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I have to say, this trip would be so cool! I think it would give me so much experience and teach me so much!

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This is going to be extremely difficult to work out. A lot of websites aren't showing prices because they are shut due to the pandemic, so I can't work things out.
I know that I can fly from London to Keflavik (Iceland) for £23, and from Fairbanks (Alaska) to Manila (Philippines) for £633, and then from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) back to London for £383. However, I still need to find a way to travel from Iceland to Alaska and from the Philippines to Cambodia. I origionally planned to travel between those destinations by ferry, but I can't find any ferry websites and it would cost too much to fly everywhere, and it wouldn;t be very eco friendly. The only way I can travel by boat is on a cruise, and cruises tend to be long, and that would take up too much of my trip. I think it would probably cost about £200 from Iceland to Alaska, and about £75 to travel from the Philippines to Cambodia.
In terms of accomodation, it seems like it costs between £100 and £200 per night for a 5-star hotel, and between £20 and £40 per night for a youth hostel. I am staying in a 5-star hotel/ lodge for a total of 6 days, so that is between £600 and £1200. I am staying in a youth hostel/ hostel for the rest of the time, so that is 11 weeks and 1 day. That is a total of 78 days, with a price of £1,560 and £3,120. So, the price of accomodation should be a maximum of £4,500.
Ok, next up is food and drinks. This will be very difficult to calculate as there is no set price for a meal. I will probably be eating out on most days, as I want to try local cuisines and there is no point buying food to cook as I may not have access to a fridge and oven. I have just found out that the average meal in Iceland is between £15 and £25. Maybe I will eat in on some days? I will definately want to go out on most days, but maybe the most sensible option would be to eat in on some days, to save money. If I was to eat out every day, I would need £1050 in total as a maximum (including breakfast, lunch, and supper), but that is only for food. In Alaska, the average meal price is about £13, so if I was to eat out every day, it would cost around £1170 in total. That is only £130 more than in Iceland, but for double the amount of time! I have just looked up the average price for meals in the Philippines, and it is shocking! It only costs around £3 a meal, meaning only around £9 a day! That is only a total of under £400 for the whole stay in the Philippines! Ok, so next is Cambodia. In Cambodia, it also costs around £3 per meal. That is a total of only £126! Ok, so in total, the food for the trip should cost a grand total of: £2746! I will round it up to £3000 because on some days I may want to get a more expensive meal, or a drink, or a coffee during the day. I have to say, I was expecting it to be much more expensive.
So I think that that is all of the different costs of things, other that a bit of extra spending money as well as the things listed in other sections, like travel and insurance.
Prices:
Accomodation: £4,500
Food and Drink: £3000
Travel: £1314 (plus extra for travel within the city so probably about £1500)
Insurance: £994.79
Vaccinations: £0
Visas: £185
That adds up to £10,179.79. I obviously need spending money, so I will round it up to £10,800. This will give me money to spend on presents, as well as going to attractions such as Museums as listed in Part & (the Itinerary). I would try and save up enough money to round it up to £11,000, but it is already A LOT of money.

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- Injuries- this could be a very big problem, as I will be on my own for the whole trip, so if I was injured or became ill, then not only would I not understand what the problem was due to the language barrier, but I would also not be able to move my belongings out of the accomodation, contact family, leave the country to go home, ect. There isn't really a way to take away this problem. I will just have to make sure that the insurance I get is really good and be really careful not to get hurt, as well as calling home if I feel even slightly ill. Maybe I will even end up going on a gap year with a group of friends, in which case it wouldn't be so worrying as they would be able to take care of everything else.
- Theft- This is a big problem in most places, but particularly in the Philippines and CCambodia. I will try and bring as little as possible with me,and the things that I do bring will be zipped up and as close to my body as possible. I will also try and lock my belongings in drawers/ cupboards in the acoomodation if the security doesn't look very good. I will also put trackers on all valuables.
- Lost items- this could be a massive problem in terms of getting home or paying for things. With the language barrier, I wouldn't often be able to ask for help. The only way to resolve this is to put trackers on things so that I can find them again.
- Run out of money- this should be quite an easy problem to resolve. First of all, I will try and write down what I have spent so that I can keep a track of how much I have left. I will also try and bring as much extra with me as I can afford as a sort of emergency fund if I run out, although this will be in a bank account.
- Trapped in a country- this can be easily avoided if I am responsible and don't loose important documents and my passport and visa. I will just keep these in my suitcase, although I will also have a digital copy of everything on my phone and will try to have printed copies in other bags.
- Missed Flight- again, this can be easily avoided. I just have to make sure to be responsible and organised with my timings, and most of the travel insurances I have looked at cover the cost of missed flights anyway. This shouldn't be a problem.

