Africa has the size, diversity and beauty to be the perfect gap year destination. With a year in which to explore it's worth going the extra mile to find somewhere that will hold your attention and from the most colourful cities on the planet to the headline grabbing wildlife, Africa won't let you down. The only regret you'll have is that there aren't more days in a year or more film in your camera!
If you've got a lot of time on your hands why not use it wisely and explore the world's least discovered continent. Increasing modernisation makes it accessible enough without taming its wild spirit. Plan your trip well and you can visit some of the best countries in the world at a fraction of the cost of the other more famous tourist havens. We've designed our own Gapometer with which to judge Africa as a gap year destination.
***** Gaptastic
**** Great for gappers
*** Worth a look
** Too much else to see
* Never mind the Gap
Volunteering
There can scarcely be a better use of your gap year than to volunteer abroad in Africa. The problems of this continent are so well known they've passed into cliche, but still they remain. The legacies of past humanitarian crises as well as the attempt to prevent new ones means you can make a real difference here. In 2006, 34 of the 50 nations on the UN list of least developed countries were in Africa. You can take your pick of projects in areas such as community work, wildlife protection and teaching or even link up more than one.
The WWF has listed 4 locations in Africa amongst their list of 19 priority places, demonstrating that it's not just the people here who face critical times ahead. Africa's wildlife may grab the headlines but if you read the small print you'll see that it's the people that have the biggest effect on travellers here. Unsurprisingly there are a huge range of community projects from which to choose and travelling between them is cheap enough that you can easily link two together.
**** Projects here are challenging but rewarding
Travelling around
Spending a year somewhere means you'll want to travel around and Africa offers plenty to enjoy, from jungles, game parks and beaches to a vast cultural heritage. The sights are only as good as the transport system though because nothing looks good from a crowded bus! Getting around Africa varies dramatically depending on the country you're in; the richer the country the better you can expect the infrastructure to be. Public transport and crossing borders can be a source of frustration here as good, cheap transport is not as common as in Asia and officials sometimes expect bribes. Air passes that allow you to make multiple internal flights can be a time, stress and money-saving option. The situation is always improving though and for the determined, travel here is extremely rewarding.
*** By no means easy, but the best travelling never is
Cost
On a long trip it's important to keep track of your budget, even in a famously cheap continent like Africa. If you become too free and easy you'll get a shock when you turn up in places like South Africa and find European prices to contend with. Apart from the few glitzy exceptions a modest budget will suffice and allow you to see plenty without running up a huge bill.
Africa has its share of glamorous restaurants and hotels but the best travelling is done on a shoestring, so head for the markets and the budget hostels. Around the shops you can take advantage of a friendly exchange rate that will have your friends beaming at their souvenirs. For those who plan to travel after a volunteer project, try and make it back to your original arrival destination; one return ticket is usually cheaper than two singles.
***** On the whole the cheapest continent in which to travel
The wow factor
Africa not only has the wow factor but the wild factor too. There are very few beaten tracks to get off here and the whole trip will be an adventure. Africa is not the easiest place in which to travel but it may well be the most rewarding. Luckily practice makes perfect and we're sure you'll be coming back again and again to polish your skills.
***** You won't find anywhere else like it
This famous city is the capital of Rajasthan and has earned universal renown as the "Pink City", and pink it is, with beautiful constructed palaces, havelis and forts. Tall, rugged men with handle-bar whiskers sport bright pink turbans. Jaipur which means the city of victory was built exactly 273 years back and is 262 km by road from Delhi (Capital of India). A strong wall encircles the old city and even today has a suggestion of formidable strength, its function of protecting all within is obvious.
There is a feast in store for tourists. Attractive monuments where one can breathe the fragrance of history. Comfortable and luxurious hotels, once the proud of kings, parks, gardens, and excursions of nearby places of interest, make Jaipur a tourist's paradise.
Architecture: A young Bengali architect, Vidyadhar Bhattacharya formalized the city’s plans in a grid system. The wide straight avenues. Roads, streets, lanes and uniform rows of shops on either side of main bazaars were arranged in nine rectangular city sectors, in accordance with the principles of town planning set down in the ‘Shilpa Shastra’- and epochal treatise on the Hindu architecture.
Tourism Places:
Nahagarh Fort Nahagarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the pink city of Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The view of the city from the fort is breath taking. Along with Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort it formed a strong defence ring for the city. During the Sepoy revolt of 1857, Nahagarh served as a refuge for Europeans fleeing from the havoc created by mutineers in neighboring states. The word Nahargarh means the abode of tigers. Legends say that it was name after Prince Nahar whose spirit haunted the place and obstructed construction of the fort.
Amber Palace The Amber Palace complex overlooking the artificial lake south of the town of Amber is one of the most popular tourist sites in the city, famous for its mixture of Hindu and Muslim architecture, and offering elephant rides from the town up to the palace courtyard. Although the structure is today known as Amber Fort, the complex was initially a Palace Complex within the Fort of Amber which is today known as Jaigarh fort.
Jaigarh Fort The Jaigarh Fort on the hills above the Amber Palace complex offers stunning views of the foothills of the Aravalli range, as well as attractions such as immense underground water-storage tanks, a medieval canon foundry and an impressive collection of medieval cannons including the Jaivana which is reputed to be the world's largest cannon on wheels.
Jantar Mantar The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1733. It is modelled after the one that he had built for him at the then Mughal capital of Delhi.
Galtaji Galtaji is an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site situated 10 km from Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan on Jaipur-Agra highway near Sisodia Rani Ka Bagh. It is believed that Saint Galav spent his life here and did meditation. The main temple here is temple of Galtaji in pink stone and has a huge complex. The temple has a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars and painted walls. The temple is surrounded by natural springs and reservoirs that are considered holy .There are seven tanks here and the Galta Kund is considered the holiest. A large number of people take a holy bath in these tanks especially on Makar Sankranti.
There is a timeless appeal to Jaipur’s colorful bazaars where one can shop for Rajasthani handlooms and trinkets. Beautifully laid out gardens and parks, attractive monuments and marvelous heritage hotels, once the residence of Maharaja’s are worth admiration. Not to mention the ambling camels and cheerful people in multi-hued costumes that makes your trip to the pink city a memorable one.
Both Catherine Luff & Vinay Choubey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Catherine Luff has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Travel and Leisure and Careers and Job Hunting. Catherine Luff ? I to I Gap Year Travel provide fulfilling and life-changing travel experiences. If you're looking for a unique travel experience working abroad, look no further! i-to-i's the perfect way to meet new people with our. Catherine Luff's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.
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