Round the World Gap Year 1

By joining this programme you can spend up to 12 months on an amazing Gap Year in India, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the USA. The programme provides all the structure you need such as accommodation on arrival in a new country, lots of activities and assistance whenever you need it. There are also lots of opportunities for you to ‘do your own thing’ and the programme can be as flexible as you want. You can choose when and where you work (or if you work at all!), where and when you travel and what activities you experience.

Programme Locations
India, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, USA

Programme Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants health.

Part 1 - Your Programme in India
You have the choice between three 8-week programmes in India, with meals, accommodation and activities all included.

Option 1: Himachal Predesh Programme
High in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, is our very rewarding volunteer programme. Schools and day care centres in India are understaffed and help is needed to look after these children and to enhance their opportunities after school. You can choose what sector to volunteer in: education, orphanage, special needs school or childcare.

As well as taking part in fun and challenging work, you will experience the real Indian culture. This programme includes:

Project Location
The project starts with an overnight stay in Delhi. The group spend 3 days in Jaipur for a detailed orientation and sightseeing. After this, you all board an overnight train for Palamphur. Palamphur is a quaint town set high in the mountains. This is where you will be based for the majority of the programme. You will stay in a large stone house that overlooks a stunning landscape dominated by glaciers and peaks of the Himalayan mountain range.

Volunteer Options
Wherever your volunteer placement occurs, the general pattern is to work five days a week for approximately three to five hours per day. Most work occurs in the morning before lunch. But some placements require afternoon work as well. You will have the option between volunteering at an School, Child-Care Centre, or a School for mentally challenged children.

Extra Afternoon Volunteer Options in Himachal
There will be afternoon activities available to you so that you can do more work during your stay, if they wish. These include:

Free Time & Excursions
When you are not working, you have access to special workshops on aspects of Indian culture for example Indian cooking and Yoga. There is plenty of free time for reading, relaxing and exploring the local areas. At work or during leisure time, local assistants who serve as guides, translators and overall support staff aid volunteers.

We will also arrange excursions that offer different ways to experience the local surroundings. These include:

Accommodation & Meals
You will stay in a large stone house that overlooks a stunning landscape dominated by glaciers and peaks of the Himalayan mountain range. All meals are included. The food is amazing and there is plenty of it!

Option 2: Rajasthan Programme
This is a unique opportunity to help disadvantaged children in the Indian desert. Rajasthan is one of the driest regions in India. Resources are limited and communities live in very basic conditions. There is a real need to encourage children to attend school and a bigger need to educate them. Education is possibly the only way to enhance their opportunities after school.

Volunteers help teach English, play games and encourage creativity skills through painting and drawing. If teaching isn’t your thing then you can help at a day care centre. Volunteers are needed to help care, feed and play with children. This gives the children’s parents the opportunity to go out and work.

Highlights of the programme include:

Project Location
You will be personally met at Delhi airport and transferred to a hotel in Delhi to chill out, relax and refresh. The next day after breakfast you’ll take a train to Jaipur where you have a 3-day orientation while living with a local Indian family. Then it’s off to Shiv, a small town in the Rajasthan desert. It is very hot and dry, however you will have access to all you need. You and your fellow volunteers will stay at our friendly camp.

Volunteer Options
Wherever your volunteer placement occurs, the general pattern is to work five days a week for approximately three to five hours per day.

Most work occurs in the morning before lunch but some placements require afternoon work as well. You will have the choice between volunteering at a School or Child-Care Centre.

Extra Afternoon Volunteer Options in Rajasthan
There will be afternoon activities for volunteers to take part in during their stay, if they wish. These include:

Excursions
While the daily schedule allows for plenty of unstructured free time, on some evenings and weekends we will also arrange excursions that offer you different ways to experience the local surroundings. Specific information about the excursions planned for your volunteer placement will be announced upon your arrival, but you will have the opportunity to join at few excursions.

These include:

Free Time
When you are not working, you have access to special workshops on aspects of Indian culture and planned excursions to local sites of interest. There is plenty of free time for reading, relaxing and exploring the local areas. At work or during leisure time, local assistants who serve as guides, translators and overall support staff aid volunteers.

Accommodation & Meals
Your accommodation is unique – a comfortable and clean mud hut! It even comes with en-suite bathroom! All meals are served in the restaurant area – buffet style.

There is Internet, telephone, DVD/TV facilities. For the active volunteers, there is volleyball net and other outdoor games.

All meals are included. Breakfast is served at 08:30, lunch at 13:30, Chi tea at 16:00 and dinner at 19:00. The food is amazing and there is plenty of it. There are opportunities to buy food and drink in between meals. For example there is a selection of crisps, chocolate, sweets, cookies, water, coke, orange juice and beer.

