EV 141/EC 210 – Africa: Wildlife, Ecotourism and Sustainable Development
June 14 – July 23, 1999
Professors Walt Hecox and Bruce Byers
Frequently Asked Questions
February 15, 1999
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EV 141/EC 210 – Africa: Wildlife, Ecotourism and Sustainable Development June 14 – July 23, 1999 Professors Walt Hecox and Bruce Byers Frequently Asked Questions
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Course Deposits
Very soon Summer Session Office will require students to make their non-refundable $500 deposit. This must be done by March 1, 1999 to assure that you retain your place on the Registrar’s Course List and to guarantee that you have access to the international airline fares we have negotiated.
Travel Passenger Information Sheet and Insurance Application
As soon as you have made your deposit, you will be asked to complete a Passenger Information Sheet for Oswald & Associates, the travel planners for our trip. This form will specify your own individual information as well as indicate whether you plan to return to the US with the group at the end of the course in Zimbabwe (departing July 24th, arriving in Denver July 25th) or whether you desire other arrangements.
You will also be asked to complete an Insurance Application; CC will pay for the following coverage during the time the group is in Zimbabwe: Trip Interruption/ Delay Cancellation; Baggage Delay/Loss; Emergency Medical Evacuation. Please note that if you extend your trip, you will be required to pay $2/day additional for the extra days to keep this policy in force. (But please also be informed that the policy does NOT cover "extreme" activities such as mountain climbing, various sports, etc.).
Both the Information Sheet and the Insurance Application must be returned as soon as possible to Oswald & Associates, BUT NO LATER THAN MARCH 23, 1999.
Possibilities for Extending your Stay/Stopping in London on your Return
You will soon need to make a decision about whether you want to extend your stay in Harare, and/or stop in London on your way back. We will finish as a class on July 24th, with some departing that day for the US and those remaining responsible for their own travel and affairs from then on until they return to the US. Please note that your ticket is valid for international travel for 60 days maximum, so you must depart from London to Denver no later than August 23, 1999 (after that date your ticket is no longer valid for use).
There will be an additional charge to you of $100 if you extend your stay in Harare beyond July 24, 1999. If you would like a stopover in London, there is also an additional airfare charge of $50, for a total of $150. Please note that a stopover in London can only be arranged prior to your departure from the US, not once you arrive in Harare! If you choose to stay on, you will need to specify dates for your departure from Harare (and if applicable departing London after any stop there) when you fill out the Passenger Information Sheet. Also you will need to attach a check for the applicable additional amount, payable to Oswald & Associates (and also pay the additional $2/day for extended insurance coverage).
The extended return date you select should be FIRM; if you seek to change it after departure, it can be changed subject to space being available and for a change fee of $150 payable to British Air in Harare.
So What are the Possibilities for Travel in Southern Africa?
You will be flying half-way around the world for this class. We encourage you to consider extending your stay to visit some other parts of southern Africa before returning to the US. There are many possibilities, from travelling through South Africa to visiting East Africa for safaris or mountain climbing (remember, not covered by the insurance!) on Mt. Kenya or Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In considering this, please remember that you ARE ON YOUR OWN as of July 24, 1999 when the group departs for the US. Any airline tickets, visas or other travel arrangements are your responsibility.
Here are some examples of travel fares (in US dollars) round trip from Harare, to start you thinking. The economy air fare has no restrictions but is higher than the excursion air fare that requires a minimum stay of 6-10 days and a maximum stay of one month.
Harare to Johannesburg luxury bus ($85)
Harare to Nairobi economy air = $440; excursion air = $417
Harare to Cape Town economy air = $548; excursion air =$404
Harare to Windhoek economy air = $556; excursion air =$417
Harare to Lilongwe economy air = $142; excursion air =$123
Harare to Dar Es Salaam economy air = $386; excursion air = $302
Harare to Zanzibar economy air = $562
Lonely Planet Guidebook as a Source
One excellent book about inexpensive and resourceful travel in Africa is the series put out by Lonely Planet. You might want to look at the Public Library or a local bookshop, since this series has excellent coverage of Africa and provides a wealth of information about travel opportunities, visas, border crossings, etc.
How Do I Get In Contact With Other Students Taking the Course?
Several students working together may find extended travel in southern Africa or during a stop in London more fun. Since we do not yet know who is going to make their nonrefundable deposits, it may work best for now if you e-mail Walt Hecox with a brief statement of your trvael interests and a listing of your e-mail and phone #. I will pass such messages along to the entire group, hopefully putting you in touch with others quickly and efficienty. We may soon create a class Public Folder where students making deposits can post notices and exchange information. I will inform you when this happens (it may not work easily for students away from CC as they would not have an Outlook account at Colorado College, but we could create one that you could access over the world wide web).
Travel Shots
Several of you have asked about which travel shots are required
and when you need to get started taking them. I have talked to the El Paso
County Health Dept. and they indicate that several shots are required,
but that only about 2 weeks of time is needed to complete the necessary
shots. I will provide additional information in the coming weeks, but it
is too early to start on these shots right now.