Weird combo - anyone been to Africa? And any suggestions for 10 days in Europe?

[Typical_Chinese]

Hi Beyond,

I'll be doing a "without borders" thing in Tanzania in May and June, with 10 days or so afterwards of free time. The flight to Tanzania stops in Amsterdam, and they're letting us get back to Calgary from Tanzania however we like ($2000ish or so budget is usually the cost of the flight, if we choose to go to another place then fly back to Calgary anything above their budget comes from out own pocket, but we have a week of free time after the trip before our next rotation). Usually people just stay in Europe for 10 days since it's the cheapest option as the flight stops in Amsterdam, and trains/flights within the EU are cheap as well, but the school's covering our insurance and have contacts in Africa as well so I was debating using those 10 days in Africa since I'm already there. I was originally super excited to go to Cape Town, but with the water crisis there that seems like a bad idea, so I was also thinking about Cairo or somewhere in Morocco (or any other suggestions).

Has anyone been to Africa, and if so any opinions or suggestions?

If I spend 10 days in Europe, originating from Amsterdam, what are some must visit countries or cities? I've only been to London and Iceland (I know, weird combo), and Paris when I was extremely young (so would be interested to go again, or skip it). Touring the Nordic countries/Scandinavia region has also always been on my bucket list, so maybe that could be an option?

Thank you so much!

[ee2k]

Tell us more about the ticket you already have? You say that you can find your way back however from Tanzania, but your question and options also tether you to Amsterdam. Do you have a one way ticket from YYC to Tanzania via AMS as part of the group, and then you're on your own from there, up to and including coming back to YYC whichever way you want? Or is it a YYC-AMS-Tanzania-AMS-YYC that you already have provided by the group?

It worth knowing what the parameters you have to make recommendations.

[Typical_Chinese]

Ah, right sorry about that. To be honest I'm not entirely sure. The ticket to Tanzania is for sure KLM from Calgary to Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. The way back I am not too sure, but the organizers basically told us a few days ago to think about what we want to do with our one week free time, they will book the ticket for us, and whatever is over the budget for getting us back from Africa we will have to reimburse them back/pay them back the difference. From this sort of phrasing it seems like they've planned one-way tickets to Tanzania, and haven't sorted anything out yet for the way back, and on the way back Amsterdam doesn't have to be a stop-over airport at all. I will update this post once I get more info, sorry about the confusion!

[ExtraSlow]

Hookers.

[msommers]

Africa is incredible. What "without borders" organization is it?

[Typical_Chinese]

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Hookers.

hahaha shhhh

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Africa is incredible. What "without borders" organization is it?

I'm not entirely sure if it's classified under doctors or vets without borders, because I'm personally doing it as a clinical rotation for credit and there's people from the vet med and human med side doing it together, either for credit as well or for volunteering/the experience.

I just got an email back, South Africa is highly recommended against. Other parts of Africa they told us to only go if you're either a seasoned traveler or if I can find a few others willing to go with me. There's a guy who wants to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro but there's no way my unfit body can keep up but he might just do it alone. They didn't comment on Cairo or Morocco. Also apparently we only get 7-8 days rather than 10..

In terms of spending a week or so around AMS, should I rent a car? I'm still a GDL unfortunately so I'm not sure if that causes any problems or not. I was recommended Dunkirk, Bruges, and Luxemburg. I had a thought of doing a Porsche driving experience thing in Stuttgart or Berlin but you need to be 27 years old or above for that

Really I guess I'm just looking to chill, take pictures, eat, and have a good time around The Netherlands for a week if Africa doesn't work out! My EU experience is practically zero so I'm sure anything will amaze me!

[stealth]

I go to Morocco about every year. If you need any info let me know.

[ercchry]

i'd do morocco, then boat back to spain/portugal and tour those areas

a week in amsterdam is too much, not a very large city and most of the tourist things can be checked off in a day or two

[Typical_Chinese]

Basically got any place in Africa shot down, they don't really want to do the paperwork and risk management stuff, so now I'm just considering European places.

Since we're stopping over in Amsterdam, I was thinking 3 days in Amsterdam (Fri, Sat, Sun), then going to Belgium for a day or two, maybe day trip to Luxemburg, then going to London for a couple of days to see some friends. I'm trying to get them to leave London so I don't have to go there as it's a tad boring, but otherwise I think that's what my schedule is going to look like. Any suggestions or "don't go to X, that's a tourist trap" or any other places you would recommend in that sort of general area of Europe? I'm pretty open to any place, only Amsterdam is set in stone and even that is flexible in terms of how long I stay there!

Thank you!!

[ee2k]

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hahaha shhhh



I'm not entirely sure if it's classified under doctors or vets without borders, because I'm personally doing it as a clinical rotation for credit and there's people from the vet med and human med side doing it together, either for credit as well or for volunteering/the experience.

