Bolivia is a poor country but the people are extremely welcoming and the scenery is stunning. It has some amazing bird life across a wide range of habitats. A most enjoyable trip.
P.H, Hertfordshire, Oct '24
Tour Itinerary and Reports
- Itinerary
- Tour report - October 2023
- Tour report - October 2018
- Tour report - October 2013
- Tour report - February 2013
- Tour report - October 2011
- Tour report - February 2011
- Tour report - November 2009
- Tour report - November 2007
- Tour report - February 2007
- Tour report - November 2006
- Tour report - November 2005
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Bolivia - Lowlands
Tour Code: BOL02A 10-day tour through the lowlands, Andean foothills and cloudforest of Bolivia, in search of the region's spectacular birdlife. This tour can be combined with Bolivia – Highlands.
£3,495 (Inc flights)
£2,695
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
This tour takes you into the heart of rural Bolivia and offers a comprehensive exploration of the area’s special birdlife. We’ll spend two days exploring Amboró National Park, which is home to 830 bird species including a dazzling array of flycatchers, tanagers, hummingbirds and antbirds, not to mention a luxuriant tropical flora. Other areas we’ll visit include Los Volcanes, where a number of localised species hard to see elsewhere in Bolivia occur, such as Gray-checked Parakeet, Bolivian Recurvebill, Bolivian Tapaculo and Yungas Manakin. In the Andean foothills and the semi-deciduous woodlands and shrub-desert near Tambo we’ll be hoping to find a wide range of species including the rare Tataupa Tinamou, Red-tailed Comet and Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant.
- Search for the rare endemic Red-fronted Macaw near Tambo
- King Vulture, Sunbittern & Band-bellied Owl in Los Volcanes
- Andean Condor & Buff-necked Ibis around Samaipata
- Endemics such as Bolivian Earthcreeper & Rufous-faced Antpitta
- Visit Amboro National Park, Samaipata, Tambo, Comarapa & cloudforests of Siberia
- Villagers in colourful traditional dress & ancient languages in remote areas
- Led by expert local naturalist guides
- Combine with our 'Bolivia – Highlands' tour for an extended Bolivian birding adventure
Grading
Dedicated birding tour with plenty of time spent on foot, often on steep, muddy trails.About the region
Amboro National Park is a large wilderness area of 1.5 million acres that straddles the eastern foothills of the Andes in the Bolivian Department of Santa Cruz. The cloudforests of Amboro are home to luxuriant tropical flora including tree-ferns and fuchsias, as well as an impressive bird life, with a host of hummingbirds among its many attractions.
This tour takes you into the heart of rural Bolivia. As well as Amboro, we’ll explore hot, dry habitats near Comarapa and arid inter-Andean valleys lying within a rain shadow formed by the surrounding mountains, with little towns nestling between such as Tambo.
The cloudforests of Siberia, which lie just a couple of hours west of Tambo, are the southernmost limit of humid-temperate cloudforest in South America.
The tour ‘in a nutshell’
This 10-day bird watching tour visits Amboro National Park, Samaipata, Tambo and Comarapa, where we will search for the rare endemic Red-fronted Macaw, followed by a visit to the cloudforests of Siberia.
What birds might I see?
We’ll spend two days exploring Amboro National Park’s mosaic of ecosystems which shelter a rich diversity of plants and animals, including no less than 830 bird species! We’ll be looking for a variety of parakeets, tanagers and antwrens, as well as King Vulture, Sunbittern, Spectacled Owl and Two-banded Warblers.
A number of localised species, hard to see elsewhere in Bolivia, occur around Samaipata, and we will try to find species such as Huayco Tinamou, Andean Condor, Black-faced Ibis and Dusky-legged Guan among many others.
In the Andean foothills and the semi-deciduous woodlands and shrub-desert near Tambo we hope to find a wide range of species including the rare Tataupa Tinamou, the endemic Bolivian Earthcreeper, the endemic Rufous-faced Antpitta, as well as Andean Tyrant, White-tipped Plantcutter and Blue-capped Puffleg … and, of course, the Red-fronted Macaw!
Anything else?
We visit the Pre-Incan remains of El Fuerte.
Villagers in colourful traditional dress and ancient languages provide a potent link to the past and additional cultural interest.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation: All accommodation is included in the price . A mixture of small hotels and lodges.
- Food: All meals (+ mineral water) are included, except for dinners in Santa Cruz on days two and eight.
