Do you love to travel? Are you thinking about taking a gap year? Considering what to do but don’t know where to start?
Don’t waste the experience by doing nothing, instead plan ahead and book the most amazing experience of your life.
The team at Seasonal Jobs Abroad have put together some top suggestions for the most amazing adventures and activities to do on a gap year or when backpacking the world.
Hopefully our guide will give you inspiration and give you ideas for what to do on your perfect break away.
1. Work Abroad
We find most people want to earn money whilst abroad, just traveling can be expensive and there are some fantastic work and travel programs.
You could apply to work at a summer camp in the USA which is one of the most enjoyable jobs in the world, there are also winter jobs in Canada at spectacular resorts in the Rockies! These programs allow you to travel and see amazing places in your spare time like Niagara Falls.
Down Under there are working holiday jobs in Australia which provide plenty of time to be a tourist and see more of the country. In Europe you could apply to work in France as a teacher, nanny or au-pair in a city like Paris or even travel further and gain experience on an internship abroad.
Other opportunities including applying for to work in New Zealand – you could find a position at one of the best ski resorts in the world. If you are keen to go backpacking with your partner, there are lots of jobs for couples available.
2. Give Back and Volunteer Abroad
You can find a large selection of meaningful volunteer opportunities abroad. On wildlife volunteer programs you could help elephants in a country like Thailand or India, these are really popular opportunities!
If you could like to help people you can find a wide range of community development programs, from helping remote villages in South America to working on volunteer projects in Africa there are lots of trips. Placements start all year round, please apply early to avoid programs filling up.
3. Learn a New Language
If you are planning on working abroad in a non-English speaking country then we highly recommend learning a new language. There are language schools in most countries and lessons are available where you can live abroad a learn a new language.
We highly recommend learning Spanish in Spain, this can be a really fun experience. Brazil is an up and coming destination, on our website you could apply to become a volunteer in Rio de Janeiro or learn Portuguese in Brazil!
A website like Book My Language Course is a really useful resource for booking classes. Some programs also incorporate language lessons as part of the price you pay, you might like to study Spanish in South America and then travel afterwards.
4. Teach Abroad
You could take a TEFL course and spend your gap year teaching abroad, you can find paid and voluntary opportunities. A lot of people choose to take a TEFL course in the UK and then apply for teaching jobs in Asia or the Middle East, although there are vacancies all around the world.
Thousands of people embark on this adventure every year, it can even turn into a long term career. Some companies offer amazing packages to encourage applications including free flights and accommodation.
6. Boost Your CV
This might not be the most exciting option, but if you are thinking long term about your career you could gain experience on an internship abroad. Popular programs include media, journalism, law, human rights and medicine and healthcare. You can find placements all around the world.
6. Learn to Scuba Dive
If you like adventure you might want to travel to an exotic destination like the Caribbean and learn to scuba dive in Honduras – the Bay Islands is highly recommended.
Diving really is one of the most amazing things you can do in the world, and there are centres located in most countries.
You might like to view our scuba diving courses in Thailand – the islands are a spectacular place to base yourself and get qualified. If you enjoy it, you could apply for diving jobs and live in some of the most spectacular places on the planet.
7. Explore
There are literally hundreds of countries waiting to be explored and you can book trips with local and international tour operators. If you love wildlife you might want to take a safari in Africa, not much compares getting up close to exotic wildlife like elephants, lions and tigers.
Popular South America tours and trips include joining a trek up to Maccu Picchu in Peru, this is one of the worlds best trips! Other popular destinations include Brazil, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, South Africa and Cambodia.
We recommend to search group tours with G Adventures or Contiki – both are two of the best trip providers helping thousands of people travel abroad every year.
These are just a few of the ideas and destinations available, view our website for gap year jobs and more options for incredible things to do on a trip overseas. You can find amazing travel opportunities including gaining work experience by working abroad, spending time helping others by volunteering abroad to just traveling and seeing more of the world! Contact us for specific advice.