Browsing Month May, 2012

Many students take on gap year work before they plunge headlong into study, mainly to gain experiences, take on challenges that they wouldn’t normally face, and to discover places that they wouldn’t otherwise go to. However in addition to this, university fees are at an all time high so many would be students opt to start paying off their fees by working during their gap year so that it doesn’t become such a huge financial burden when they graduate. There are some great gap year opportunities available so what are some of the best places to visit.

Cuba

There are several ways to see Cuba, the first being through the tinted windows of an air conditioned bus leading you to your all inclusive resort. Or the second way and definitely the more interesting is to set up your own itinerary. Stay in cheap apartments or casa’s particulares and explore the real Cuba. You can choose a multi centre or twin centre tours in Cuba, depending on how many places to you want to see and explore. There are also companies that organise conversational English teaching and you will get paid a small fee in return for giving lessons to Cubans who want or need to learn English. You might also be able to find volunteer programs which help the local communities. Once here you can explore everything that this beautiful but time locked island has to offer.

South America

This is one continent that many gap year students would long to go, but flights are nearly twice as much as south east Asia. So if you have your heart set on South America then the cheapest country to fly into is Venezuela (Caracas). However this can prove to be false economy because once there, Venezuela is fairly pricey. Instead it is recommended to pay the extra costs, generally £100-£200 and fly into Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). From here it’s easier to get to places such as Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. If you travel during low season (September and October) prices are cheaper. It may also pay to purchase an open ended ticket, so although you fly into Brazil, your return flight might be from La Paz, Bolivia with the same airline.

South East Asia

Reasonably priced flights and a great exchange rate make this part of the world a top destination for taking a gap year. First time travellers may want to stick to the well trodden gap year route of  Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. However for those seeking a little more adventure why not try Malaysia, Borneo and Burma. Fly into Kuala Lumpur and when you have had enough of the sights and sounds that this city has to offer, then you can grab a flight to Borneo for as little as £30.00. Why not try helping out at the orang-utan sanctuary.

Inter-railing

You don’t have to travel thousands of miles to explore fairly uncharted waters. Why not spend a month backpacking in Albania. Grab an inter-trail ticket for around £155.00 per month and take a ride to Montenegro. Then take a simple bus ride or taxi ride over the border into Albania. Maybe spend a few days in the capital Tirana, then how about heading out north to the mountains where you can experience wild boar, wolves and lynx. Finally head south where they have some of the best beaches in Europe. These have escaped the tourist trail and are often known to a few intrepid backpackers and the locals. If you’re into thrill seeking, then go white water rafting in Osumi Canyon. In general the tourist infrastructure is pretty shaky at best, but that’s what makes it an adventure. Find some good travel insurance for inter-railing and hit the road!

Pennsylvania, most notably its Lancaster County, has been the home of the Amish people for more than 300 years. This community’s beliefs and lifestyle are based on an unerring interpretation of the Bible and the Amish Ordnung, a set of unwritten rules that instruct the particular orders how to dress and deal with the outside world.

Their lifestyle is one of modesty, decency and simplicity, values that many Americans are lacking. Experience the Amish lifestyle by exploring Lancaster County and Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Visiting Lancaster County

Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, Lancaster County its home to over 25 different Mennonite, Brethren and Amish communities, each living by its own interpretation of the Bible. For a quick tour of the county, drive along Route 30 to experience several Amish shops, restaurants and farms. When you have time to explore the communities in length, travel off the beaten track, particularly between the towns of Bowmansville and Adamstown in the north and Paradise and Strasburg in the south. This is truly the best spot to witness the uniquely Amish lifestyle. Support these small communities by purchasing an Amish quilt or enjoying their delectable baked goods, fruits and vegetables at a large restaurant or road side stand.

Touring an Amish Farm

The center of several Amish communities is the family-run farms. Many of these establishments have been passed down for centuries and were amongst the first homesteads created during the first large Amish migration to Lancaster County in 1730. Many of the farms offer guided tours and allow you to interact with and care for the livestock, including milking a cow without electricity and observing how the family thrives off the land. If possible, step inside the family’s home itself to enjoy a fresh cup of milk and speak to the community leaders. If you’re not looking for a hands-on experience, look for a tour that allows you to tour the community school house or simply ride in a horse-drawn buggy through the countryside.

Purchasing Amish Goods

Prepare yourself for an exceptional, and truly delicious, culinary experience when you visit Pennsylvania Amish country. Several of Lancaster County’s small towns and Amish communities are filled with quaint shops and roadside attractions that feature Amish made goods, including the famous Amish quilts. Look for a museum or shop that holds classes run by the Amish craftswomen that teach the techniques passed down through several generations. Amish mud sales, which are named after the thawing ground on which they’re held, occur throughout the year in Lancaster County. Thousands of Amish community members and tourists flock to the consignment sales and auctions to purchase quilts, crafts, furniture, antiques, tools, buggies, hay, straw and food. Arrive early, as these sales generally start at 8:30 a.m. and last throughout the day.

Amusement Parks and Outdoor Activities

If you’re ready to enjoy a few modern distractions, visit the several amusement parks and outdoor activities founds in and around Lancaster County. Dutch Wonderland, otherwise known as the “Kingdom for Kids” and features over 30 rides, Duke’s Lagoon (a water park named for a fictional purple dragon), and a variety of games and shows all geared toward children.

