THE GREY GAP YEAR

Call them the “boomerang” gappers or Fogys, but Britons in their 60s are the second biggest demographic for round-the-world galavanting according to specialist Trailfinders. Better still, they have their flexible friend at their disposal and can usually afford to do it in “flashpacker” style, rather than on a shoestring. This opens up far more cultural and fine dining options in international favourites such as Sydney, Singapore and Bangkok.

“Grown up gap years are great for people in their 60s,” says Emily-Ann Elliott, the blogger behind The Grown Up Gap Year. “Often this will be a time in their lives when they are still fit and healthy and their children have left home, plus they have more disposable income.” Elliott describes this demographic as plumping for adventurous once-in-a-lifetime, round-the-world trips, such as extended safaris and Indian subcontinent epics.

Abercrombie & Kent’s starry new Ultimate round-the-world trip includes the East African Great Migration, a Nile river cruise in the company of an EgyptoloLondon gist, the regal Indian state, Rajasthan, and Australia. It is epic, and a month’s travel costs from £110,000pp (03330 602 008; abercrombiekent.co.uk).

At the less eye-watering end of the cost spectrum, Trailfinders has a World Wanderer flight-only package from to Hanoi, Sydney, Fiji and Los Angeles costing from £1,629 in economy, or from around £9,200 in business class (020 7084 6500; trailfinders. com). This gives structure to your trip while at the same time allowing you to make your own itinerary.

A river runs through it: cruise the Nile with an Egyptologist as part of an Ultimate round-the-world trip with Abercrombie & Kent