AMAZING TRAVEL  EXPERIENCES IN SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA THAT YOU DONT KNOW ABOUT ! 

When travellers talk about amazing travel experiences Santa Cruz is nearly always left off the list. That does not mean there are amazing options though. Here are a few of our favourite OFF THE BEATEN TRACK experiences in Santa Cruz Bolivia 

1 : SUNFLOWER EXPERIENCES 

This spectacular sight is only for a few weeks a year when millions of Sunflowers bloom. Its an incredible sight that should not be missed.  Ask us about our half day tours to experience this.

 PACKRAFTING IN A SPECTACULAR JAGUAR CONSERVATION RESERVE 

Just 3.5 hours drive from Santa Cruz is the amazing San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve. Here adventure loving tourists have the opportunity to partake in Packrafting down a secluded river where you can see anything from Capybaras and Caimans to Sloths and if really lucky Jaguars. 

SANDBOARDING IN BOLIVIA 

Love adventure ? Then Sandboarding the dunes of Lomas de Arena is a must !! This incredible half day trip offers an action packed day as you speed down the impressive dunes. Nicks Adventures Bolivia offers guided Sandboarding tours as well as transportation and Sandboard rental. 

JAGUAR WILDLIFE SAFARI 

Ever wanted to experience seeing a Jaguar in the wild ? Then our new and exciting Jaguar and wildlife Safari gives you the best opportunity. Exclusive to Nicks Adventures Bolivia we visit a private property that offers the best wildlife watching opportunities in all of Bolivia. In 1.5 years of visiting we have had an amazing 100 percent record of observing Jaguars. In addition you can also observe Ocelots, Tapirs, Pumas, Capybara, Macaws and an amazing variety of flora and fauna. 

CAMERA TRAP VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE 

If you cannot travel to Bolivian Jungle then we offer the next best thing. We are offering nature lovers the chance to sponsor our camera traps and see first hand the amazing wildlife that Bolivia has to offer. From Jaguars and Marsh deer to even potentially recording new animals to science. Its a great way to see the wildlife of Bolivia and help us in conservation projects. The Sponsorships are from 1-3 months and start at just 30 dollars per month. 

ARUBARI RESERVE 

This pristine private reserve hosts some of the last intact Chiquitania/Subtropical Rainforest in the city region of Santa Cruz.  Activities include hiking though the jungle, birdwatching, learning about Bolivian fruits and much more. Visting this reserve also helps preserve the regions forests.  Trips to Arubari Reserve can be arranged by contacting Nicks Adventures and we can arrange day tours though to multiple day tours. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AMAZING OPTIONS IN SANTA CRUZ VISIT THE WEBPAGE OF WWW. NICKSADVENTURESBOLIVIA.COM

BEST WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS IN 2020

 

 THE BEST WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS OF 2020 WITH NICKS ADVENTURES BOLIVIA 

2020 for the world and the travel industry has been a year to forget, however that does not mean we have not stopped exploring to ensure our clients have amazing travel experiences  in Bolivia when its safe to travel. 

We have been able to explore a few times during the relaxed quarantine and here are some of our best wildlife watching experiences in 2020

1 : THE WORLDS ANGRIEST SLOTH 

Without a doubt this Sloth encounter will forever live in my memory. This Sloth had the rage of 100 Honeybadgers and was something we will never forget. 

2 : Jaguar sighting which kept a 100 percent sighting in 11 trips at our new and exciting Jaguarland Reserve Bolivia   While it was a brief sighting , it was a truly wild Jaguar. One that had seen very few humans, has never been fed and is nature at its pure wildest self. This is how we prefer to see Jaguars. 

3 : AMAZING OCELOT SIGHTING AT JAGUARLAND RESERVE BOLIVIA 

We love Ocelots. These mini Jaguars are simply incredible !! Every single sighting for us is magic.

 4 : JAGUARUNDI IN BOLIVIA 

5 : INCREDIBLE JAGUAR SIGHTING IN JAGUARLAND RESERVE BOLIVIA.

A very important sighting of a Jaguar as we were exploring our new and exciting Bolivian Wildlife watching Paradise of Jaguarland Reserve in the wet season. The best part of this sighting is our drivers son came with us and saw his first Jaguar at the age of 15 years old. We have now made a new Jaguar conservation warrior 

 Sadly these are the only times we have been able to really explore in 2020. We hope to have many more sightings and footage to show in the near future. 

