Links

This site exists partly as a reminder that there are still beautiful places on this earth, far removed from the 9 to 5 life all too many lead, and well worth going out of one's way to visit. That's what the first set of links below is all about: getting to one of these rare places and enjoying it.

But this site is also intended to serve a larger purpose, which is where the second set of links come in. The people of the Chiquitania lead lives that would astonish and humble most of us. They don't have - and in many cases have never seen - personal computers, SUVs, or designer-label clothing, let alone work in an office with all mod cons. What they earn in a year is less than what many of us earn in a month. With almost nothing, they do what they can and expect very little. They manage to keep alive their traditions and culture in the face of a relentless onslaught of commercialism and materialism. You do a great deal more good than you know when you support their efforts.

Viva Bolivia, mi patria hermosa

A)Travel to/within the Chiquitania

The following are links to entities that offer travel information about the Chiquitania. There are many others that do not have Web sites; please remember that this list encompasses only those with known Web sites. Most of these sites are bi-lingual, although some are in Spanish only.

Airlines:
Aerosur (regular flights to Santa Cruz and Puerto Suárez)
American Airlines (regular flights to Santa Cruz via La Paz)
GOL (regular flights to Santa Cruz)
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (regular flights to Santa Cruz)
TACA (regular flights to Santa Cruz)

Auto Rental:
A. Barron's Rent a Car (Santa Cruz) - there are others in Santa Cruz but this is by far and away your best option

Hotels:
Apart Hotel San Ignacio (San Ignacio de Velasco)
El Pantanal Hotel Resort (Puerto Quijarro)
Hotel Casa Real (Puerto Suárez)
Hotel La Misión (San Ignacio de Velasco)
Hotel San Ignacio (San Ignacio de Velasco)
Hotel Totaitú (San Xavier)
Hotel Villa Chiquitania (San José de Chiquitos)
Santa Rosa de la Mina Country Club (Santa Rosa de la Mina)
Tamengo Hostal-Resort (Puerto Quijarro)

Railway:
Red Oriental

Travel Agencies:
Amboro Tours (Santa Cruz)
Forest Tour Operator (Santa Cruz)
Fremen Tours (La Paz and Santa Cruz)
Magri Turismo (Santa Cruz)
Misional Tours (Santa Cruz)
Ruta Verde (Santa Cruz)
Turismo Balas (Santa Cruz)
Turismo Enlace (Santa Cruz)
Vicuñita Tours (Santa Cruz)

Travel Guides:

Footprint's Bolivia (Europe); Bolivia (North America) If you are considering a trip to Bolivia, buy the most accurate and up-to-date guide. Footprint's Bolivia is consistently rated the best travel guide to the country by travellers and in-country experts alike.

Footprint's Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador (Europe); Peru, Bolivia & Ecuador (North America) If you are planning to include Peru and/or Ecuador in your travels, you cannot do better than this guide. It is hands down the most comprehensive one anywhere, and thoroughly researched.

Footprint's South American Handbook (Europe); South American Handbook (North America) The world's oldest and most respected travel guide to the continent, now in its 87th edition. Easily the most accurate of them all. No gringo-only spots, no self-appointed politically correct text, just the facts and contacts. This is absolutely essential reading for anyone travelling anywhere in South America.

B) Non-Profit Organisations

Please be generous with your support of these non-profits, whose mandate in one way or another is to help the peoples of the Chiquitania. These groups work with limited resources, and any contribution you make - be it in the form of a purchase, sponsoring a child, or perhaps dedicating some time to one of their many projects - will be gratefully appreciated. We do not save the world at once, but one person at a time, and when we help others, we receive the joy that comes only with giving.

Cultural/Social:
Academia de Fútbol "Tahuichi": one of the country's almost and most respected athletic clinics working with at-risk children. It also has a US-based foundation, Tahuichi USA Children's Foundation.
Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID)
Apoyo Para el Campesino-Indígena del Oriente Boliviano (APACOB)
Arquidiócesis de Santa Cruz: the Archdiocese publishes a weekly online bulletin, "Campanas", which offers much information on several social initiatives underway throughout the Chiquitania.
Asociación para la Promoción y el Desarrollo Turístico de la Provincia Velasco (APRODETUR-Velasco)
Asociación Pro Arte y Cultura (APAC)
Centro para la Participación y el Desarrollo Humano Sostenible (CEPAD)
ChildFund International (better known as the Christian Children's Fund, or CCF)
Diócesis de San Ignacio de Velasco
Fundación BHN
International Kolping Society
Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Gran Chiquitania
Plan Misiones
Programa de Apoyo a la Gestion Público Decentralizada y Lucha contra la Pobreza (PADEP)
SNV Latin America (SNV)
Vicariato de Ñuflo de Chávez

Environmental:
BioBol
Centro Amazónico de Desarrollo Forestal (CADEFOR)
Centro de Investigación Agricola Tropical (CIAT)
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza Bolivia (FAN - Bolivia)
Fundación Amigos del Museo de Historia Natural Noell Kempff Mercado
Fundación para el Desarrollo del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (FUNDESNAP)
Servicio Nacional de Areas Protegidas de Bolivia (SERNAP; technically a public-sector entity...and one of the best)
Sistema Departmental de Áreas Protegidas (SDAP; likewise, but for Santa Cruz Department alone)
Waterland Research Institute