Historical Destinations For Student Travel

Student travel promises to be an enjoyable trip. Not only do students can visit several places, they could also learn so much on every trip. And since air travel agencies as well as airlines provide student travel discount and special student travel rate, student travel is becoming more and more available for greater number of students who want to explore and learn more about the world.

For first time travelers, here are some historical destinations you can consider for you student travel:

Athens
As the center of knowledge, government, and system in the ancient world, every student would be amazed how this ancient city grew and evolved. Students can visit Acropolis, Agora, Library of Hadrian, Kerameikos, Olympieion & Southeast Athens, Pnyx, Roman Agora & Tower of the Winds, Arch of Hadrian, City Eleusinion and other ancient sites in this ancient city of Athens.

Egypt
Visit one of the earliest civilizations founded in this part of the world. Egypt features 3000 years old city in the banks of River Nile. Egypt is also one of the oldest tourist spots in the world with visitors coming from the ancient Rome and Greece.

Moving your way south from Cairo, the nation’s capital, you can stop at Giza where the infamous Great Pyramid stands. It was built by Pharaoh Khafu in the year 2550 BC. Standing at 147 meters, it was the largest and the most ambitious structure built in the ancient Egypt requiring 2.3 million stone block to erect. Also at Giza, see the Pyramid of Khafre home if the Sphinx. It was built 30 after the Great Pyramid. As the second largest, the Pyramid of Khafre stands at 144 meters of 471 feet. The third pyramid located at Giza was the Pyramid of Menkaure which stands at 65 meters or 213 feet.

Further south, Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser built in 2630 BC. Pyramid of Pepi II, also located at Saqqara was the last pyramid built by ancient Egyptians. In Dahshur, the Bent and the Red Pyramids are located. And down south at Maidum, the Maidum Pyramid can be found.

See the temples, mummies, tombs, hieroglyphics, and Valley of the Kings and the Queens if you visit Egypt.

Rome
See ancient Rome still intact with evidences of Roman structure and architectures built more than 2000 years ago. Rome presents the living timeline from the Roman Empire to the shift of the Middle Ages, to baroque and renaissance, to the dawn of the romantic period and enlightenment. Rome preserves its temples, churches, arts, and priceless paintings and murals.

Turkey
A former territory of the Roman Empire which stood strong for more than a thousand years against several barbarian attack. Turkey is in the easternmost part of Europe that features a diverse culture, religion, philosophy, and architectures.

China
Travel Far East and learn the history of the ancient eastern civilization that was once unknown until the last centuries. See the Great Wall, a remnant of the Zhou Dynasty along with other unique oriental culture and tradition. See the Chinese painting, calligraphy, paper cutting, and Chinese art.

Peru
As the center of the Inca civilization, Peru is a great destination for student travel for discovery of South American history. The 500-year old Inca traces could be relived in the Inca Trail that is both exciting and educational. Walk to the Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuaman, Machu Picchu, and Pisac.

Going to Africa? Lend a Helping Hand While Going on Safari

To those living outside of the continent, Africa represents exotic locales, the opportunity to witness an incredible variety of wildlife, and experiences that will create lifelong memories. The idea of an African safari conjures up images of bumpy rides on dirt roads, lodges with few amenities, and glimpses of elusive creatures during the night. Today, while a classic African safari is certainly available, an increasing number of travelers are opting to make a safari part of a larger eco-friendly vacation that includes giving back to the people and places of Africa through volunteerism.

Africa: More than You Imagine

When you spend your holidays in Africa, you find that each country and region offers a unique array of opportunities, from gorilla trekking to white water rafting to mountain climbing to the traditional safari.

With the Masai Mara's open savannah, Kenya is known for the safari experience. Yet it also offers enticing treks up Mt. Kenya, exciting white water rafting down the Nile, and scuba diving and sailing along the Kenyan coastline. Meanwhile, Tanzania beckons with the Serengeti and the world's most densely populated area of wildlife. It also features the largest volcanic depression, the Ngorongoro Crater, as well as Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the spectacular beaches of Zanzibar.

If you choose to vacation in South Africa, you'll encounter an ocean lover's paradise in Cape Town, the whale watching capital of the world. After your ocean safari, you can experience breathtaking botanical gardens and a penguin colony, as well as the primate sanctuary in Tsitsikamma National Park.

The country of Namibia offers a gateway to Victoria Falls, as well as subterranean lakes, enormous canyons, and a desert that brings together lions, giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceros. For the ultimate safari vacation, though, a trip to Botswana is in order. Both the Chobe National Park and the Moremi Game Reserve will give you the opportunity to view unprecedented varieties of wildlife and birds.

