Rift valley fever deaths in Sudan

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Title – Rift valley fever deaths in Sudan
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th November 2007

Rift Valley Fever is just one of the many afflictions parts of Africa have to deal with and it sometimes seems that Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from the scourge of almost every tropical disease know today.

Travel to the Sudan is not common, the reputation of a country synonymous with war, famine, Dafur, Al-Qaeda and so many more news headlines means that most people cross it off the list early when deciding where to travel to, but it is still on the list of some intrepid travellers mostly on organised tours.

Disease is prevalent on every continent except Antarctica and no travel should ever be planned without an in-depth look at the dangers disease causes the locals and therefore travellers to those areas. Fortunately instances of Rift Valley Fever are relatively rare, but the same can not be said for Malaria, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, Typhoid, heatstroke, altitude sickness and many more.

A trip to any part of the world needs to be planned in conjunction with a programme of appropriate vaccinations, prophylactic drugs and most importantly sound preventative measures. A basic understanding of the symptoms and incubation periods of diseases from the areas of the world you are travelling to also helps, when it comes to diagnosis. Malaria for example can have an incubation period of several months; the symptoms are initially similar to a common cold, so when you visit your doctor with a cold 3 months after you return from your tropical adventure, the knowledge you have will allow your doctor to make a more accurate diagnosis.

Making plans is more than just choosing which countries to visit, it’s about planning for the worst case scenario and leaving as little to chance as is practicable. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshops help you achieve this goal.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Libya changes tourist entry rules

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Title – Libya changes tourist entry rules
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 13th November 2007

Travel is often not straight forward, different countries change their entry and exit rules on a regular basis, often on a tit-for-tat basis as a result of arguments between governments and those it affects most is the travellers simply seeing what the world has to offer and what they can learn along the way.

Fortunately this type of sudden unannounced change which results in plane loads of tourists being refused entry doesn’t happen very often and you are generally warned before your departure by your tour operator or airline.

But visa and documentation requirements can be a nightmare in the planning stages of any trip, especially when travelling to a number of different countries on the same trip. Even a stamp from another country in your passport can raise an eyebrow or lead to unending questions of where you have just come from, the reason for your visit and remember customs officials tend not to have a sense of humour when they listen to your answers.

Our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop prepares those candidates attending with all the information they need to start their trip preparation, including visa applications and requirements. This allows you to plan effectively for your trip and not make the simplest mistakes such as not allowing enough time to get all the visa applications filed and thus resulting in sometimes hundreds of pounds worth of extra costs being added to your budget. We also help you to be aware of some of the more dangerous aspects of travel and the course provides skills to deal with these as well, including; personal safety techniques, Travel Health, dealing with crime abroad, Travel Equipment, Cultural Awareness and more.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Backpacker hostels are ‘death-traps’

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Title – Backpacker hostels are ‘death-traps’Source – Times online
Date – 1st November 2007

When you are travelling, especially in countries you are unfamiliar with there are often days when you look forward to getting to your accommodation at the end of the day not only because you are tired or need a wash, but also because your accommodation is often your sanctuary, you feel safe on arrival and the stresses and strains of the day are left outside your door.

So the last thing you want to worry about is the safety of your hotel or hostel, but should you?

The answer to that question is no you should not worry; you shouldn’t worry because you should know a simple few steps and checks to take to put your mind at rest. These steps don’t have to take a long time or be difficult and you’ll soon find them becoming routine, so you hardly even think about them. When was the last time you consciously thought of looking left and right before you crossed the road? Probably a long while ago or maybe when teaching your children; yet nearly every time any of us cross the street we do look both left and right, probably several times.

Fire safety standards in many parts of the world are much more lapse then in the UK; in many places they are effectively non-existent. Your destination will dictate the level of risk, but don’t think that your budget does. Some of the more expensive places I have stayed have been the biggest death traps and some of the cheapest have been the easiest to get out of…

The key is to decide for yourself where it is safe to stay and where you should avoid; have the courage to ask for a different room; ask for the fire safety guidance from the hotel / hostel; and ultimately if you are unhappy stay somewhere else.

Fires in hotels and hostels are far from rare, many go unreported. In the UK we tend only hear about fire where UK citizens are hurt or killed. For the sake of a few minutes observation and a few checks when you check-in, you can dramatically reduce the risk you face.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop (GYITSA) examines all aspects of Travel Safety from personal safety to Travel Health and Cultural Awareness to Transport Option. During the travel safety section of the workshop we examine the simple steps you can take when checking your accommodation to reduce your risks from fire and other harm. Whereas most people will check general cleanliness and speak up if it is unacceptable, some will go a step further and check under the sheets for bedbugs, we recommend you go even further and carry out a few fire safety checks that should also form part of your pre-check-in procedures.

