University of Manchester 2014
I spent my 7-week elective placement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and I had the most incredible and inspiring experience.
My clinical placements included medicine, paediatrics and the emergency department. The hospital was a 20-minute “Dala-dala” (the local bus) ride from the house and a chance to experience the real Tanzania. I spent the weekdays going to placement whilst the weekends allowed us to explore Dar and other amazing places in Tanzania. The Work the World Programme Managers advised us when planning the weekend trips we went on whilst other students advised us on where was best to go and the places they liked.
As Dar was on the coast there were a lot of beaches to visit at the weekends. We were able to spend days at a hotel on the beachfront and it was also really easy to get boats to nearby islands. Bajaj rides to the local markets were cheap and ideal for buying African souvenirs for friends and family back home.
Based on the advice from the in-country Work the World staff, we spent a weekend in Moshi, near Kilimanjaro. We spent the day visiting Kilimanjaro, a local village and a beautiful waterfall. It was well worth the 12 hour bus ride there!!!
Zanzibar was by far one of the best weekends. We explored Prison Island and saw giant tortoises as well as snorkelled with beautiful tropical fish. We stayed in the North of the island and went to the Kendwa Rocks Full Moon Party, which was a lot of fun! One of the best things we did in Zanzibar was swimming with dolphins, which I would recommend to anyone. Zanzibar is a fantastic place to visit and definitely a must for anyone in Dar - it's paradise.
The safari, which I booked through Work the World, was brilliant and really well organised. We were lucky enough to see lions, giraffe, zebras, elephants, hippos and other wild animals!
I had an incredible time in Dar es Salaam and I would recommend it to anyone. It was a priceless experience and I wish I could do it all over again.
