the thing you would have like to have know before you went on your gap year

share your golden nuggets
your little life lessons
the best thing you were ever told
your top tips...

...go...

To take everything people say with a pinch of salt, most of it is bull**** or heavily exaggerated.

Not bother with Malaria medication anywhere in SEA asia other than Cambodia.

Dunno lol, maybe I'll think of some

Reply 2

jomo

To expect everything to turn out completely different to what you imagined (a year on, am I doing my amazing tour through S-E Asia? No - i'm still working full time and loving it all the same :P).

Oh, also - even though my travelling has been somewhat limited this year, always remember a toothbrush.

Infact, just pack 2 toothbrushes and put them in completely separate bags.

Reply 3

Reblet

To realise how damn fast time goes

AND

To take every opportunity that comes along no matter how doubtful you are about it

AND

To just have fun!

Reply 4

No Future

You'll be busier than you think!
Time goes by sooo fast!
Try not to spend your earnings...you might need them at uni...

Reply 5

Powersymphonia

Erm...................Are there lots of giant spiders?

Reply 6

Ewan

Ah, and it isn't a holiday. Being a tourist is damn hard work. But enjoyable at the same time, I guess its like a job that you enjoy.

Reply 7

ukebert

That money goes very very very quickly. You have to budget very carefully, especially when it comes to food and transport. Take accounts of what you spend, always think "Do I really need that" or "Is there a cheaper one?" I didn't do that on some of my trips so far, and now I'm going to be pushed next month in Norway. I've taken out a temporary loan with my parents, I just hope I won't need it.

Reply 8

Saskatoon

That it can actually be hugely lonely and boring. Of course, being hugely over-imaginative, I saw myself lying on tropical beaches for 18 months and being blissfully happy when this has not, in fact, been the case at all.

There have been high points, of course, but there most certainly have been lows. If you're not used to being away from home, it's like being thrown in at the deep end and every small aspect of your travels becomes a battle rather than enjoyment. And no matter how well you get on with your friends, you will find something to argue about, no matter what. It's rather a catch-22 situation - travelling alone seems ideal but it takes a very brave person to do it without questioning every detail of your inner being and travel plans.

I really have found the vast majority of this year a struggle and so incredibly dull - especially as a barmaid when I literally had no intelligent conversation for 6 months and was quite bored out of my brain.

My advice would be -

*Make plans and stick to them, by all means. Don't listen to your own doubts or others who may try to undermine you - just get on with it.
*Don't sit around your house or your family WILL drive you insane. I never realised what a blessing school was, it kept me busy for 8 hours of the day and enabled me to discuss situations with my parents rather than have them amount in to a blazing row after being cooped up in the house all day
*Learn to drive if you live in a marooned area. It would have made such a difference to my year had I been able to - instead on days free from work and other plans I have simply got up, eaten, watched 'The Simple Life', eaten, gone back to bed. That is of course, a gross exaggeration but it is almost true - I do wish I could have got out and seen more of the country while I've been in England. I truly regret that more than anything
*Make sure your employers are fair and good. Two of mine ripped me off wholeheartedly and I have lost a few hundred pounds as I was financially-naive enough to let it happen. But it won't again - ever.
*Absolutely make certain that your friends won't desert you or it will be an even more lonely time. Trust me on that one.

This all sounds terribly negative but I'm just warning those who think it will all be wonderful as, like most things in life, it won't. Just make the most of it and take the highs with the lows and look forward to going to university (as I am doing) on to a more secure, steady part of your life and enjoy every experience.

Thanks very much.

Reply 9

Zebrastripes

jomo

What happened to you? :p:

Can't you just buy a toothbrush out there.

My tip: Don't take everything! You can buy things out there and half the things you pack you probably wont use. Sleeping bag, unless you are camping, you probably wont need it. Take a cotten liner if you want something to sleep in.

Money - save and budget! as everyone else has said.

Keep in touch with friends. But also, they will get bored of your travel stories once you get back.

Reply 10

Ewan

I'd advise taking a lot more money than you think you will spend.

