Archives: Trips

There are very few places on this planet that have such outstanding natural marvels as Bolivia’s Altiplano. Although technically the Altiplano is in Peru, Chile, and Argentina….80% of the Altiplano is within the Bolivian territory, surrounded by a series of inter-connected minor ranges of the Andes Mountains, the spine of South America.

This adventure takes us to see some of the most iconic natural wonders of this undulating high-altitude plateau (often compared to the Tibetan Plateau) from the northern edge where La Paz sits and where the Cordillera Real dominates the horizon. The Altiplano lurches north towards Peru, then marches south, towards the Argentinian border, keeping Chile on it’s western border. The amount of surprising landscapes is a treat for the senses, from volcanoes and cities of stone to vicuñas and pink flamingos living in green and red lagoons, and from eroded mud pillars to immense salt flats….the Altiplano has one well-kept secret after another for the adventurous traveler. We’ve been exploring the Altiplano for the better part of 5 decades….we consider this our backyard.

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This photo tour explores the world’s largest salt flat (salar), located in Bolivia’s Altiplano, a high plateau, formed during the uplift of the Andes mountains. The plateau includes fresh and seasonal saltwater lakes as well as dozens of salt flats and is surrounded by the Andes mountains. The salt flats are the lowest points on the Altiplano with minor drainage outlets.

The Uyuni salt desert is the world’s largest natural mirror and was infamously spotted by American astronaut Neil Armstrong while orbiting Earth. The surrounding terrain is very mountainous including the volcanoes of the Andes mountains forming part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Our accommodations are at different locations, allowing us to access different points of view, perspectives and give us access to locations where rarely seen imagery can be made. The variety of locations include salt hotels, pre-Inca mummies, volcanoes, hidden caves, wild vicunas, and pink flamingos during the wet season.

We schedule the tour during the region’s rainy season from late December to late March, when rain and mountain snow run-off, create a layer of water that transforms the flat into a mirror.

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We use TIER PRICING: more guests = lower price per guest. Pricing is in US $ dollars.

Madidi National Park was established in 1995 and has an area of 7,320 sq miles / 18,958 square kms. which is equal to an area larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Although the areas along the Bolivia-Peru border are not contiguous, the nearby protected areas of Apolobamba (Bolivia), Manuripi-Heath and the Manu Biosphere Reserve (both in Peru), join Madidi to become one of the largest neo-tropical protected areas in the world.

The park encompasses 13 ecological life zones, from the snow-capped peaks in the Apolobamba range of the Andes to the tropical rainforests of the lowland Amazon basin, including parts of the Bolivian Yungas and dry Bolivian mountain forests eco-regions. We will only be visiting the lower amazon region by flying into Rurrenabaque and traveling on the Beni and Tuichi Rivers. There is no good road access from the highlands of the Apolobamba, via Apolo to the lower Tuichi River, where the lodges are located.

The parks range of elevations span from 180m to 5,750m and contains up to 8,000 documented vascular plants (10% of the world’s known plant species) found from the lowland rainforest to the cloud forest and the high Andean peaks. It has an extremely high diversity of other wildlife too, with over 200 mammal species including jaguars, giant anteaters, possums, peccary, 5 species of monkeys, tapir, the rare Andean spectacled bear and many more. The diversity of fish species tops over 330 known to science. Over 1,100 bird species live in the park, considered one of the highest diversities in any protected area around the world. Many are rare, unique birds and endemic to the region. There are tens of hundreds of insects, including butterflies, ants, bees, and moths. The list of reptiles and amphibians climbs over 300.

Many native people live in the area; from the Quechua-speaking people in the vicinity of the Apolobamba range and the Tacana and Ese Eja on the Tuichi and Beni Rivers, to the Tsimané and Mosetén deeper in the northern regions and a very rarely contacted rainforest tribe in northwestern Bolivia, the self-isolating Toromona.

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There are countless of locations in the Bolivian highlands that merit a visit. In our opinion one of the most impressive and least-visited regions in Bolivia is the remote Apolobamba Range in western Bolivia, north of Lake Titicaca, straddling the Peruvian border..

The Apolobamba is a long way from the tourist route thus we cannot count on suitable accommodations near our prime locations, so we will spend some of the tour days camping, but that is a blessing as the locations we are headed to should be in great shape and not overrun with tourists. The most important aspect of being in the region is that the range is absolutely spectacular and has a great variety of beautiful locations we will visit.

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This photo tour is designed to explore the Bolivian highlands, using La Paz and Lake Titicaca are our core area of exploration including acclimatization time. One does not need to travel far to meet the descendants of the Tiwanaku and the Incas as we have a world of possibilities a short drive from La Paz. To make this journey special, we add a special segment and head towards the border of Peru and the remote Apolobamba Range, which is rarely visited by outsiders. Here we will meet the medicine men of the Andes, the Yatiri’s, the Amautas and the Kallawayas. Come prepared to make spectacular and moving portraits in the most native indigenous region in the Andes. The extreme variety of terrain, never-ending vistas, changing climates and a smorgasbord of different people make this portrait safari an all-encompassing regional tour-de-force.

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This photographic journey is led by professional photographer and author Sergio Ballivian, offering a superb teaching and learning workshop.

The goal of this photographic tour is to immerse ourselves in the heart and soul of Torres del Paine National Park, considered the 8th Wonder of the World! There are countless opportunities to photograph the rugged majesty of this living landscape from afar and up close. We will be hiking, sailing and driving to some of the most iconic locations where the character of this battered chunk of the southern Andes Mountains is bathed in special light and scoured by the winds of the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap. Where the steppe meets the mountains and where the lakes lap at the feet of massive rock walls is where we will be each day from sunrise to sunset. We have the perfect locations, timed just right for the best light…all we need is mother nature to show us her treasures.

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In this world there are a few places that stand head and shoulders above others – even with the outstanding choices people already know about in other ranges across the world..

The Cordillera Huayhuash in Central Peru (just south of the Cordillera Blanca) is one of those places that will leave you breathless, not only due to the altitude but because the scenery is so grand, so imposing, so…unbelieveable.

If the Lord of the Rings wasn’t filmed in New Zealand (which it rightly deserves), it could have been filmed here. Every day on the trek is another example of nature’s power to create beauty with a rugged exterior and alluring features. The peaks are tall, they are steep, they are covered with a layer of frosting made of hanging glaciers and the alpine lakes at their feet are a rainbow of complimentary puddles of color. Just amazing.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

Check current group sizes and max. full price / person for each departure date. We can also create a custom departure dates!

We use TIER PRICING: more guests = lower price per guest. Pricing is in US $ dollars.