With Big Brother 9 dragging its bloated corpse towards an overdue death, surely the whole reality TV phenomenon is finally, thankfully kaput?

We-ell. Not quite. Because Bebo’s interactive online travel reality show The Gap Year (which STA Travel sponsors) is still going strong, and, although I slightly hate myself for admitting this, it’s actually not bad at all. Pretty compulsive in fact. All of which is, in my opinion, down to Dave.

Roaming the world for six months at the whim of us online audience who control his budget and adventures, the British contestant is winningly anti-reality. With no whining, no attention seeking and certainly no poor pop song singing, Dave is as laid back as they come, even slightly shy. Which means that locals in all the places he visits invariably warm to his relaxed, unpretentious style, and we end up getting a really genuine insight into the countries he explores.

The latest video (here and below) from Dave couch surfing in Hawaii, is a classic - especially his admission that he ‘collects fridge magnets’ (rock and roll, man, rock and roll). He’s now moving onto Australia, so if you want your faith restoring that not every normal person turns into an idiot in front of the camera, become a fan of The Gap Year and follow Dave’s winning wandering ways.

If you haven’t checked in on The Gap Year in a while, then be sure to do so as the social media reality travel series (to give it the snappier title) continues to send its hot, young global representatives on a whirlwind tour of the world.

The traveller most likely to get a lot of male attention throughout this adventure is undoubtedly Amy from Australia. Watch her introduction video below:

Amy is currently venturing through Russia, carrying with her a rather obvious sense of trepidation and a rather sexy bum-bag to protect her from pickpockets. Out of interest, I wore a bum-bag a few years back when I was in France, thinking it was cool. I still think I was right and it’ll just take a while before everyone catches up with my trendsetting ways.

Check out Amy’s video diary from Russia below.

See more of The Gap Year here on Bebo.

Throw your TVs out the window - you won’t need them this summer as your reality TV fix normally satiated by channel 4’s Big Brother can now be administered online with the help of The Gap Year – the interactive, online reality travel adventure that’s sure to have more bikinis than Shipwrecked and more dignity than I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

This exciting concept launched on Bebo, the popular social network, earlier today and introduces six adventurous (and not camera shy) travellers who are “leaving their homes and embarking on a six-month global adventure”. These plucky internet celebrities to be represent the UK, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and range from the easy-on-the-eyes Amy O’Connor (Australia) to the easy-on-the-eyes Andre Tardiff (Canada). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the UK representative Dave Brett appears to be the dourest of the six. I have no doubt that his native British wit will shine through soon enough!

You can follow their every move as they weave their way across the world via their blogs, photos, and videos which will all be available on Bebo. What’s more, their journey will be under the control of the Bebo community who can directly influence the traveller’s experience! If you’re like me and love the thought of wickedly controlling the fates of others, then I’m sure your eyebrows are arching in evil pleasure as you read this.

Anyway, follow this link to check out The Gap Year’s page on Bebo, which includes links to the profiles of all the travellers. And while you’re over there, be sure to add STA Travelbuzz as your friend!

We’ll be following The Gap Year as it progresses, so be sure to return here regularly for frequent updates!

In this modern age, with a computer under every palm tree and internet access as prevalent as malaria, there’s no reason to be out of touch even in the armpit of the Arctic. To make sure your mates can follow your every move, follow our guide for the six best ways to make use of the net while you’re away.

1. Start a Blog – It seems as though every man and his canine has a blog these days, but chances are that, on your travels, you’ll experience more in six months than most people would in six years. And a blog, an online journal, is the perfect way to record the events in your own words.

To kick-start a free blog simply sign up at Wordpress.com or Blogger.com. Both are pretty good, with customisable looks so you can make your site as personal as you want. Of course, you can also use STA Travel’s own Travel Blogs - which is a network of blogs designed for travellers. While not nearly as customisable as the options above, this does have the advantage of ease of use and sticks you in the midst of a whole host of fellow wanderers.

2. Start a Micro-blog – An excellent alternative to full-fledged blogging for those of fewer words is the latest darling of the internet, Twitter. In 160 characters or less (the same number as a text message) you are asked to answer the simple question: what are you doing? That’s it.

The beauty of Twitter is that you don’t even need internet access to post your messages – you can SMS text what you’re doing from your phone. Easy, convenient and surprisingly addictive!

Hit the link to read the next four tips…
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