THE WORLDS ANGRIEST SLOTH !!

 Beware of the Angry Sloth

Last week we were lucly enough to be able to escape the City and explore our new and exciting wildlife watching paradise of Jaguarland Reserve.  The aim was to set up camera traps as well as monitor wildlife in the region. 

The first day we had glorious weather which quickly turned bad and we had heavy rains for the next day and a half. Thanksfully it cleared up and we are able to continue with our wildlife watching and we observed many different animals with the highlights being a Jaguar, Tapirs, Ocelots and quiet possibly the worlds angriest Sloth. 

We saw a large male Sloth crawling in an area where we had seen farm dogs the day before so decided to put it in a tree out of harms reach of the dogs. What we didnt expect was the aggression this Sloth showed and never in 7 years of nearly daily encounters with these usual gentle creatures have we seen a Sloth with this type of attitude. We assume that he was in search of a mate which could of explained his anger to our presence. 

 

The good news is that after a slight struggle we safely put the Sloth back in a tree and we hope to see this Sloth during future travels. 

** Its very important to note that we NEVER recommend handling Sloths unless its required and only if you have knowledge in handling them. Sloths also they seem gentle have incredible strength and their claws can easily inflict serious damage and harm to humans. 

BEST DESTINATIONS TO OBSERVE JAGUARS IN THE WILD !

TOP 3 DESTINATIONS TO SEE A JAGUAR IN THE WILD 

Seeing a Jaguar in the wild is one of the most amazing experiences a nature lover or photographer can have. Some people can spend a lifetime searching for them and never have a single sighting. That being said there are now great Jaguar watching destinations and here are my personal favorite destinations to see this incredible Big Cat in the Wild.

Here is a list of the TOP 3 BEST DESTINATIONS TO SEE A JAGUAR IN THE WILD.

1: North Pantanal Brazil 

2 : Jaguarland Reserve Bolivia 

3 Kaa Iya National Park Bolivia 

NORTH PANTANAL

Topping the list is the North Pantanal of Brazil, this is the easiest location to observe Jaguars. That being said, its current ease now makes it a massive draw for travellers whom flock here in the thousands. This can make Jagaur viewing a little too touristic as boats battle for the best photographic positions for their clients. Tours here are also much more expensive than other regions. 

JAGUARLAND RESERVE BOLIVIA 

Large Male Jaguar observed in Jagaur land Reserve Bolivia 2019

Amazing close up Jaguar cub sighting in Jagaurland Reserve Bolivia 

 CLICK THE LINK TO SEE INCREDIBLE JAGUAR FOOTAGE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30qJ8DyS8ro&t=7s

Jaguarland Reserve in Bolivia is my personal favourite destination to see Jaguars in the wild. Its a private Reserve and offers amazing Jaguar sightings. In 2019 we visited this area 8 times and had 24 different sightings. In addition to Jagaur watching, this Reserve is also incredible for small cats such as Ocelots and Jaguarundi. Pink Dolphins can be seen with relative ease and other animals observed are Tapirs, Pumas, Sloths, Macaws, Marsh Deer, and much more.  This world class Jaguar watching is an amazing alternative and more affordable option for Jagaur tours than the North Pantanal. 

KAA IYA NATIONAL PARK 

Kaa Iya National Park in Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia is my 3rd choice for the best destinations to see Jaguars in the wild. Its remote, wild and rarely visited by tourists. Seeing a Jaguar here is an incredible experience as the Jaguars here are leaner and more brazen then other areas. We have had Jaguars literally walk right up to the 4WD and sit for hours on end.  Kaa iya National Park is not only a great destination for Jaguars, its also perhaps one of the very best locations to see Pumas, Ocelots and Tapirs as well. 

Monkey species of Bolivia

Monkeys of Bolivia 

(PART ONE )

Monkeys are one of the coolest animals we see during our Bolivian Wildlife watching trips. Here are a few of our favourite Monkey species you have the chance to see during our Bolivian Jungle trips 

BLACK HOWLER MONKEY

The black howler Monkey is the largest of the Howler Monkey species and weighs from 4-10kgs. They are born blonde and Males turn Black as they get older. Its call can be heard from 5 Kilometres away , hence the name Howler Monkey.

