•2 min read•from travel
Need help planning my gap year!
Our take
Hello, adventurous travelers! I'm a high school senior excited to embark on a gap year before college, and I could use your expertise in planning my journey. I’m looking at spending time in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, and China, each for a few months. My goal is to explore diverse cultures, enhance my travel skills, and embrace new experiences, all while considering weather and challenges. If you have any tips or feedback on my itinerary, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hello travelers,
I am currently a senior in high school hoping to travel for a year before starting college, and I am looking for help planning my trip - and looking for any general tips.
Here is my vague layout:
New Zealand from early September to late December (~4 months)
Thailand + some travel around SEA from early January to late Feb/early Mar. (~2 months)
Japan from after Thailand to end of April. (~2 months)
China early May to end of June (~2 months)
Then see if I want to stay home until school starts in August or travel again.
The thought process behind this schedule is based on weather, and increasing difficulty. Starting in NZ where I already speak the language and will get my bearings for solo traveling, and do some seasonal work. Then SEA where there is an established hostel/backpacking culture where I hope to practice Muay Thai. Then Japan where I have visited before (but this time going to more rural areas and using workaway and practicing my shitty Japanese), then to China where I imagine will be the most difficult to backpack in - I want to sightsee in May before it gets super touristy, then do a month or so in a Shaolin temple in June (hopefully more northern so it won’t be too hot either).
Please correct me if I have any false assumptions, or if you have any feedback.
Thanks!
[link] [comments]
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience
Related Articles
- Is this a realistic travel plan?Hi all, I’m planning on leaving my job early next year and taking 9-12 months off to go travelling through south east Asia, leaving around Feb/March time) I’m just in the process of making some initial planning, obviously it’s quite far away and this is by no means a finished itinerary. I’ve just written a draft based on places I’ve been recommended by friends and things I’ve seen online. I’m fully expecting everything to change, but is what I’ve got down already below somewhat realistic in terms of logistics, timings, cost, etc? I really have no idea what I’m doing so any advice is very much welcome haha. Fly from London to Bangkok - 1 week Head into North Thailand (Chang Mai, Pai Chang Rai) - 5 weeks Cross over into Laos (Luang Prabang, VanVieng) - 2 weeks Down into Vietnam (Ho Chi Min, Hanoi, Hoi an, Ha Giang Loop) - 4 weeks Fly over to Sri Lanka (Sigiriya, Kandy, Hortain plains, Ella, Colombo) - 5 weeks Fly back to South Thailand (Phuket, Koh Samui, Phi Phi islands, Khao Sok, Krabi) - 5 weeks Over to Malaysia (Kuala lumpa, Tasman national park) - 2/3 weeks Then Indonesia (Jakarta, Bali, Java) - 4 weeks Fly over to the Philippines (Manila, Palawan (Coron + Elnido), Cebu) - 3 weeks Over to Australia and working my way up the east coast (Melbourne, Sydney, Byron bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosaville, Rainbow beach, Kgari, Whitsundays, Edmondson) - 8 weeks Then to southern New Zealand (Invercargill, Stewart island, Caroline Peak, Te Anau, Queenstown, Wanaka, Mount cook, Twizel, Lake Tekapo, Christchurch, Blenheim, Wellington, Taupo, Coromandel, Whangarei, Auckland) - 8 weeks Fly back to London from north New Zealand Of course I’m perfectly happy to just play things by ear when I’m out there and mix things up as I go along, but I just want to have a basic plan ready. Also how much roughly would a trip like this be expected to cost? I’m thinking close to £20k but I have no clue really what to expect. Cheers! submitted by /u/WaffleOfWar70 [link] [comments]
- Year off to travel. Advice?I’m taking 2027 on leave from my job, and I’m looking to spend it travelling. I’m from Australia, and wanting advice on how to map out the next year. Essentially, I’ve got the whole year off work, but I can always return and work whenever (I’m a teacher and can do relief teaching when back home). I would like to visit most of the continents, as much as I could. At a relaxed pace. I haven’t solo travelled before so I was thinking short stints - maybe a month or a little longer at a time then come home and work for a couple weeks before the next trip. Don’t want to spend more than $40k aud. This came about mainly because I’m turning 30, I want to see the world, have savings, have flexibility in my job to take leave, potentially want to make travel content, want to take the year to realign myself with goals/life. If you were in my situation - how would you approach this? How would you start building an itinerary. What places are great for solo travel to start? Any advice?! Thanks! submitted by /u/genericmetaphor [link] [comments]
- 3 months solo trip in Asia this autumnHello, I'm planning a 3 months trip from end of september to end December in South East asia. So far I'm planning : 5 weeks in Japan, starting in hokkaido, then going South by train to Tokyo, Golden route and then down to Okinawa 3 weeks in Taiwan, seems amazing 5 days in Hong Kong And then I'm not sure... Indonesia or the Philippines? It will be December than, I'm not sure about the weather, I' d like to end the trip somewhere quiet on the beach ... What would you recommend ? submitted by /u/Complex_Charity_5208 [link] [comments]
- China Trip help/recommendation Hi all I am planning a trip for China in June, where i hope ill do some big city sightseeing but mostly nature hiking. I would like someone to check my itinerary and tell me pros and cos, as well as correction ideas and overal general tips. Here is my current plan \\\\- Mid june arrive in Xangai. \\\\- Stay 3 days in Xangai. \\\\- Then take high speed rail to Zhangjiajie (i know i prolly need some kind of extra step here) \\\\- Stay in Zhangjiajie 4-5 days there to hike \\\\- Then travel by plane or train to Yangshuo (still notnsure how to do this) Stay 3-4 days in Yangshuo to hike Then travel out of China. Hoping to hear improvements and ideas from you guys. I could potentially stay 1 week longer if someone pitches a good idea. An additional nature spot or an a big city to visit would be nice Also handy saying that im 37M European, arriving in China from Japan, and going to Vietnam after China. Never been in these countries before. Thanks ! submitted by /u/travel10red [link] [comments]
Tagged with
#travel content#gap year#travel planning#New Zealand#Thailand#Japan#Southeast Asia#China#solo traveling#Muay Thai#backpacking#travel itinerary#seasonal work#hostel culture#rural areas#Shaolin temple#weather considerations#language practice#workaway#tourist season