Gap Year News Articles

Three Top Gap Year Spots

Choosing your destination when planning a gap year abroad can be tough, because there really are so many places to go to and it may feel like you have just one shot at getting it right. Of course, you don't and there will be time to go and see the world and its many treasures again and again. For the first time traveller, here are three very popular destinations that will steer you in a well-trodden path of other like-minded folk and a few brief notes to give you an idea of the place you could be going to.

India

India is a famously spiritual place, and absolutely huge, so a traveller should be aware that is unlikely that they will be able to get through it. It's best to pick a region, and work your way up, or down to get the best out of India's overwhelmingly vast geography. Dharamsala at the top is near Tibet and full of meditative Buddhist charm, and the South has its beautiful beaches of Goa and Kerala. Around the middle are Delhi and Jaipur and wild desert flats. India has its river Ganges, Hindu gods and goddesses, Buddhist temples, Sikh villages, yoga and Bollywood and is like nowhere else. It'll drain and mystify you and is extraordinarily cheap, which will suit a shoe-string kind of trip.

Australia

Again, it's very big, and it's very beautiful, but perhaps lacks the intensity of India. Australia is a hit with English travellers, because there is no language barrier, and culturally it isn't too overwhelming. You can enjoy the awesome, sweeping beaches, take up surfing, rent a camper van and hit the outback for some Western-style ranch living. Australia has a wild sea life that should keep you wowed, and some isolated rural areas that are part of Australia's ancient Aboriginal past. Australia isn't as kind to the pound as India so expect to pay up and budget your trip.

Thailand

With is nightclubs, bars, and stunning beaches, Thailand is traveller-friendly, and rich in exotic culture. Enjoy banana pancakes, massages, ruins of ancient temples, island beaches and a strong Buddhist history. Bangkok is its capital and a major world city, and worth visiting to get an adrenalin rush. There are the mountains of Mae Hong Son to take in and the islands of the Andaman Sea. Like India, it's a pretty cheap place to go to, and has been visited so many times that it is highly prepared for the gap year backpacker.

Keep in mind the importance of travel insurance, especially on a holiday like this, where you are a stranger and a bit vulnerable. Flights too should be researched DialAFlight.com has a competitive list of prices for flights to backpacking destinations. Browse their cheap flights to Australia to get an idea before you buy your ticket.