42 Gap year ideas vacations found
Volunteer with elephants in South Africa
Volunteer with elephants near South Africa's beautiful coast
From £1,415 21 days ex flights
Tailor made:
Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you, all year round
Save £50 on departures between 1st June and 31st August.
Thailand wildlife sanctuary volunteering holiday
Volunteering break at a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand
From £974 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This project can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Save £50 on departures between 1st June and 31st August.
Animal project in South Africa
Hands on rehabilitation work in South Africa
From £1,395 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be arranged at any time throughout the year for up to 12 weeks
Volunteering Thailand, wildlife rescue centre
Work with rescued tropical animals such as monkeys and bears
From £599 7 days ex flights
Small group travel:
Placements last from 1-12 weeks and can start on any date throughout the year
Helpdesk
If you would like some help or advice, or just want to discuss your ideas for your next trip, do give us a call.
Rainforest conservation in the Amazon, Peru
Conservation in the Amazon
From £1,695 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
Departures can be arranged at anytime throughout the year
Volunteering with bears in Cambodia
Care for rescued bears in tropical Cambodia
From £695 7 days ex flights
Small group travel:
Departures every Sunday throughout the year
Spaces are still available to volunteer in Cambodia
Malawi volunteering vacation
Volunteer at Africa's top wildlife sanctuary
From £1,370 to £4,350 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you
20% off 2018 volunteer bookings if you book by May 31st
Ts & Cs: Excluding courses and vet externships and bookings already made.
Teaching assistants in New Zealand
Teach children in Auckland, New Zealand
From £1,495 4 weeks ex flights
Tailor made:
Departures can be arranged to start at any time during the school term
Teach children in Patagonia, Chile
Teach English in the magnificent scenery of Patagonia
From US $4,973 12 weeks ex flights
Tailor made:
Trips run anytime throughout the year
Volunteers required to teach in local Chilean schools this fall! Save £100
Jungle conservation & research, Peru
Jungle conservation and research project in the Amazon
From £1,495 16 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 28 May, 25 Jun, 12 Jul, 23 Jul, 9 Aug, 20 Aug, 17 Sep, 15 Oct, 12 Nov, 10 Dec
2019: 7 Jan, 4 Feb, 4 Mar, 1 Apr, 29 Apr, 27 May, 24 Jun, 22 Jul, 19 Aug, 16 Sep, 14 Oct, 11 Nov, 9 Dec
2019: 7 Jan, 4 Feb, 4 Mar, 1 Apr, 29 Apr, 27 May, 24 Jun, 22 Jul, 19 Aug, 16 Sep, 14 Oct, 11 Nov, 9 Dec
Last minute volunteering opportunity in the Amazon! Join the team in Peru for a 2-12 week placement
Tanzania volunteering projects
Change lives by making a difference in Tanzania.
From £600 to £900 12 weeks ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 1 Jun, 8 Jun, 1 Aug, 8 Sep, 6 Oct
Wildlife rescue volunteering in Costa Rica
Assist caring for rescued animals in Costa Rica
From £1,095 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Spaces are still available to volunteer in Costa Rica
CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF CONSERVATION IN CARRIACOU
Diving and Reef conservation in beautiful Caribbean waters.
From US $2,094 to US $3,923.45 4 weeks ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 27 May, 24 Jun, 22 Jul, 19 Aug, 16 Sep, 14 Oct, 11 Nov
New Zealand conservation volunteering
Enjoy helping with conservation in beautiful New Zealand
From £815 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Helpdesk
If you would like some help or advice, or just want to discuss your ideas for your next trip, do give us a call.
Thailand Elephant conservation volunteering
Help to bring elephants from captivity back to the wild
From £965 7 days ex flights
Tailor made
Save £100 if you book before 31st May 2018 and travel before 31st March 2019
Wildlife rehabilitation volunteering in Borneo
Volunteering with orangutan, sun bears and more on Borneo
From £1,280 to £1,800 14 days ex flights
Small group travel
Ecuador wildlife sanctuary volunteering
Volunteer with amazing Amazonian wildlife in a jungle haven
From £895 14 days ex flights
Tailor made
Save £50 on departures between 1st June and 31st August.
Costa Rica turtle conservation experience
Help protect turtles by volunteering in Costa Rica!
From £511 to £3,382 8 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 22 May, 23 May, 24 May, 25 May, 26 May, 27 May, 28 May, 29 May, 30 May, 31 May, 1 Jun, 2 Jun, 3 Jun, 4 Jun, 5 Jun, 6 Jun, 7 Jun, 8 Jun, 9 Jun, 10 Jun, 11 Jun, 12 Jun, 13 Jun, 14 Jun, 15 Jun, 16 Jun, 17 Jun, 18 Jun, 19 Jun, 20 Jun, 21 Jun, 22 Jun, 23 Jun, 24 Jun, 25 Jun, 26 Jun, 27 Jun, 28 Jun, 29 Jun, 30 Jun, 1 Jul, 2 Jul, 3 Jul, 4 Jul, 5 Jul, 6 Jul, 7 Jul, 8 Jul, 9 Jul, 10 Jul, 11 Jul, 12 Jul, 13 Jul, 14 Jul, 15 Jul, 16 Jul ...
