 |
 |
If you've been loyally reading our bridging the gap newsletters in recent months you know about many of the exciting developments that are happening with our tours in 2010. No more local payments. New trip styles like Discovery Adventures. A huge list of new Africa Overland trips. Next month, we unveil everything new in the Gap Adventures world for 2010!
New tours are one thing, but a brand new partnership has us very excited here at Gap Adventures. We can't share the details yet, but if you visit our blog next week, you'll get the scoop!
We've noticed some interested discussions over at The Watering Hole lately too, perhaps you can share some of your own travel thoughts in our forum. Over in Western Africa, we have just opened up a second departure for our special Mali desert festival tour in January and, fittingly, have a Top 5 feature on our favourite deserts of the world.
Happy travels...
Your place to share travel photos, videos, blogs and stories.
Dancing and drums in the desert...sounds appealing doesn't it? This coming January marks the 10th year that the Festival au Desert has taken place in Mali. With roots in the Touareg tradition this festival has grown over the years to welcome tourists, and artists from around the world.
Our first departure of the Mali Desert Festival tour is nearly sold out (and could be by the time you read this!) so we have added a second departure that tours around Mali for 14 days, and takes in the festival. So what exactly happens at the Festival au Desert? How much does it cost to get into the festival?
Not far from famous Timbuktu is Essakane, Mali, the site of the Festival au Desert. Like other festivals in the area it was created as a means to share information and ideas between Touareg communities, with traditional music and dancing playing a big role. Today the music, dance and festivities at Essakane have the same traditional elements, but you, as a visitor to Mali, are welcome to experience the lively atmosphere.
Spending 3-days in the desert isn't for everyone - there are no plush hotels or fancy facilities. You're camping, in the middle of the Sahara desert, under the stars, with music and celebrations lasting all night long. It can be an exhausting experience, just to witness! It is also one of the most amazing musical venues you could ever imagine.
What happens at the Festival au Desert in Mali?
Just like any large festival, there are opening ceremonies on day one. This usually occurs mid-afternoon with introductions from local artists. While there is impromptu music sessions and jams going on at random locations and sand dunes around the festival site, the official performances begin after sun down, and run late into the night with people dancing in the desert. The vast majority of musicians are from Mali, Niger, Mauritania and other parts of Western Africa, however performers from Europe and even Canada have participated in the past.
Day two and three continue with numerous camel events, such as races, riding and traditional shows, as participants vy for awards on day three. Random music sessions occur throughout the days as everyone is free to wander around and enjoy the festive atmosphere in the desert. Some people will be selling souvenirs and others will hold exhibitions or discussions on topics relevant to the festival. Food and water are available all around, with simple, traditional cuisine the norm.
At night is when things really come alive. While the colourful clothing of people (and camels!) from across Western Africa will catch your eye during the day, the light shows and music will captivate you by night. Be sure to take it easy during the hot midday hours as you'll need your energy for the late, late nights! Remember that it gets quite cool at night in the desert too, between midday and midnight the temperature can range from 100 down to 40 degrees F.
How much does it cost to get in to the Festival au Desert?
One thing to be aware of is that our tour doesn't include the festival entrance fee. The cost of entrance has recently been posted at 160 Euros on the official festival website. While that may seem high for a concert, remember this is a 3-day festival, in one of the most remote parts of the world, nothing like your typical concert hall at home.
If you've been thinking of heading to Mali to visit Timbuktu, Djenne and Dogon villages, then this special tour is perfect for you. Experience all the best of Mali, with the rare treat of the Desert Festival.
The largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara, spans across northern Africa, and encompasses the Western Desert in Egypt. Gap Adventures traveller Valerie Noel found herself there on our Absolute Egypt tour....this is what she had to say...
We stopped at Farafra for rest and lunch until Sobrey and Ibrahim, our Bedouin guides, arrived with the Landcruisers. They were taking us on the desert/oasis part of our trip. We were traveling near the Libyan Desert heading north to Alexandria. We drove off the road into the strange limestone formations surrounding us. They were of all shapes and sizes including the long and tall types are called inselbergs. We stopped at formations called the mushroom, the chicken under the tree, and last but not least a rabbit with odd ears!
At the 1000 year old living Sheetah tree, the British boys in our group (Lewis and Jack) stirred up scarab beetles from under the rocks. Boys will be boys. It was 5:30 pm and we headed for a spot to camp for the night. While Abraham and Sobrey set up our camp and cooked us dinner we wandered around, waiting for the sun to go down to get some great photos of the pink-orange hues on the formations.
This had once been an Ocean bottom as there were seashells embedded in the ground. Once the sun set, we settled into a card game of Hearts until supper was ready. (I hate that Queen of Spades!) Our living area consisted of the two Landcruisers parked perpendicularly to form two walls. Inside was a wall of exotic material and mats were strewn inside the half square. Fifteen feet away was our campfire. Supper was a scrumptious stew of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes; with BBQ chicken and rice. The Big Dipper was tipped upside down as if to spill out all of its contents and the moon was on its belly and not on its side. Crazy!
After supper, Ibrahim and Sobrey pulled out the drum and Shisha pipe and proceeded to entertain us with their folk songs. Maged (our Gap Adventures guide) had the interesting idea of alternating English songs with Egyptian songs and that turned into a whole lotta fun. At one point Jack and Lewis pulled out their Latin boarding school song and guided us through the chanting in Latin no less. We even danced around the fire! We headed for the mats and sleeping bags where we settled in for a good nights sleep. On and off we slept, waking up to the most amazing veil of stars where The Milky Way and constellations seemed within arms reach. We awoke before dawn to the breathtaking sight of the sun rising over the orange hues of the limestone. Rick wondered off to get some great photos. In awhile he came back advising that there was a fox with huge ears out there! It turned out he had also been in our camp as we found tracks where he had been rummaging for supper scraps. Can you believe that something can live out here? Finally the lazy sun peaked over the limestone formations heralding that the day had arrived in the Western Desert...
