There are three main reasons tourists should consider carrying a small but well-prepared medical kit when traveling Bolivia. First of all, many people greatly underestimate the distances between the major cities of Bolivia. Unless you plan to fly to each of your destinations, road trips here tend to be long and hard.
Secondly, the remoteness (and the overland distance to) many of the top tourist destinations in Bolivia is nothing to sneeze at. It's not uncommon to drive for hours without seeing a city or town, at least not one with proper medical facilities. Bolivia thrives on ecotourism and adventure tourism so many primary tourist attractions (biking, climbing, hiking, jungle tours, etc.) involve physical exertion in areas far from medical facilities.
And lastly, hospitals and clinics in Bolivia leave much to be desired, especially in rural areas. They often only have basic first aid supplies, lack equipment to communicate with larger cities, may not have ambulances, etc. Click here to see what a well-traveled doctor has to say about preparing the perfect travel medi-kit.
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