According to John Lennon, ‘life is the way you live your life while you’re busy planning other things.’ To look back and think about your current situation and where you’d like to go taking a sabbatical it’s often required.
If you’re lucky enough to have the chance to unwind from their work, we’ve rounded some of the most effective options for sabbaticals within the Asia-Pacific region. These range from learning new skills like surfing to mastering meditation techniques in the temple.
Learn how to prepare food in Hoi An, Vietnam.
Enrich your life with a cookery course in Vietnam.
Anyone who has visited Vietnam can swiftly find out how varied, complex, and delicious the food is. If you have time off, do you want to take advantage of it by taking courses to help you understand some of the most delicious Vietnamese cooking methods? Hoi An, a city on the coast, is a very sought-after destination for these adventures, as it provides a slower pace of life along the ocean.
Explore its beautiful old town, with painted pagodas, paper lanterns, canals, and pagodas. Then, take some classes or courses, such as Gioan Cookery School. Systems usually consist of a tour of a local market where you can procure ingredients before getting the fundamentals of making traditional dishes such as Pho (rice noodles cooked in bones broth), banh xe (crispy pancakes that are filled with a variety of toppings) as well as fresh spring rolls.
Stay in your own home during your sabbatical in the highly-rated Okra Hoian.
Relax during a visit to the temple in Koyasan, Japan.
Seek peace of mind staying in a Japanese temple.
If you cannot quit your job and give up all possessions of material value in pursuit of awakening and enlightenment, then a sabbatical contemplating during a stay at a temple at Koyasan is an essential step in the correct direction. Temple accommodations, also known as shukubo, have embraced pilgrims and monks for more than a thousand years. Today, they provide conscious travelers the chance to reflect and attain tranquility.
The shakudo is found in the rural regions of Japan in serene, sacred, and distant natural settings. The most important thing to keep when you visit Japan is to respect the local monks and try to disrupt the monks as little as you can when they conduct their daily work.
Shukubo Koya-san-Eko-in is a peaceful stay on the grounds surrounding a 900-year-old Buddhist temple that offers Buddhist ceremonies and meditation, a stunning garden, and a classy, traditional Japanese interior.
Learn to become a yoga instructor In Mysuru, India.
Enjoy a life-changing sabbatical practicing yoga in Mysuru.
This city in Mysuru, located in the southwestern Indian State of Karnataka, is ideal for the most life-changing vacation. It is the home of Ashtanga yoga, a very personal teaching method known as the Mysore method. This involves doing yoga six days a week before sunrise. It’s a place of pilgrimage for yoga enthusiasts from all over the world. It even draws Madonna to go to its revered yoga centers.
Many of these Shalas‘ (a Sanskrit word that refers to yoga centers) allow students to join for a month, meaning you’ll have the chance to explore this lush city with its calming spiritual and calming energy. Following your daily practice, get a fresh coconut from the Nariyal wallahs (coconut sellers). Go to local cafes such as C.C.B.C and TKS Iyengar’s Cafe for a tasty, fresh breakfast that includes delicious South Indian dishes like Idli (fermented rice cakes) and dosa (fermented rice pancakes).
Relax for a vacation at Red House Yoga Center located in Gokulam in the Gokulam area, where you’ll see most of the yoga shalas.
Learn how to surf in Byron Bay, Australia.
Enjoy your time at the ocean and learn how about surfing Down Under
If you are looking for a rejuvenating holiday, is there anything better than learning the latest skill while taking a long time enjoying the sunshine and at sea? If you’re interested in surfing, Australia is the perfect place to start. Mainly, Byron Bay, the once sleepy town on the beach, has grown into a glimmer yet still has its relaxed vibe and natural beauty.
The town has a variety of long, glistening white sand. Begin with the gentle, beginner-friendly rollers that lie off Watego Beach. Then, you can move from your time at the local surf school to the massive swells of the bronzed, pro-surfers-filled Brunswick Heads Beach.
Get yourself a chic vacation in WategosRent, Byron Bay.
Volunteer for the elephant refuge situated in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Feed rescued elephants while volunteering in Thailand.
To enjoy a memorable sabbatical, go to the shady, jungly mountain ranges near Chiang Mai to Elephant Nature Park. One of Thailand’s most well-known conservation initiatives is that it has been helping to rehabilitate rescued elephants since 1995. Alongside the dozens of elephants rescued from exploitation in the area, you can also find animals like dogs, cats, pigs, ducks, and a variety of animals in need.
Visitors are welcome for one-day tours and extended stays, but remember that longer volunteer assignments must be scheduled early enough in advance. In the latter case, volunteer opportunities, you’ll help assist elephant mahouts (keepers), prepare fresh food items to feed the animals with your hands, and then bathe the animals in the rainforest rivers. You’ll learn about the habits of these gorgeous creatures as you watch them move in the wild and also do something good for the environment in one go.
Although you’ll be staying in an on-site hotel while volunteering, you can check into the picturesque Hoh Guesthouse to keep your accommodation following your volunteer placement.
Find out Korean via Jeju Island, South Korea
Meet locals with whom you can practice your Korean while on Jeju Island.
The global rise of curiosity about Korean culture in recent times has been so dramatic that there’s been a term used to describe its growth called ‘hallux (meaning the Korean wave). Suppose you’re looking to be part of this wave and learn more. In that case, a sabbatical that focuses on speaking Korean- among the fastest-growing languages in the world – is an excellent opportunity to shout.
To master the language quickly, you should immerse yourself in the local culture by staying a few days on the beautiful Jeju Island. You can step away from the stresses of your work and daily life back at home while trying out Korean food, music, and cinema while soaking in the stunning landscape.