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Want to travel, but a little short on money? Take a look at this issue of bridging the gap to uncover some of the secrets to getting a discount from G.A.P Adventures!
Plus, our latest contest is online. It involves a lost friend of ours whose world was tipped upside-down when he found himself in the Arctic.
We also have a couple wet stories to enjoy, as we look back at the
"discovery" of Victoria Falls 150 years ago.
Red Hunt, Editor, bridging the gap
Victoria Falls - 150 years after Livingstone
This coming week marks the 150th anniversary of the discovery of Victoria Falls. On November 16, 1855 David Livingstone and his companions were the first foreigners to set their sights on what the locals call Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "the Smoke that Thunders".
Here we are, five generations after that discovery by Dr. Livingstone and Victoria Falls is now one of the most famous and top ranked waterfalls in the world. A popular starting point for many modern-day safari adventurers (check out our Vic Falls to Nairobi trip), this famous waterfall is now much more than just a source of life to those that live along the Zambezi river.
David Livingstone spent some 30 years travelling in Africa, accomplishing many firsts and learning a variety of African languages along the way. When you tally up his travels, he covered over 29,000 miles in Africa. His efforts over those 30 years added over 1 million square miles of charted territory to the world map.
So what was Victoria Falls like before the modern day adventure activities of bungee jumps, white-water rafting and boogie boarding? You can read his first-hand account here, or for a more comprehensive chronicle of his explorations, find a copy of the readily available Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.
The new adrenaline pumping activities at Victoria Falls are still second to the site itself. Hearing the roar of the falls, seeing the dense mist and white "smoke" that gives the falls its original name is still, as David Livingston put it "a scene so lovely it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." Anything else is just an added bonus to one of the world's most alluring destinations.
Want to check out Victoria Falls yourself? Below are a few of our trips that visit Mosi-oa-Tunya:
Vic Falls to Nairobi
Botswana & Falls Adventure
Delta and Falls Experience
Delta and Falls Explorer
Dunes, Deltas & Falls Explorer
Cape Town to Nairobi
WIN an Arctic Expedition!
The Arctic tundra, home to the Inuit culture, and unique wildlife such as polar
bears, narwhales, musk ox and walrus. So how is it we lost a penguin
in the Arctic?? Well, it seems in the course of its travels, our
expedition ship the M/S Explorer picked up a surprise passenger.
"Gentoo", a penguin stowaway, recently escaped in the Arctic before
we could return him to his southern home in Antarctica.
If you can find Gentoo on our website and help us get him home you will be entered for a chance to win a 10-day Arctic Expedition! For complete details and a clue of where to look, go to www.gapadventures.com/contests/penguin
Good luck!
Where in the World?
We had tons of guesses last issue, it would seem that Egypt and Peru are popular travel destinations for our readers. Laurien Polder from The Hague in The Netherlands was the first one to guess both images correctly.
Congratulations Laurien, for guessing that the photos in the last edition of bridging the gap were of the Temple of Hathor in Abu Simbel, Egypt and the 12-sided Inca stone found in Cuzco, Peru.
For your chance to win a G.A.P discount voucher and a "Latin Lounge" Putumayo CD, guess where these two shots were taken. Don’t forget to include your mailing address along with your submission, or you won’t get your prizes!
Pinching Pennies? Discounted Trips Tips
Everyone likes a deal and there is more than one way to get a discount from G.A.P Adventures! The best option is always our "last-minute" trips featured in every newsletter. But if you are looking to plan something in advance, there are still plenty of options available. It might even be possible to travel for FREE!
Multi-trip Discount
So you have saved up your time and money, and are ready for some adventures. Not just one, but a bunch. Anyone that books 3 or more G.A.P Adventures trips at once qualifies for 5% off each of those trips!
Evaluation Forms - 5% off
Have you recently been on a G.A.P Adventure? Tell us about your trip, your tour leader and your experience. If you do so, then you can get 5% off your next trip! Head to www.gapadventures.com/evaluations to fill out your trip evaluation form if you haven't done so already.
Media and Travel Writers
We are frequently asked about trip discounts for travel media. Basically, if you are a writer that can offer us some great exposure to people interested in adventure travel, then a discount is likely in order for you. Any guaranteed editorial may qualify for a discounted trip, and each opportunity is reviewed on an individual basis. For complete details and to send samples of work, contact us.
Travel Agents
For our readers that are in the travel industry, each year we offer a selection of special FAM trips and other agent incentives that can lead to free or discounted travel. If you are not already on our agency mailing lists, be sure to send us your complete contact details and IATA number so we can keep you up to date.
So there you have it. A summary of some of the most popular ways to get a discounted trip from G.A.P Adventures. Please note that these offers can not be combined, and there are some restrictions on which trips qualify for each discount.
Postcards: Waterfall Wonderland
Remember when you were a kid and how much fun simple pleasures were like running through the water hose or jumping off a rock into the lake below? Well, as kids get older we tend to have that same fascination but with a little more adventure…
I love travelling the world, discovering new places, and coming across new beautiful waterfalls is always a highlight. For some reason, waterfalls bring out the kid in me, and I soon find myself climbing on slippery rocks to jump along side of the rushing white-water in hopes and fears of it pulling me in and taking me on a wild watery ride.
