Bolivia offers perhaps the most authentic and rugged experience in South America, a high-altitude sanctuary where indigenous traditions remain the fabric of society. The surreal landscape of the Salar de Uyuni serves as the country’s visual centerpiece; this world-largest salt flat creates a perfect, infinite mirror after a rainfall, blurring the line between earth and sky. La Paz, the world’s highest administrative capital, feels like a city in the clouds, where a network of "telefricos" (cable cars) provides breathtaking commutes over a bowl-shaped canyon. Nearby, the ruins of Tiwanaku whisper of civilizations that predated the Incas by centuries. The geography transitions sharply from the frigid heights of the Andes to the tropical lowlands of the Amazon basin, while the silver-mining history of Potosí and the white-washed colonial elegance of Sucre remind visitors of a complex, colonial past.