I just got an email back, South Africa is highly recommended against. Other parts of Africa they told us to only go if you're either a seasoned traveler or if I can find a few others willing to go with me. There's a guy who wants to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro but there's no way my unfit body can keep up but he might just do it alone. They didn't comment on Cairo or Morocco. Also apparently we only get 7-8 days rather than 10..

In terms of spending a week or so around AMS, should I rent a car? I'm still a GDL unfortunately so I'm not sure if that causes any problems or not. I was recommended Dunkirk, Bruges, and Luxemburg. I had a thought of doing a Porsche driving experience thing in Stuttgart or Berlin but you need to be 27 years old or above for that

Really I guess I'm just looking to chill, take pictures, eat, and have a good time around The Netherlands for a week if Africa doesn't work out! My EU experience is practically zero so I'm sure anything will amaze me!

Your thoughts are everywhere. I find it funny when I say I'm going to East Africa and people say I should go to Morocco on the way or as a side trip. It's closer to go to India than to Morocco ...

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Basically got any place in Africa shot down, they don't really want to do the paperwork and risk management stuff, so now I'm just considering European places.

Since we're stopping over in Amsterdam, I was thinking 3 days in Amsterdam (Fri, Sat, Sun), then going to Belgium for a day or two, maybe day trip to Luxemburg, then going to London for a couple of days to see some friends. I'm trying to get them to leave London so I don't have to go there as it's a tad boring, but otherwise I think that's what my schedule is going to look like. Any suggestions or "don't go to X, that's a tourist trap" or any other places you would recommend in that sort of general area of Europe? I'm pretty open to any place, only Amsterdam is set in stone and even that is flexible in terms of how long I stay there!

Thank you!!

At this rate you're going to be flying and taking the train more than enjoying time in a place you visit. You should not try and do it all. You need to get your thoughts together mang. It's only 7-8 days that you have, narrow your choices down and savour the desination you're going to.

People go to Europe and feel like they have to be all over the place, and come back exhausted or with stories like "oh I had a beer in Luxembourg."

[Typical_Chinese]

Yea for sure, I have basically no Europe experience and I guess I just fell into that "trap" of wanting to see as much as possible, especially since I don't know when I'll be back in the future with school and work. But you're right, I rather come back with some very good memories than like you said, go to a city just to say I've been there and it turns out all I did was have tea there.

[msommers]

Doctors Without Borders gives its volunteers up to $2,000 to go on vacation, post-rotation? Am I reading that correctly?

Course credit is fine. It's another for a charity to be paying for someone's party in Amsterdam.

Sorry to crap on this thread (I mean it has nothing to do with you, you're just taking an opportunity offered so I apologize), but the fact that DwoB as an organization will support this makes my blood boil.

[Typical_Chinese]

I'm going with the school and the school is paying for the students (my classmates, some people from other faculties). I think there are just Docs and Vets in Tanzania we're working with. We have a one week break following the trip before we start our next rotation so they said well if you want to stay in X country/city then sure since you have a week, but all the living, food, etc. is out of your own pocket, and anything that's over the budget for getting you back home from Africa you pay us back. Sorry about the confusion and I certainly did not want to make DwoB or VwoB sound like assholes, like ee2k said I've been all over the place with this whole thing, they've basically told us "Give us your passport we'll mail them out to Ottawa to get you your visas to Africa, tell us where you want to spend the week after Africa or if not you can just come back to Calgary and chill for a week if you want it's free time, otherwise if you want to travel somewhere we'll look into how expensive it is to fly from Tanzania to X country back to Calgary, anything above the budget to get you back from Tanzania comes from your own pocket, don't come back in a wheelchair", so I've been scrambling around trying to get stuff into them by next week.

Thinking about it now, I think it's more like if I tell them "I'll be in Amsterdam and London, then I'll fly out from London back to Calgary on the last day" they'll book my ticket as Calgary -> Amsterdam -> Tanzania then Tanzania -> Amsterdam -> London -> Calgary, and they'll compare this flight price to a basic round-trip Calgary -> Amsterdam -> Tanzania -> Amsterdam -> Calgary, and whatever is over I'll pay them back (i.e. $2000 vs $2500 I'll pay them back $500). I have to give them stuff soon I guess since they need to sort out all the documents and try to find the cheapest flights possible.

[msommers]

Thanks for explaining that further, it does seem to put them in a better light.

Interestingly about VISAs, you pay $50USD (well a few years ago) and fill out a VISA form at the airport in the Kili airport. I did this travelling through most Eastern and Southern African countries and Tanzania was no different. I do recall them asking for a Yellow Fever cert. though.

In any event, I suspect you'll be flying with KLM. If they're providing you $2,000 for flight costs I think you'll be adequately covered if you want a vacation post-rotation. Reason being, KLM lets you have a stopover in Amsterdam both to and from your final destination at no additional fee. You'll have to investigate how long this stopover can last but off the top of my head I don't believe there is a limit of duration.