THINGS TO DO IN SAMAIPATA BOLIVIA

Just 3 hours drive from Santa Cruz Bolivia is the spectacular Inter Andean Town of Samaipata, here a whole range of world class destinations await which include the following attractions :

LAS CUEVAS WATERFALLS

AMBORO NATIONAL PARK GIANT FERN TREK

THE CONDOR TREK

  WORLD HERITAGE LISTED EL FUERTE RUINS 


Any trip to Bolivia is not complete without spending a few days in this amazing área and it remains a highlight of many travellers worldwide. Tours to this destination and more can be arranged by contacting Nicks Adventures Bolivia who are specialists in this región and beyond.

Best Tourist attractions in Santa Cruz Bolivia - Lomas de Arena Natural Desert

LOMAS DE ARENA SANDBOARDING/ NATURE TOUR IN SANTA CRUZ BOLIVIA
                 

WWW.NICKSADVENTURESBOLIVIA.COM

Just 20km outside the city of Santa Cruz Bolivia is the spectacular and rarely visited Lomas de Arena Protected Area, this 14,000 hectare reserve is home to over 187 species of birds, abundant wildlife and provides nature lovers some of the most spectacular views in all of Bolivia. There are many attractions in the park , the Dunes provide excellent Sand boarding for adventure lovers, if you are a bird watcher then this is one of the best places in Bolivia to see a huge variety of species, At certain times of the year there are spectacular colored lagoons which host thousands of birds and are great to swim in after a days trekking and sand boarding.

Getting here is not easy and is recommened by a local Tour Company , the roads entering the Park are in very poor condition and a strong 4WD is recommended. Some people do catch public transport to the front gate and then walk 7km each way to the Dunes however this is not recommended especially for women as attacks on lone travellers have occasionally happened.

One of many Iconic Sloths which have been seen here !! 

Wildlife which has been recorded in the Reserve include Capybara - the worlds largest Rodent, Ocelots, Jaguarundi Cats, Marmosets, Spectacled Caimans Armadillos, Tayra, Agoutis and much more !! 3 Toed Sloths are common here however only the most trained guides usually see them, Pumas or Mountain Lions have also been recorded here too.

Sand boarding in Santa Cruz Bolivia

Touca Toucans , 187 species of birds have been recorded here.

Spectacular views of the Jungle, look out for Monkeys, Sloths and more.

Where Jungle meets desert !! 

The desert of Lomas de Arena

Exploring the 14,000 hectare protected area 

Excellent Wildlife viewing in Lomas de Arena

Andean Bear captured on camera in Amboro National Park Bolivia

Two years ago , we first ventured into the spectacular Amboro National Park , this expedition was based on finding out which animal species where here and also the potential for low impact Eco Tourism , as we trekked deeper inside the Park we were greeted with large animal tracks which were larger than the human hands, the claws were a dead give away that it was not a Puma or Jaguar but was of the elusive Andean Bear, these tracks were everywhere and seemed to be just hours old.

Elated with this discovery we placed camera traps along the trails where the bear tracks where and left the area, 2 years later and after multiple unsuccessful visits to the park we had nothing to show for , that is until yesterday.

2 months ago we decided to set up a camera trap in an area rarely visited by tourists and as we retrieved our camera we were surprised to see not only Ocelots,Pumas, Margays,Tayra and Brocket Deer in the photos but a large and spectacular Andean Bear.

This photo of the beautiful Andean Bear has been 2 years of hard work , and we are delighted that this amazing animal is surviving in one of the most beautiful National Parks in Bolivia.


Note : we do not give an exact reference to which part of the National Park this image was taken, sadly Andean Bears are hunted for their body parts for Asian Medicines and also shot on sight by ranchers and local hunters.

For more information about our tours and conservation work contact us at: www.nicksadventuresbolivia.com

10 REASON WHY TO TRAVEL TO SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA

TRAVELING TO BOLIVIA? – then here`s why Santa Cruz Bolivia is not to be missed!!

Time and time again we hear about travelers doing the same old gringo trail through Bolivia, so we have devised a list of reasons why Santa Cruz Bolivia should be an integral part of every travelers itinerary while exploring this amazing country. 

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

1 IT'S A STAGING POINT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF ADVENTURES: If you are visiting the City of Santa Cruz then you are just a few hours away from some of the world`s best attractions, some of these places include the Amazon and Cloud Forests of the Amboro National Park, The world’s most pristine Chaco Forests of Kaa Iya National Park which is one the best place to see Jaguars, The Andean Town of Samaipata which is the base for a huge array of trips , Jesuit Missions , Sand-boarding in Lomas de Arena , Sports fishing monster Golden Dorado  in the spectacular River Grande and much much more …

2 CLIMATE:Unlike La Paz where you have day upon day of miserable weather and altitude problems, Santa Cruz is blessed with warm tropical weather year round which makes visiting this city a pleasure.

3 PEOPLE: known as Cambas, the people from Santa Cruz are some of the most welcoming in South America, You have more chance of being invited by locals here to a family BBQ than anywhere in the country. If you worried about the language barrier don`t worry, a large percentage of locals here have learnt English as a 2<sup>nd</sup> language which makes a big difference while trying to communicate. For male travellers this might be of particular interest as Santa Cruz is home to the majority of Bolivia`s Miss World contestants too.

4 FOOD: Santa Cruz is Cattle Country which means for steak lovers this is paradise, The Beef here easily rivals Argentina and Brazil and currently is half the price as well. This city is becoming a truly international City and local as well as international restaurants are everywhere.  You can find anything here from tasty street food to 5 star international standard cuisine.

Cotoca town

5 SLOTHS: The iconic Sloth is found just minutes from the City centre and they can be seen crawling freely in the Jardin Botanico, Zoo and Urban Neighbourhoods. Their never ending smiling faces and slow awkward movements light up the day for anyone who sees them. There is even a tour designed specifically for tourists to see them in the wild.

Sloths

6 CARNAVAL: Ranked in the top 5 Carnivals in the world the Carnival of Santa Cruz is not to be missed and a must on any party revelers bucket list.

7 LOMAS DE ARENA: Just 25 km from the City Centre is a truly spectacular Natural Desert which covers just under 14000 hectares, this beautiful desert is surrounded by tropical forests and colorful lagoons which supports a huge variety of native wildlife. The dunes are excellent for Sand Boarding which is one of the most popular tours in Bolivia.

Lomas de Arena

8 NIGHTLIFE: There is something about the tropical weather that seems to make people go crazy and the nightlife in Santa Cruz is infamous for its wild nights, whether you prefer live rock music, pulsing fancy nightclubs of the rich and famous or singing the night away at a local karaoke bar then Santa Cruz is the place for you.

9 BIOCENTRO GUEMBE: This world class Eco Resort is something that has to be seen to be believed, covering over 24 hectares this beautifully presented resort has over 15 huge swimming pools, artificial waterfalls, lagoons, world’s largest butterfly house , giant walk through Aviary of rescued birds, Natural forests teeming with native wildlife and much more.

10 WILDLIFE: There are not many places in the world where you can drive 5 minutes from the city centre and see Monkeys , Sloths and Toucans or drive  just a few hours from the capital and have the chance to observe Jaguars, Spectacled Bears, Macaws, Mountain Lions, Tapirs and much more roaming freely in their natural environments. Santa Cruz is a nature lovers paradise 

Kaa Iya National Park