“Every gap year student should have some skills training to help them travel in a more sensible and informed way. There are very few things in life that we expect to go off and do with no training, so why do we assume that travelling in the developing world can be achieved without preparation?”

Charlotte Hindle – author of Lonely Planet’s ‘Gap Year Guide’

Tuesday 15 August 2006

Africa leading gap year choice


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Title – Africa leading gap-year choice
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 14th August 2006

Although an African country topped the tables of the top 10 gap year destinations, Africa as a whole has many no-go areas and special care should be taken in many African countries, while some should be avoided altogether unless on organised tours where experienced guides help ensure your safety.

South Africa as the most popular destination is generally a safe destination, although even in South Africa there are many areas that should be avoided and many that require serious planning. High profile “gapers” like Prince Harry, have certainly helped elevate the profile of taking a Gap Year and Africa.

But who comes top is not important; more interesting is on the list as a whole Africa, Europe, North and South America and Asia all feature. In fact the only continent that is missing is Australasia (and Antarctica, but although it is possible to travel there as well, opportunities are limited), yet Australia and New Zealand remain very popular destinations for independent travel. The global perspective that we all have these days’, means that experiences vary widely from one traveller to the next and the new frontier is being pushed all the time.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops will help anyone preparing to travel or take part in a gap year to do so with more confidence and more safely. We also help individuals and groups with travel planning by covering Travel Health, Travel Equipment and Destination Information such as Cultural Awareness. Our courses help you make the most of your experiences wherever they take you.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com or join us on Facebook. For a complete list of Blog entries visit our National Press Archive page.