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I am going to need a variety of different clothes on my trip. I will try and only take a few of each type and try and find a way to wash them whilst on the trip to cut down on my baggage.

DESTINATION 1: Iceland
Iceland is cold, so I will need very warm clothes. I will need vests, fleeces, jeans, thermal pants and tops, and coats. I will also probably need Hiking Boots, but this will be a good investment as I can use these at all of my destinations.

DESTINATION 2: Alaska
Alaska is also very cold, so I will need the same things as I have listed for Iceland.

DESTINATION 3: Philippines
The Philippines has a hot climate. However, I will be volunteering, so I will need clothes that protect my legs and arms as well as a pair of gloves as I don't know what work I will be doing whilst volunteering. Therefore, I will need Jeans, thin but long sleeved tops (probably shirts), and gloves. I have also seen lots of people saying that one of the main dangers in the Philippines is scams and theft, so I will make sure to have clothes with lots of pockets, preferably inside pockets or ones with buttons or zips to close them. I will also try and get a bag to keep my phone and money in. I should probably also bring a padlock so that I can tie my bag to something if I really need to leave it.

DESTINATION 4:  Cambodia
Cambodia is very hot, so I will need cool and thin clothes. I will try and pack lots of t-shirts and maybe some thin summer dresses, as well as shorts and vests. I will also need sunglasses and a hat for Cambodia and the Philippines so that I am well protected.

Therefore, the clothes/ accessories that I will need are:

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clothes and accessories list gap year project.PNG

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The only country I will be working in is the Philippines, where I will be volunteering. I have decided that I will not work for any money whilst on my gap year as it would mean getting a permit and that is much more hassle. I will work before my gap year so that I have more than enough money to afford the three months I am abroad. I will still work at the primary school in Maguindanao but I will just volunteer for free instead.
I can't seem to find very much information about work permits in the Philippines. Most of the sites I have visited say that you do not need a work permit to volunteer, but I am unsure whether they mean in the Philippines or in the UK/ USA.

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Insurance is going to cost more for me than it would for most other people due to my medical conditions. I am going to compare some different prices from different websites, as well as what they cover.

I think that the best one there is the Ultimate Insurance from Switched On Insurance. Yes, it is expensive, but seeing as I am 3/4 blind and have complex medical conditions, I would rather pay more and be covered than pay less and regret it later on. Especially seeing as I will be ina foreign speaking country on my own.

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travel insurance table gap year project.PNG

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PART 8: Technicalities (Passports and Visas)

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PART 8: Technicalities (Passports and Visas)

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Of course, I will need a passport to go abroad, but I do have one, so that is not a problem. I will need to get a visa though. I have looked online and it seems that I do not need a visa for Alaska, but I need a B-2 Visa to enter Alaska, and I will need a tourist visa to be in the Philippines for the time I have planned. I will also need a Tourist Visa to enter Cambodia.
- Visas for Alaska cost roughly £115
- Visas for the Philippines (for more than 30 days) cost around £40 I think, but it is not very clear at the moment due to all of the COVID-19 articles and warnings
- To get a visa for Cambodia would cost roughly £30.