Thanks for sharing your desert experience with us Valerie!
Find your own Sahara desert adventure on our website, to either Egypt, Mali or Morocco!
Next week we'll be announcing an exciting new partnership.
We're sure you'll be excited to see this news as it will create a new experience for many of our travellers.
What's the latest word at The Watering Hole? Here are a few recent topics that have generated some buzz...
Topic: General Questions about India
Forum member kris_nyc is asking about which Gap Adventures trip to India is best, and what the weather is like...join in the conversation!
Topic: Costa Rica - must have vs nice-to-have?
Have you been to Costa Rica recently? Weigh in on the conversation about what to pack and what you can leave at home, forum member g25591 wants to know.
Topic: TIPPING
Forum member robms gets the topic started and there are some passionate views on tipping being shared. Why not add your two cents worth?
Deserts exist on every continent in the world and account for 1/7th of the earth's land surface. Pretty impressive isn't it? More than 50 deserts exist across the globe, but we had to narrow down our favourite list to just five. Some people may wonder what could possibly be interesting about a desert? These are the most inhospitable, dry areas of the world. Little life, plant or animal, thrives in these places. Ah, but it is that isolation and raw, natural beauty that draws people to these fascinating hot spots (and cold spots).
The largest desert in the world is Antarctica. Yes, Antarctica is a desert. The largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara, which stretches across northern Africa. Find out if these deserts made our top 5 list...
5 - The Thar Desert - Also called the Great Indian Desert, this is one of the world's top 10 deserts in terms of size. The Thar is located in the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India. While most travellers who head to Rajasthan get excited about cities such as Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Jaipur or think about Tiger tracking in Ranthambore, fewer people venture out into the Thar desert. Far away form the frenetic pulse of India, this desert is perfect for a short camel safari to camp under the stars. An added bonus is that some rare species of wildlife, rarely seen elsewhere in India may be observed here such as the Indian Gazelle, Blackbuck and Wild Ass.
4 - The Atacama Desert - The driest desert in the world! The Atacama is located along the northern part of Chile, ending just south of the Peruvian border. Because it is located at high altitudes, it has become an extremely popular destination for both novice and professional astronomers who envy the clear skies of this part of the world.
3 - The Sahara Desert - This is the quintessential desert. When you hear the word "desert" you think of this type of landscapes. Massive sand dunes as far as the eye can see. Camel treks and nomads in search of the next oasis. One of the most enchanting experiences travellers chat about when they visit Morocco is their desert excursion.Heading out, away from civilization, into nothingness goes against your instinct, but also tantalizes you with the unknown. A traditional meal cooked on hot coals, buried in the sand of the Sahara, is a meal to remember!
2 - The Arctic Basin - From the searing heat of the Sahara to the icy chill of the Arctic, deserts come in a variety of forms. To qualify as a desert, an area must receive less than 250mm of rainfall per year. Except for a few small areas, the entire Arctic Basin meets these requirements. While much of the Arctic Basin eco zone is within Canadian boundaries, the area that is largely covered in sea ice year round rotates all around the north pole. Very few people venture this far, and the closest you'll likely get is the magnificent Svalbard archipelago and Spitsbergen, Norway. Visit the Realm of the Polar bear, and you can see the world's most northern desert at the same time.
1 - The Gobi Desert - The biggest desert in Asia tops our list. This sweeping desert that wreaks havoc in Beijing, China each year with its sand storms also covers southern Mongolia. Choked off from receiving precipitation by the towering Himalayan mountains to the west, this desert was home to the famous Mongol Empire and home to numerous stops along the ancient Silk Road. One cool thing about the Gobi (literally!) is that sometimes snow blows in from Russia, creating a weird visual of snow covered desert dunes!
Only 27 correct entries this time around! It was a tough one, but not tough enough. The randomly drawn winner name was Mei Wong, from the USA.
Congratulations Mei! You've won a discount voucher towards future travel with Gap Adventures, simply for knowing that image #1 was from Mumbai, India and image #2 was from Dead Vlei, Namibia.
Correctly identify where our two new images are from and you could win your own Gap Adventures discount voucher. Simply email your guess to editor@gap.ca for a chance to win. Don't forget to include your mailing address along with your submission, or you won't get your prizes.
The search is on for new talent!
Our current list of career opportunities at Gap Adventures include these positions at our HQ in Toronto and various Worldwide Operations locations. If you've got the skills to join our award-winning company, submit an online application.
At Base Camp, Toronto:
Bilingual Travel Consultant
Senior Marketing Manager
Systems Developer
At Field Offices:
East Africa Product Manager (Nairobi, Kenya)
Operations Manager, Ecuador (Quito)
Operations Manager, Europe (London, England)
Apply now at: www.gapadventures.com/careers
Adventure travel deals and discounts are here. Act fast though as these offers usually don't last long!
Deal #1 - Last-Minute Specials. Check our specials page for last-minute departures around the world at up to 25% off!
Deal #2 - Affordable Tours. Our Affordable Tours page is a permanent fixture on our website and offers up a quick view of the most affordable adventure tours. If you're on a budget and there is nothing on sale...this is THE page to check out!
Note: These offers can not be combined, and are subject to limited availability. Additional restrictions may apply. Full details are online. Bookings must be made online at www.gapadventures.com or through your travel agent.
19 Charlotte St.
Toronto, ON. M5V 2H5