Asia is the largest continent on earth and is home to many wonderful cultures and peoples and therefore unsurprising that the number of international visitors heading to Asia and Pacific destinations showed a four per cent year-on-year increase the first part of 2011.

The figures produced by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) illustrate that south Asia and south-east Asia experienced the highest growth for the month and are leading the way for 2011 so far.

The association also found that during the first five months of this year, south Asia’s visitor arrivals climbed by 15% which is huge compared to previous years, while south-east had grown by 12 per cent.

It is thought that a rise in gap year travellers could be among those flocking to the locations, with destinations such as Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand proving to be the most popular. Following on from that, it was highlighted that Britons are the second largest group of visitors to that nation.

These results are unsurprising, with Asia always being a popular destination amongst gapers and volunteers the world over. With so many different countries offering their own unique experience, you could be experiencing the hustle and bustle of New Delhi and in less than 3 hours time the unique world of Nepal.

An even better way to explore Asia is to spend some time within the real cultures and live and work with nationals, experiencing the real Asia experience rather than the traditional gap year theme. We have many volunteering projects in Asia that let you do just that. Take a look around and see if anything inspires you!