WHITE EARED TITI MONKEY 

A personal favourite of mine, these little Monkeys make an incredible racket in the morning and can be seen in small groups early mornings. They weigh less than 1 kgs have territories between 0.5 and 14 hectares and their calls are called duets. 

BOLIVIAN RED HOWLER MONKEY 

Unlike other Howler species, the Bolivian Howler prefers to live along rivers. It can live up to 20 plus years in Captivity. Males of this species are known to enter groups and kill all rivals infants. 

BLACK TAILED MARMOSET 

 A New World Monkey which shares most of its range outside the Amazon Rainforest. This tiny yet cheeky species weighs less than half a kg and lives in groups ranging from 2-20 Monkeys.  It is often heard before being seen as it has very high pitched squeaks which are easily distingushed. 

In Part two of the Monkeys of Bolivia we will show you the other species our clients frequently observe during our tours in Bolivia. 

SLOTHS OF BOLIVIA AND WHERE TO FIND THEM IN THE WILD !

SLOTH WATCHING IN BOLIVIA 

(Santa Cruz Bolivia - The  Unoffical Sloth watching capital of the world. )

In my own biased opinion Sloths are by far the cutest animals on earth. From their chilled out lives to their always smiling faces. They are simply the best ! 

Santa Cruz Bolivia is perhaps the Sloth Capital of the world. That being said they are not easy to see and it takes trained guides to find these lovable little cuties. 

Our expert guides know the very best areas in Santa Cruz to see the iconic Sloth and our Half day Sloth and wildlife watching tour is the perfect day trip while travelling in Santa Cruz Bolivia. 

Not only will we search for Sloths in their natural habitat but we will learn the coolest facts about this species and the issues that effect their surival.

For our Sloth and Wildlife day trip we also pledge to plant a native tree after each of our tours as a part of our reforestation efforts to provide more habitat for Sloths and other wildlife. 

COOL SLOTH FACTS 

Sloths sleep from 15-18 hours per day 

The Sloth is the slowest mammal on the planet moving at .24km per hour

The Sloth can move its head with a movement of 270 degrees

The Sloth has been known to live up to 30 years

BEST DAY TRIPS IN SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA

5 MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS IN SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA 

Time and time again we read from so called bloggers and travel experts, even guide books that there is little to do in Santa Cruz Bolivia. We know this could not be further from the truth. Here are some of the best day trip options in Santa Cruz Bolivia 

 1 -  LOMAS DE ARENA SANTA CRUZ 

Just 14 km from the City of Santa Cruz a visit to Lomas de Arena is a MUST. This amazing regional park offers travellers amazing hiking, sandboarding adventures. If you like birdwatching then this area is one of best destinations in all of Bolivia. 

ESPEJILLOS WATERFALLS 

 Just 35 kms from Santa Cruz, Espejillos is the perfect place to escape the heat and the hussle and bussle of the City. From stunning waterfalls and rock pools its also the perfect family destination while on holiday in Santa Cruz Bolivia.

CODO DE LOS ANDES 

Like hiking ? Then this is the perfect day trip from Santa Cruz Bolivia. Situated just a few hours drive , this world class region is awaiting your visit. If you are lucky you can also see some of the 3 metre resident Andean Condors too.

AMBORO NATIONAL PARK 

 

While best as overnight trips from Samaipata, day tours from Santa Cruz to Amboro are popular and are a great way to experience a quic visit to the Jungle.  This park is home to a staggering amount of birds and also hosts Jaguars, Tapirs, Andean Bears and Puma.

SAN MIGUELITO JAGUAR CONSERVATION RESERVE 

Just 3.5 hours from Santa Cruz Bolivia. This amazing conservation Reserve offers a bit of everything for all types of travellers. From stunning landscapes, packrafting, hiking, birdwatching and more. This reserve is perfect for families, adventure travellers or those looking to escape Santa Cruz Bolivia. 

These are just a few of the many amazing day tour options from Santa Cruz Bolivia. Contact us today and let us arrange your Bolivian holiday. 

