Wilder even than the Wild West, at the turn of the 20th century Bolivia was one of the best places in the world to be an outlaw. When famous bank robbers Robert LeRoy Parker (aka Butch Cassidy) and Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (aka “The Sundance Kid”) needed a place to hide from the law, it’s no surprise that that’s where they headed.

Unfortunately, whether it was because the money ran out or just because they craved the adrenaline rush of pulling off a successful heist, the two criminals simply couldn’t stop stealing-and even in turn-of-the-century Bolivia, a couple of gringos with a penchant for robbing banks stuck out like a sore thumb.

After they robbed a mule train carrying payroll for the Aramayo Franke and Cia Silver Mine, Butch and the Sundance Kid aroused the suspicions of a local landowner who agreed to put them up for the night. The Bolivian calvary surrounded the house, and the two robbers were wounded in the ensuing gunfight. The saga of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid most likely ended in a murder-suicide when they realized that there was no way out, and they were buried in a local cemetery high in the Andes Mountains.

Visitors to Bolivia can retrace the steps of Butch and the Kid, from the mining town of Tupiza where they plotted their last robbery to the tiny town of San Vincente where they made their final stand. It’s a worthwhile trip-the surrounding scenery is absolutely breathtaking, as you can see from this video:

Bolivia-The Last Trail of Butch and Sundance from David Adams Films on Vimeo.

To get into Bolivia, you need a passport valid for at least 6 months past the day you plan to enter and a Bolivian visa. You can apply for the Bolivian visa ahead of time or get one on arrival-it’s your choice. For more information about what you’ll need, see Bolivian Visa Requirements for Tourists.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get the visas you need to visit Bolivia as well as other countries in South America. We’ll research your itinerary and help you with the paperwork, then deliver your application to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Bolivian visa today!

Located in Bolivia, the Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world. Stretching for 4,086 square miles, the landform is virtually flat, save for a few “islands” created by the tops of old volcanoes.

As the name suggests, the surface of the salt flat is made entirely of a crust of salt. Underneath the salt is a pool of brine, containing possibly the world’s largest reserves of lithium.

The Salar de Uyuni has to be seen to be believed. Describing the  a trip to the Salar de Uyuni for BootsnAll, Christian Celind writes “A picture is worth a thousand words” doesn’t even apply here. How do you explain an optical illusion in words?”

You might think that a salt flat this big would be barren, utterly devoid of life. For the most part, you’d be correct, but some of the islands shelter cacti that are over 1,000 years old, and the flats themselves are an important breeding ground for pink flamingos.

To visit Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni, Americans are required to have valid passports and Bolivian visas.  You can apply for a Bolivian visa ahead of time or when you enter the country, but in most cases it’s easier to just get one in advance.  To get your visa, you need to have the following documents on hand:

• 1 Bolivian visa application form.
• Your  passport. Check the expiration date-you need it to be valid for at least 6 months after enter the country.
• 1 passport photo, which must be 4 centimeters by 4 centimeters in size.
• If you will be staying in a hotel, you’ll need a hotel confirmation letter.
• If you are staying with friends or family, you need a letter of invitation.
• A copy of a roundtrip airline ticket.  However, if you will be entering by bus or car, you can substitute  a written statement saying when and where you plan to enter and exit the exit the country.
• A recent bank or credit card statement showing that you have sufficient money to take care of yourself in Bolivia.
• An international yellow fever vaccination certificate.

RushMyTravelVisa.com can help expedite the process of getting your Bolivian visa, as well as visas for any other country you plan to visit.

Apply for your Bolivian visa today!

Are you an adrenaline junkie? Is cheating death the only thing that makes you feel alive? Here’s the perfect vacation for you: Mountain biking down Bolivia’s “Death Road.”

Technically, the road in question is called the “Yungas Road” because it connects Bolivia’s northern Yungas rainforest with the capital city of La Paz. However, so many people have died along the road that locals and foreigners alike refer to it as “El Camino de la Muerte,” which is Spanish for “the road of death.”

What makes Bolivia’s “death road” so dangerous? First of all, starting from a height of almost 5 kilometers up in the air, it plunges more than 3.6 kilometers in the space of about 70 kilometers.  The switchbacks are brutally sharp, and there are no guardrails to protect you.  As many as 200 people die on the road each year.

And yet, it’s actually a tourist attraction, especially for daredevil mountain bikers.  As you can see from the video below, it isn’t just the adrenaline rush that’s attractive-the scenery is breathtaking as well:

Some tips for biking the death road and surviving:

• Wear a helmet.-but understand that it won’t protect you if you plummet off one of those cliffs.
• Buy travel insurance. Make sure it covers accidents.
• Ride at a safe speed. Be aware of what’s in front of you at all times.
• As the guide on the video said, “Just be careful.”
• Do like the locals do: Pour out an offering of beer and pray that the goddess Pachamama grants you safe package. Ask the locals which brand she prefers. (more…)