Laguna Wichu Khota (Bolivia)

Landscapes that look like the work of an artist, multiple indigenous peoples, a highly varied climate … Bolivia is both a great hiking destination and an excellent country to visit if you enjoy meeting and encountering members of local ethnic groups. It's simply impossible not to get the sense that you really have come to somewhere exotic and very different from what you're used to when visiting Bolivia! Walking the length of the Cordillera Real mountain range, or a section of it, is top on the list of things every hiker with a budding interest in trekking the Andes wants to do.

But before launching yourself into this tremendous adventure, there are a number of questions you first need to ask yourself:

- Am I in good health? 

- Will I be able to cope with the high altitude?

- Do I have the right equipment and a big enough budget to ensure my safety and guarantee that I'll be able to enjoy the experience?

- Do I have enough time available to do a trek?

If you can answer 'yes' to all these questions, then it's time to get in touch with a travel agency and choose from the range of walking options they'll be able to offer you. 

But let's talk about the actual trek itself! After a few days walking involving various ascents and descents, we finally arrived at Laguna Chiar Khota, which lies not far from Laguna Congelada and Laguna Wichu Khota. Here, beneath the star-filled Bolivian sky, was where we would be spending the night.