TUICHI RIVER EXPEDITION (TUI)
(easy trek & raft)
14 days from La Paz

Trip Dossier
14 days/13 nights: Start/End La Paz (day 1/day 14)

The Tuichi River Expedition is a classic Bolivian adventure. This is a total expedition to a rarely visited area of outstanding natural beauty, right in the heart of Bolivia’s largest National Park.

The journey combines aspectacular 4WD drive along the shores of Lake Titicaca, then cutting through the breathtaking Apolobamba Mountain range descending into the Amazon basin past virgin cloud forest and huge waterfalls.

At the end of the road you trek for two days along an ancient Inca Trail just to reach the Rio Tuichi.
Here we take to the water for four days of Class 2-4 Whitewater Rafting through the extremely rare dry-forest and then steep-sided canyons of lush primary rainforest with its excellent wildlife viewing potential.

A motorised passenger canoe meets us for the last two days of the trip, where we take a leisurely look at the rainforest. We spend a night in a the locally owned Chalalan jungle lodge to explore its jungle trails with an expert guide. Finally to Rurrenabeque and a spectacular flight back to La Paz.
The trip is rounded off with a taste of culture at the legendary Tihuanaco ruins and the opportunity to shop at the best artesan markets in Latin America.

The Tuichi river expedition is not only a fantastic multi-activity adventure but also an opportunity to contribute to "Eco-adventure Tourism" the goal of which is to provide alternative, sustainable employment for local communities, hence preserving this unbelievably diverse park for generations to come.

Joining the tour

On booking you will be sent the following information: name and address of La Paz hotel, advice on how to get there and time of rendezvous with guides.

Itinerary details

Note: Should circumstances dictate, certain details, such as overnight stops, may vary from those shown in the day-by-day itinerary below.

Day 1 Arriving in La Paz airport (the World’s highest International airport at 4018m) you will be met by an Amazonas Explorer guide and taken to your hotel. Today is for acclimatising yourself to the rarefied air of this altitude. If flight arrival time permits we can explore the old colonial centre of La Paz and some of its fascinating markets.

Day 2 We board our 4wd vehicles for the spectacular drive out of La Paz, along the shores of Lake Titicaca with spectacular views of old Inca cultures, llama herds and the snow-capped mountains of the Apolobamba range of the Andes. We drive through these mountains and begin our descent towards the Amazon Basin. We stay the night in a simple hostel in the village of Charazani with time to visit the nearby hot springs. (B / L / D)

Day 3 We continue heading down further through pristine Cloud Forest, passing spectacular waterfalls and awesome scenery. There is plenty of time for photography. Road conditions mean we may be forced to dig, push or pull our vehicles through the worst parts. It is a great adventure just getting to our destination. Where the road ends, at the small village of Santa Cruz del Valle Ameno, we set up camp and meet up with our muleteers for the next part of the adventure. (B / L / D)

Day 4 Rising early we begin the day tying our unusual loads onto the mules. All you need to carry is a daypack with your drinking water, camera, sun protection and rain gear. The weather here can only be described as unpredictable. We travel at the pace of the slowest mule i.e. pretty relaxed. Part of the trail is along a remarkably well-preserved Inca Trail with spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges. We camp that night high on a bluff overlooking the Tuichi valley. (B / L / D)

Day 5 Our second day of hiking brings us down to the Tuichi river itself at the small community of Virgin del Rosario, where we camp and can trade for fresh produce. We bid farewell to our mules and prepare our rafts for the following days of adventure. (B / L / D)

Day 6-9 After a hearty breakfast there is a full safety talk and instruction on how to raft. Having loaded the rafts, we set off down the fast flowing Rio Tuichi. There is plenty of time to practice before we hit any of the larger rapids. For four whole days we travel down the river, mixing exciting rapids with relaxing calm stretches where our silent rafts make perfect wildlife watching platforms. Our campsites are on the banks of the river and we make time to explore the surrounding area.

Our journey takes us through many varied types of forest. Near the small village of Asariamas we will travel through the largest Tropical Dry Forest in the entire Andes. This bizarre, deciduous valley, complete with cactuses and deciduous trees, is a uniquely intact rain shadow valley hiding behind the last ranges of the Bolivian Andes, which precedes our entry to the vast, wet Amazonian lowlands of Northern Bolivia.

This strange lost valley provides us with memorable scenery and excellent bird watching. Further downstream we enter a verdant gorge with exciting rapids and lush lowland rainforest where there are good opportunities to see monkeys, tamarinds, river otters and maybe other mammals such as tapirs, capybaras, caiman and possibly the ultra-elusive jaguar. The river is unusual as the rapids continue to get bigger and better right up to the very end at Puerto del Sol where we face the hardest rapid. Plenty of time is allotted for scouting the major rapids and running them safely. Just below the last rapids, we meet our motorboat with fresh supplies and (hopefully) cold beer. (B / L / D).

