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Itinerary - Gap-Year-Teaching-Uganda - Africa and Asia Venture
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Itinerary - Gap-Year-Teaching-Uganda - Africa and Asia Venture
Itinerary
You will be seen off at Heathrow by one of the AV team and will fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, where your Kenya-based AV rep will meet you. You will then travel 65 kilometres by bus to Lake Naivasha (after a short stop at the AV office in Karen, Nairobi) for your Orientation and Safety Course. On the way you'll get your first view of the Great Rift Valley!
The Fish Eagle Inn is on the edge of Lake Naivasha. Colobus monkeys play in the trees and hippos wallow in the Lake. Acacia trees shade the spacious grounds and the hotel has a swimming pool. We will discuss the following topics during the course:
- History, customs and culture of Kenya and its people
- Safety, health and security
- Teaching techniques, lesson planning and practice
- Some language training in Kiswahili
- The education system in Kenya
You will have the chance to take a boat on Lake Naivasha to see hippos and fish eagles and walk with giraffes, zebra and antelope in a small game sanctuary.
After the course, you will take the early morning Royal Akamba luxury coach to Jinja, crossing the border at Busia, where you can change some money into Uganda shillings.
You will arrive in Jinja in the early evening and stay overnight at Nile High Campsite, overlooking the stunning rapids at Bujagali Falls. Shirray Knight, our representative, will meet you. She is a legend to all AVs!
Next day a private hire bus will take you to your school, where a member of staff will meet you and show you the ropes.
Your house will probably have 2 bedrooms, a sitting/cooking area and somewhere to wash. Most houses do not have running water (jerry cans, buckets and bowls solve that problem!) and there is usually a pit latrine (‘long drop') at the back. Nearly all houses have electricity, for those phones and i-pods, but be prepared for lots of long power cuts! No worries - you will soon be very much at home!
A large part of every weekday will be teaching in your schools, organising PE, sports, extra-curricular activities and socialising in the staff-room. There will be homework to set and marking to do as well.
You can teach in pairs or on your own. You should have at least 12 academic and PE/games lessons a week.
At weekends and on public holidays you will have the chance to get together with the other AVs in your group to relax together; perhaps paint a classroom or dormitory; travel to see other parts of Uganda; or do some of the exciting activities available at Bujagali Falls - whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, quad biking and horse riding. You will not be stuck for stuff to do!
Finally, your 3 months of project work will come to an end. It is likely you will already have tried the rafting and other joys that the Nile offers, so here are some other options to consider for your 3 weeks of independent group travel:
- A visit to gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (expensive but very special).
- The beautiful beaches of Kenya, Lamu, Tanzania or Zanzibar. Travel by Arab dhow, windsurf, swim, snorkel or scuba dive in the Indian Ocean or simply sunbathe by it.
- Climb a serious mountain - Mt Kenya or Mt Kilimanjaro. We can help organize both.
- Go on a camel trek in scenic Laikipia - again, we can help with bookings.
You will be given a date to meet up in Nairobi for your final 6-day/5night safari in an overland safari truck with Gametrackers, our local safari company. Your first destination will be Lake Nakuru National Park where you can see all types of game, less elephant. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a leopard. Then on to Samburu National Reserve for elephants, lions and much, much more! Samburu is not crowded with tourists and is real and remote African bush. By the end you should have seen the ‘Big Five'!
Your accommodation will be in 2 or 4-person, mosquito-proof tents. You will have an experienced guide with you at all times and 2 cooks to provide 3 great meals a day.
Returning from safari you will pass by the AV office, where you will collect your T-Shirt and any stored luggage. You will probably spend your last group evening at the famous Carnivore Restaurant - the biggest bar-b-que in the world!
If you are staying on a bit longer in Africa, don't worry because "Once an AV, always an AV!" We will store luggage for you and help you out if you run into any problems.
Don't underestimate the reverse culture shock of returning home - it is real and can be quite a surprise! But most AVs fall in love with Africa and come back again...and again! And, of course, our Nairobi staff are always delighted to welcome back old AVs.