Please visit our website please visit at

www.safegapyear.com

The young people got up and ran, but the police just fired into their backs

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Title – The young people got up and ran, but the police just fired into their backsSource – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

This terrible eye witness account of what happened on one of those fateful days in September 2007 when the Burmese people tried to stand up for themselves against 'their' rulers and it turned into a blood bath, can leave no one in any doubt that the situation for the Burmese people is a desperate one. For 45 years they have lived in fear, fear of the people that rule over the country. A tiny military elite who rule through oppression, violence, torture and extrajudicial killings. But even in a country where the majority of the population has never seen anything but this regime and even the older populations only briefly saw any form of democracy between the colonial rule and the military junta, they are still willing to stand up and pay with their lives in an attempt to change their future through peaceful protest. How depraved is a leadership that can turn guns loaded with live ammunition on praying Buddhist monks? Even the Burmese themselves never believed the day would come when the junta’s desperation would lead them to such brutality.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Hundreds may have died already, as junta tries to keep brutality unseen

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Title – Hundreds may have died already, as junta tries to keep brutality unseen
Source – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

The very fact that no one outside of Burma including the world’s free press, has any real idea how many people died in the brutal crackdown on peaceful protests in Burma in September 2007 is testament to the complete isolation that the regime has decided upon for the Burmese people. They want nothing to do with the rest of the world, except for their foreign currency and brush the worlds concerns aside with an arrogance that comes from 45 years of a small military elite controlling a country of millions of innocent, oppressed and terrified people that are willing to lay down their lives to protest. They don’t protest in the hope that their own leaders will listen to them, they know that is almost futile, they protest so we in the west see their plight and they lay down their lives so that their fellow Burmese might have a small chance of a life free of brutality and fear one day. But they don’t expect that to happen unless the world stands up and stands by them. That time has surely come.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.





Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

What the Burmese Junta wants you to see and what the world must know

Title – What the Burmese Junta wants you to see and what the world must know
Source – The Independent
Date – 29th September 2007

The Independent newspaper should be applauded for taking the lead before the recent (09-2007) problems in Burma surfaced. Following the crushing of the peaceful democracy movements through the use of live gun fire, thousands of people being detained, torture and an unknown number of killings, no one can be in any doubt that Burma is a country not just of a people oppressed, tortured and gagged, but one where there is a spirit that refuses to lie down and be beaten. Those of us who enjoy freedom in the west must not allow the illegal and brutal military regime that rules Burma to do so behind closed doors and without consequence.

Beyond The Blue prides itself on a reputation or providing impartial and transparent advice to anyone taking one of our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshops. We will not provide guidance or advice on certain countries for a number of reasons. These may be as simple as a location like Colombia where in 2005, over 800 kidnapping cases were reported (many believe the actual figure is much higher) and foreigners are regularly targeted, as they generally command a higher ransom. We believe Colombia is an unsuitable destination for the average independent traveller and as such advise against travel to the country (and therefore do not provide information on it) on the grounds of safety.

Another reason we may choose to advise against travel is for political reasons. Burma for example, is a country ruled by an illegal military dictatorship, their record on Human Rights is one of the world’s worst and tourism is one of the primary ways that this corrupt government generates foreign exchange. Much of this income is then used by the military to allow it to better oppress its own people. The list of reported atrocities is a long and disturbing one.

In 1990 Burma held the first free and fair elections since the military regime came to power. By way of demonstrating exactly how out of touch the military regime was with the will of the people and reality in general, they believed that the fear they had instilled in the Burmese people would land them and overwhelming victory. As it turned out Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory with over 82% of all the votes cast. The military’s response was to place her under house arrest and either imprison torture or kill most of her party. Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest to this day in one of the most flagrant displays of Human Rights abuses that the world seems able to ignore. She has however made it abundantly clear that she feels it is not in Burma’s interest at this time to have tourists visiting the country and providing the dictators with funds to further oppress her people.

A snapshot of the worst atrocities committed by the brutal military regime reads like one of history’s horror stories from hundreds of years ago, but it is happening today :

Widespread use of forced labour. Over 1 million people forcibly moved from their homes, At least 1100 political prisoners (many of whom are routinely tortured), an army of over 500,000 soldiers (The UK has just over 100,000) of whom 70,000 are child soldiers (more then any other country in the world), rape as a weapon of war against ethnic women and children, nearly half the government budget spent on the military and only 19p per citizen, per year, on health and one in ten babies die before their 5th birthday. (Source The Burma Campaign)

Burma used to be one of the richest countries in the region providing exports it now has to import.

