Top 10 Gap Year Destinations

Revealed: The Top 10 Gap Year Destinations
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Top travel destinations for students taking gap years
Flickr

Gap year travellers are looking beyond backpacking to boost their CVs, and opting for work experience placements overseas - with Thailand being the number one destination.

The number of students teaching English as a foreign language, through courses such as TEFL, has almost doubled in the past 12 months, according to one travel organisation.

Top Gap Year Destinations
1. Thailand(01 of10)
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Thailand, Koh Samui, Choeng Mon Bay, samui peninsula resort, massage spa house with ornate roof overlooking the beach. (credit:PA)
2. Australia(02 of10)
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AUSTRALIA Northern Territory Uluru Ayers Rock. Giant red rock formation at dusk overshadowed by storm clouds (credit:PA)
3. USA(03 of10)
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Blue Seattle twilight, freeways, skyscrapers, Puget Sound, from the PAC Medical Building, former home of Amazon, Seattle, Washington, USA (credit:Flickr:Wonderlane)
4. South Africa(04 of10)
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Table Mountain across Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa (credit:Flickr:juanalbertogarciarivera)
5. Peru(05 of10)
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Machu Picchu (credit:Flickr:VasenkaPhotography)
6. Vietnam(06 of10)
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On a misty day. (credit:Flickr:Michael Khor)
7. Brazil(07 of10)
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A view towards Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where England face Brazil in their Friendly match tomorrow evening. (credit:PA)
8. India(08 of10)
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(credit:Flickr:wales_gibbons)
9. New Zealand(09 of10)
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(credit:Flickr:Peti_Morgan)
10. Fiji(10 of10)
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(credit:Flickr:Frontierofficial)

As well as teaching English, students are opting for bar work and internships, a survey by travel company Abta found.

Some are doing voluntary work, including working with local communities and participating in wildlife conservation projects.

Adventure gap years are also proving popular, with tour operators offering all kinds of activities from martial arts boot camps to surf schools and ranching lessons. The more traditional round-the-world backpacking gap year has dropped behind these options, although it still remains popular.