Option 3: The Goa Experience
The Goa Experience offers you the chance to sample life in India giving invaluable help to children and adults in deprived communities. You will live close to an Ashram for a three-day course on yoga & meditation and experience the wilderness through a 3-day adventure program including trekking through an unexplored area, climbing hills and rocks to an altitude of 3500 metre, you will also stay in a tribal village for 1 night.

When you arrive in Goa you will receive a full orientation on India, your volunteer options and cultural differences. For the next 2 weeks you will be based right next to the beach whilst doing volunteer work in education, childcare or ASRO shelter.

Project Location
After your ashram experience and adventure activity, you will be taken to Colva where you will have your orientation. This is where you will stay for the majority of your programme. Colva is the oldest, largest and the most spectacular of south Goa’s beaches. It lies about 6kms to the west of Margao. The beach consists of about 25kms of the finest powder white sand and is lined along its shore by coconut palms extending to Bogmalo in the north and Cabo de Rama in the south along south Goa's coastline.

Programme Highlights

Volunteer Projects
Wherever your volunteer placement occurs, the general pattern is to work five days a week for approximately three to five hours per day. Most work occurs in the morning before lunch. But some placements require afternoon work as well.

Your volunteer options are:
Morning volunteer work

Extra Afternoon Options for both 4 & 8 week volunteers:

Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation depends on location. While you are at the Ashram you will live close by in a hotel sharing with 2-4 people per room. Bathrooms will vary from European flush toilets to bucket baths. When doing volunteer work you will be living in purpose built accommodation right next to the beach. Accommodation in India is basic, you will be in bunk bed accommodation sharing with up to 4.

You will have simple bathrooms attached - European toilets and showers with a bucket bath in case you want to use hot water, this is seldom required as it’s so warm.

Meals are all included and are mainly vegetarian, they will consist of vegetable curries, Indian breads, rice and fruit. You will sometimes have fish or chicken curry.

Please Note: Monsoon season is during the months of June, July and August. You will need to take wet weather gear with you and be flexible as your itinerary may change due to weather conditions.

Part 2: Your Programme in Thailand
Fly from Delhi to Bangkok where you will have a 3 day/2 night stop over before travelling to base camp which is located 142kms North of Bangkok in Sing Buri province. The camp is situated about 10 km from the town of Singburi and takes about 15 minutes from the Eco Houses you will be staying in. This part of you trip gives you the chance to learn the language, experience the unique opportunity of living with monks at a temple, trek through jungles, or help the locals with community development projects.

Relax on the beautiful island of Ko Samet and if you want to stay longer you can volunteer at an orphanage, teach children English or live with a hill tribe in Northern Thailand.

Week One – Orientation Week

Week Two – Temple Stay & Outdoor Activities

Week Three
For week three you have 2 options:

Option A - Community Project
During this week you will have the opportunity to help the local community by teaching children English and Maths. You don’t need to have any previous experience. This week is about being as creative as possible to make learning English fun for the children. Past volunteers have taught through:

Please be aware of the following school holidays:
Mid-end of March until mid-May
12 – 17 April – New Year
End of September/Beginning of October – End of October/beginning of November

If you are on the programme during this time or during any examination periods you will be teaching English to the local village children rather than in a school/classroom environment. You will teach the children at either one of the Eco Houses or an alternative camp.

Option B - Trekking (3 days)
For the next 3 days you and all other participants will go trekking in the jungle & rainforest of the Phutoei National Park.

This will be a unique experience, you will be roughing it in beautiful surroundings, sleeping in tents or hammocks and generally surviving on the basics whilst at the same time having a lot of fun! The guides are very friendly and you will really enjoy yourself!

Please note: The trekking is not for the faint-hearted and the itinerary is subject to change depending on seasons, weather conditions etc.

Week Four –Beach time and Final evaluation (6 nights)
Travel to Ko Samet Island for beach time and relaxation:

Please note: This 4-week itinerary is subject to change depending on weather conditions, seasons etc.

Accommodation and Meals
Your first two nights accommodation will be at a hotel in Bangkok. When in Singburi you will be staying at one of our 3 Eco Houses. Some schools are within walking distance, others are around 5km/10km and transport will be provided.

The houses sleep from 20 to 50 people. All houses have single sex dorm rooms with the number of beds ranging from 3 to 12.

All houses have western style toilets and one even has an Asian toilet! Each bathroom has a shower and the water is always cool – nice and refreshing in the heat. All houses have a communal area where you can eat, relax and meet.

All meals are included. Breakfast and dinner will be served at the Eco House. Lunch is either provided at the school or you will receive a packed lunch.

