Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A gap-year can also be used for spiritual reasons or for personal development and there are
companies that specialise in emotionally and spiritually-enriching trips.
But don't worry if all this sounds a bit heavy: the planning and preparation stage can be
almost as much fun as the trip itself. And of course, this is where
the gap-year guidebook
comes into its own...
Where do you want to go?
Here, the Year Out Group talk us through the most popular destinations for gappers:
“
South Africa
is consistently popular stemming from the diverse nature of the country and
the availability of a wide range of suitable and worthwhile projects. These projects range
from conservation work in the numerous private and national game parks, a wide variety
of teaching placements, many opportunities to coach sports and volunteer placements in
the care field including orphanages, health centres and HIV/Aids awareness programmes.
Projects can last from a few weeks to a whole year. South Africa is also seen as a comparat-
ively safe destination with plentiful flights and the cost of living is good value. Because of
the scale of opportunities its important to chose wisely by asking questions of the provider
about the benefits any projects are bringing to conservation and communities alike.
“
Tanzania
is home to some of the most famous of East Africa's attractions - from Africa's
highest mountain, the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro to the incredible Serengeti Nation-
al Park and the Ngorogoro Crater, which hold some of the largest concentrations of wildlife
on the continent. Low living costs and safety make it an attractive option and there is real
need away from the tourist areas for support in education. However a high visa cost does
detract which may act against it if other countries like Kenya become safer in future.
“
Thailand
continues to be popular. It is a very popular tourist destination so there are
plenty of flights and there are hundreds of volunteering opportunities especially in teach-
ing, community and conservation projects.
“Cambodia - a wide variety of activities are available including teaching, care work and
conservation projects. It is comparatively safe, the people are very warm and welcoming
and once again the the cost of living is low.
“In Canada, there are now several more organizations offering winter sports activities ran-
ging from ski and surfboard instructor courses that invariably lead to offers of paid work as
an instructor on completion of the course, something which may lead to full-time career or
a way of earning money during university holidays. For those that wish to venture further
into the mountains there is now the possibility to train as a mountain leader. The compan-
ies are also making good use of the facilities in the summer months: as mountain biking
increases in popularity so does the demand for instructors and the Canadian countryside
provides the ideal terrain to gain the necessary skills and experience.
