and south ... each has a varied geography and climate.