Consider finding yourself a hotel in Hershey PA and spend a day or two exploring Chocolate Town, otherwise known as Hershey. The home of Hershey’s Chocolate World, Hotel Hershey and Hersheypark; this little piece of paradise is a chocolate lover’s dream and a way to indulge in the decadent, before gulping down some much needed antacids back at the hotel.

Etiquette

While visiting any Amish community or patronizing any of their shops, restaurants and farms, it’s crucial to be respectful of their religious and lifestyle choices by following a few rules. Here are a few dos and don’ts to remember while you visit Lancaster County and its families:

• Never stare, glare or act in a disrespectful manner amongst the Amish, especially in their homes or businesses.
• Watch out for Amish buggies on the road, especially at night. Give the horse-drawn carriages the right of way and avoid blowing your horn, as this can frighten the horses.
• Ask for permission before entering a home, farm or private property.
• Never take a photo or video of the Amish, as they consider posing for a picture an act of pride or vanity. You can ask, but don’t be surprised if you’re turned down. To capture the experience, photograph or videotape the landscape, animals and not the people.

When interacting with the community members, remember they’re living a simple life and not to be mocked or treated as exhibits in a museum or zoo. If you have questions, ask a shopkeeper or your tour guide and never approach the Amish, especially if they’re not speaking with other members of the non-Amish community.

This article was written by Charles Watkins who recently booked a Weekend stay at a hotel in Harrisburg PA and spent his time exploring the heart of Amish country.

Many of the buildings and structures built by the Romans still stand proudly in the city of Rome today. From its foundation in 500 BCE, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent in 116 CE during the rule of Trajan. It stretched from Britain, France and Spain in the west to Asia Minor, Armenia and Mesopotamia in the east. In between, it covered half of Europe and a swathe of North Africa.

Roman ruins dot this entire region from Hadrian’s Wall in Britain to the city of Palmyra in Syria. But the best selection of Roman ruins lies in Italy in general and Rome itself in particular. If you want to see the best of what Rome has to offer during your holiday in Italy, see our guide to some of the most spectacular Roman ruins of Italy.

Start your exploration at the Colosseum. This huge amphitheatre rests almost like a traffic island in modern downtown Rome. It was the setting for gladiator battles and cruel sports featuring human beings and animals. The ground floor cells where gladiators waited for their turn in the arena are visible from the buildings outside.

Cross the street to the Constantine Arch, a triumphal structure between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill (one of Rome’s seven hills) that is the entrance to the Forum. This is the hill where the legendary she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, Rome’s traditional twin founders.

The Forum was the heart of the Roman Empire. Stroll along the Via Sacra, the Forum’s main street that leads to the temples of Venus and Rome and the House of the Vestal Virgins.

Pass by the Curia where Roman senators would meet and the Rostra where Mark Anthony made his famous “Friends, Romans and Countrymen” speech after the assassination of Julius Caesar. See the surviving eight columns of the Temple of Saturn as you walk through the arches of Titus and Septimus Severus towards the Capitoline Hill. Today’s Piazza Campidoglio, this was the religious centre of Rome.

Start again at the Constantine Arch and walk away from the Forum towards Circus Maximus. Built between the Palatine and Aventine Hills, this was the site of a chariot-racing stadium and has been the model for circuses and race tracks ever since.

Cross over a busy road and walk towards the Baths of Caracalla on the Celian Hill. Flanked by 12-metre high granite walls and gateways, this complex was the original leisure centre with libraries, gardens and art galleries as well as baths.

Ostia Antica on the coast was Rome’s port town at the height of its empire. It was built at the point where the River Tiber flowed into the Tyrrhenian Sea. It declined as a port as Rome declined but its ruins remain.

The Appian Way was one of the most important roads in the Roman Empire linking Rome with Brindisi in Apulia. It began from the Circus Maximus and the Baths of Caracalla and continued through Rome’s wealthy district towards the south.

This is the site of ancient tombs where Roman families buried their dead beyond the city walls. Christians buried their dead in the catacombs underground during the times they were persecuted.

Pompeii lies 190 kilometres south of Rome near Naples. This thriving city, set in the rich countryside of Campania, was buried under three metres of volcanic ash when Vesuvius erupted in 79 BCE. Pompeii was rediscovered in the 16th century.

Walk through the city streets where the marks of cartwheels are visible in the cobblestones, past modest houses, shops and even brothels to the more sumptuous palaces of the city’s richer residents.

Inscriptions outside homes range from graffiti and caricatures of residents or powerful people to warnings such as “cave canum” or “beware of the dog”. Wall paintings in Pompeii are probably the best record of Roman painting anywhere.

Herculaneum is the other city around the Bay of Naples that was buried by the Vesuvius eruption. This city was buried under 20 metres of volcanic material in an eruption that followed the one that destroyed Pompeii.

Herculaneum was a popular holiday resort for wealthy Romans. There are marble bath houses decorated with mosaics on the floor and frescoes on the walls. The ancient city has suffered from flooding and earthquakes in modern times. Much of it remains buried.

Post written by TravelSupermarket, where you can compare cheap flights to Rome.