The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
HOW TO HAVE YOUR OWN RADICAL SABBATICAL
Lend a helping hand
For many years, gap years and charity work were one and the same. But the voluntourism of old is being reshaped. Take Natucate, an organisation that offers six- to eightweek Elephant Protection trips designed specifically for people taking a sabbatical. Forget images of teenagers in baggy yoga pants – this is the real deal. Expect lessons in survival skills, animal tracking and wildlife rehabilitation techniques, before aiding with an orphaned elephant release programme. Trips typically take place across Namibia, Botswana and Zambia (with free time built in). The programme costs from £5,772pp for six weeks, rising to £7,055pp for 10 (00 49 241-91994357; natucate.com).
Let your hair down
The registration period for Burning Man opens on April 10; tickets cost from £456 and go on sale on April 17 (burningman.org). If Burning Man sounds a little too intimidating for your taste, be reassured that an overseas music festival need not be all muddy fields and stranded vehicles. The United States has a wealth of impressive, smaller events where live bands play all night – without the risk of getting stuck in a damp tent. Try Bourbon & Beyond (from £108; bourbonand beyond.com) in Louisville, Kentucky, for fine whiskey and great music, or the New Orleans Jazz Festival (from £67; nojazzfest.com) – one of the biggest of its kind. Both are great for incorporating into a larger break, such as Newmarket Holidays’ The Heart and Soul of The South trip. The 15-day tour visits the capital of country music, Nashville, as well as Elvis’s beloved Memphis. From £3,510pp (0333 060 5398; newmarketholidays.co.uk).
Delve into the past
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, so battlefield tour enthusiasts may be minded to head to Normandy for a heritage-themed excursion, such as the five-day package offered by Leger from £429pp (01709 385 624; legerbattlefields.co.uk).
For something further afield, Responsible Travel offers a series of history tours, including small-group archaeological trips to Ancient Greece (from £2,249pp for nine days), or a 23-day trip following the Silk Road through Central Asia (from £5,749pp). Further into the continent, the 10-day Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh holiday is the perfect introduction to the history of Vietnam (from £812pp). If your gap year has room for a longer stay, Responsible Travel can extend trip lengths to suit (01273 823 700; responsibletravel.com).
Take your work with you
Perhaps work is nonnegotiable. The location of your office, though, might be something that is up for debate. Bali’s generous digital nomad visas (molina. imigrasi.go.id) – which allow remote workers to stay in the country for up to 180 days – are increasingly attractive to those who don’t need to be in Britain. And once the meetings have finished, you can embark on a journey around the wider region with Hayes & Jarvis, whose Ubud and Candidasa Multi Centre holiday includes trekking through rice fields and trips to art-filled markets. The 10 day trip costs from £1,799pp
(020 8106 2403; hayesandjarvis.co.uk).
Go straight to Hawaii
Hawaii might not have quite the same resonance in the UK as it does in the United States – which makes it all the more captivating. To see it all, try a multi-centre package such as Hawaiian Horizons from Trailfinders. The itinerary includes the world-famous Waikiki Beach, perfect for midlife surfing lessons, plus the wild Big Island, the gardens of Kauai and the volcanic National Park. Accommodation for 15 nights, car hire and internal flights are included, with prices starting at £3,889pp (020 7084 6500; trailfinders. com). For the full gap-year experience, however, extend the trip to take in some of the contiguous United States, too.