11 Amazing Places to Teach English Abroad

Most teachers who go to Uzbekistan will tell you it wasn't their first choice. Most of them will also tell you it was the best decision they made. Uzbekistan is in the middle of a genuine national education reform: the Ministry of Preschool and School Education is actively placing experienced EFL teachers in secondary schools across the country, and the package on offer is hard to argue with.

The country itself rewards curiosity. Tashkent, the capital, is a proper city, with wide Soviet-era boulevards, a metro system still considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and a food scene mixing Uzbek plov and samsa with modern cafés. During the school week you teach; at weekends, one of the world's great undiscovered travel circuits is on your doorstep.

Samarkand, where Tamerlane built his empire and the Registan still stops people in their tracks, is 2.5 hours away by high-speed train. Bukhara, a city of mud-brick madrassas and chai houses that feels almost untouched since medieval times, is an hour further on. Khiva's walled inner city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site most of your friends won't have heard of. Housing is arranged through the local Hokimiyat: a private furnished apartment at no cost to you. See the full Uzbekistan programme.

Vietnam has grown into one of the strongest TEFL destinations in Southeast Asia, and our partnership with Major Education, with 80+ teaching sites across Ho Chi Minh City and a curriculum built with Macmillan and the British Council, is one of the most professionally run programmes we offer.

Ho Chi Minh City is the base for most placements: a city of nine million that never quite slows down. District 1 has rooftop bars and French colonial architecture, and the Mekong Delta, an hour south, is something completely different. The food comes at you from everywhere: bánh mì from a cart at 7am, bún bò Huế for lunch, fresh spring rolls from the evening market.

The financial case is clear. Teachers on this programme earn $1,000–$1,500 a month plus bonuses, well above typical local salaries, with housing provided or a housing allowance on top. Living costs run at around $500–$700 a month for a comfortable lifestyle. View the Vietnam programme.

Colombia's reputation has changed dramatically over the past two decades, and for teachers considering South America it's now one of the most sought-after destinations: modern, walkable cities, a very low cost of living and a culture that genuinely welcomes international teachers.

Bogotá sits 2,600 metres up, cool enough for a jacket in the evenings all year, with a thriving arts scene, excellent coffee and the historic La Candelaria district. Medellín has become one of Latin America's most vibrant cities, with cable cars climbing the hillsides, extraordinary street art and a food scene that has quietly become one of the region's best.

Salaries average $850–$1,035 a month, which goes much further than it sounds given Colombia's cost of living. You won't save like you would in Korea, but the experience and easy access to the rest of South America make it a different kind of return on investment. View Colombia opportunities.

Thailand attracts TEFL teachers for simple reasons: it's beautiful, affordable and the food is world-class at every price point. We place over 500 teachers across Thailand every year, with opportunities in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and schools throughout the country.

Bangkok is relentless in the best possible way: the Skytrain threading between golden temples and glass towers, Chatuchak weekend market the size of a small town, street food at midnight. Chiang Mai is completely different: slower, cooler and surrounded by jungle and mountains. The islands, Koh Lanta and Koh Tao for diving, are an overnight train and ferry away on school breaks. Browse Thailand jobs.

TEFL UK has been placing teachers in India for more than ten years. It asks more of you than most destinations (the size, the noise, the traffic, the sheer intensity of it all) but it gives more back too. Teachers who go for a year often extend.

The Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur is well worn for good reason: the Taj Mahal at dawn is not overhyped. Kerala's backwater houseboats, the tea plantations of Munnar, the deserts of Rajasthan and the Tibetan Buddhist communities of Himachal Pradesh: a school year gives you time to reach several of them. Browse India vacancies.

Nepal isn't a destination for teachers chasing a salary, but for those drawn by the country itself, it's unlike anywhere else. TEFL UK supports local NGOs in Nepal through English education, and the work is genuinely meaningful in communities with limited access to qualified teachers.

Kathmandu is more interesting than its chaotic reputation suggests. Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, sits on a hilltop above the city with views across the valley, and its resident macaques make it unlike any other temple complex in the world. Beyond the valley are Pokhara, for lakeside calm and Annapurna views, and the Langtang Valley, for accessible trekking without the Everest Base Camp crowds. Explore Nepal opportunities.