Gap year diving Kenya
| country: | Kenya |
| departures: | 2008: 3 Sep 2009: 9 Jan, 3 Sep |
| price: | From £2690 (Advanced 6 weeks) - £3260 (Rescue 8 weeks) excluding flights. Price depends on itinerary type. 18-24 years only. We can help arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This program combines the diversity of experiences contained in our hugely popular 1 month Kenya Community Program with dive courses accredited by the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI). We work in partnership with SX Scuba who offer a wide range of professional diving courses. We offer two programmes. The shorter of the two programmes provides entry level 'learn-to-dive' qualifications whilst the longer programme offers more extensive recreational diving up to Rescue Diver level. Both programmes start at beginner level although they can be customised to suit individual requirements. Aside from the diver training, some 14 to 20 recreational dives are included in each programme so that you can practice new skills in the stunning Indian Ocean environment.
Highlights
PADI Courses from Open Water to Rescue Diver (depends on program) Ideal if you want to combine traveling with gaining exciting new qualifications Community projects, including construction, teaching and sports Working Safari at Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary 3-day big game safari in one of Kenya’s National Parks Opportunities for Mountain Trekking, water sports* and Marine Conservation Program Indian Ocean Beach and Kenya Bush locations 4-week volunteer program Between two and four weeks intensive diver training
*Additional water sports and Mountain climbs are booked separately on request for an additional charge
Advanced course 
6 weeks duration PADI Open Water Course PADI Advanced Open Water Course 7 x Additional 2 tank dives (14 dives) All diving equipment Boat trips Training manuals PADI International certification fees
Rescue course 
8 weeks duration PADI Open Water Course PADI Advanced Open Water Course PADI Emergency First Response Course PADI Rescue Diver Course 10 x Additional 2 tank dives (20 dives) All diving equipment Training manuals & PADI International certification fees
‘Safari’ is the Swahili word for journey and no visit to Africa is truly complete without one. Your three day Big Game Safari will take you 3 hours to Tsavo region through the Kenyan Bush to search for some of the spectacular wildlife Kenya has to offer.
Additional ocean activities can be booked and paid for before you travel but can also be added on at any stage of your placement (Subject to availability).
If trekking up mountains is more your thing for an additional cost you have the option of trekking for 5 days up Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya at 4985 metres. If that is not a big enough challenge a seven day trek up Kilimanjaro at an altitude of 5895 metres should meet even the most adventurous persons expectations and with our success rate of over 95% your chances of reaching the summit are pretty good!
Highlights
*Additional water sports and Mountain climbs are booked separately on request for an additional charge
diving information
The reefs along the Kenya coast are extremely diverse and all standards of diving can be found to suit even the most meticulous diver. Visibility is generally good although it can change on a daily basis and the quality and diversity of marine life is quite simply incredible. Sightings of whale sharks, Manta Rays and other large pelagics occur on a regular basis and smaller creatures such as nudibranchs can also be seen on the well-formed coral reefs. The dive centre is a dynamic dive operation with some of the most experienced & qualified crew in Kenya. Advanced course
6 weeks duration Rescue course
8 weeks duration projects
The Community project work focus’s on developing rural schools, where most of the children you will work with come from large families that survive on less than a dollar a day. The work will vary however you should get the chance to teach basic lessons and assist in the classrooms, play sports after school, renovate the dilapidated school buildings as well plant trees for future resources and constructing classroom furniture. ‘Safari’ is the Swahili word for journey and no visit to Africa is truly complete without one. Your three day Big Game Safari will take you 3 hours to Tsavo region through the Kenyan Bush to search for some of the spectacular wildlife Kenya has to offer.
Additional ocean activities can be booked and paid for before you travel but can also be added on at any stage of your placement (Subject to availability).
If trekking up mountains is more your thing for an additional cost you have the option of trekking for 5 days up Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya at 4985 metres. If that is not a big enough challenge a seven day trek up Kilimanjaro at an altitude of 5895 metres should meet even the most adventurous persons expectations and with our success rate of over 95% your chances of reaching the summit are pretty good!
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Highly Commended in the Responsible Tourism Awards 2007, Best Volunteering Organisation category, we own our ground operation, which means we have complete control over the integrity of our projects and the quality of the experiences we provide. We additionally subsidise our philanthropic objectives through additional funds raised by our Charitable Trust.
Your participation on this tour provides a significant contribution to indigenous communities, environment and wildlife; and also teaches you the necessary skills to gain an internationally recognised PADI Scuba Diving certification. Achievements within the community include the construction of furnished new classrooms resulting in a 75% to 100% increase in attendance at schools in villages such as Makongeni and Muhaka. Our initiatives in Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, which include producing Elephant dung paper, have generated revenue for the community and provided protection for the animals. We take significant measures to reduce our negative impact on the environment and offset our carbon footprint. Between June and August 2007 over 1200kg of marine refuse was removed from 15km of Kenyan coastline and with this effort internationally recognised as part of the Project Aware Foundation’s International Beach Clean up we are aiming to build on our current achievement with your help. Our Team in Africa originate from the host country and their passion for sustainable development of their communities and environment is inspiring. Claudio, Julia, Hamisi and Abdul are our dive crew and are some of the most experienced and qualified crew in Kenya and will ensure you learn not only the safety aspects for your own protection but also that you are aware of your conduct beneath the surface to ensure your presence in no way negatively impacts the Marine Environment. Camp Managers such as Eustace in Kenya are the local guys that make our experiences unique. They provide advice on conduct, language training and skilled project managers such as Combo and Donald work alongside you on projects. Our commitment to the environment does not stop in Africa our UK office is dedicated to saving energy and have systems in place to deliver shredded recycled paper to local pet shops for bedding! In short, our commitment to local people and the environment is not a by-product of our programs but core to everything we do - we adhere to the Responsible Tourism code of practice and encourage everyone we work with to do the same. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |