The Observer - The Escape Guide July 30th 2006

Don't know what to do with your gap year? Step into our clinic!

So you've made the big decision, chosen to put real life on hold and head off for a year of discovery. Now comes the tricky part actually working out where to go and what to do. Here, our team of experts steers six very different gappers towards some unforgettable adventures.

While a gap year spent wisely will always he looked on favourably by an employer, developing a specific vocational skill can guarantee you a job at the end of it. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Tefl) opens up the world as a potential workplace. Find courses of varying lengths in the UK and abroad and placements via www.cactustefl.com.