As a big kid I jumped, played and had a blast in some amazing places that are truly off the beaten path. The famous waterfalls of the world are fascinating, but I created some of my best memories at little waterfalls that have no names, like the ones in the Western part of Africa.
On all of my travels though, the most amazing waterfall I found was in the Northern Territories of Australia. The best part of it wasn’t the waterfall itself, but the hidden cave behind the fall. I was brave enough to make it through the sheer wall of rushing water and found myself looking up at a 20-foot climb to this mysterious cave. So, I start climbing with the heart-pounding adrenaline feeling I knew so well as a kid. It took some climbing and hanging onto the side of a rock face with the rushing water pouring down, but I managed to reach the mouth of the cave. There I sat and enjoyed the cool, quite cave, staring out through the falls. I was in a place so far from home but felt like I was at home in this small secret world, behind the waterfall.
After pondering on life for a while, I had to leave my secret place. As a person that does not take the easy route anywhere in life, I decided to get out of the cave the way the kid in me wanted to. So I jumped off the most feared rock and through the rushing wall of water.
Maureen Atkinson,
Sales Supervisor
New Volunteer trips in Peru and Guatemala
Developed by G.A.P Adventures, the Planeterra Foundation is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of people and communities worldwide through the support of international charities, local organizations and grassroots community-based projects. With this "giving back" in mind, G.A.P Adventures has developed some hands-on, volunteer-based trips in Guatemala and Peru.
For many people, travelling is about gaining an understanding and appreciation of new cultures and developing relationships with local people. This new style of tour incorporates a volunteer component so that travellers have the opportunity to help improve the basic living conditions of the local people while having an unforgettable cultural experience.
Project Peru
Travellers have the opportunity to work alongside local host families to build a Peruvian cooking stove. Without the help of travellers that want to make a difference, these communities do not have the resources to build safe and clean cooking stoves for themselves. Benefits of the stove include the removal of smoke from the kitchen, a 50% reduction in wood used and the reduction of eye and lung infections especially among women and children. Travellers will also have the opportunity to visit Cuzco, a women's weaving project in the Sacred Valley and the lost city of Machu Picchu.
Project Guatemala
Working alongside members of the community and international volunteers, travellers will participate in a project that provides villagers with clean drinking water in Guatemala's eastern highlands. Travellers may also have the opportunity to participate in other cultural aspects of village life such as learning to make tortillas with the women, helping with the corn harvest, and teaching English to the children. We will also visit the colonial town of Antigua, relax on the shores of Lake Atitlan and explore the colourful Sunday market in Chichicastenango.
No training or special skills are required, just a desire to help make a difference. For more information about these tours please visit www.gapadventures.com/style/volunteer
Last Minute Departures - 20% off
This promotion is valid for new bookings only, and is not valid in conjunction
with any other offer. To qualify for the discount, please quote
Promo # LM051103. Bookings must be made online at www.gapadventures.com or through your travel agent. A listing
of preferred travel agents can be found on our website.
South America
Absolute Peru – permits on request November 19 to December 9
Highlights of Peru November 19 to December 9
Inca Empire – La Paz to Lima – Permits on request November 12 to 26
Inland and Amazon November 19 to December 4
Inca Explorer November 20 to December 4
Africa
Dunes Deltas and Falls December 8 to 27
Central America
Panama Experience – San Jose to Panama City November 22 to December 6
Mayan Adventure November 26 to December 17, or December 3 to 24
EARLY BIRD 2006C - NEW TRIPS ON SALE!
We have too many to list here! In total there are 7 new trips in North America, 36 new trips in South & Central America, 11 new Expeditions, 23 new tours in Europe, 40 new Africa trips, 18 new adventures in Asia and 6 new trips to Australian and Oceania!
Book one of these new trips online by Nov 30th and get 20% off when you quote our "Early Bird 2006C" offer! They are all online at: www.gapadventures.com/new
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Upcoming Events at our Toronto Concept Store
Fun and informative presentations and slide shows by staff and special guests are underway at our Toronto Concept Store. Space is limited, so visit us online for RSVP information.
Nov 24 @ 7:30PM
Topic: Patagonia (Chile & Argentina)
Nov 29 @ 7:30PM
Topic: Special 25% off event to celebrate our 2006 Brochure
Great Adventure People TV series - November schedule
Catch our TV series on CTV Travel 3-4 times a week. Don't miss out on upcoming episodes to the Galapagos Islands, Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Amazon in mid-November. Our full schedule is online.
Nov 13 @ 11:00AM EST
CTV Travel - 'Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania'
Nov 15 @ 9:00PM EST
CTV Travel - 'Galapagos Islands'
Nov 18 @ 7:00PM EST
CTV Travel - 'Galapagos Islands'
Nov 20 @ 11:00AM EST
CTV Travel - 'Galapagos Islands'
Nov 22 @ 9:00PM EST
CTV Travel - 'Amazon Jungle, Ecuador'
Nov 25 @ 7:00PM EST
CTV Travel - 'Amazon Jungle, Ecuador'
Early Bird 2006C - 20% off
Only a couple weeks left to book one of our new trips and get 20% off! Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Australia...we have new trips to all continents! Quote "Early Bird 2006C" and check them out online. |
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Victoria Falls quote:
" A truly magnificent sight, and one which brings home the tremendous glory of the whole mighty work of Nature, and the comparative insignificance of Humanity"
- P.M. Clarke, 1925
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