When it comes to Egypt, culture reigns. You can experience the wonders of the Pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, and the Egyptian Museum. The contrast of ancient artifacts against the backdrop of modern Cairo marries the past and the present for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Holidays that Help

When you embark on an African holiday, you can do more than experience the natural wonders of the continent. You can book your travel with a company that is committed to empowering local communities and that engages in sustainable tourism. When you do, you can not only make arrangements for a safari, but you can also volunteer a few days or a few weeks of your time to help with construction, health care, conservation, or teaching.

Holidays that combine a safari with volunteer work give you a unique perspective on African culture and allow you to come home with a sense of satisfaction for your contributions to a grand and wondrous continent. There's no better feeling in the world!

Is Egypt a destination you can visit on a Budget?

Lets face it, some countries are expensive, some are very cheap and others are somewhere in between. The burning question if you are thinking of visiting Egypt is can Egypt be visited on a budget ? Stuart Cheese, the UK Director of Operations for One World Tours says yes it can and tells you how to make the best of your money. 

1. Take and organised tour. Egypt is an expensive place to “wing”, so while you could just turn up at the airport and go for it, my number one tip for keeping to a budget is to book a tour. 7 days including Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor will only cost you around £200 and that includes all your transfers, accommodation and site visits. A very good start to Egypt on a budget.

2. If you take a taxi – go straight to where you are going, do not get taken somewhere you had not planned on going to. Whether you are taking an organised tour or not. If you have free time, then you may decide to take a taxi ride somewhere. If you do, be sure to make 100% that you do not want to make any stops en-route. Taxis in Egypt are very cheap, but unfortunately, they will often suggest you stop off at perfume shop etc. They do this simply because, they will be on a kick back from the shop owner on anything you buy. So do keep this in mind.

3. Felucca on the Nile in Luxor. If you have an afternoon free, then a really inexpensive afternoon is a Felucca sailing on the Nile in Luxor. If you set out about 1 o’clock in the afternoon, you’ll sail up river to Banana Island where you’ll have a while to have a wander around and get a drink if required. Sailing back you will get to see the sun setting over the Valley of the Kings. It’s a stunning site and well worth the £5 – yes £5, it will cost you for the sailing. A truly magical afternoon

4. Food is CHEAP !!! Not much more to add to this. Food in Egypt, not matter where you eat is very cheap indeed. If you go western (takeaway), then you can expect to only pay about 1/3 of the price. If you eat at local (Egyptian) restaurants, then you will be looking at a 3 course meal and drinks costing you around £5 (GBP). Now that’s a holiday in Egypt on a budget !

5. Sound and Light shows – If you have decided to take in the Sound and light shows (in particular at Philae Temple and Karnak), there is a strong argument for not visiting them in the daylight. The sound and light show at Karnak is stunning and I actually think it’s even better than visiting in the daylight and Philae in Aswan is the same – The sailing back across the Nile twth the Temple lit up is worth the money alone. I would not suggest missing The Pyramids in the daytime though – these would definitely be seen during the day and at night

6. Don’t pay for extras you do not need – A little planning can save you time and money. The Valley of the Kings is a perfect example. When you buy your entry ticket, it gives you access to the Valley but more importantly to 3 tombs. This is where research comes in. You can of course buy extra tomb tickets, but to be honest, if you pick the right 3, then there’s just no need to look at the others which will come in as very poor seconds. A note here is also that you have to pay extra to get into King Tuts tomb. Only do this if you really want to say “I have been in Kings Tuts tomb”, otherwise give it a miss, it’s definitely not the best of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

7. Overnight trains – why pay for a night in a hotel ? Overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan / Luxor and from Luxor / Aswan to Cairo are great for a couple of reasons. 1 They are very cheap and 2, they take the place of an overnight hotel stay. So you not only do not have to waste a whole day travelling (the train ride from Cairo to Aswan is around 12 hours) but you lso save on not needing a hotel for the night. If you happened to want extra comfort, you can actually upgrade to a private sleeper cabin on the trains and whilst it will cost you about £35 you get a bed, an evening meal and breakfast. So once again a great little budget tip

8. Don’t give Baksheesh to everyone who asks for it ! If you do not know what Baksheesh is, you will do by the time you get back from Egypt. Baksheesh is a tip in Egypt for doing just about anything, this can be carrying your bags, taking a photo for you, being in a photo with you ! or even in the case of children, a tip just for the asking. So just be careful, if you gave to everyone who asked for it, you would end up having anything but a budget holiday in Egypt !

9. Take lots of pens ! This may sound odd, but if you offer an Egyptian child a pen or a quid, the kids will take the pens every time. Pens are hard to come in Egypt and so if you take a box of 50, you’ll be very popular indeed.

10. Have a big breakfast. Don’t forget that breakfast will almost certainly be included in your hotel stay, so make the most of it and have a hearty breakfast and with most hotels (although you may have to ask) if you are leaving early, they will even box up a continental breakfast for you.