TORONTO — Geckos Adventures’ new 60-day Ultimate Gap Year tour in Asia, priced from $6,500 and geared to students looking to take a break between stints at school, includes a $500 contribution towards textbooks or tuition upon return.

The tour starts in Delhi on Jan. 1, 2017 and heads to iconic sites like the River Ganges and Taj Mahal before venturing into the Himalayas. The trip continues to Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand before wrapping up on March 2 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Geckos Adventures is the Intrepid Group’s youth operator for travellers 18-29. The company says it chose Asia based on its increased popularity among student travellers. The operator has seen bookings in Asia grow 15% this year among passengers 18-21, whereas bookings in Europe have remained flat.

“Not everyone is ready to continue their education in a classroom,” says Leigh Barnes, Regional Director for Geckos Adventures and the Intrepid Group in North America. “We hope young travellers will recognize all the opportunities that exist abroad and take advantage of seeing the world while they’re young.”

The Ultimate Gap Year tour is open to all travelers ages 18-29. While traditional Gap Years are taken after high school, they are becoming increasingly common after Undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate studies, adds Barnes.

Upon completion of the trip students are eligible to receive a $500 contribution towards their tuition at an accredited post-secondary institution. Travellers must send a copy of their enrollment letter to Geckos Adventures within a year of the trip. The full terms and conditions are available on the website. See geckosadventure.com/gap-year.