Latin America
The term Latin America means the six countries in Central America and the thirteen countries of South America.
When planning a gap travel journey in Latin America, you need to consider the language. Eighteen of the nineteen countries are Spanish speaking (Brazilians speak Portuguese), and few people speak English there. For gap travellers who do not understand Spanish it is quite difficult to get around. Therefore, many gappers book a Spanish language course before embarking on their gap travels around Latin American countries.
Apart from learning Spanish in a language school, many gap travellers choose to stay in a local host family as part of their language experience. This is a great idea, as gapers then become immersed in the culture as well as getting practise in speaking the language in a real situation.
Gap Travel in Latin America is incredibly rewarding if you can speak a bit of Spanish. The people are very friendly and enjoy a different sense of time from Brits. For example, the gap traveller booking a bus journey with a 11.00 departure time, may be surprised when the bus finally pulls out at 12.00!
Most popular countries for gap travel are:
Gap Travel Ecuador: including the amazing Galapagos Islands
Gap Travel Bolivia: some great places to see, including the world’s highest capital and most dangerous road!
Gap Travel Peru: Cuzco, Machu Picchu, The Amazon, The Andes and The Pacific Coast
Gap Travel Costa Rica: Great climate and great language schools
Gap Travel Guatemala: Some amazing jungle temples straight out of Indiana Jones!
Gap Travel around some Latin America countries is best to do on an organised tour. You will meet other gap travellers, be safe, and these gap tours are often very good value.