DETAILS

Bolivia

GETTING THERE: American Airlines offers service from all three Washington airports to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, via Miami and La Paz. Fares start at about $900 round trip.

GETTING AROUND: It's about a two-hour drive from Santa Cruz to Samaipata. From the airport, take an official airport taxi ($6) to the Taxi Samaipata office. From there, take a private taxi ($12) to Samaipata. Alternatively, Roadrunners Tours (see below) can have a car meet you at the airport. From Samaipata, either Roadrunners or Michael Blendinger Nature Tours (see below) can take you to any of the sites mentioned, starting at $25 a day per person for groups of three or more.

WHERE TO STAY: Dutch-owned La Vispera (a five-minute taxi ride or a 15-minute walk from the town plaza, 011-591-3-944-6082, http://www.lavispera.org/) is the nicest place in town, with delicious organic meals and a clean, quiet room or cabin ($30 a night double). Landhaus (on Murillo Street, 011-591-3-944-6033, http://www.samaipata-landhaus.com/) charges $10 per person for nice cabins and features a good German restaurant. The friendly Bolivian Romance B&B, a half-block from the main plaza (011-591-3-944-6218, http://www.bolivianromance.net/), is not a bad choice at $12 for a double. Andoriña Hostal (Campero Street, 011-591-3-944-6333, http://www.andorinasamaipata.com/) is Samaipata's newest place, with friendly Dutch service, a photography museum, free nightly slide shows and a great view; $15 double.

WHERE TO EAT: Latina Cafe on Bolivar Street serves up a fine steak with coca-leaf sauce ($4). La Chakana, on the plaza, has good veggie burgers ($2) and cappuccino (70 cents) served on an outside patio. For the best wood-oven pizza ($4 for a pie) in town, try Descanso en las Alturas on Bolivar Street.

WHAT TO TAKE: Be sure to take enough cash. Though international ATMs abound in Santa Cruz, there are none in Samaipata. U.S. dollars are universally accepted throughout Bolivia, along with the national boliviano.

WHAT TO DO: Take a day trip to La Yunga's giant tree fern cloud forest, spend the night in the community's bamboo guesthouse ($10 for a double) or camp in its slice of Amboro National Park (starts at $20 a day per person). The El Fuerte Inca ruins are best visited after the archaeology museum in town. (The $4 entry fee includes El Fuerte.)

INFORMATION: Samaipata.info, http://www.samaipata.info/. Michael Blendinger Nature Tours (011-591-3-944-6227, http://www.discoveringbolivia.com/) and Roadrunners Tours (011-591-3-944-6294, http://www.samaipata.info/roadrunners) also are good sources of information.

-- W.P.