For our Gappers, South America is a popular destination, as well as Spain and France. Other areas of interest are Costa Rica and India, Vietnam and Thailand. Favourite cool things to do are learn a language by living in the country with a homestay family or in your own apartment ( French or Spanish top the bill), volunteer teach, work in an orphanage, or save endangered animals like sea turtles.
At a recent gathering of Gappers, some returning Gappers shared these travel tips:
Money :
• budget well, research costs of things ahead of time, then add extra for unexpected events
• don’t carry wads of money with you - just what you need for the day plus a bit extra - leave rest safe in your room
• contact your bank before you go to find out if you can use debit and/ or credit cards , and to let them know you are travelling ( so they don’t cancel the card thinking it might be stolen!)
• note down and take with you all your bank contact information - so you have it when needed
Safety:
• know your surroundings, know who you’re with
• safety in numbers, don’t let your guard down even when you have been in a place for a while
• trust your gut instincts, including being open to unexpected possibilities or adventures
Language barriers:
• you can get by with gestures and hand movements and a few words.
• Once you are there for a while - you get better at the language,
• try preparing cue cards with pictures and words of common things to show people what you need!
Other tips:
Have fun! Always expected the unexpected
So where did you go on your gap year? What did you do? Can you tell us about your experiences or share any words of wisdom?
Jules at mygapyear
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