Career breaker guide to Africa

Explore the wonderfully diverse culture and natural beauty of Africa on your career break!

Africa is about as far removed from office life as you can get! That guy in accounts may be a little strange but even he’s not as scary as the Big 5. Lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopards are all here to give you something a little more interesting than your screensaver to look at! Whether you’ve turned down a career dead-end and want to change direction or just need to escape the daily routine for a while, Africa is your ticket to adventure and excitement. A few months here and you’ll wonder why the first humans ever left!

It seems that we humans are always wishing we were somewhere else; 86% of 25 to 54 year olds interviewed for the �one life live’ survey said they were disillusioned with their lives and it seems that for a lot of people, work is just not working. Maybe this is why some of our best travel fantasies are born while we are in the office; the mind tends to wander when we’re a little bored! There won’t be time for any daydreaming in Africa, there’s far too much to do; whether it’s volunteering, teaching or just plain exploring, this continent is the perfect antidote to a touch of what we call sameoldroutineitis.

Volunteering

Africa has become synonymous with global volunteering. There are a host of projects here that give you the opportunity to do work with meaning and make a bigger impact on the world than just clearing your boss’s in- tray! Africa will touch your imagination and your heart; it’s a place of great beauty struggling to haul itself out of the biggest of all poverty traps. The continual efforts to help Africa are symptomatic of a world that insists that things can change. We can’t think of a better way to use you career break than to be part of that change.

Despite a vast hinterland ripe for the exploring, Africa is still more famous for its perennial struggle against poverty, famine, disease and social inequality. Many countries here are plagued by depravation and feature far too prominently on the list of the world’s 10 poorest countries . If you want your career break to be about making a big difference, then you’ve found the perfect place and the perfect cause. Opportunities abound for those who want to get a little dirt under their fingernails too; Africa is home to 4 of the WWF’s most threatened habitats and plenty more that deserve attention.

Travel upgrades

We know what you're thinking; you’d like to get involved but you like your little luxuries a bit too much! You’re used to power showers and central heating not multi-person dorms! Well we’ve thought of that; our Premier Packs are designed to make you feel at home even when you’re away. A comfortable bed, warm shower and the reassuring silence of your own company can make a big difference on a long trip. It will leave you fully recharged and bursting with energy to use on your project. To be honest, it sounds better than we get at home! Luxuries you can look forward to in Africa include:

• A room all to yourself
• Air conditioning
• Specially prepared meals
• Telephone
• Cable TV
• En-suite bathroom

Teaching abroad

Along with creaking bones in the morning, one big difference between career breakers and those pre-university gappers are financial commitments at home. For many gappers, mortgages, loans, rent and council tax are nothing more than distant nightmares, but for most of us they are the details that can sometimes stop us from dropping everything. While you are actually away from home there is still plenty you can do; earning money could be the difference between affording to travel or not. For a relatively low fee it’s possible to get qualified quickly and gain the ability (as well as the contacts) that will allow you to earn money while you teach.

Daydreamometer

Anyone who spends their days fantasising about having adventures has literally found the destination of their dreams! Africa is truly a trip into the unknown because despite the hype, it still has parts which remain a mystery to western travellers. Whether you want to teach, volunteer or just throw on a backpack and explore, this is the destination for you. Given that most career breakers are looking to go somewhere and do something different, it’s no wonder that Africa has become so popular.

***** As far away from the everyday routine as you can get!

Useful links

http://www.i-to-i.com/career-breakers-guide.html

http://www.i-to-i.com/career-break-resources/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

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