The post Accommodation Namibia Wildlife Conservation Programme appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>We have two options of accommodation; volunteer rooms with up to three people (same gender) sharing each room, or large tents with a living and bedroom area to be shared by two volunteers (same gender or a couple).
The rooms are basic but our single beds are comfortable with bedding provided (duvets and pillows). Showers and toilet facilities are communal and hot water is supplied by solar energy therefore sometimes restricted. Electricity is freely available, however please be aware that sometimes it has been known to cut off during storms. Power sockets for electrical items are available in communal areas.
Three meals are provided on a help yourself basis – Breakfast includes toast and cereal; Lunch includes pasta, wraps, burgers or stir fry; and Evening Dinners include meat, fish and vegetables with rice, potatoes and pasta. On weekends we often have a braai (barbecue). Tea and coffee are freely available throughout the day and other drinks (soft and alcoholic) and snacks can be bought on the farm. Please advise us of any special dietary requirements prior to arrival at the project, including vegetarianism, allergies etc.
Facilities:
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]]>The post Review Namibia Wildlife programme appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>“From half December 2012 till half January 2013 I was in Namibia Is was really great and they do a great thing there. You really get involved in the daily care of the wild animals. There are a lot of leopards, lions, cheetahs, monkeys and some other tame and wild animals even zebra’s and giraffes.
You prepare the meat or food for them and then you feed them. With the monkeys and caracals you take a walk. You can even walk with cheetahs. The lions, leopards and cheetahs you feed by throwing the meat to them. Most of the time they pick it out of the air before it even reach the ground.
I did travel with Xtreme Gap and that is the best you can do because they organised everything very well for you. The information you get from Xtreme Gap before you leave is up to date and good.
At the wildlife camp I slept in a tent in the wilderness and in the beginning it was a little bit scary because of the wild animals at night and the sound of the roar lions. You meet a lot of new people from all over the world. There are young and older people and the food is good.
There is a swimming pool and a bar and a little shop to buy some things. The pick up from and to the airport is also well organised. I had a really great experience and I will go back some day.
Hope to see you then.
Greetings,
Renske from Holland.”
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]]>The post Sesriem Canyon appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>During the overland truck tours, you will visit the canyon and explore the interesting rock formations and surreal landscape. It is like stepping into another world!
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]]>The post Himba Tribe Visit appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>The Himba are descendents of the Herero people and still speak a dialect of the old Herero language. There are about 20 000 – 50 000 Himba people living in the Kunene region, where they have recently built two villages at Kamanjab. The Himba are semi-nomadic pastoralists who breed cattle and goats in this dry, rugged, and mountainous area. They are some of the most photographed people in the world, due to their striking style of dress and their traditional lifestyle. Their appearance is characterised by scanty goat-skin clothing, and they are heavily adorned with jewellery of shells, copper and iron, according to the tribal hierarchy. The distinctive red colour of their skin and hair is a mixture of butter, ash and ochre (otjize) which protects them from the harsh desert climate.
Typically the women take care of the children, do the milking and other work, whilst men take care of the political tasks. The villages are made up of family homesteads – huts built around a central fire and livestock enclosure. Both the livestock and fire are pivotal to the Himba belief in ancestor worship, the fire representing ancestral protection of the living community.
Situated about 20 km outside of town, a guided tour around the village will not only give you an in-depth insight into the life and ways of the last traditional tribe in Namibia, the Ova-Himba, but an amazing photographic opportunity as well. You will find out about the milking ceremony, the smoke bath, be informed on the beliefs around the holy fire, ancestors and herbal medicine. You will also learn about the jewelry and hairstyles to imitate the status of each tribe member and their close relationship with nature, their cattle and children. The income generated from these excursions, helps to sustain the tribe from day to day, buying food and supplies, medicine (if necessary) and taking care of the children. Please take note that the village is not for show or a human zoo, you will be allowed inside these amazing peoples’ home and have a cultural exchange. Please respect their lives and ways as they would respect yours and in this way help preserve their culture and traditions.
If you wish to book this activity as you go the cost is approximately 300zar
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]]>The post Guided Desert Walk appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>It has less than 10 mm of rain annually and is almost completely barren, characterized by dramatic red dunes with sharp ridges, some of which tower 3 000 m in the air, the highest in the world. A section of the central Namib Desert incorporates The Namib-Naukluft Park, one of the largest national parks in Africa, as well as the Naukluft Mountains. Despite the harsh conditions, a variety of plant and animal life can be found in the desert. There are some unusual species of plants and animals that are found only in this desert.
You might think that such an inhospitable place would be off limits for Xtreme Gappers, but not if you know the right people. Included in the activity pack is a guided dessert walk, to check out this incredible place.
See all Xtreme Gap Overland Truck Tours
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]]>The post Free Travel Guides! appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>We are constantly publishing new guides so you can subscribe to the library to get notifications of when new ones are released, might give you something to look forward to when you are back off your travels!
If you would like us to write a guide on one of our destinations or activity then let us know through the face book comments system below.
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We have guides on traveling to Oz, Guides on Kilimanjaro, Guides on staying safe and how to best prepare for your travels. This is not the kind of watered down crap you find in the lonely planet.