Reviews
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Bolivia is a beautiful country, with fantastic birdlife and an astonishing range of habitats. The Bolivian people were a delight. Everywhere we went, we met kind, friendly, welcoming people. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw so many good birds that it is impossible to list all the good ones. Though 15 Andean condors roosting on the cliffs above the red fronted macaw reserve was a big surprise. Several red legged seriemas were seen in the grasslands around the airport and good views were enjoyed for some minutes; what fantastic and strange looking birds. I really enjoyed the visit to the small privately owned hummingbird reserve where we stopped to eat lunch; an excellent selection of hummers to savour and enjoy. And the peace and quiet at the Refugio Volcanes was very welcome; I could have quite happily spent a week in this beauitful place, just relaxing. Overall, it was a wonderful holiday and just what I needed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
C.P, Hertfordshire, Oct '23 -
This was a combined holiday, Bolivia lowlands and Bolivia Highlands. This gave us an insight on how life changes with altitude. It also demonstrated the effort the government is putting in to create better road infrastructure and housing opportunities. The birding was as promised, lived up to expectations because the tour guides had excellent bird call recognition, a must when operating in dense habitats and low cloud conditions. very good pre-departure information from England and a determination to see as much as possible in the field. All tour members were birders and the guides bent over backwards to ensure, as far as possible, that all sightings were enjoyed by all members. Detailed explanation of why such a bird was named was always available when requested. Naturetrek had obviously researched the guides credentials and given them high grades before employing them.
A.W. Nottinghamshire, Nov 18 -
We travelled with Naturetrek on the Lowlands and then Highlands Bolivia tours in October 2016. This was an incredible holiday with amazing scenery from rainforest to mountains. We saw over 300 species of birds in just over a fortnight with excellent guiding to help us find the Bolivian rarities. The holiday was like an expedition across the country and we experienced a lot of local life and stayed in some fantastic places. We came home exhausted but glad we'd been somewhere so different and had such a wonderful time.
R.M. Conwy -
We are keen birders & booked a 2 part trip to Bolivia; the Lowlands with a guide/driver joining 2 other birders for the Highland tour with same guide plus a driver. All pre-departure arrangements were efficiently & clearly communicated, including a detailed itinerary with birding opportunities identified. The guide was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated to birding. He also ensured our general questions were answered, was very good humoured & made himself available to ensure our comfort & safety. The holiday covered a good number of varied habitats enabling us to see 420 species of bird in countryside ranging from 1,200 - 4,300 metres altitude. The road travel was reduced by one internal flight and the guide had chosen the road route to maximise the opportunity to cover both number & rarity of species. It was an excellent dedicated birding holiday which we enjoyed to the full.
D. & H.R. West Glamorgan -
I would like to praise the driver who was polite, professional and helpful at all times during the tour.
A.B. Norfolk -
Nick was outstanding, not only a brilliantly knowledgeable birder, but a man passionately in love with Bolivia with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the culture, language and politics.
R.F. Cumbria -
The BA flights were really comfortable, with good food, good entertainment and attentive flight staff. The hotel in Santa Cruz was excellent. Los Volcanes is just amazing! A really special place.
S.B. Pembrokeshire -
Thanks very much for arranging this trip - we saw some fantastic birds and Fito our guide was excellent throughout - can highly recommend him. All members of the team got on really well, everyone was punctual and Fito and both drivers (Leo - Lowlands and Santiago - Highlands) were marvellous - couldn't wish to meet nicer people.
H.C. West Yorkshire -
The guide Adolfo Downs was the best birding guide I have ever used. And would be very happy to have him guide me on any future trips to South or Central America. His birding knowledge was excellent and his sense of humour brilliant.
G.H. North Yorkshire -
Aldolfo Downs was an exemplary leader. Both drivers Leonardo & Santiaga were invaluable.
M.B. Norfolk -
José Antonio was an excellent trip leader - business like and a good communicator. Leo, the driver, complemented him well.
J.S. Norfolk -
A very enjoyable birdwatching holiday made so much better by our very good guide, he was a mine of information on everything, and he could mimic all the bird calls - an excellent leader.
B.B. Norfolk
Dates & Prices
2025
2026
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Our bargain birdwatching tours suit keen birders who want an active, fast-paced birding holiday with a dedicated focus on searching for birds rather than on looking at the area’s other wildlife or cultural highlights.
We offer a wide selection of long-haul holidays to many destinations in South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and elsewhere.
What can I expect?
- An expert English-speaking local ornithologist leader
- Outstanding value for money
- Dawn-to-dusk birding with limited time for rest, relaxation and outside interests
- Enviable bird lists
- Focused searches for endemics and regional specialities
Who are these tours best suited to?
- Keen & active birders – whether expert or making their first visit to a country or continent
- People looking for an action-packed bird-focused tour
Where can I go?
Naturetrek's selection of birdwatching holidays includes many South and Central American countries including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Panama.
In Africa our selection includes Malawi, Ethiopia and South Africa, while in India and Nepal we offer a choice of 17 bargain birdwatching tours! Here are a few more choices:
- Endemics of Western Australia
- Argentina's Mar Chiquita
- Birds of Brazils Atlantic rainforest
- Colombia – home to the world’s richest avifauna
- Sri Lanka’s endemic birds
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
All Bargain birdwatching Tours
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Tour Reports
- Tour report - October 2023
- Tour report - October 2018
- Tour report - October 2013
- Tour report - February 2013
- Tour report - October 2011
- Tour report - February 2011
- Tour report - November 2009
- Tour report - November 2007
- Tour report - February 2007
- Tour report - November 2006
- Tour report - November 2005
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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