La Paz, fascinating city high in the Andes

Advantages: stunning location, interesting people
Disadvantages: Car fumes and general pollution

...La Paz is famously located at 3660 metres above sea-level and is the highest capital city in the world (that even beats Lhasa, Tibet!). Furthermore, it's setting in a crater makes this one of the most impressive cities in the world to bus into- as you pass out of El Alto the road suddenly drops down from the altiplano and there are stunning views over the whole city as the bus winds down the side of the canyon before finally descending into the chaos and bustle of this fascinating city. The best way to see La Paz is just to wander around the centre and explore for yourself. The markets are colourful, hectic and give a good slice of this largely indigenous city. In particular el mercado de los brujos, or the witches' market is chaotic and fascinating-you can buy anything from tourist souvenirs, fake DVDs to local charms such as a llama...

flyingllamas 08.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Parque de La Paz Hotel Review.

Advantages: Excellent location and fantastic value for money. Highly recommended.
Disadvantages: Nothing stands out as being an issue.

...Please bear in mind that Holidays in Tenerife are usually aimed at the 18-30 age group. The Parque de La Paz hotel is located in Playa de las Americas on the south of the Island. It is situated nearby a supermarket and a mere 400m from the wonderful beaches. Tenerife's reputation certainly goes before it and I found many of my ideas surrounding the island were wrong. It is true that Tenerife accomodates a large number of english tourists, however, i felt that part of the culture of the island remained in tact and the standards were certainly not low. As for the hotel i thought it was excellent value for money. As a £200 package holiday I felt the rooms were a great standard. The rooms were a good size with a lovely balcony and all the appliances you need. The rooms are cleaned daily by a cycle of friendly maids. Despite having a large...

Jonny5Review 16.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Parque de La Paz, Tenerife

moon walking, political demonstrations and women in bowler hats

Advantages: unique capital city, cheap, friendly people
Disadvantages: high altitide can cause problems

...A FEW FACTS: La Paz is the capital of Bolivia which is a land locked country next to Peru in South America. It is one of the poorest South American countries but this I no way detracts from its charm as a country to visit. Strangely in La Paz the wealthier you are the closer to the bottom of the valley in La Paz is where you live. The poorer people live higher up the mountain sides and so get the best views, I'm not sure why this is whether they were closer to the river initially or what but I found it quite odd. GETTING THERE: You can fly in to La Paz airport in El Alto which is where we flew out from. They have flights from several South American countries. I'm not sure if you can fly direct from Europe, you may have to go via the USA. We had come by the Andean Express to Puno near Lake Titicaca and the driven over the border to...

catsholiday 23.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Friends in High Places

Advantages: Striking scenery, frenetic, lively pace, wonderful atmosphere
Disadvantages: A little too hectic, an unfortunate combination of high altitude and lots of hills.

...La Paz is occasionally dubbed the highest capital city in the world - this is partly true; lowland Sucre is Bolivia's constitutional capital, although 4,000 metre-high La Paz certainly plays the central role of the nation's cities. Its considerable altitude has hit the headlines of late after football's world governing body, FIFA, banned matches being played in the city, tired of the tendencies of Bolivia and its Andean neighbours, Ecuador and Peru, to switch home matches against the continent's big guns to high-altitude venues, handing them a distinct advantage while their opponents labour in the thin air. This caused considerable outrage amongst the Andean nations, fiercely defensive of their rarefied air, and the ban was eventually overturned after a campaign in which Bolivia's much-loved President, Evo Morales, took part in...

Puggers 07.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Potatoes

Advantages: A lively and exciting city
Disadvantages: Thieves all over the place

...La Paz - Bolivia's capital - is an incredibly lively, colourful, bustling city with loads of character. From around 4060m at its highest point to 3100m at its lowest (the better off you are, the lower down you live), the city sprawls across a huge valley surrounded by massive snow-capped mountains, and it looks amazing. Because La Paz sometimes seems to be so full of bustling people and honking taxis and in-your-face street-sellers and things going on it can be a difficult city to really relax in, and tiring to look around, but it's got a great atmosphere, and there's a lot of energy, and all sorts to see. What to Do And because there is such a buzz to it La Paz is a great city just to have a wander around - past all the street-sellers and salteña stands and traditional women wearing colourful Aymara dress, who in turn walk past...

