Asia Gap Year
Travel Asia on your gap year. Ideas for gap year travel to Asia.
Asia gap year - Gap year programmes in Asia The continent of Asia covers a huge area, and it would be impossible to travel around the whole of Asia in one gap year. That said, it's amazing how much of Asia you can see in a relatively short space of time if you narrow down the places you most want to see beforehand and put together a well-planned itinerary. One advantage Asia has over many other gap year travel destinations is that many of the countries within it have a far cheaper cost of living than the rest of the world. This means that, in terms of day-to-day spending money, your savings will last a great deal longer in most countries in Asia than they would elsewhere in the world.
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Each country in Asia has its own distinct character and reasons for visiting. If you want to do some volunteer work on your gap year there are loads of opportunities in Asia. It's also possible to teach English abroad in some countries in Asia. Real Gap has some superb gap year programmes in the following diverse range of countries within Asia: China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Russia is the most western country in Asia. The Trans-Siberian Railway starts in the beautiful Russian city of St Petersburg, travelling on to Moscow and then continuing deeper in to Asia through the remote country of Mongolia until it reaches its final destination of China. Backpackers from all round the world travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway and it's a fantastic way to cover the huge distances involved without flying, meet new people and see remote areas of Asia along the way. Real Gap's ‘Trans-Siberian Railway' programme offers a flexible way to travel through this part of Asia. It's possible to travel all the way from Russia through to China or - if you wish - you can do the Russia, Mongolia and China sections of the journey separately. If your travels through Asia take you as far as China you can even get paid work when you get there, working as an English teacher with Real Gap's 'Paid Teaching English Programme China.' If you plan to visit Japan during your time in Asia then Real Gap can also arrange paid teaching work there as well.
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Further south in Asia is the unique country of India. Again, India is a massive country and it would easily be possible just to spend your entire gap year travelling around this part of Asia. India has some of Asia's best beaches, the Himalayan mountain range and some of Asia's most incredible buildings - including the incomparable Taj Mahal. As with many other countries in Asia, India does suffer from its fair share of social problems and there are some excellent opportunities to get involved with some really rewarding volunteer programmes in this part of Asia. For example if you wanted to travel off the beaten track and further north than most travellers venture in this part of Asia, then you could consider Real Gap's ‘India Volunteer Himachal Pradesh Programme.' This programme makes a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged people in this part of Asia and also offers the opportunity to do some trekking in the Himalayas.
If you're travelling in this part of Asia then a recommended route is to go over India's eastern border in to Nepal. Nepal has some of Asia's most breathtaking scenery - including the ancient city of Kathmandu, the Annapurna mountain range, the jungle and wildlife of Chitwan and the world's highest mountain - Everest. If you want to do some volunteer work abroad in this beautiful corner of Asia then Real Gap's ‘Nepal Teaching English Volunteer' is ideal.
Another country well worth visiting in southern Asia is Sri Lanka, a relatively small island off India's southeast coast. Sri Lanka is blessed with superb tropical beaches, a fascinating culture and some stunning scenery. This part of Asia was, of course, badly effected by the Asian Tsunami in December 2004. The best way to show your support to these countries in Asia is to continue visiting them, thus supporting the local economy and vital tourism industry.
Perhaps the most classic route through Asia of all for backpacking on a gap year is to fly in to Thailand and travel overland through Malaysia, before flying on from Malaysia or Singapore to Australia. (This journey can, of course, be done the opposite way round). This route through Southeast Asia is easy to include on a round the world itinerary and there's plenty to see and do along the way - including hundreds more of Asia's idyllic tropical beaches. Real Gap also operates several volunteer projects in Southeast Asia. For wildlife lovers one particularly unique volunteer opportunity is the ‘Orang-utan Interaction Volunteer Malaysia.' Volunteers on this amazing programme help with the rehabilitation of these beautiful, but gravely endangered, apes that are unique to this part of Asia.
Asia is a huge and extremely diverse continent. Wherever you fancy travelling in Asia, Real Gap's travel advisors will be able to help you decide which programme or itinerary works best for you.
Asia gap year - Gap year programmes in Asia
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