The dangers of taking a gap year
THE DANGERS OF TAKING A GAP YEAR
Part of the point of a gap year is to get yourself out of your comfort zone. By definition that can put you in danger and in recent years, there’s been mounting concern that some ‘gappers’ are so busy embracing new challenges, they forget the old habits or self-preservation.
Common sense is a gapper’s main protection against losing possessions, having them stolen, being ripped off, falling ill, having an accident or generally having a bum trip. But common sense only goes so far and, according to the organisers of the Annual Gap Year Safety Conference, held for the first time last year, one in three gap year trips is cut short by accidents or crimes.
One such accident – a coach crash in Peru – took the life of nineteen-year-old Georgia French, inspiring her parents, Ian and Pat, to set up GapAid, a charity to help gappers get wise before travelling and have access to help while they’re away.
There are also plenty of one-day courses that will leave you better equipped than simply relying on your nouse. In the long run they might save you considerably more and leave you free to hang loose without fear of being left dangling.
10 gap year safety tips:
Get legal: You’ll need a passport that’s valid for at least six months after you’re due home. And fill in the next of kin bit. You may need visas too and they can take months to come through, so get in there early.
Get vaccinated: Visit the doc at least 6 weeks before travelling to get any shots you need. Keep prescribed medicines to hand and have details of any conditions you have, ideally in the local language.
Get covered: Get insurance which covers travel plans, medical care, flying you home in an emergency and includes any special activities you might be trying (bungee jumping, white water rafting). Mind the Gap Year are a company that specialise in gap year insurance.
Get connected: Set up an email account you can access on the go. Email yourself copies of your travel documents, itinerary, insurance, emergency phone numbers, etc in case they get lost or stolen.
Get intelligence: Get local knowledge of where you’re going, its customs and laws – a travel guide would be a good start.
Get a friend: Find someone you trust back home. Give them photocopies of all your documents and access to your email. Even give them power of attorney over your bank account while you’re away, in case bills need paying or money needs to be transferred. Stay in touch while you travel.
Get money: Take either enough money in a secure form, or take a means to get it (eg credit card or traveller’s cheques). ‘Enough’ means having a realistic budget of what you’ll need to live on. Don’t assume there’ll be an ATM on every corner in the jungle.
Get a room: Even if you never book another room in advance, book at least your first night’s accommodation before you go. When you arrive, you’ll be whacked out, a bit unsure and juicy meat to scamsters for whom your passport may be worth a year’s salary.
Get aware: Stay alert to your surroundings, especially at night, and act on feelings of uneasiness to do what’s needed to avoid those situations.
Get sober: Being drunk or drugged up makes you more vulnerable to accidents or getting ripped off. And it may provide a get-out for your insurance. So know your limits and the local law.
Gap year safety courses:
www.objectivegapyear.com (£150)
www.ultimategapyear.co.uk
www.realgap.co.uk/Gap-Year-Safety (£99)
www.planetwise.net (£160)
British Safety Council,
www.britsafe.org (free to people on volunteer projects)
Other gap year safety resources:
Gapaid.com, Gap year travel advisory charity
www.gapadvice.org, independent gap year advice
www.mindthegapyear.com, specialist insurance, document protection and other safe travel services
The Foreign Office for travel advice,
www.fco.gov.uk
Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad,
www.masta.org
Caroline's Rainbow Foundation, 01759 304425,
www.carolinesrainbowfoundation.com, offers safety advice.
Last updated on: 02 June 2010