Whilst on Ko Samet Island your accommodation is twin share and is always in resorts close to the beach.

Weeks Five to Eight - Three Additional Projects:
In weeks five to eight you have the opportunity to take part in three additional projects. Your choices include:

(1) Thailand Orphanage Project
This project offers you the opportunity to help children in a Thai Orphanage and motivate, enrich, and give hope and direction to young people. If you are patient, caring and compassionate, and have a real desire to give joy, happiness and education to Thai children then this is the project for you.

Accommodation
Accommodation will be at the Eco House about 10 km from the orphanage and transport will be arranged each day for you.

(2) Thailand Hill Tribe Project
This volunteer project gives you the ideal opportunity to really get to know the Thai culture and people. You will meet local rural communities, whilst having the chance to really experience the culture and traditions of this fascinating part of Thailand.

Week One – Orientation week, introducing you to the Hill Tribes, the culture and language.

Week Two - Continue to help and teach in the School. Take a trip to the highest village in Thailand – Mae Serong, visit the Golden Triangle and also the Burmese hill border. Visit a Temple viewpoint to see the border between two villages in Thailand and Burma.

Week Three - Spend the week in one of the first AKHA tribe settlements, living in a village called Saeng Chai and staying with a traditional Thai community. You will learn how to produce your own chopsticks and drink from homemade bamboo cups and cook food AKHA style.

Week Four - Depart Saeng Chai to trek through forests and over hills, along the way you will learn about the use of the forest by the AKHA tribes for building food and medical use and also meet the hill tribe elephants. During this week you will be staying at homestays and in tents or hammocks and perhaps again be able to visit the Burma border.

(3) Teaching Children English Project
This volunteer programme provides an excellent opportunity to work with Thai children and contribute to the local communities in a positive way. The children are really keen to learn English as this enhances their future employment opportunities.

Most teaching projects are based in villages near and around the town of Singburi. By this time you will already be familiar with the area as you spend most parts of weeks 1-3 in the surrounding areas.

As well as teaching English you can help with other classes and activities such as maths, sports and games.

Please be aware of the following school holidays:
Mid-end of March until mid-May
12 – 17 April – New Year
End of September/Beginning of October – End of October/beginning of November

If you are on the programme during this time or during any examination periods you will be teaching English to the local village children rather than in a school/classroom environment. You will teach the children at either one of the Eco Houses or an alternative camp.

Accommodation
The accommodation is basic but comfortable. Due to the culture, the accommodation is in single sex rooms. There is no hot water, however you really won’t want a hot shower. The shower is warm and very refreshing in the humid conditions. There will be limited laundry facilities so expect to wash your clothes by hand. All participants are expected to be environmentally aware and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to play your part to keep the accommodation neat and organised.

Part 3 - Your Programme in Australia
You will fly from Thailand to Sydney, Australia. On arrival at Sydney Airport you will receive an airport transfer to your hostel in Sydney. For the first 7 nights you will be staying in shared dormitory style rooms, meeting other young travellers, attending orientation meetings and having job consultations. We find you jobs – fast. You choose when you start working.

Your 12 month Work Package
What is included?

Working Holiday Visa
Before you leave the UK we will process your working holiday visa for you. The visa is available to anyone age 18 – 30 and valid for up to 12 months. If you want to stay for longer than 12 months it is now possible to extend your visa whilst out in Australia for up to 24 months - speak to one of our sales advisors for more info. We do not recommend getting a working holiday for Australia if you plan to spend any less than 3 months in the country – the visa can only be granted once in a lifetime and so it’s best to make the most of it!

Job Finding Services
Upon your arrival, our priority is to find you a job, all you need to do is let our team of job consultants know when you want to work and the rest will be done for you! You will then be safe in the knowledge that you have up to 12 months of job offers, all with reputable employers, a nice feeling considering that over 110,000 people enter Oz on a working holiday each year.

The jobs available are likely to be in hospitality, call centers, office temping, accounting, childcare, teaching, retail, IT and fruit picking are among the many types of jobs on offer.

Loads of other stuff
Our Aussie team organises parties at various different venues. In addition they regularly organise social and cultural activities such as wineries trips, bush walking, sporting events, and festivals. When you decide to travel around Oz, there is 2 months free luggage storage for you at the Sydney office. Each month you will receive a newsletter with the entire latest goings on, events and offers. You will receive a beach bag, some flip flops and a water bottle, plus a booklet of discount vouchers. Amazing discounts off exciting activities such as Jet Boating, Museums, Zoos and tours.

Also loads of discounts on useful stuff like travel, accommodation and perhaps most importantly – beer!

