Taking your gap year in Asia is a great way to see one of the worlds most diverse and enthralling continents while also making a positive difference. Gap year Asia means gaining a far greater insight into the local cultures and everyday life rather than merely passing through, making for a far more authentic volunteer Asia, careerbreak Asia or travel Asia experience. Plus, if you want to take a gap year in Asia its not necessary to have any specific skills or qualifications just bring along your passion and an enthusiasm to give something back and keep an open mind! In return you will gain an unforgettable and worthwhile gap year Asia experience that you’ll treasure for years.
Gap year Asia with Ecoteer whom provides you with a wide choice of worthwhile gap year volunteer programs and projects. You can get involved with one of our popular wildlife conservation projects, presenting thrilling gap year opportunities to work with some of Asias most endangered animals, such as Turtles in Malaysia. You may also consider gap year volunteering in Asia to make a contribution towards improving the lives of disadvantaged children and adults in local communities, or you could make a vital difference by contributing your time to gap year in thailand or gap year in India. Our recent gap year projects in Sri Lanka enable gap year volunteers to help reestablish communities destroyed by the 2004 tsunami and 6 years on have long been forgotten. Whatever you do when you take your gap year Asia you can be sure to find the adventure thats right for you.
Recommended gap year Asia projects
Gap year turtle volunteer project in Perhentian, Malaysia
Cost – GBP200 per week
Be part of our fledgling gap year turtle conservation and marine awareness project in the most beautiful islands of Malaysia, the Perhentian Islands, off mainland Malaysia. Green turtles are in dire need of our help especially in Terengganu, where 4 species of marine turtle nest but three of them, the hawksbill, Olive Ridley and Leatherbacks are almost locally extinct. Gap year volunteers help protect two important turtle beaches, run weekly after-school clubs at the primary school and teach tourists about marine conservation and turtle protection.
Join the Turtle gap year volunteer project now
Gap year Malaysia and teach English at learning centres
Cost – GBP749 for 4 weeks
Ecoteer are combing forces with a local NGO to help them expand their network of learning centres across Sabah, Borneo Malaysia. This gap year volunteer project will be the second project to be run by Ecoteer. Help teach English to the children of palm oil workers during your gap year asia. Provide the children education which they would otherwise have no access too.
Teach English in Sabah, Borneo Malaysia.
Orangutan gap year volunteering in Borneo
Cost – Over GBP200 per week
The gap year orangutan project is a collection of orangutan conservation projects in both Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo, funded by gap year volunteer contributions. The GOP’s strength lies in its unique collaboration of orangutan conservation organisations or individuals who exchange knowledge, advice and ideas towards orangutan conservation in this part of the world. Each project has the shared vision of increasing the size and health of Borneo orangutan populations, bringing them back from the brink of extinction.
Join the Orangutan volunteer project new
Marine gap year volunteers in Sabah
Cost – GBP100 per week
Giant Clams the pearls of coral reefs are almost locally extinct. Become a marine volunteer in Borneo and help save these Giants. Gap year Asia volunteers help with the spawning of giant clams and coral re-planting work. Gap year Asia volunteers are also involved in the environmental education work with school children.
Become a marine volunteer in Borneo
Volunteer in ecotourism or teach in Cambodia
Cost – Free
The lodge offers bed and breakfast accommodation to “green” and eco-friencly travellers, but it is also open to all kinds of visitors who want to stay somewhere completely different to conventional lodging in town. Gap year Asia volunteers teach English to the youth of the tribal groups to make them more employable. English is not included in the national curriculum so gap year Asia volunteers teaching English is of great need.
Volunteer teach english and help the Cambodian youth find future employment
Volunteer in Laos textiles
Cost – GBP50 per week
This gap year volunteer project in Laos is dedicated to Lao cultural preservation through the promotion of Lao textile arts. It is our goal to economically and socially benefit Lao rural mountain artisans and thereby contribute to the wider community especially to women.
