5 Popular Gap Year Destinations

This is a guest post by James of Skyscanner.

Taking a year out whether from work or university to explore the world can be a rewarding and enriching experience. Regardless of your age, a gap year can result in life-changing experiences and new perspectives in life. If you’re restless, unmotivated and lack passion for your work/school, it’s time to head out and see the world, learn new skills and make new friends from different corners of the planet. Here are 5 of the most popular gap year destinations – they’re easy to travel, packed with interesting sights and like-minded traveler. What are you waiting for, start planning for this trip of a lifetime!

Australia

For those based in the US or Europe, flights to Australia are often exorbitantly expensive. So if you’re going to be forking out a large portion of your savings for it, you might as well plan a whole gap year around it. Australia is a huge country, and there’s just so much to see and do – you could be surfing its waves, trekking mountains, exploring its outback landscapes, soaking up endless sunshine and meeting some of the friendliest people on earth. With easy access for commonwealth citizens, you can easily find work on a working holiday visa, from fruit picking and bar work, to cattle ranching and working in ski resorts and backpackers hostels.

Canada

If you love the great outdoors, Canada would guarantee the gap year of a lifetime. From the majestic Rockies to the vast lakes of Ontario, this is a country packed with adventure, nature and outdoors extremities. Bungee jumping, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, canoeing and gorge jumping – give it a shot, I bet they’ll get you hooked. With a working holiday visa, you can find employment in one of the world-famous ski resorts in Banff or Whistler where you’ll not only earn a decent wage but you’ll also get to enjoy the slopes in your spare time. For fun in the outdoor, book your flights to Canada now!

India

India is a melting pot of cuisines, cultures and traditions, not to mention incredible landscapes and scenery. For those seeking to connect with their spiritual selves, then India could be your dream gap year. Teaching yoga can be a rewarding experience, while volunteering in schools and local community projects will give real insights into life in India and allow you to give back to the society. The beautiful Taj Mahal and the pink city of Jaipur are just a few of India’s smorgasbord of world-renown sights. For the first-time traveler, India can be quite an overwhelming cultural experience: from the spicy, delicious food and extreme temperatures to the unusual modes of transport. India is a trip like no other and super cheap to boot.

Peru

From tropical rainforests to dazzling beaches and colossal mountains, Peru offers everything that a traveler can ask for. Explore the Amazon Basin and the Peruvian Andes or walk the spectacular Inca trail to the impressive historical site of Machu Picchu. Peru offers landscapes untouched by time and tourism and rich, intriguing history. Some parts of the country can be so remote that traveling there can be quite a challenge, but this adds to the sense of adventure. For the curious traveler, one major bonus of taking a gap year in Peru is learning a new language. The Spanish language is one of the most useful languages in the world and it isn’t exactly difficult to pick up especially if you get the opportunity to work with local communities.

Japan

On a far more developed gap year, Japan is the perfect place to make money by teaching English as a foreign language. It also gives an exclusive opportunity to truly immerse in a starkly different culture and go deeper into their world. Qualifications aren’t always required to find these opportunities. With a low crime rate, fantastic night life, beautiful temples and efficient transport, Japan is an urban dwellers’ dream. Language can be a stumbling block but if you take the time to learn even the basics, you’ll be making local friends faster than you’d imagine.

This post was written by James on behalf of Skyscanner.net. Skyscanner is a leading European travel company, and a world leader in flight comparison.