However there are other pressure groups that disagree with this advice. Beyond The Blue believes that it is the right of every individual to choose if going to Burma is the right or wrong thing to do. We also believe that the will of the only democratically elected leader of Burma is one that represents the views of the Burmese people. We would never seek to dictate people’s choice of destination and our workshop would be very useful to anyone travelling to Burma, but by way of showing our support for the people of Burma, Beyond The Blue will not provide specific information on this country. We ask anyone planning a trip to Burma to research their trip carefully. The first step of this research should be www.burmacampaign.org.uk.



Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Bus trip goes global to Australia

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Title – Bus trip goes global to Australia
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 15th September 2007

It seems that travel has gone full circle. 30 years ago flights to Australia were only for the elite and anyone else would have to consider the arduous journey by boat, either as a paying customers or working their passage. In 2007 flights to Australia leave several times each day from many airports in the UK and are accessible to the masses and anyone willing to work hard and save can afford to go, but as flying is now 'normal' the adventurous travellers are looking for alternatives and this bus journey is just one of those. In an age where people are joining rallies to Mongolia armed only with a car worth less then £1000 for charity fundraisers and busses are crossing vast continents stopping along the way to explore the fascinating, often undiscovered countries, travellers now have the more options then ever and there is a choice to fit every need.

But whether you fly, drive, sail, go alone or in a group, many of the essentials of travel remain the same. The dangers may vary, but they always remain a constant potential threat.

At Beyond The Blue we understand the wide variety of obstacles and dangers that travellers face along the way and our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop addresses many of these providing candidates with an insight into the problems they may face and the solutions to allow them to travel in confidence with the knowledge they have gained.

On a trip like this bus journey, travellers will pass through countries and cultures as varied as the most populous Muslim country in the world in Indonesia and the devote Buddhist country of Nepal. Both require a very different approach not just in the cultural and religious aspects of their respective peoples, but in many other areas as well; dealing with altitude sickness in Nepal and the malaria risk in Indonesia; the extreme heat of Java and the cold nights in Kathmandu. All these considerations and much more are covered during our course as well as vital personal safety techniques.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

I was abandoned as soon as I landed

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Title – I was abandoned as soon as I landed
Source – The Times
Date – 14th August 2007

This is an all too common story, you pay all your money up front and once you set off the company you booked through are more concerned about where their next booking is coming from, rather then your plight on the other side of the world and you end up so far out of your comfort zone you can’t even remember what life back home was like.

The projects themselves are often badly researched, inappropriate, misjudged or wholly unnecessary, in the worst scenarios, gap-year volunteers actually hinder local communities rather then provide any form of assistance. We have heard stories of people turning up to their placements to be greeted by blank looks from local staff asking themselves who this strange westerner is who has just offered their services. Following a quick call to the local contact, it is revealed that no one from the company has ever visited the project, but had heard third hand from others that they were looking for English teachers.

We regularly hear stories like Sarah’s, they don’t all end happily, many students buckle under the pressure they have simply not been prepared for and leave for home soon after they arrive but many, like Sarah, realise their potential and struggle through making the projects all the more fulfilling for them. Happy endings are common but so are the failures, but if you are promised the support then you deserve to get it, even if with hindsight you did manage on your own, what justifies the £3000 you paid?

We saw the advice booklet from one such company that students are supplied with to 'prepare' them for travel, it contained some useful information which anyone could have gleaned from the FCO website and then among the safety advice was the useful hint “when in a busy train station, do not take large quantities of cash out of your wallet and have it on public display or it might be stolen by someone rushing past you”. It was accompanied by a representation of a man in a busy station holding his cash like a hand of cards and a second drawing of him without the cash looking glum and a local running off in the background…. Do you feel ready to travel now?

People should not feel bad about taking a gap-year for fun or not having a fixed project when they arrive at their destination, often they can have equally great experiences or work at their destination without having to pay a lump sum to someone else to organise it. The thousands of pounds you save can prove very useful to you on your travels or to people you meet along the way. The old adage “don’t give a hungry person a fish, give them a net to allow them to fish” still stands. The key if you do go on an organised gap-year volunteering programme is to research the company and the project they are sending you on and don’t rely on their flashy marketing. Look behind the gloss and get them to commit to exactly what they will provide. If they fail in their commitment ask for a refund or write to trading standards and demand they meet the same standards any other commercial company has to. Remember that although many of them act like charities, very few actually are!

