Gap year travel in Asia offers an incredible array of opportunities for adventure, volunteering, and cultural immersion. While many people think of the sun kissed beaches of Thailand, Asia's diverse landscapes and vibrant cultures extend far beyond. From teaching basketball in Mongolia and English in China to gaining dental experience in India, our Asia gap year programmes are affordable and tailored to a variety of interests. Explore the many volunteer projects and cultural exchange opportunities available across this vast continent.
There is so much to see and do during your gap year in Asia, from the dramatic mountains of Nepal and the bustling cities of Japan and China to the tropical beaches of Thailand and Vietnam. With such a wide range of destinations and experiences, it can be difficult to decide where to start. Do you want to explore historic temples in Cambodia, hike lush landscapes in Vietnam, or participate in traditional tea ceremonies in Japan? Asia truly has something for everyone. The only question is: what do you want to get out of your gap year?
Participate in ancient martial arts in Korea, celebrate vibrant festivals, or connect with local communities through volunteering abroad. Traveling across Asia allows you to taste diverse cuisines, learn new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of different cultures. Your adventures in Asia will leave you with unforgettable memories, new perspectives, and a profound appreciation for the world's incredible diversity.
Our TEFL internships allow you to combine valuable teaching experience with an amazing adventure in a beautiful new country.
Before you head off, you'll be fully TEFL trained and when you arrive, you'll get all the support you need from our in-country teams.
Duration: 2 - 12 weeks
Blue Ventures offers award-winning marine conservation expeditions to Madagascar, Belize and Timor-Leste. Join us and learn to dive on stunning reefs, identify fish and corals and contribute to our vital marine research, working alongside our team of experienced marine scientists.
With this paid teaching experience in China (known as the i-to-i China Internship), you’ll enjoy the amazing cultural experience of living and teaching in China whilst we’ll support you every step of the way.
Duration: 2 weeks to 12 weeks
Protect endangered sea turtles in stunning Bali! Care for eggs and hatchlings that have been rescued from poachers. Help hatchlings get strong and healthy so they can return to the sea safely. During the hatching season, turtles are released every week!
Make this a year to remember by joining the Thailand TEFL internship.
Duration: 4 week course/ 4-6 months teaching
Join our 120 hour TESOL course in either Hua Hin or Chiang Mai and gain a teaching job in Thailand. The course includes a fun-filled orientation week before the 120 accredited TESOL course begins.
To learn a new language, we feel that the best way is to completely immerse yourself within the culture of the country who's language you are learning. With ESL you will go straight into a unique opportunity to learn new languages while on a long-term learning, cultural adventure.
The demand for English teachers around the world is astronomical, take China, where there are 350 million people learning the language at any given time. Combine teaching and TEFL courses or volunteer in sports or childcare projects to create a rewarding adventure and experience!
The demand for English teachers around the world is astronomical, take China, where there are 350 million students learning the language at any given time. Whether on a gap year or a graduate, we have the course for you. Choose either to join our Teach and Earn programme or our China TEFL programme
Duration: 2 weeks
On this exclusive adventure you’ll discover unspoiled beaches and dive (or snorkel) on the world's most biodiverse coral reefs. You’ll participate in cetacean surveys, spotting whales and dolphins as well as experience the immersive culture and the stunning landscapes of this beautiful country.
Here at i-to-i TEFL, we’ve joined forces with reputable education organisations in China, Vietnam and Thailand to provide you with a fully-supported paid teaching experience, combined with a high quality tailored TEFL course.
Spend 3-4 weeks on an epic adventure tour of Thailand! Perfect for both first time and experienced travellers. Experience the culture, trekking, elephants, beaches the awesome full moon parties and so much more...
Duration: 3 - 12 weeks
You’ll discover unspoiled paradise beaches and dive and snorkel in the turquoise waters of the world’s most biodiverse oceans. You’ll help collect data vital to the locally led management of vibrant coral reefs while experiencing the culture and the surrounding landscapes of this beautiful cou
Popular Asian Destinations:
India, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia
Quick Asia Facts:
Population - 4 billion
Languages - too many to count!
Visa Information:
You will need a visa to visit Asia. In some countries the process will take some time!
Encompassing the near and Middle East, the far East, China, India, and more islands than you can shake a stick at, the Asian continent is a very diverse place indeed. On most of the other continents you will find English speaking countries, but Asia is where the language can become quite a challenging. Though you could always use that to your advantage by spending some time teaching English in primary and secondary schools.
European explorers have been fascinated by Asia for centuries. The cultures and way of life are so completely different to what we are used to, and there is so much to see and many places to explore. Perhaps the most famous gap year in Asia was taken by medieval merchant Marco Polo. He had so much fun that he stayed there for 24 years!
Asia is home to some of the most beautiful tropical beaches and rain forests in the world, and a trip to Thailand, Sri Lanka or Borneo is a must. Borneo is home to the worlds oldest rainforest and some of the rarest species on the planet, so both wildlife and community conservation work is very important to help protect the natural environment. You could help by joining an amazing Orang-utan conversation project or by assisting community development projects by building new facilities such as schools or community centres.
India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world but despite this more than 250 million people live below the poverty line so volunteers are always needed to help those that aren't seeing the benefits of this rapid growth. Most of the gap year providers in this section offer a variety of programmes in India because it really is an incredible and diverse country to visit. No matter what you end up doing, you can't help but get caught up in the sights, sounds and spices of India.
Gap Years in India
Although the path throughout Asia has been well trodden by travellers for decades, China is a relatively new part of Asia for the gap year adventurer. There really is the opportunity to create your own adventure and immerse yourself in a culture that is completely different to our own so let your imagination run wild and start dreaming of your own adventure.
Gap Years in China
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