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PART 8: Technicalities (Intro and Vaccines)

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PART 8: Technicalities (Intro and Vaccines)

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There are going to be quite a lot of technicalities to sort iut for this trip, especially seing as two of the destinations are going to be to poorer places where diseases run riot, so I will need to have vaccinations.

1. VACCINATIONS
- I will need to have quite a few vaccinations in order to be protected from the diseases that are common in the Philippines and Cambodia.
- I have searched online for vaccinations needed for Iceland, and only two main ones came up. The first is tetanus, but I am pretty sure that I had this vaccine when I was a baby/ small child, so will not need it again. The second is Rabies, but this is only suggested for people coming into contact with animals and the only time I am purpously seeing animals is on a nature tour, but I will be far away from them. I might have this vaccine anyway, just to make sure that I am safe.
- The only four recommended vaccinations for Alaska are: Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Varicella, Seasonal Flu, and Hepatitis B. I have already have the MMR vaccination. I have not already been vaccinated with the Varicella Vaccine, but this is for chickenpox, and I have already had chickenpox so am probably immune already. A seasonal flu vaccination is something that is given every year to people over 65 or people at greater risk. I am on steroids so am therefore at greater risk and will start having the vaccine in the next few years, and will make sure that I have definately had it by the time I go on this gap year. I am not sure whether or not I have had the Hepatitis B vaccine, but I will check.
- There are lots of vaccines recommened for people travelling to the Philippines. The only ones I have had are the ones listed for travel to Alaska. I will need: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Typhoid, Cholera, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, and Polio.
- The recommended vaccinations for travel to Cambodia are all included in the vaccinations for the Philippines.
-Here is a list of vaccinations I need to have to go on my gap year. some of them are ones that I already have: MMR, Varicella, Seasonal Flu, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus, Typhoid, Cholera, Yellow Fever, Japenese Encephalitis, Rabies, and Polio. I will also probably have to have had the COVID Vaccine by then, but that is only availiable to over 18s.

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PART 7: Itinerary (Philippines and Cambodia)

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PART 7: Itinerary (Philippines and Cambodia)

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DESTINATION 3: Philippines
DAY 1: Settle into Hostel in Manila and rest after long flight
DAY 2: Go to volunteer place and find out what to do and other info ready to start work. Take guided tour around Manila if there is still time left
DAYS 3-13: Wake up early and volunteer for the whole days
DAY 14: Go sightseeing and shopping before checking out of hostel and travelling to Cebu City
DAY 15: Arrive at hostel in Cebu City and start volunteer work
DAYS 16-19: Volunteer all day
DAY 20 and 21: Go sightseeing: Taoist Temple, Tops Lookout, Sugbo Mercado; go shopping and pack up to go to Maguindanao
DAY 22: Settle into hostel and take a tour around some of the slums and the school
DAYS 23-40: Spend the mornings teaching English at Maguindanaon Elementary School or Darping Primary School, before volunteering locally in the afternoons and early evenings
DAYS 40 and 41: Go sightseeing: Cotabato Grand Mosque, Masjid Dimaukom, Timako Hill, Bubuludtua Falls
DAY 42: Go shopping, say goodbye to children at primary school, and travel to Cambodia. Give any left over money from the 6 weeks spent in the Philippines to people living in poverty, to volunteer organisations, or to local businesses
DESTINATION 4: Cambodia
DAY 1: Put belongings in hostel in Phnom Pehnh and take a bus tour around the city
DAYS 2-10: Go sightseeing and visit: The Independence Monument (in the day once and the night once as the lights in the dark are beautiful), National Museum of Cambodia, Wat Ounalom Monastry, Phnom Penh Night Market, Silk Island, Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk, Wat Botum, Stupa of Princess Kantha Bopha
DAYS 11-13: Go shopping and buy material to make things with, souvenirs, and gifts for family and friends. Give any money left over from the last 2 weeks to people living in poverty, to local businesses, or to charities in the local area.
DAY 14: Pack up bags, head to airport, and fly back to UK