EXPLORING THE BOLIVIAN PANTANAL

EXPLORING THE OTUQUIS NATIONAL PARK AFTER THE 2019 WILDFIRES

2019 in Bolivia was known as one of the worst for fires in the history of Bolivia. Over 6.4 million hectares of Chiquitania, Pantanal, Chaco and Amazon Rainforests were destroyed by out of control fires.

Otuquis National Park is situated in Bolivia and borders Brazil and and Paraguay. This spectacuar yet fragile National Park was sadly one of the areas most affected by the 2019 fires with up to 3/4 of the Park being burnt. As a result potentially thousands of animals such as Giant Anteaters, Anacondas, Maned Wolves and more perished in the flames.

This February we explored this region to see how much of the park has recovered. We were delighted at the results.  In just 2.5 days we observed over 15 Marsh deer, 2 Yellow Anaconda, Capybara, False Cobras, Howler Monkeys, Spectacled Caimans, Giant Otters and even signs of Jaguars. All of which somehow escaped the infierno of 2019.

See below some of the amazing attractions Otuquis National Park has to offer intrepid travellers

Jaguar track in Otuquis National Park

Giant Otter in the Bolivian Pantanal of Otuquis National Park

Taking an Anaconda away from the roads where trucks kill many

Overall although we saw signs of the devastation of the 2019 fires, it was amazing to see that many of the regions animals survived the man made fires. Natures ability to repair the damage humans cause to the planet is amazing. 

We recommend more traveller to come and visit the incredible Otuquis National Park in the Bolivian Pantanal. Its a world class destination which recieves less than 100 international travellers yearly. 

For more information about visiting the amazing Otuquis National Park contact Nicks Adventures Bolivia today. www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

EXPLORING NOEL KEMPFFF MERCADO NATIONAL PARK

Exploring Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is a spectacular National Park situated on the border of Bolivia and Brazil. So remote this park recieves now less than 50 travellers per year. Trips to Noel Kempff National Park offer adventure and wildlife watchers an unrivalled paradise.

We have been lucky enough to visit this National Park on many occasions and plan more expeditions and tours to Noel Kempff Mercado in the near future. 

SEE SOME OF THE IMAGES FROM SOME OF OUR TRIPS TO NOEL KEMPFF MERCADO NATIONAL PARK

These are just a few of the incredible attractions of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Contact us about arranging an expedition to Noel Kempff Mercado National Park today. 

THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA

MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA  -  From the owners perspective.

 ( PART 1)

For reasons unknown to us , Bolivia is one of the least visited destinations in South America. We know this country better than most and we think its the best kept secret in all of South America if not the world. 

From hiking the Andes Mountains, Sandboarding, marvelling at the Uyuni Salt Flats, Searching for Jaguars in the Amazon Rainforest or exploring the harsh and rarely visited Gran Chao, it has it all.

Here are a list of our personal favourite travel experiences in Bolivia 

1 : Madidi National Park and Alto Madidi 

Topping the list of my favourite travel experiences in Bolivia is Madidi National Park. This was my first real Jungle adventure and a main reason for staying in Bolivia. My first trip of 11 days was mainly searching for Jagaurs and Tapirs and happy to say that i achieved these goals.  This Park is perhas the most Biodiverse National Park on a planet and a MUST VISIT destination while in Bolivia.

2 : Kaa Iya National Park

The Kaa Iya National Park was and is still a dream destination for myself. Basically void of tourism , its one of the worlds best destinations to see Big Cats like Jaguars and Pumas. This 3.4 million hectare protected area has also provided me with my first Giant Armadillo Sightings, Puma sightings and so many close up encounters with the King of the Jungle the Jaguar. 

San Miguelito Jaguar Conservation Reserve 

This Cattle Ranch/ Eco tourism Reserve has a special place in our hearts. For a year i read about camera trap studies about this wonderful area and by chance met the owner, with a bit of convincing and hard work the Eco tourism started. Now this amazing Reserve recives up to 40 plus groups per year all of which loved their time and saw a lot of wildlife. 

UYUNI SALT FLATS 

Not too much else to explain why Uyuni Salt Flats makes the list. Its literally like visiting another planet. A must visit destination when coming to South America. 

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN BOLIVIA. Part two will explain my other favourite regions and experiences in Bolivia