The point of your overseas clinical placement is to get eye-opening clinical experience that would be impossible on a placement at home.
But don’t forget - you’re visiting a country you might not get the chance to visit again. So it’s worth getting out there and making the most of the once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences laid out in front of you.
In this post you’ll explore some of the most memory-worthy wildlife experiences our destinations have to offer. And they can all be done over a weekend. So, whether you want to see lions and rhino out on an African savannah, or swim with whale sharks in The Philippines, you’ll find something for you.
Swim with whale sharks in The Philippines
If you choose to travel to our program in The Philippines you can experience something that few others can say they’ve tried. You’ll take a scenic drive along the stunning coast of Cebu Island to reach your destination - a small dock with a jetty stretching out into the sea.
You’ll see small wooden boats crewed by local fishermen skittering across the waves. They’re out there looking for whale sharks. And at 32ft long and weighing up to 20-tonnes they’re not all that difficult to spot.
To protect the whale sharks, swimming with them is heavily regulated, so there are rules you have to follow. Before you head out onto the water you’ll have an orientation to help you understand what these rules are.
Before you know it you’ll be out on the boat and staring down at these gentle giants. You might be apprehensive at first, but as soon as you get into the water your apprehension will be replaced with wonder and awe.
The whale sharks will move slowly through the water. And while the regulations suggest you’re supposed to keep a distance for the whale sharks’ protection they will swim close enough that they’re an arm’s length away.
It’s not an experience you’ll easily forget.
Go on safari in Tanzania
If you go to Tanzania and don’t go on Safari, you’re missing the point. Imagine yourself looking out towards the horizon as you ride across the grassy savanna in your 4x4 in search of wild elephants, lions, wildebeest and rhino.
A car will pick you up from right outside the Work the World house. Your English-speaking tour guide will be there too and they’ll stay with you for the whole weekend. Together, you and any of the housemates you’re travelling with will drive out of the city and into the African wilderness.
You’re heading to Mikumi National Park - one of the biggest in Tanzania. It has a huge variety of animals including the Big 5. Seeing them in the wild and being able to get so close to take photos will be an experience that’s hard to put into words.
You’ll probably do this trip over a weekend, so after you’ve watched one of the mind-blowing sunsets that the savannas are known for, you’ll make camp. You’ll have meals cooked for you, and sit around the campfire with a hot chocolate or a beer. When it’s time, you’ll head back to your hut for a good night’s rest ready to do it all over again tomorrow.
Visit the Monkey Temple in Nepal
Seeing wildlife in its natural habitat is one thing. But what happens when human and animal kingdoms collide?
Swayambhunath - the Monkey Temple - has your answer.
The temple is right on top of one of the hills overlooking Kathmandu city. To get up to the 1500-year-old complex you need to climb some 350 steps, but it’s worth it. The place is ancient, but profoundly beautiful, with intricate gold decoration and colourful prayer flags strung up above. The enormous domed stupa and other shrines and smaller temples dotted here and there give you plenty to explore.
But it’s the monkeys that give the temple its name. And there are hundreds of them. They swing from trees, hope over rooftops, perch on Buddha sculptures and have figured out every way there is to get up to mischief. You can see them during the day, but head to the temple after dark if you’re feeling brave and want to see them at their most active.
Visit Nepal
Get up close to wild elephants in Sri Lanka
You sit waiting as the sun starts to dip in the sky. You welcome the cooler temperatures after a warm day. As you gaze out over the still waters, you see the trees begin to move in the jungle around you. Slowly, great shapes begin to move behind the treeline — one by one the elephants begin to emerge and move towards the reservoir in search of water.
This body of water in Minneriya National Park draws hundreds of elephants from miles in every direction. There isn’t a lot of water around during the dry season, so herds of elephants flock to this body of water to drink from it, bathe in it, and feed on the lush vegetation in the surrounding jungle.
It’s really something to behold. You’re able to get close to the elephants in 4x4s driven by the park rangers, and you’ll be accompanied by guides who know everything there is to know about Asian elephants.
But there are plenty of other wild animals living in the jungles here. You can see purple-faced langur monkeys and macaques, spotted deer, leopards, buffalo — it’s a true safari. Minneria is close to a lot of the other must-visit spots in Sri Lanka, so if you’re doing the trip over a weekend it’s the perfect jumping-off point for things like the cultural triangle and Sigiriya rock.
the tip of the iceberg
This post gives you some idea of the experiences you can take advantage of while you’re on your overseas trip. But there is so much more to dive into. Browse our destinations below to see which best suits your travel style and clinical goals.
Browse Destinations
Get an idea of where you might do your placement by exploring our destinations in Africa & Asia.
Get an idea of where you might do your placement by exploring our destinations in Africa & Asia.
