Bolivia

After snapping the iconic photo on the white shimmering desert of the salt flats – which by any measure is a mesmerising wonder of nature – delve under the surface into the very fabric of this hypnotic country. It is the world’s most perilous road, the indigenous communities living on the shores of Lake Titicaca, it is soaring through the air above La Paz, the organic coffee plantations, and a procession of whirling dancers in brightly coloured costumes celebrating a mystic god.

With South America’s largest number of indigenous communities, it is these people who are the very soul of the country. Their traditional crafts and ancient way of life span centuries, and form the very foundations of this exquisite land.

There is more than one reason why Bolivia’s capital will leave you breathless: despite ranking as the highest city in the world, La Paz is a maze of peaceful plazas, Gothic churches and haphazard infrastructure. Bolivia is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but if you dare to look closely, it will wonder and amaze you.