Destination: Bolivia

Itinerary: Up the River & Through the Jungle

ONE MONTH/BIG ADVENTURE LOOP

Off-the-beaten-path travel in Bolivia can be slow going, and traveling by riverboat and charter plane means it is difficult to stick to set schedules. This trip takes in a wide range of little-visited landscapes and easily could be extended another month by surprise layovers and enticing detours.

Any true offbeat Bolivian adventure will involve many varied modes of transport - and at least one break-down or road blockade.

From La Paz fly or go overland to San Borja to arrange a visit to the wildlife-rich Reserva Biosferica del Beni. After exploring the lakes, rainforest and savanna by canoe and horseback, head east through sleepy San Ignacio de Moxos to Trinidad, where a night of moto-taxi cruising awaits.

Ship out on a cargo boat from nearby Puerto Barador upriver to Puerto Villarroel in the Chapare. Head west to do some hiking or splashing around in the swimming holes around Villa Tunari. Continue overland to Cochabamba where you can shop for almost anything at the country's best stocked and most crowded market.

From Cochabamba optional adventurous excursions include flying or driving a four-wheel drive into the remote Parque Nacional Torotoro; or climbing to some of the country's highest summits in nearby Parque Nacional Tunari.

Parque Nacional Sajama is just off the major highway linking La Paz to Arica in Chile, but attracts little more than a trickle of mountaineers with their sights set on Nevado Sajama volcano, generally considered Bolivia's highest peak.

Is there any better way to finish a back country escapade than with a dip in a pristine hot spring? Try a soak in the natural pools near the geyser field outside Sajama village.