Unique aspects are that our new gap year Asia volunteers do not come into an existing role rather they become part of the community and co-steer the process of building up the future work of the ladies. A small team is in place to supervise and the founder of the Foundation can guide through various ideas connected to the projects aims.
Volunteer in Lao textiles now
Volunteer at tiger reserve ecolodge
Cost – GBP50-100 per week
Nestled deep in the picturesque Ramganga valley and surrounded by lush hills, the Lodge lies in total seclusion with the meandering Ramganga virtually cutting it off from human habitation. The lodge is strategically located on the banks of the river, the lifeline of Corbett, before it enters the park at Domunda. We provide a unique gap year Asia volunteer wildlife experience for nature lovers and our lodge easily ranks as one of the wildest jungle lodges in India. The rustle of the breeze in the adjoining forests, the calls of birds, the rumble of the river as it goes over rapids and sitting around a campfire at night to hear alarm calls of sambar and barking deer, provides an unforgettable dimension to the ambience. What makes it unique is the diversity it offers. The envious location affords long walks into the surrounding forest, something not permitted inside the park. A good mix of riverine, forest and high altitude habitat makes it a birdwatchers haven. With exclusive fishing beats replete with Golden Mahseer, anglers have rated it as the best sportfishing destination in North India. The added attraction of elephant safaris in the wild country makes this an irresistible proposition for your gap year in Asia.
Volunteer with tigers at India ecolodge
Volunteer and teach english in India
Cost – GBP20 per week
Gap year Asia volunteer opportunity in India and teach English and core subjects to the poor children and orphans in the beautiful hilly town of Shillong, North East India. Little Prakash and his friends in Shillong need help! In a poor tribal area of Shillong, a primary school with an attached orphanage housing 10 children is being run by Didi Ananda Kalyanbrata, a yoga nun. The school currently has 120 children, some of whom study free as their parents are unable to pay even minimal fees. All the children learn meditation and yoga.
Volunteer in India now
Volunteer at sustainable ecotourism lodge in India
Cost – Free
Gap year Asia volunteers can work at this retreat which is a unique project that combines sustainable ecotourism with sustainable agriculture and environmental education. Our eco-lodge is situated on a certified Organic farm in the rainforests of the Western Ghats of karnataka. We cater to environmentally conscious gap year asia volunteers who want to experience a harmonious existence with nature. We also organize and host workshops and educational programs with emphasis on organic farming, sustainable living, rainforest ecology and biodiversity for students and special interest groups such as organic farmers. We are recognized as one of india’s leading eco-lodges and have received a 1st prize award from eco-club international in 2005.
Volunteer in ecotourism in India
Volunteer and help rural communities of Thailand
Cost – GBP20-50 per week
The rural population in Thailand is poor and has only little access to education. Gap year Asia volunteers share their lifes with the local community. The gap year Asia volunteers support is making a big change in the villagers. During your gap yer volunteering at this project you can get involved in teaching English, construction and just about anything that makes the lifes of the local community better.
Highly recommended.
Volunteer and make a difference in Thailand
Gap year with Elephants in Thailand
Cost – GBP100 per week
The gap year Asia Elephant project is unique and set in Northern Thailand. Established in the 1990″s their aim has always been to provide a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. Elephant gap year volunteer jobs are varied, from bathing elephants to basic health care. Gap year Asia volunteer roles also include assisting elephants keepers bathing elephants and general duties around the park and surrounds.
Become an elephant volunteer in Thailand
Teach English in Shanghai, China
Cost – GBP50-100 per week
Gap year Asia volunteer teaching in Shanghai: After a one week Induction course in Shanghai (include, Induction, culture course, Mandarin lesson and sightseeing explore) you will spend 4 weeks to 12 weeks teaching english to 7 to 18 year olds. Your teaching will usually be spread over 11 lessons to 15 lessons per week (35 to 40 minutes per lesson), Monday to Friday.
