The best fashion and gift stores Bolivia

Timetable

Shops are generally open Monday to Saturday from 9am to midday and from 2pm to 6:30pm. In the Oriente, shops are open in the morning, but sometimes close around midday because of the heat, and don't reopen until around 4pm. Shops around tourist sites are generally open without interruption.

Budget & Tips

The country is not really a shopper's paradise, however you will find some modern shopping malls in La Paz and Santa Cruz. Bolivia's markets are among the most fascinating in South America and the local handicrafts (textiles, alpaca clothing, tanning, jewellery, etc.) are well worth a look.

What's very local

Do not hesitate to haggle for anything, within reasonable limits. Bargaining is part of the Bolivian way of life, but discounts rarely exceed 25% of the original price. However, do not try to devalue the price of local handicrafts as their survival depends on it. If in other Latin American countries, haggling is part of the way of life, it is used with much more moderation in Bolivia. If it can appear as a game, it is necessary to remember that paying a fair price (certainly difficult to define) is a question of survival for the native and of respect for the visitor towards his hosts.

For the unavoidable purchase of alpaca clothes, one should not miss a visit to the Sagarnaga district in La Paz, which is visited by tourists from all over the world. These alleys are probably full of the most beautiful handicrafts of the country, at interesting prices (less expensive than in other Bolivian cities). The negotiation, in general, turns around 20 %. It is enough to obtain a smile from the cholita, by addressing her, for example, some words of Aymara (Kamisaki: "hello, how are you?"; Waliki: "I am well").

Tourist traps

Be careful, the markets are full of counterfeit western brands (T shirts, clothes...), it is formally forbidden to bring them back to France (beware of your passage to the customs!).