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Next, I need to decide on a rough itinerary for my trip. I definately want to see the Northern Lights whilst I am in Iceland, as that has been a dream of mine for many years. I also know that I want to volunteer in the Philippines, and I will probably spend mist of my stay in Cambodia sightseeing and doing other touristy things as I won't be there for very long and it looks like a beautiful country.
I have decided to give myself a budget for each week (not including accomadation as this will be prepaid) and any money I have left over at the end of each week will be donated to local charities or businesses.
DESTINATION 1: Iceland (14 days)
DAY 1: Check in to hotel and get a meal
DAY 2: Nature tour at Isafjardardjup (3 hours), Check in to 5 star hotel/ cabin
DAY 3: Borea Adventures Canoeing Session - or other activity/ sightseeing session
DAY 4: Go ziplining, Check out of 5 star hotel/cabin and into cheaper accomedation, probably youth hostel or Air B and B, Walk around towns and go shopping
DAYS 5-7: Walk around towns and go shopping, as well as trying out lots of cafes and restaurants, leave Westfjords and go to Reykjavik
In Reykjavik, I will mostly go sight seeing and shopping.
DAY 8: Check into accomadation (probably youth hostel) Reykjavik Museum of Photography, and Hallgrímskirkja (an architectual masterpiece)
DAY 9: The living art museum (morning), Reykjavik Art Museum Kjarvalsstadir (afternoon), and Harpa monument (evening)
DAY 10: Hofdi House
DAYS 11- 13: shopping, go to 'The Laundromat cafe'
DAY 14: Get ready to leave and give any money left over from first 2 weeks of gap year trip to local businesses. Check out of accomadation and go to ferry port
DESTINATION 2: Alaska (1 month)
Go on morning walks/ hikes every day, either with friends (if going in a group), or with a group
DAY 1: Check into hotel in Ketchikan (fairly cheap, but also comfortable), and go shopping in town
DAY 2: Go on Northern Lights Hiking Tour and visit cute cafes. Try and get lovely photos
DAY 3: Go on boat ride/ tour and visit Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
DAY 4: Visit and take photos at Totem Heritage Centre, Check out of accomadation
DAY 5: Check into 5 star accomadation and visit Deer Mountains for walk (2 hours). Go to nice restaurant in evening
DAY 6: Shopping and checking out cafes in town
DAY 7: Go on long walk and eat at cafe for lunch. Pack up stuff and travel to Seward
DAY 8: Check into cheap accomodation, take guided tour around town and go on boat trip
DAYS 9 and 10: Go on long walk(s) with group(s) and guided walk(s)
DAYS 11 and 12: Check out local museums: Seward House Museum, Hope and Sunrise Museum, Anchorage Museum, Alaska Sea Life Centre
DAYS 13 and 14: Shopping in town and eating in local cafes, and pack up ready to leave and travel to Fairbanks
DAY 15: Check in to accomodation and go on boat ride. Visit the Morris-Thompson Cultural Centre to get information on events and recommended places to visit
DAYS 16-19: Visit museums: Museum of the North, Pioneer Park and visit Birch Hill Ski and Snowboard Area
DAY 17: Visit Golden Heart Plaza to see events and eat lunch
DAYS 18-24: Go on long walks and guided walks as well as visiting the Denali National park (I have read reviews that say this is a beautiful place to visit and an essential experience)
DAY 25: Visit the Running Reindeer Ranch and Aurora Ice Museum
DAYS 26-30: Go shopping, explore the city, and visit any places/ events found at the Cultural Centre on the first day in Fairbanks. Give any remaining money from 4 weeks spent in Alaska to local businesses. Pack up on last day and catch flight to the Philippines.