We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. Oh you will need flash to view the guides too. Sorry Ipad people.
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]]>The post New Xtreme Gap Brochure for 2013 appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>The last year has been pretty busy for the Xtreme Gap team researching even more incredible places to go and finding even more special activities for you to do.
Really exciting experiences that you just can´t do at home. Travel that is not only benefits you personally but gives you something seriously cool to write home about.
The brochure is interactive, giving you links to videos, galleries and reviews so you can get inspired about ways to escape the doom and gloom of the News and dreary weather at home. There is another way people (and it starts by clicking the brochure link below).
Have a happy and adrenaline fuelled adventure!
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]]>The post Planning a round the world trip – getting started appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>I love travel and all the exciting things that go with it, and have assisted many people in planning the ultimate round the world trip-
By way of introduction, my name is Oliver Bray and I am one of the founders of Xtreme Gap Year, I take a very hands on approach with our customers and their travel plans (if needed!)
I have been on a lot trips in the past (68 countries and counting so far!) and pretty much been to every continent (well not the 2 poles) with work and for pleasure, so I do have some experience in round the world trips, and all that goes along with it.
Many people really don´t know where to start when it comes to planning a huge trip, understandably so, as there is so much to see and do, so I have created a series of newsletters that can help give you some guidance when it come to planning your round the world trip.
If you are planning on that once in a life time exodus, then check out our round the world section. Customisable itineraries taylor made for you, vetted and researched by us. Sign up on this form and we will send you information on planning your trip Including:
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Firstly some things to think about! Planning a trip is a pretty exciting experience, all the place you can go and all the cool things you can see. The people you will meet on the way from all over the world, and the totally amazing adventures out there that await you, but like many you may be wondering where to start.
Most people have an idea of roughly where they want to go before they set off, knowing certainly helps because it enables you to research flights a lot easier, and once you have a route in mind you can get to the really fun stuff. However if you don´t know, start with an Atlas or Google Earth (there is a google earth plugin on the home page of our site – check out the big map). Think about places you have seen on the TV that are of interest and ask your mates where they would recommend!
Your personal budget will make a difference as to where you can go, Africa and Asia is a lot cheaper than Australia and New Zealand, but they all are a very different travel experience. So think about what you want to get out of the trip!
If you want more of a cultural experience head to Africa, Asia or South America, if however you want more of a party and action sports scene, check out Australia and New Zealand and the USA. Just remember the golden rule! Don´t be too greedy! You might have limited time away and spreading yourself too thin can lead to too much travel – sometimes it is best to enjoy somewhere for a while!
Sometimes you can combine both quite easily, like Asia and Australia and New Zealand, other time you will find it is a lot more expensive to add on certain continents to a round the world itinerary. In my experience South America always adds on a significant amount to flight prices so consider where you would really like to go carefully and weigh up the pro´s and Cons. Don´t get me wrong South America is a truly amazing place, but probably worth exploring on its own trip, rather than bolting it onto a round the world trip for instance, especially if you have limited time or funds.
Here is a check list, write it down on a piece of paper, buy a little notebook to scribble down your ideas and do your budgeting, or if you are really nerdy sign up to google documents and start planning your trip saving your stuff online (handy to access anywhere on your travels).
Firstly When can you go? So you may just want to drop it all and head off tomorrow, great if you can, but if you are unsure it helps to set a date! Plan you departure on the flight prices and weather (seasons) at your intended destinations. The most popular time to set of on a round the world trip from the UK is After January 21st. Why? The weather is miserable in the UK and the flight prices have decreased after the Christmas holidays.
Remember if you are heading to the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, and if you are heading somewhere Equatorial, to watch out for Monsoon seasons.
Secondly how much realistically can you save? Money is the life blood of travel, the more you have the more you can do, so work out what you can save, and cut costs like there is no tomorrow. £10 goes a long way in Asia! Once you work out how much you can save this gives you an idea of your total budget and what will be realistic. Remember you will always spend more that you think, so double your estimate. May seem like a lot, but it is pretty realistic.
So there you go, and action plan to get you started, with plenty to think about. If you want lots of further tips and hints sign up to this newsletter it contains lots of advice on finding good flights and travel insurance then its on to the fun stuff, some kick ass ideas for your trip…on that note be sure to join our facebook group for access to photo galleries, videos and ideas for travel options!
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]]>The post Fish River Canyon Namibia appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>It features a gigantic ravine, in total about 100 miles (160 km) long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 metres deep.
The fish river canyon along with many other attractions in Namibia, tend to make you feel very small indeed, just because the huge scale of the place is truly awe inspiring.
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]]>The post Sossusvlei in Namibia appeared first on Xtreme Gap Year Blog.
]]>If you are fit enough, you might attempt to climb it as well. Now climbing in sand in one of the worlds oldest deserts, in 45 degrees heat is not an easy task, but the reward is worth it. How many of your mates can claim to have stood ontop of an epic sand dune with nothing but desert around and proclaimed themselves king of the hill?
Not your average weekend down them pub then. The Sossisvlei is located in Namibia and is a stop off on many of our overland Truck Tours.
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