Planning a Gap Year: Incorporating Volunteering and Internships

Dreaming of moving overseas and working in a foreign country during your gap year? You’re not alone. 

A gap year that combines volunteering and internships abroad can be an adventurous yet career-boosting experience. Not only do you get to travel and immerse yourself in new cultures, but you also gain practical skills, international work experience, and a clearer sense of direction for your future. 

In fact, volunteering platforms consistently list South Africa, Thailand, Costa Rica, and Peru as top volunteer abroad destinations, and other countries like India are favorites for meaningful travel. 

Why Combine Travel with Volunteering and Internships?

Combining volunteering and internships on your gap year lets you travel with purpose, contributing to communities while boosting your career.

Key benefits include:

• Career Development: Gain real-world skills like cross-cultural communication, problem-solving, and adaptability. 
• Cultural Immersion: Live and work alongside locals — teaching English in Thailand or supporting women’s empowerment in Tanzania. 
• Networking: Build a global network and earn references, from NGO directors to wildlife researchers, that strengthen future applications. 
• Personal Growth: Step outside your comfort zone, become more independent and confident, and discover new passions.

Blending service with professional experience transforms your gap year into a launchpad for lasting personal and career growth.

Top Gap Year Destinations for Volunteering and Interning

Below are some of the most popular destinations for gap year travelers who want to make a difference. 

Thailand – Immersion in Southeast Asia

Thailand offers vibrant culture, friendly locals, and affordable volunteer and internship programs across cities, villages, and islands. Live with host families, learn Thai, savor authentic cuisine, and join festivals like Loy Krathong. On days off, trek jungles, lounge on beaches, or explore ancient temples — a perfect blend of service and adventure.

IVHQ’s Thailand program lets you choose projects in education, childcare, outdoor work, or environmental conservation. Volunteer projects are based in beautiful areas like Chiang Rai in the north and the coastal region of Hua Hin. 

If you want to gain professional experience, Intern Abroad HQ’s Thailand internships focus on marine conservation around the island of Koh Tao. Spend your days scuba diving in turquoise waters, conducting coral reef surveys, and learning from marine biologists. 

With Volunteering Solutions, you can shadow Thai doctors in a Chiang Mai hospital as part of a medical internship. Rotate through preferred departments, gain clinical exposure, network with peers, live in a volunteer house, and advance your medical skills.

South Africa – Wildlife and Community Development in Africa

From vibrant Cape Town to iconic safaris, South Africa’s biodiversity, history, and cultures offer rich learning. Expect wildlife drives, mountain hikes, or Robben Island visits by day and campfires under starry skies by night. You’ll bond with volunteers, join local braais, and grow through immersive community life, making each day both thrilling and meaningful.

GoEco, for instance, runs wildlife sanctuary programs where you care for orphaned animals like big cats. If you’re an aspiring veterinarian, check out their Wildlife Pre-Vet Internship! 

Beyond wildlife, there are plenty of community-based projects – you could volunteer teaching children in township schools, coaching sports in local communities, or working with local NGOs on healthcare and women’s empowerment initiatives.

One standout provider is African Impact, which has award-winning volunteer projects in South Africa. They offer programs ranging from Big 5 wildlife conservation in the Greater Kruger area as well as a wildlife photography internship.

These internships often include mentoring from experienced professionals, making them invaluable for your career development.

Costa Rica – Environmental Conservation in Central America

Ideal for eco-focused gap years, Costa Rica offers zip-lining, surfing, and waterfall hikes, plus homestays that immerse you in local life — think gallo pinto breakfasts, Spanish practice, and tortilla-making lessons. With its vibrant biodiversity and “pura vida” spirit, volunteering here feels like a living classroom.

You can get involved in projects like sea turtle conservation, where you’ll patrol nesting beaches at night to protect turtle eggs and help at hatcheries. Volunteers can also join wildlife rescue centers caring for sloths and monkeys, or support sustainable farming efforts. 

Maximo Nivel’s Costa Rica programs, for example, include turtle conservation on the Pacific coast and stray animal care in shelters. Additionally, community projects exist in education – you might assist teachers in rural schools or work on public health campaigns in local villages. 

Involvement Volunteers International (IVI) hosts internships in Costa Rica in fields like tropical medicine, micro-business, and human rights. 

And don’t forget the possibility of Spanish language internships; interning in a Spanish-speaking environment can vastly improve your language skills, which is an asset to any future career.

Peru – Adventures in the Andes

Peru’s rich history, archaeological wonders, and indigenous communities make it a top gap year choice. From Machu Picchu’s peaks to the Amazon jungles, you can trek the Inca Trail one week and volunteer in a Quechua village the next. 

You can volunteer teaching English to children with limited educational resources or working in community centers. Healthcare volunteering is also big—pre-med or nursing students often assist in clinics or public health campaigns in underserved areas. 

If you’re interested in conservation, Peru’s Amazon region has wildlife and environmental projects. One unique volunteer opportunity here is working on archaeological preservation projects, given Peru’s cultural heritage.

Peru offers internships in fields like public health, communications, and social work. 

Tourism and hospitality internships are available in Cusco’s travel industry; a great way to learn how sustainable tourism is managed in a world-famous destination. Some programs even arrange micro-business internships where you support local artisans or small businesses in developing better marketing or accounting practices – fantastic experience if you’re into international development or business. 

India – Community Service and Internships in a Vibrant Culture

Few countries can match India for its cultural richness and the range of experiences it offers. It’s a place of stark contrasts – modern cities and ancient villages, immense wealth and deep poverty – which means there are countless ways to learn and contribute. 

India’s volunteer needs are as diverse as the country itself. You could volunteer in the slum areas of Delhi or Goa, helping run education programs for children who otherwise might not attend school.

Volunteering Solutions (VolSol) offers numerous projects, such as teaching English or volunteering at a childcare project in Delhi. Volunteers interested in women’s empowerment might assist local organizations in Jaipur that teach vocational skills to women, or join healthcare projects delivering basic medical assistance and health education in rural communities. 

Launch Your Gap Year with Purpose

Combining volunteering and internships transforms a gap year into more than just travel — it becomes a journey of personal growth, professional development, and meaningful impact.

Each experience equips you with real-world skills, global connections, and a deeper understanding of yourself and the world. Start planning early, choose projects that align with your passions, and embrace every challenge and adventure. Your gap year is the first chapter of a purposeful, globally minded future!