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PART 5: Background Information (Cambodia)

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PART 5: Background Information (Cambodia)

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DESTINATION 4: Cambodia
- Cambodia is not a particularly developed country, but is more developed than the Philippines. It is a lower-middle income country.
- Cambodia has a population of more than 16 million people.
- Buddhism is the official religion in Cambodia, and is practiced by about 97% of population.
- Cambodia covers nearly 70,000 square miles.
- Cambodia is similarly to the UK in that it has a King (or Queen) as well as a priminister, and is a democracy.
- Most Cambodians speak the Khmer Language, but many speak other languages as well.
- Cambodia definately doesn't have the best healthacre system in the world, but it is improving along with the economy. In the last few decades, a fund was brought in to help provide free healthcare for people who could otherwise not afford it. This has resulted in an increased life expectancy and less infant mortality.
- I will be spending my whole time here in the capital city, Phnom Penh.

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PART 5: Backgound Information (Philippines)

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PART 5: Backgound Information (Philippines)

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DESTINATION 3: Philippines
- The Philippines is is not a particularly developed country. It looks as if the economy is improving and in the future, it could be a developed country, but certainly not in the near future.
- The Philippiones is positioned on the Ring of Fire so it is very prone to devastating earthquakes and tsunamis.
- The Philippines covers 120,000 square miles and is  the home to a population of 109 million people.
- In the 16th Century, the Philippines was discovered by a Spanish explorer named Ferdinand Magelland. After that, the islands were inhabited by Spanish people. IN 1943, the islands were named 'Las Islas Filipinas' in honour of Philip II of Spain. The Philippines were owned by a few different countries, until after Japan invaded in WWII, when the liberation movement began and the Philippines finally became a country in its own right.
- People in the Philippines speak Filipino, but most people also speak English.
- The healthcare system in the Philippines is actually pretty good. People in the Philippines are covered by a universal health coverage system called PhilHealth, and it is free for the people. It is controlled and paid for by the government, and the healthcare is of quite a good standard.

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This is going to be such a cool trip!

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DESTINATION 2: Alaska
- Alaska is a state of the US and borders Canada. It is by far the largest US State.
- Alaska has a population of nearly 750,000 people and covers nearly 580,000 square miles.
- Alaska was the home to indigenous people for thousands of years before the Europeans arrived. The Russians were the first to settle in Alaska, beginning in the 18th Century. However, the price and difficulty of maintaining this country so far away meant that it was sold to the US in 1867 for $7.2 million, approximately 2 cents per acre.
- The indigenous population of Alaska is still the highest in the US, with over 15% of the population.
- The Alaskan economy is not one of the best in the world, but nor is it one of the worst. However, it does have one of the best per capita incomes in the US.
- The healthcare system in Alaska is pretty bad. It is just like in the other US states, so healthcare isn't free, but it costs even more in Alaska.
- Alaska passed a bill in 1998 to say that English is the official language, but many people in Alaska do still speak other languages as well as English.

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PART 5: Background Information (Iceland)

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PART 5: Background Information (Iceland)

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I have just realised that I don't know very much about the countries I am visiting. Here, I will write a short history of the countries, and how developed they are. I will also include labelled maps around this presentation.

DESTINATION 1: Iceland
- Iceland is a Nordic Island in the North Atlantic Ocean with a population of around 400,000 people, covering 40,000 square miles.
- The capital city of Iceland is Reykjavík.
- Iceland is a very volcanically and geolologically active island, mainly characterised by its sand and lava fields, mountains, glaciers, and glacier rivers flowing to the sea.
- The language spoken in Iceland is Icelandic, but English is taught as a second language and most people there speak it fluently.
- Iclenad is a very developed country with a stable economy. It was ranked 4th most developed country in the world in 2020 by the United Nations, and it is ranked 1st on the Global Peace Index.
- Iceland has a pretty good healthcare system compared to many countries. It is mostly paid for by taxes (around 84%), and the rest is paid for when you recieve treatment (16%). There is almost no private health insurance and virtually no private hospitals.

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DESTINATION 4: Cambodia
The last two weeks of my trip will be spent in Cambodia. Cambodia is very close to the Philippines, so it will only be a short boat ride to get there.
I will spend the whole of my time here in the capital city, Phnom Penh.

