Japan Items

Top places to go for space travel

October 4-10 marks the start of World Space Week, so we’ve found you some top space travel destinations where you can meet astronauts, travel in spaceship simulators and see historic space sites. Five.... Four... Three... Two... One... Blast Off!

5 films that give us destination envy

Ever watched a film that made you really want to visit the country it was set in? These are the top five films that give us destination envy...

Eating in Japan: A guide to Japanese table manners

What are the rules for eating in one of the most famously polite societies in the world?

The world's weirdest ice cream flavours

If you can think of a food – literally any food - you better believe that someone, somewhere in the world, has turned it into ice cream. From horse meat, to beer, pizza and beyond - we round up our top 10 weird flavours (and it's just a snippet of what's out there!).

Traditional games from around the world

This week is national game week in the US and the tradition has started to spread to the UK too. In honour of this fun and quirky festival we have been taking a look at some of the best loved games from around the world.

Weirdest street food from around the world

Part of travelling to new and exotic places is all about trying all the weird and wonderful dishes from around the world. Although some of our food here in the UK may seem a little strange to some – Haggis – there are some delicacies around the world which we have to be a bit brave to try.

A guide to TEFL teaching on your gap year

Teaching English as a foreign language can be a great way to spend your gap year. You get to spend time in another country, learn a new language, learn new skills, make friends and earn money at the same time. There are so many stories and misconceptions surrounding TEFL jobs though that it can be quite hard to know where to start or who to believe, so mapthegap.co.uk have come up with some answers for you.

Eating etiquette around the world

Last week on mapthegap.co.uk we gave you a few words of advice on body language etiquette when travelling. This week, we are going to give you some advice on something that we think is equally important - table manners.

Body language etiquette

As we know each country has its own customs and culture, but sometimes we are not aware that each place we visit has its own body language too. Here at mapthegap.co.uk we’ve compiled a list of a few to watch out for - you never know, this advice may get you out of some sticky situations.

Most common travel scams

We all know that sometimes back packers or travellers can be taken advantage of when they’re in an unfamiliar place and if you don’t know what to watch out for it’s very easy to get sucked in. mapthegap.co.uk has been asking around and has come up with a list of some of the most common for you to watch out for.

Feature: Teach English to fund a gap year abroad

For many, a gap year can be a number of things: a chance to see new places or meet people from all over the world (locals and travellers alike), party hard, witness stunning scenery, or just chuckle to yourself over the many strange events that occur.

Cebu Pacific adds more flights to low-cost sale

The Philippines' largest airline, Cebu Pacific is offering yet more flights in its latest low-cost sale, meaning gap year travellers can go island hopping around South East Asia this summer without breaking the bank.

Tucan Travel announces new Japanese adventures

If you're thinking of heading to Japan as part of your gap year, then there's no time like the present. With the cherry blossom season about to begin, the Japanese countryside will look its most scenic in the coming months.

The best spots for getting your kit off in 2011

Whether it's a spot of skinny dipping or a day on a nudist beach, naturism has been an exciting part of gap years since the 1960s, so this year hotelscombined.com is suggesting some more novel ways to get your nudist thrills on your year off.

Festivals to keep you going through to spring

Still mourning the end of the UK festival season? Can't bear waiting nine months until Glastonbury? Then, keep the festival season going all year round with the Great Adventure People.

Discover the world's weirdest festivals

Edible chocolate dresses, camel wrestling, giant water fights and extreme body piercing are just four of the oddities included in Hostelling International's list of the 10 most unusual festivals in the world.

Cheap flights from the Philippines to Japan

If you're considering a South East Asian tour as part of your gap year, then Cebu Pacific can offer significant savings. Their range of flights from the Philippines to Japan and South Korea are surprisingly cheap.