Day 10 We continue down river by motor canoe to the renowned Chalalan jungle lodge. Here we get an expert jungle guide to explore its surrounding trails. (B / L / D)

Day 11 Perhaps the wildlife highlight of the trip still awaits us as we rise just before dawn to see the truly extraordinary spectacle of hundreds of macaws, parrots, and parakeets feasting on the minerals contained in the cliff wall. After breakfast, the motor boat transfers us further downstream, passing groups of gold miners and finally to the frontier town of Puerto Maldonado and a well earned night in a hotel. (B/L)

Day 12 The flight from Rurrenabaque to La Paz is the last adventure of this extraordinary trip. The flight is a spectacular finale as we rise from deep jungle to stark, Andean Altiplano in approximately one hour. Back in La Paz we can relax in our hotel, catch a movie or eat in the many good restaurants. The most popular pastime is wandering the narrow streets shopping at the best artesan markets in Latin America. (B)

Day 13 If you feel like rounding off the tour with some cultural history, there is a chance to visit the archaeological ruins of Tihuanaco. This was the heart of one of the world’s greatest and longest running empires. The Pre-Inca stone courtyards, raised platforms and surrounding agriculture lands once supported over one hundred thousand people. There is a small, interesting museum at the site. Some people may prefer to just take things easy and finish all your Christmas shopping in La Paz. (B)

Day 14 Transfer to the airport for your international flight home. (B)

Practical information

We provide: All airport transfers, transport to and from the river in private vehicle. State-of-the-art rafting and canoeing equipment including self-bailing rafts, one/two person inflatable canoes (optional for those with some previous whitewater experience), Hi-flotation life-jackets, helmets, spray jackets, dry bags for personal gear and special containers for cameras. Camping and cooking equipment including Therm-a-rest & spacious two person tents. Extensive First-aid kit; professional English and Spanish speaking river guides, trained in first-aid, swift water rescue and CPR. Pleasant 3* hotels in La Paz and Rurrenabaque, one night in a jungle lodge; all meals as indicated in the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner ).

Not included: Personal belongings, sleeping bag, international flight, international airport taxes ($25), personal expenses, tips. (As this is a light weight expedition camping stools are not provided – your own Therm-a-rest chair is highly recommended).

What To Bring: On the Tuichi River expedition we will be experiencing all extremes of Bolivian climate, from freezing Altiplano nights in La Paz to extremely hot jungle sunshine on the Rio Tuichi. Not all equipment you bring with you will be needed on the trekking and rafting portions and any excess gear can be sent back to La Paz. An extra bag or day pack is handy for transporting any excess gear and plastic bags are useful to keep clothes dry.

SUGGESTED Equipment LIST:

General:

• Sunglasses with attaching string

• Peaked cap

• Water bottle & purification tablets

• Smart clothes for towns

• Swim suit

• Torch & Spare Batteries

• Suntan lotion Factor 15+ / After sun

• Lipbalm

• Insect Repellent (High DEET)

• Towel

• Sleeping bag (0’C) & sleeping sheet.

• Thermarest / Thermarest chair.

(Basic sleeping mats are available if requested but in the past a Thermarest has been proven a well deserved luxury on this trip.)

4WD:

• Shorts

• T-shirts

• Trekking trousers

• Good / Well worn -in walking boots

• Warm fleece or down jacket

• Raincoat

• Warm hat, gloves, scarf

• Socks / underwear

Rafting:

• Complete thermals (top & long John’s)

• River Shorts (fast drying)

• River sandals/ old trainers

• Socks for under sandals- (insect protection)

• After river change of clothes & shoes (light weight and long sleeved)

• Spare set of clean clothes for jungle lodge

• Fleece jacket

• Mosquito head net

On the Rio Tuichi, both on and off the river, we recommend you wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers to avoid the strong tropical sun and jungle insects that are pleasantly few but surprisingly persistent. Synthetic thermals are far superior to cotton shirts. Cotton has no thermal properties when wet and tends to rot in the jungle.

Personal gear:

• Binoculars (optional)

• Camera & spare film 100 & 400 (optional)

• Pocket knife

• Book, Notepaper & Pen (optional)

• Spare Glasses / Lenses

• Lighter or matches (for burning toilet paper)

• Money belt

• Personal toilet kit: Personal first aid kit to include: Painkillers, Plasters (Band-Aids), Moleskin, Anti-biotic cream, General anti-biotics (ask your GP), After-bite(tiger balm), Anti-diarrhoea tablets, Throat lozenges, Re-hydration salts & personal medication.

(We carry an extensive first aid kit & oxygen on all trips, but these are generally for emergencies only). Most good quality sporting equipment is unavailable in Bolivia so if anyone wishes to donate any outdoor clothes, sleeping bags etc they will be gratefully received by any of our staff.

Recommended Reading

Neotropical companion by John C Kricher

Exploration Fawcett - Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett (Century 1988)

Exploring Cusco by Peter Frost

A Guide to the Birds of Colombia - Stephen Hilty & William Brown (Princeton University Press)

And Lastly Please Note

The Tuichi River expedition travels through a remote and rarely visited part of Bolivia and we believe our clients should be aware that the remoteness that makes the Tuichi so very special can also cause certain problems. Thus, whilst we endeavour to minimise the chances of anything unexpected happening, it has to be noted that no itinerary can or should be rigidly adhered to. A spirit of flexibility is the very nature of adventure travel and we expect our clients to be prepared for delays and slight alterations to our programmed events.

Specific to the Tuichi is the possibility of delays due to the difficulty in reaching the river either on the road or trekking sections. In all cases we will advise you of any changes in the itinerary as early as possible. We have taken all these possibilities into account when planning this expedition and have allowed sufficient leeway to enable us to successfully run this exceptional trip.

You should also be aware that adventure travel, in particular trekking, white-water rafting, jungle motor boats and travelling in remote countries such as Bolivia, does carry with it certain inherent risks that you, the client, will have to assume. You will have to take out adequate travel insurance to cover these risks. A pre-departure meeting will be held on arrival in La Paz. All clients will be asked to sign a release and waiver form and must provide a photocopy of their passport and details of their travel insurance.

We look forward to seeing you in La Paz.