Africa, Asia, Central and South America
Combining off-grid travel + challenge + volunteering
Booking a Leap gives you the double whammy of a rewarding and fun Leap programme plus access to our backpacking advice hub, which gives you all the information you need to travel after the programme (more often than not with your new Leap friends).
This gives our Leapers the best of both worlds - a structured programme as well as insider travel tips to make the most of a backpacking phase. Of course, you can still just do a programme or just access the hub – but the double whammy has become the first choice for so many. So, kick start your gap year with a Leap team programme, which combine a mix of locations and contrasting projects opportunities, with a broad focus on global warming, climate change, conservation, community and language skills. Our in-country guides are on hand to take care of all the logistics so you hit the ground running - contributing and exploring from the moment you arrive.
The backpacking phase is supported through our travel hub which gives access to gap year planning consultations, off grid travel opportunities, backpacker itineraries and 24/7 emergency back-up, plus so much more.
Never has gap year planning, travelling and volunteering been so easy, so get in touch with the gap year experts.
Access our leap teams who will help you plan and deliver unique and rewarding gap year experiences.
Starting your gap year travel with us allows you to hit the ground running and everyone can relax knowing you're in safe hands. Through the Leap programme you have the chance to ‘give something back’, head off the backpacker trail, make friends for life and develop many ‘soft skills’ that are coveted in the workplace and will definitely enhance your CV.
Our programmes enable you to become travel savvy, knowing that if anything goes wrong we are on hand 24/7 to assist. We know that after a programme you will be ready for the challenge of independent backpacking.
Access our black book of global contacts and their life changing projects.
Travel as part of a team of like-minded gappers providing a guaranteed social scene and great campfire moments.
It's impossible to show case all our programmes on this page, so we have chosen one from each continent to get the ball rolling and inspire you. All our programmes weave a mix of projects and adventures but, of course, some are better for community, others for conservation. Keep scrolling until you find your perfect fit. Alternatively, arrange a zoom call with Milly, Zoë or Alice and they will walk you through each one (without being biased). Just so you know, we accept anyone between 18 - 25 years old, who are on a gap year or looking for an exciting summer, and are compatible with the programme and its challenges.
Firstly and most importantly - ask yourself if you want to travel independently or with a team.
The independent backpacker wants to travel with utter freedom, making decisions daily and changing them on an hourly basis either with mates or alone, but not as a team programme. They are happy to make friends pool side, arrive in new places with no plans. Is this you? Or are you a pack animal and prefer to start with some structure?
We have created a travel advice hub, which is a one-stop-shop for travel consultancy for the independent traveller. We help sort out itineraries, flights and insurance.
Also, we can put you directly in contact with our in-country hosts who get you right into the heart of the country, off the beaten track and mixing with local people.
Remember, although we are calling it a gap year, your gap year experience doesn’t have to take a full 365 days.
Most gappers travel for about 3 - 6 months and try to mix and match several different experiences to create a varied itinerary.
Ah, the age old question.
Money – it’s probably the most important thing to consider before you start planning your gap year, and the most common question we get asked. We suggest that you need to earn about £300 per week and you will spend between £200 - £250 per week when travelling. FYI Asia is cheaper than South /Central America and Africa
Oh yes…a new era of gear and gadgets is upon you that will have you climbing mountains, surviving the jungle and sleeping like a baby in the nosiest of hostels.
I promise you the effort you put in beforehand will reap reward when you are out on your gap year. You can be the traveller who can access anything in a nano second, have light when the generator breaks, hang up wet clothes in the middle of the jungle and sleep in the middle of a rave with your earplugs wedged in.
