Gap year- travel the world, where should i go?

Question

Okay.

I live in England. I have visited most places in europe.

I want to take a year out after 6th for to travel the world.

I am particularly interested in visiting less developed countries for volunteer work but also very cultural and enviromentally interesting places.

If you could have a year travelling the world [and if money was no issue] :

a) where would you go?

b) how long [approx.] would you stay for?

c) what would you do there?

just roughly answer a few of those questions for me would you?

it would be such a help because i'm rather stuck!

thank you =]

x x x x x x

Answer 1

Costa Rica is beautiful. I would love to go to Brazil and India. I would stay for a year in Costa Rica and write a book. In India I would study Hindu gods, art and culture. And I love Indian food. In Brazil I would just sit back at the beach and watch people walk by. Brazilians are beautiful an passionate people. I would also party... they love to party.

Answer 2

I would recommend Mexico and Central, or South America.  The pound is so strong right now, your money would go a long way.  If you got tired of doing volunteer work and needed a break, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica would give you the opportunity for some time at a resort.  Also, you'd be close to the US if you needed medical care without a language barrier.  And if I had a year off, I'd stay the whole year.  Mexico in particular has so much poverty and always needs help.  Check out the Amigos program.  You'd also have the opportunity to see amazing Mayan cultural sites.    I live in Texas, USA.

Answer 3

Given your interests can I suggest Bhutan.  It only opened its borders to the outside world a few years ago.  It only has a couple of thousand tourists per year.  You must pay $US 200 per day to go there (they want to keep the number of tourists low so that they have minimal impact on the culture or development of the country).  It is a very beautiful country where the people are still very unaffected by the rest of the world.  Is is a bit like Katmandu before too many tourists wrecked it.  Japan is also very beautiful and culturally interesting even though it is a first world country.  Another idea would be to check out the Kimberleys in Australia.  It is very remote, staggeringly beautiful and you could work with some of the aborigines who live up there.

PS: I would also suggest you check out Petra in Jordan and the area around there inhabited by Bedouin people still living a traditional nomadic lifestyle.