Once you finish up on JET at the end of July or in August you will no doubt have a gap between your next commitment. This is an ideal opportunity to take the long route home and explore another country, particularly in the Far East. You can easily ship your property home ahead of you and take the time to explore the planet a little. East Asia presents you with many interesting options, from a tour of East Asia to a trans Siberian rail trip. You can pack up your rucksack and a copy of the lonely planet and freestyle it or you can go on a tour operated by a specialist company, some of which are listed below.

You may wish to team up with a group of fellow JETs or to go it alone. It is advisable if you are female to travel in at least a pair although East Asia is a fairly safe environment to travel in. You will meet people along your trip who you can travel with and it is not likely to be a lonely journey even if you do set out on your own.

As your JET contract only pays for a direct trip home you may have to do your best to get the money for the ticket instead of the actual ticket or to buy a ticket which you can refund and spend on the flights you really want to take for your trip.

CHINA

ChinaOnYourMind.com is a travel company founded by a group of well-traveled China enthusiasts and Chinese local experts. It has its headquarters in Illinois and branch offices in New York and Beijing and is a one-stop travel consultant and facilitator to China, serving English-speaking travelers worldwide.

They specialise in custom designed private tours, which include your personal cars, drivers and English-speaking professional local guides. Their physical presence in China distinguishes them from its overseas competitors. ChinaOnYourMind's representatives call you at every stop of your trip to ensure that you are satisfied with the high standard of service at all times.

E-mail:
www: www.ChinaOnYourMind.com

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAIL...

Monkey Business / Moonsky Star Ltd. have been arranging Trans-Siberian trips since 1988. They have traveled in all classes, on all routes to all of their destinations so you can take advantage of their experience and book yourself a Trans-Siberian journey based upon real knowledge. They have served many JET customers over the years so their customers and are happy to deal with your enquiries. Their branch presence in China, attention to fun and great personal service stands them out from our competitors.

MONKEY BUSINESS infocenter
Hidden Tree - the Belgian Beer bar & garden
12 Dong Da Qiao Xie Street, Nan San Li Tun
Chao Yang District, 100027 Beijing, P.R.CHINA
Tel: +(8610)6591 6519
Fax: +(8610)6591 6517

E-mail :
www : www.monkeyshrine.com