Veterinary internship in Chintsa, South Africa
Hands-on veterinary experience in game reserves and farms
From £1,699 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Elephant conservation vacation, Cambodia
Volunteer with rescued Asian elephants
From £725 7 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 26 May, 2 Jun, 9 Jun, 16 Jun, 23 Jun, 30 Jun, 7 Jul, 14 Jul, 21 Jul, 28 Jul, 4 Aug, 11 Aug, 18 Aug, 25 Aug, 1 Sep, 8 Sep, 15 Sep, 22 Sep, 29 Sep, 6 Oct, 13 Oct, 20 Oct, 27 Oct, 3 Nov, 10 Nov, 17 Nov, 24 Nov, 1 Dec, 8 Dec, 15 Dec, 22 Dec, 29 Dec
Volunteering opportunities are still available in Cambodia!
Teaching English in Madagascar
Teach English on the beautiful island of Madagascar
From £795 14 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 28 May, 4 Jun, 11 Jun, 18 Jun, 25 Jun, 2 Jul, 9 Jul, 16 Jul, 23 Jul, 30 Jul, 6 Aug, 13 Aug, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, 3 Sep, 10 Sep, 17 Sep, 24 Sep, 1 Oct, 8 Oct, 15 Oct, 22 Oct, 29 Oct, 5 Nov, 12 Nov, 19 Nov, 26 Nov
If you're interested in teaching English in Madagascar, there are still currently spaces available to volunteer for 2-12 weeks
Volunteering in Madagascar, community building project
Community building in beautiful Madagascar
From £895 14 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 3 Jul, 2 Oct
2019: 8 Jan, 2 Apr, 2 Jul, 1 Oct
2019: 8 Jan, 2 Apr, 2 Jul, 1 Oct
Volunteers are needed to support the local building team in Madagascar
Family volunteering in Thailand
Family wildlife sanctuary volunteering in Thailand
From £739 7 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Ghana community volunteering
Community building in tropical Ghana
From £795 7 days ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 26 May, 9 Jun, 23 Jun, 7 Jul, 21 Jul, 4 Aug, 18 Aug, 1 Sep, 15 Sep, 29 Sep, 13 Oct, 27 Oct, 10 Nov, 24 Nov
We are looking for volunteers to support the local building team in Ghana for 1-12 weeks!
Thailand marine conservation and diving holiday
Diving and marine conservation on a beautiful Thai island
From £1,295 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This project can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Turtle conservation volunteering in Thailand
Turtle conservation on a stunning Thai island
From £1,125 14 days ex flights
Tailor made:
This project can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Amazon Rainforest Internship in Peru
Unique jungle conservation internship in heart of the Amazon
From US $6,500 24 weeks ex flights
Small group travel:
2018: 25 Jun, 20 Aug, 15 Oct, 10 Dec
Teach children in Cambodia
Teach disadvantaged children in Cambodia
From £525 7 days ex flights
Tailor made:
Available all year round. Our placements are very flexible, you can choose your own start and finish dates.
Volunteer at a lion sanctuary in South Africa
Work with rescued big cats in Africa's largest sanctuary
From £1,795 4 weeks ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailormade to suit your requirements, throughout the year
Save £200 on departures between 9th July and 24th September
From
£599
excluding flights
I went to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Thailand, this was a fantastic project helping animals who had been mostly kept as pets. It’s hard to say what was the most memorable part of this vacation as there was so much variety and different experiences, it’s difficult to decide what was the best part of it.
(more)Cathy Bisset
I had so many fantastic experiences, and the centre itself was in an idyllic area, on the grounds of a Buddhist temple. One highlight was spotting wild elephants in a nearby national park, after dark. (more)Olly Carney
From
£695
excluding flights
I loved every second of my trip - the people, the country, the bears I worked with... (more)Louise Bednarz
Meeting the bears and being able to really make a difference to their day-to-day lives with enrichment, feeding and cleaning; some of the things we were doing (such as enrichment to keep the bears active and happy) wouldn't get done unless we were there to help out! (more)Heather Reynolds
We were so close to the bears and keepers that you feel part of the project rather than just a short stay helper. I think we were really lucky... to have the baby bear (Lola) arrive when we were there too. (more)Anon
From
£1,695
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Cutting a path through dense jungle to fin capybara
Tips?
Speak to the guys who have done it already for advice!
A camera, comfy inner soles, good Headtorch, organic mosquito repellent, waterproof bags were the items I was glad I had the most!
Local benefits?
yes, all of the above!