Much of the appeal of these gap-year companies is the support they offer, but there are other ways of getting that confidence to set out. At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with knowledge and skills to travel independently with confidence and to prepare for your travels adequately considering your destination. We offer you the support you need before you leave home so that you can learn some of the essential skills required as well as being mentally prepared for what you are about to encounter when you arrive.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Gap-year students told to forget aid projects

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Title – Gap-year students told to forget aid projects
Source – The Times
Date – 14th August 2007

There are undoubtedly many gap-year students that partake in gap-year volunteering projects that do benefit local communities as well as giving the students themselves an experience that will potentially change their outlook on life and potentially their career options and opportunities. But as this article and VSO suggest there are many stories of students paying large sums of money for very little in return and what exactly are they paying for?

Figures of students paying £1500-3000 to companies to facilitating gap-year volunteering programmes are common, but these often don’t cover flights and provide individuals with accommodation in 'local' lodgings or with families. This experience of living in very basic accommodation can be a great learning curve; it makes students experience for a short while what locals experience for a lifetime and gives them a grounding to work alongside local people. But this type of accommodation is also generally very cheap to provide and often costs as little as £25 – 50 a month when booked by an individual, not to mention the discounts a company would get booking in bulk.

Then you will be promised an in-country support network; but often this is no more then someone on the end of a telephone sometimes many many miles away in a different part of the country. The qualifications they have to be your support often varies significantly; sometimes they are no more then someone who has done a programme the previous year and who returns at a discount if they go back as the local contact. We have even come across situations where companies make gap-year volunteers who have been in-country for just 6 weeks the in-country contact.

There are endless stories and it’s not all bad, thousands of gap-year volunteers go out each year and work hard to do their little bit to make things better and many return home reinvigorated and enthused by what they have achieved and what they have learned from their hosts. Many of the communities they visit benefit not just from a wall they may have built, or a fence they have fixed, but by the experience of sharing their way of life and learning a bit about ours.

People should not feel bad about taking a gap-year for fun or not having a fixed project when they arrive at their destination, often they can have equally great experiences or work at their destination without having to pay a lump sum to someone else to organise it. The thousands of pounds you save can prove very useful to you on your travels or to people you meet along the way. The old adage “don’t give a hungry person a fish, give them a net to allow them to fish” still stands. The key if you do go on an organised gap-year volunteering programme is to research the company and the project they are sending you on and don’t rely on their flashy marketing. Look behind the gloss and get them to commit to exactly what they will provide. If they fail in their commitment ask for a refund or write to trading standards and demand they meet the same standards any other commercial company has to. Remember that although many of them act like charities, very few actually are!

Much of the appeal of these gap-year companies is the support they offer, but there are other ways of getting that confidence to set out. At Beyond The Blue our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides candidates with knowledge and skills to travel independently with confidence and to prepare for your travels adequately considering your destination. We offer you the support you need before you leave home so that you can learn some of the essential skills required as well as being mentally prepared for what you are about to encounter when you arrive.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Holidays from hell

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Title – Holidays from hell
Source – The Guardian
Date – 3rd August 2007

How many times do we see headlines like this? Newspapers, magazines and the plethora of TV programmes entitled; “The worst ever …” or “The worlds most dangerous…”. It’s a wonder we ever choose to leave our own shores.

There are undoubtedly dangers of varying degrees out there for even the average traveller let alone the intrepid traveller. This article highlights some of these with statistics such as the five most dangerous destinations: 1. Thailand – 224 Deaths; 2. Australia: 59 Deaths; 3. India: 111 Deaths; 4. Czech Republic: 16 Deaths, 1 Rape, 445 lost passports, 52 Hospitalisations; 5. Greece 139 Deaths, 955 Hospitalisations, 48 Rapes. Rape is also a higher risk in; Spain: 41 Rapes; Turkey: 38 Rapes.

But statistics must always be put into context, of the 224 deaths in Thailand, the vast majority were from natural causes and involved elderly visitors and ex-pats. But there are a significant number of serious incidents the ruin holidays, result in serious injury or loss of valuables that are wholly avoidable.

Many of these destinations are actually no more dangerous then being in London, the difference is that we have grown up aware of the dangers we face in our everyday lives at home and we have taught our children to be aware of them. However the same rules don’t apply equally across the world and too many people try to use what is acceptable behaviour in their own country to resolve problems in countries where such behaviour or actions may actually make the situation worse.

Our two day Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety and Awareness workshop provides those attending with an insight into the culture and traditions of the countries they intend to visit. With conflict management and resolution skills to avoid potentially dangerous situations in the first place and personal safety techniques designed to allow individuals to remove themselves physically from dangerous situations when they get out of hand, candidates can set off on their travels with renewed confidence gained through the skills they learn. We also offer practical advice on how to remain safe both from people, disease, accidents and the elements.


Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com