Mind the gap

IT was somewhere around 2,500 meters up a holy Buddhist mountain that the perfect balance between gap year heaven and hell was struck. Sleeping in bunk beds in a religious monastery, just feet away from where the monks lay, my climbing companions and I chatted about the brilliance of the situation, but the horrors of the specifics.

"This is amazing! They're actually wandering about. Monks... wandering! But did you see the toilets?" Then the dreaded 'C' word: communal.

This experience seems to sum up gap years quite effectively. The surroundings always come at the cost of the sewerage facilities.

Of course, there are all sorts of gap year travellers. Thrill-seekers head off to New Zealand, explorers to South America, sun-seekers to South East Asia, and burger flippers to various towns to earn a crust. But whatever the motive, gap years are on the increase.

Previously untrodden areas now bear all the hallmarks of the tourist trail, from Mars bar wrappers strewn in Tibet to widescreen TVs in the Northern Vietnamese Highlands of Sapa, funded by the constant string of trekkers who provide commission to the local hilltribe villages.

A budding explorer shouldn't be put off by the fact that others have been there before him. The journey may not be new, but it will be new to the explorer.

The first thing for a prospective gapper to do is to decide what he or she wants to achieve from their months out of education or work. If it's earning money, the plan might be to stay at home and work or visit relatives abroad and gain a working visa - a common plan of action for most expatriate relatives in Australia or the US. If it's a 'life experience' you want, then you might want to combine it with assisting a local community. You might fancy teaching English, as I did, or working for the environment. Either way, becoming involved rather than skirting the area with your Canon camera is something many people find deeply rewarding.

This type of gap year typically involves a lot more red tape. You have to arrange visas, work permits, accommodation, have your travel information to show to the local government, have sufficient funds and typically an area of previous experience which relates to the work you want to do. The easy way, of course (and the one which I took), is to have an organisation do this for you. There are plenty out there, and most are chosen by first-time gappers for security, and to have a point of contact for things going wrong. They are also likely to brief you on the traditions and culture of the place you are travelling to, but emphasise that whatever preconceptions you might have, they are most likely to be wrong.

I did meet people who had chosen to organise the whole thing themselves. They seemed to have gained much more in the way of practical experience and pay from their overseas employers, but resented the fact that they had to endure the stresses of dealing with the "nasty and boring" bits of getting to and staying in the country of their choice. They also didn't have the experience of meeting others who were going to the same country beforehand through a company, as I did. In fact, it was through my choice of company that I met my girlfriend.

There are also gappers who just wish to travel. There are plenty of round-the-world flight deals provided through companies like STA - you'll just have to put up with Bono ranting at you about your carbon footprint, should he catch you. Some of those I met on my travels (which were mostly overland, as this was cheaper and easier to take up 'on instinct') had bought these tickets.

The plus is obviously the number of places you can see and the ability to witness very different cultures after a mere few hours' journey. The downside, however, is that you are quite bound by your ticket, and that more destinations equal less time to fully appreciate and soak up the places you've chosen. It's purely a matter of choice.

Some prefer the whirlwind tour - to take in the 'best bits', and then move on, but this comes at the expense of not having truly familiarised yourself with the place and its people. Longer stays are much more beneficial. I was only permitted a week in Tibet by the Chinese government, which is perhaps the only lasting regret I have from my time abroad.

There's also the complicated question of whether to take your diary or your best mate. Either way, you'll need someone or something to share your experiences with. Many people find the prospect of months abroad scary enough without having to face the challenges of going off alone.

I travelled for around a month with my girlfriend and had some of the most amazing experiences with her - shoe-skating on ice in Tibet, taking in the Chinese New Year in Shanghai or a chance meeting with a hugely eccentric doctor on a bike ride to Jade Dragon mountain.

Group and couple travel should, however, never be considered without its pitfalls. Good times come at the expense of fallings out, arguments, differences in opinion and plans and can often sour a mood which should be anything but glum. I knew of people whose relationships had broken down while away, meaning a parting of ways or, worse, having to continue together in irritated silence.

I, personally, had the best time travelling solo. I was always able to meet new people and was never really on my own. You find your own plan can often be very similar to that of those you meet, meaning you'll have a travelling partner for a few days, then go your own separate ways with no hard feelings.

Essentially, your gap year is what you make of it. Plan, check, save, research. Consider routes and objectives. Your gap year is one of the few opportunities you'll have to do exactly what you want.

Oh, and just make sure you always carry toilet paper.

* There are plenty of organisations who can give advice on gap years, and most have an internet presence, such as The Gapyear Company, International Voluntary Service, Voluntary Service Overseas or World Service Enquiry.