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DESTINATION 3: Philippines
This is where I will spend the most of my time on my trip, so I need to find some towns/ cities/ villages that are really nice and that I will enjoy, but also that have volunteering centres so that I can help people.
- My first two weeks will be in the Capital, Manila. This city has terrible poverty, but is also a very developed place in some areas, with very tall skyscrapers and beautiful reflections in the water at night time.
- I will spend my second week in Cebu City. This is not the worst hit area of poverty in the Philippines, but I would like to visir here in my visit to the Philippines.
- My last 3 weeks will be in Maguindanao, where poverty is particularly bad. However, although there are some terrible areas of poverty, it also has some amazing sights, where I would love to go and explore.

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DESTINATION 2: Alaska
- I will spend my first week in Ketchikan. This is a beautiful town (which will be a really great place to get some photos), which has lots of museums, as well as beautiful, scenic treks to go on.
- My second week will be in a town called Seward. It is stunning! It is coastal and has lots of boat trips that you can go on, so when I am there I will make sure to go on one.
- My last two weeks will be spent in Fairbanks as it has everything you could ask for in Alaska. From the pictures I have seen of it, it looks like a mini city with tall buildings and lots of shops and places to stay, but it is also very rural and is right next to some beautiful snowy mountains and loads of countryside to go walking/ hiking. I think I would love it there.

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The next step is to decide where about in the countries I will go.

DESTINATION 1: Iceland
- When I am in Iceland, one of my main priorities is to see the Northern lights.
- One of the most famous places to see the Northern Lights is in Westfjorns.
- I will stay one week in the Westfjorns, and then I will spend my second week in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik.

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I have given it a lot of thought, and have finally decided where I am going to go. I will start in the UK, as that is where I live, and then fly to my first destination, and back to the UK from my final destination.

1. Iceland (2 weeks) - well known for it's natural beauty and stunning scenery, I would love to go here just to take in the beauty.

2. Alaska (1 month) - also known for its stunning scenery and natural beauty, as well as cold temperatures and climate. I think that this country has always been on my bucket list, and this is my chance to go!

3. Philippines (1 month, 2 weeks) - I am going to stay here for the longest amount of time as I feel like I could do a lot to help. The Philippines is a very poor country, with around 30% of the population living below the poverty line. I will volunteer, as well as hopefully helping specific families and staying with them for some of my trip.

4. Cambodia (2 weeks) - Cambodia is said to be a beautiful place to visit, as well as being a country with 35% of its population living below the population. I would spend my first week there volunteering and helping people, and then my second week in a lovely hotel looking at the views and taking part in touristy activities.

I think that my trip will be not only thoroughly enjoyable, but also rewarding and educational. I will be able to absorb the natural beauty that much of the UK unfortunately seems to lack, and also understand how people less fortunate than me live and the struggles of their daily lives.

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Based on my preferences of aims (environment or poverty), there are quite a lot of places that I could go to:

1) Mexico City (it is an area of poverty, so I could help people, but it is also colourful and pretty)
2) Jamaica
3) Costa Rica
4) Galapagos
5) Cambodia
6) Malaysia
7) Sri Lanka
8) Switzerland
9) Oceania
10) Greenland
11) Alaska
12) Finland
13) Palau
14) Amazon rainforest
15) Philippines

Numbers 2 through to 14 are all environmental (the others are poverty), but a lot of them also have areas of poverty so that I could volunteer to help poverty, and the environment, and it would be an enjoyable trip for myself too. I would also like to learn on my gap year, and I think that I would learn something in all of those places, from the struggles of poverty, to how the tides affect the islands, or even to how animals give birth. Anything I learnt there would be valuable to my future.

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On my gap year, I would like to do something helpful, as well as enjoying myself. I would either like to visit somewhere rural, where nature is the main attraction. I could volunteer at a nature reserve, where I would be able to help animals and look after the natural environment.
Or, I would also like to go to areas of poverty, and volunteer there, helping people make their own lives better and become successful. Either way, I want my gap year to not be all about me.