Overall rating?
it was such an incredible experience, expect it to be really hard work but you get out what you put in. (more)William Haward
From
£1,495
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Getting to spend time walking through the jungle and seeing so many great animals and birds. The best moments were the tree frogs, manu poison frog and the rainbow boa! I really enjoyed the construction of the bird hides and biogarden even though sometimes it was really hard work! Pancakes for breakfast were great!
Tips?
There was a lot of walking and physical activity so it’s really important to expect to do lots when you get there and probably need reasonable fitness!
Local... (more)Melanie Veal
From
£1,395
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Tips?
Local benefits?
Overall rating?
Poor. Not much meaningful work. It was not well organized in keeping volunteers busy. There were lots of occasions when we ran out of jobs and were told to wander around and look for things to do. Myself and my grandchildren were extremely disappointed. We had a family meeting and left early. Still a bad taste in our mouth. After staying there I felt that the fee charged was excessive.
John Brown. (more)John Brown
From
£895
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Helping animals.
Tips?
It’s a lot of work, but it pays off! The animals and the people are phenomenal.
Local benefits?
Yes
Overall rating?
Great experience! (more)Maya Dite
From
£974
excluding flights
The people with whom you're working with are terrific. From the other volunteers to the staff and those who stay for the long term there was a very good wibe within the WTTF community. (more)Stuart Moncrieff
It was a very rewarding 2 weeks and I would recommend it to anyone who has a keen interest in animal welfare. (more)Colin Harvey
From
£815
excluding flights
The best part of the trip was meeting lots on new people from different countries and backgrounds. It was amazing to have an opportunity to visit and stay in more remote/ less popular (with tourists) parts of New Zealand. It added a real unique aspect to visiting New Zealand. (more)Amy Memin
My highlight was seeing places that tourists don't normally see or experience through lack of information or inability to access such as nurseries. (more)Helen Frazer
From
£1,415
excluding flights
Fantastic!.... The whole experience was very good (the organisation of the trip,
the traveling itself, the people...) but of course being able to spend time with
these amazing animals was the highlight of the vacation and possibly of my last
few years as well. (more)Darina Brejtrova
Most exciting vacation ever...Go for it (more)Ailish Scanlon
Amazing! It was my dream to work with elephants. It really was a trip of a lifetime. I learnt so much and made a few great friends out there which I still keep in contact with now. (more)Melisa Dora
From
£1,370
excluding flights
Just do it, you won't regret it! (more)Chris Wade
Great from start to finish - the staff, the country, the project, the work - I was sad to leave and hope to go back. I went for the animal work which I really enjoyed but an unexpected highlight of the trip was getting out into the community to see one of their fuel briquette projects. (more)Kat Wendels
A great experience. I got to know some local people and volunteers from different countries and I learned about animal conservation and the social/ economic situation in Malawi. (more)Steve Boud
From
£895
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Working with experienced people who are always willing to help and teach you
Tips?
To bring many working pieces of clothes and leave at home fashion dresses
Local benefits?
Yes
Overall rating?
Great and fulfilling experience
(more)Giorgia Trevisan
From
£995
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
There are so many to choose from, but the most memorable has to be when we visited the mainland to teach in a Thai school. The children were not used to foreigners and were really excited to see us, they had us signing autographs and posing for lots of photos!! The school had organised and practised dances for us which we really appreciated and enjoyed watching!! The snorkelling trip on Koh Tao was also brilliant!!
Tips?
The only tips I could give would be to prepare... (more)Justine Martin
From
€550
excluding flights
It was AMAZING! (more)tracy ciotti
My whole time at the reserve was so incredible with thrills everyday from hurtling along dirt tracks to see elephants, watching porcupines and honey badgers battle right next to camp to the first time you lead a class by yourself. (more)Deirdre McClean
Working with all of the animals and children, and meeting wonderful people were most memorable - the whole experience was memorable and exciting. The trip well and truly exceeded my expectations. I would happily recommend it to anyone.
(more)Thérèse Hutchins
From
£1,125
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
Experiencing the local village with people who didn't speak any English.
Contributing to a project bigger than ourselves by providing daily turtle activity observations. Nok's restaurant! Stopping by at the resorts in between the hard work. The scenery.
Tips?
1. Stay in Thailand on the mainland before coming to Koh Phra Tong. The island is not representative of the rest of the mainland (much more expensive,
much more basic accommodations) and will be a culture shock... (more)Svetlana Neveu
From
£1,295
excluding flights
Memorable parts?
The diving on Sail Rock, probably one of the best dive sites in the Gulf of
Thailand
Tips?
This is a small village with basic amenities so be prepared to take it easy and
relax as there is a lot of down time where nothing is happening. If you get bored
easily then make sure you have brought things to occupy your time or better still
make an effort to get out and about the island.
Local benefits?
Not really to the extent that I would have liked, sure spending... (more)Stan Batchelor