Volunteer and teach english in shanghai China
Sustainable living volunteer in Japan
Cost – Free
The ethos of this gap year Asia volunteer project is to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. The mission statement is: “To inspire and educate the citizens of Earth to create their own environmentally sustainable lifestyles and businesses, through participation in the creation and operation of a self-sufficient education center, organic farm, restaurant, fair trade shop and eco-technology development and demonstration center”. The farm and Cafe are run by an international volunteer team of staff from all over the world. About 4 or 5 team members and volunteers live on Mt Fuji full-time. We are also largely supported through the help of our Short Term Farm Volunteers, who help with everything from planting to cooking.
Volunteer at sustainable farm and lodge, Japan
Gap year Asia volunteers help rebuild communities
Cost – GBP50-100 per week
This is a rare opportunity to volunteer during your gap year asia and do a variety of different work in the poor areas of Sri Lanka. The people in the poor areas of Sri Lanks are still suffering from the devastation left by the Tsunami in 2004. Gap year Asia here and help these people whilst gaining an insight into day to day Buddhism. Gap year Asia volunteers do not, however, have to participate in religious activities.
The gap year Asia volunteer Sri Lanka Project is a small, personal, multi faceted project which was started after the devastating Tsunami in 2004 by Janaka De Silva, the General Manager of a local hotel and a dedicated philanthropist. He spends his spare time helping poor Sri Lankan families living on the outskirts of Galle town.
The project is totally non profit making. Any money left when the volunteers have been fed & accommodated, is ploughed straight into buying equipment, books & building works for the project.
Volunteer in Sri Lanka now
Help medicinal plants volunteer in Sri Lanka
Cost – GBP20-50 per week
We are a grassroot NGO involved in conservation of fast disappearing native plant species and documentation of indigenous knowledge or ethno botanical values associated with native plants. We possess a wonderful arboretum with rare medicinal and wild fruit plants with plenty of valuable traditional knowledge and all volunteers are placed in our arboretum in eco friendly architecture. Our main objective is to propagate these rare plants amongst Sunday schools in rural church parishes and Buddhist monasteries with hands on experience.
Volunteer in Sri Lanka now
Health care gap year Asia volunteer opportunity in Mongolia
Cost – GBP50-100 per week
As a gap year Asia volunteer, you will be assisting the Family Hospital in their effort to improve health care in poorest district in Ulaanbaatar and its surrounding areas. Two or three days a week, according to the community’s needs, you will accompany a mobile clinic that goes out to rural communities around the capital that often have little or no medical facilities. The drive to these communities generally takes about an hour-and-a-half. The mobile clinic usually visits Day Care Center, Black market, Orphanage center and Ger district, so that the doctors can give the children medical check ups. On the days that you are not going out on the mobile clinic, you will assist in the Family Hospital medical centre, which provides basic medical aid to children.
Volunteer in health care, Mongolia
Our school project in Uganda is now just 2 months off the completion of its second full year. The changes in the school are amazing. The whole list is too long but here are the highlights. As a result of volunteer’s generosity the school now has a 60,000 litre underground water tank and a hydration programme for the pupils, a free mug of maize porridge every day for every child which means they can concentrate in the afternoon instead of trying to work on an empty stomach, a secure store room, a staff room, tables and chairs for the staff room so for the first time they have a flat surface to mark all the exercise books – sometimes 200 from 1 lesson!, 4 cupboards, a 4 stanza ecosan pit latrine, shutters on all the windows, a night watchman is now employed, electricity in 4 rooms, a computer, 3 laptops, a combined printer/scanner/copier, resurfaced blackboards, a sickbay with bed, a properly levelled football pitch with metal goalposts and a simple score board, some books and resources including Ugandan musical instruments such as drums. Amazing! There is also a girl’s sanitation project so that the girls don’t miss 25% of their time off school – some children are 18 by the time they leave primary school so nearly all the girls will benefit from this.