You see budgeting is all fine and dandy but when you have to think about "oh am I spending too much" on every single purchase you make you will start to get very tired of it. I budged 10 GBP for Thailand, and by in large I did spend 10GBP, but I still had to watch what I spent EVERY day. I would rather budget 20GBP and not have to think about budgeting. It gets tiresome, when you get to a sight and think "**** I really want to go to this site but its too expensive" and you can't go.

Traveling takes time to get used to. I wasn't happy for nearly 2 months at the beginning of my trip. I didn't like Malaysia at all for this reason, and I would quite often simply stay in one place just cause I didn't want to move. It took me about 2 months to get used to Asia and to get used to traveling alone: the different food, transport, attitudes, languages, and just being alone and not being able to talk properly to people. By the time I got to Thailand however, I absolutely loved it.

Reply 11

lizi100

Ewan, i am scared of being lonely and then not enjoying the beautiful places i will visit. this is why i plan to do austrialia before i completly throw myself in the deep end in south east asia. I hope things will be easier in Aus since there is no language barrier and culture is similar to here in the uk.

Reply 12

Ewan

Thats cool, cause Aus is a lot like the UK I hear. Out of all the countries in SEA I found Thailand the easiest to deal with. So that may be a good starting point there! (though flights are cheaper to Singapore I think?). Aus won't be like "Asia" though, its really westernised. So getting used to asian culture might take a while, as I said Thailand is a good way to ease your way in because its very touristy and people speak a lot of english. You should have a wail of a time in Aus anyway! By asian culture I just mean the feel of the country, and from what I saw all east asian countries are quite similar in that sense.

Take it slow at the start, if your anything like me you'll hate moving around. You soon get used to it though, and eventually grow to love it.

Reply 13

Waterish

I agree with Ewan, take much more than you think you'll need. If it gets to the point where you have to pass up visiting places because you can't afford it, then what's the point of going on a gap year in the first place? You're just missing out on what you came to do/see.

Australia is great, the people there are very friendly, probably because the pace of life is so much slower than in england. Also, everything is a lot cheaper (like most places compared to england), but, unlike many places where this is the case, there's hardly any risk of the cheap goods being fake. There's loads to do, and the weather is usually awesome. The only drawback is that you may not actually want to go, since i think it is quite different from South East Asia. Don't be afraid to move on, you'll just be wasting your money otherwise!

Reply 14

robh125

If you are travelling to some relatively "far out" places, please make sure that you get the right medical attention prior to leaving. My other thread states the problems I had, so I won't go into any detail here, but please please please don't be lax when it comes to this!

Reply 15

FyreFight

Don't go to the ******** "backpacker" destinations, like SEA, if you want to go somewhere off the beaten track. They're more like B-roads. You'll see as many white faces as native in places. Particularly Thailand. If you want something different, head to Africa, and don't use an operating company.

And try and join an airline membership club if you plan to travel.

Reply 16

username48778

Not to have too much of a plan. By all means have some idea of what you want to see but, particularly if you're on your own, it's great to have the flexibility to go with the flow and be spontaneous. I'd also have worked harder to earn more money, and not have been afraid to occasionally spend a bit more on more comfortable accommodation.

Try and learn some of the local language - if you're going to Latin America, for example, then a couple of weeks Spanish lessons in Quito or Lima before embarking on a long trip is invaluable.

Reply 17

ukebert

Remember t plan ahead AT LEAST 2 days in advance, and remember that hostels fill up quickly :p:

Reply 18

-steph-

I say try and keep tabs on ur friends from school cause being on a gap year can be lonely sometimes. You come home and u sometimes have no one to tell ur stories to or that ur friends are in new circles and its hard to stay on the same level.
Yeah dont spend all of ur money on stuff cause I did that and i regret it now. So on limited money for uni.
Travelling remember to bring someone who isnt afraid to kill them for u. I spent 30 min in a room cause a cockroach had blocked the door. Then my friend came in and opened the door which killed it.