butimba 26.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Eating llama in a volcano

Advantages: Amazing sights, very cheap, unique city, great shopping
Disadvantages: Altitude sickness, hard to get around

...It's 8am. Heathrow Airport. The traffic means that you've got ten minutes to get to your flight before the gates close. And security pick this of all times to empty you're entire back and check through every item twice to conclude that it was your torch that looked decidedly threatening. It's a frantic scramble through the rest of the airport and you just make it on time. 13 hours of flying followed by a hot and sticky 5 hour stop over in Miami before cramming back onto a smaller plane bound for La Paz. You've no idea what time of what day it is in what part of the world. You get the feeling it's going to be one of those days........ That is until the captain comes on and asks you to fasten seatbelts, as you're preparing for landing. You do so almost mechanically as you have done with every other flight. But all of a sudden...

Garth87 28.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Dried Llama Foetus, Anyone???

Advantages: A unqiue experience of Andean culture
Disadvantages: Very much on the tourist trail

...La Cuidad de Nuestra Señora de la Paz (city of our lady of peace) was founded in 1548 by the Spanish as a centre of power in the Andes. Today the sprawling Bolivian unofficial capital, located down the slopes of a steep canyon framed by snow covered peaks, is an unusual city, where modernity and ancient traditions exist side by side. In the streets, Paceñas dressed in the latest fashions pass those proudly wearing the traditional dress of years gone by, of thick pleated knee length skirts, bowler hats and woven shawls. In the valley the flash mansions of drugs barons with Ferraris and tennis courts, are watched over by thousands of tiny mountainside dwellings where people hand weave for a living and care for the family llama. However, one of the most enduring traditions to be found in La Paz is the practice of ancient Andean beliefs...

VC81 31.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Witches' Market, La Paz

Bolivia's city in the sky

Advantages: Unforgettable scenery and people
Disadvantages: Very basic living standards

...Arriving at La Paz by bus is somewhat of a shock to the system. This is in part due to the altitude (particularly if arriving by plane which is meant to be harsher). I am (reasonably) fit, young (25) and healthy, and found it a little difficult and therefore anyone travelling here will be well advised to take it very easy at first. I can't tell you about the airport etc. 'cause I didn’t come that way! Arriving by bus is an amazing experience though, I'm glad I travelled that way - even though it was cold and uncomfy!(bring a sleeping bag). After a long journey the road leads through the hills and eventually you get a great view of the town from above. From a distance it appears to be a giant cracked bowl of a city, The main street of La Paz is level (more or less) - everything else is uphill from that point. It can make...

bergmcberg 18.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

Pazt And Present

Advantages: World's highest capital that's high on life.
Disadvantages: Oxygen tanks are expensive.

...With its spiralling population of 1.5 million people La Paz has become an important stop on the gringo trail in South America. As well as being the capital of Bolivia (excepting Sucre of course, the constitutional capital) it is also the highest capital in the world sitting at a breath stealing 3,600 metres above sea level. La Paz can be a chaotic town at times and its people are often in your face (and in your pocket if you are not careful!) but overall there are less hassles than you would expect. The shoeshiners bedecked in balaclava's are not half as troublesome as the guidebooks make out (if you wear sandals they don't really have an argument) and most touts are deflected when you blank them. La Paz has a maze of steep cobblestoned streets that are surprising slippy especially late at night (funny that!). The most popular...

indiecater 12.12.2002 · Read review
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Review of La Paz

La Chope

Advantages: Great food, reasonable fixed price menu
Disadvantages: None

...On our recent trip to the Loire Valley Mr Tart and myself arrived in Tours quite late on our first night. We drove down to Tours from Paris. We were going to stop for something to eat on the way but in the end decided to make our way straight to Tours and get settled in the hotel and then find something close by. A couple of minutes from our hotel we came across this place and were really glad that we did. LOCATION: La Chope is located at 25 Avenue Grammont. Our hotel was on the same road so we just came across it. It is about a ten minute walk from Tours? old town. The restaurant doesn?t stand out and the sign is not particularly bright so make sure you look out for it. THE EXPERIENCE: La Chope (which apparently translates as the tankard) is actually a fish restaurant. I?m not really a fish person (ok, that...

tartlette83 18.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Chope, Tours