Fun & Travel in Oz

5-day surf school adventure
On this trip you get to live the surfer’s dream of freedom, travel, good waves and good times. You spend 5 days travelling between Sydney and Byron Bay, stopping along the way at some of Australia’s most pristine beaches. Your transport is the luxury surf party bus, which will take you to your destinations in style, many of which will be off the “conventional” backpacker route.

The full surfing tuition covers all abilities from beginners to advanced, and the full accredited instructors will make sure that you will be standing and riding those waves. On top of this, they will pass on the skills of paddling, wave selection and ocean knowledge, as well as many other hints too.

All equipment, transport, accommodation and meals are included, involving the great Aussie bbq’s, beach buffets etc. The trip is an absolute dream, as you ride the waves by day and party away at night.

OZ Experience Bus Pass
You will receive the “Strewth” pass allowing you to travel between Byron Bay and Cairns, letting you see the main sights of the amazing East coast, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays, Airlie Beach and Fraser island. Not only that, the “Oz Experience” buses like to take you on out-of-the-way trips en route, showing you areas of natural splendour and adding local stories and legend, to teach you more about what makes Australia a fantastic place.

Your Programme in New Zealand
You will fly from Sydney international airport to Auckland where you will receive a shuttle bus transfer to the hostel in the city centre.

When you arrive in Auckland, you will be transferred to the ACB hostel in the city centre. This is very useful considering the size of Auckland and it regional nature.

4 nights dorm accommodation at the ACB hostel
We include 4 nights accommodation at Auckland’s largest and most vibrant hostel, conveniently located in the city centre where all the action is. The accommodation is in shared dormitory style rooms and breakfast is included every morning. The hostel is famous amongst travellers for its Globe Bar and is generally the meeting place for social outings in Auckland.

Kiwi Experience bus pass
Your “Funky Chicken” pass incorporates the main sights, ranging from the beautiful glaciers and alpine towns of the South island, to the volcanic and thermal regions of the North. You will also be taken to the centres of adrenaline filled activities, however, whether you will do a sky dive in Taupo or a bungee jump in Queenstown is entirely up to you! By the end of your time in New Zealand, you will see why it is known as “God’s own country.”

Your Programme in Fiji
You will fly from Auckland to Nadi in Fiji. You can depart on a Feejee Experience bus tour of the island, hopping on and off where you please, or you may want to spend a few more nights at a hostel first. The Feejee Experience bus pass takes you all around this exotic island. They recommend a minimum 4 – day stay, but with 7 – days you’ll see much more.

This is basically a very relaxing time. We do not include the cost of accommodation as you will want to choose where and when you stay, but food and a bed for the night is not expensive.

Before you leave, don’t forget to join the party on the famous Beachcomber Island!

Your Programme in the USA
You will arrive at LAX airport in Los Angeles. You will have one nights accommodation in Los Angeles before you set off on your trip the next day.

The trek will start in LA travelling across the Southern States to New York City. At present, your itinerary includes New Orleans. However, this may or may not change, all depending upon the
circumstances in the future:

Day by day route:

Day 1

Day 2 and 3

Day 4

Days 5

Day 6 and 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Days 12 and 13

Day 14

Days 15 and 16

Day 17

Day 18

Days 19 and 20

Day 21

Flights
Once you have booked, we will talk through the best flight options. The airlines will depend on your departure dates. The inclusive price covers the airline ticket and the tax. The flight sectors are:

Initially we will book your flight sectors with dates as close as possible to the ones you would like. However, often airlines cannot book your return flight dates as far in advance as you may like but you will have the flexibility to change all of your flight dates once you have departed the UK for a small fee.

Insurance
Our Gap Year comprehensive insurance policy is with Endsleigh. You will receive a policy document in your final pre-departure pack, which outlines exactly what you are covered for within your final pack. Full details of coverage are also available on www.realgap.co.uk/Insurance

Programme Support
Throughout your programmes you will have the support and guidance of the programme coordinator and team. You will be provided with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay.

You will be assigned a personal travel advisor who will coordinate your programme with you. Feel free to contact them at any time before you go, or when you are on your travels. In addition, you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.

Start dates
You can choose when you want to go and we will plan your trip around what you want to do. You can then book certain activities such as the Surf School when you wish as you will be provided with an open-dated voucher, whereas start dates for others such as the India and Thailand programmes will need to be confirmed before you leave the UK.

If you are interested in the Round the World 1 package then please feel free to contact Lisa, our Complete Gap Programme Manager at lisa.fiddimore@realgap.co.uk or call the team on 01892 516164. We can also tailor make a similar itinerary just for you to fit in with your budget, time scale and ideals to make this your trip of a lifetime!