Your main reason for going on a trip like this is to get eye-opening clinical experience on your placement in a low-resource hospital overseas.
But at the same time, you’re travelling to an exotic destination halfway around the world. You’d be wasting a huge opportunity if you passed up the chance to squeeze in a few anecdote-worthy adventures while you’re away.
So pull on your hiking boots — we’re about to take you on a trek through some of our destinations' once-in-a-lifetime adventure experiences.
Experience mind-blowing views from the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro
When you reach the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and turn to take in the sweeping African plains, your reward is undiluted awe and wonder.
But it’s the challenging hike to the summit that makes that reward all the more powerful.
First off, Mt. Kilimanjaro is tall. In fact, reaching nearly 6000m, it’s the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. To give you some idea of just how tall that is, the temperature at the bottom of the mountain can reach a rather warm 40°C. Yet the temperatures at the summit can drop to -27°C on a cold night.
But don’t go thinking it’s all pain and no gain — the hike itself is stunning. You’ll see dramatic changes in vegetation, wildlife and climate as you climb higher and higher. Every campsite you stay at gives you a new (and strikingly beautiful) view, completely different from the last.
Depending on the company you choose, you typically have a guide accompanying you all the way up and all the way down. And you can choose to stay in one of the nearby lodges the night after your trip, so you can rest before your journey back to the Work the World house.
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Challenge yourself on a deepwater scuba dive off Sri Lanka’s unspoilt coastline
Warm Indian Ocean currents flow around all 1600 kms of Sri Lanka’s palm-lined coast. It’s perfect for diving.
Sink beneath the waves and you can explore a diversity of dive sites. There are colourful coral reefs teeming with marine life, shipwrecks (many of which you can swim through), and you might even see a blue whale if you’re lucky.
Your first stop should be the Gorgonian Gardens. It’s an expansive forest on the seabed made up of sprawling colonies of gorgonian sea fans. It stretches on as far as the eye can see.
Next, descend on Barracuda Reef. As the name suggests, you’ll see a lot of barracudas. But you’ll get to swim among other colourful sea life too, like rabbitfish, snappers and blue spotted stingrays.
But your true adventure begins when you start diving on shipwrecks. Your first port of call should be The SS Conch (a 3500-ton steam-powered oil tanker that smashed into a rock and sank in 1903).
With a local divemaster, you can actually swim into some areas of the wreck itself and explore the inside of the ship.
If sunken treasure is more your thing, you can dive on the once great Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb’s ship. The ship is supposed to have been carrying a huge number of silver coins and other priceless artifacts along a spice route when it went down.
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Test your grit hiking up to Everest Basecamp
You might hear ‘Everest Basecamp’ and think that’s a challenge too far. But if you make the journey with a trained guide, not only is it achievable, it’ll be one of the most memorable experiences you ever have.
The basecamp sits at 5600m, perched on the slopes of the highest mountain in the world.
On your journey, you’ll cross rickety bridges that span great canyons, stop for a cup of chai with the mountain villagers, and marvel at the scale of the Himalayan landscape.
When the evening (and the cold) sets in, stop for warm Nepali food, conversation and a game of cards sat around the fire.
But the physical challenge you’re presented with is what makes this trek truly worthwhile.
The beautiful scenery is one thing, but hammering through a 14-day hike at high altitude gives you an enormous sense of personal achievement (not to mention bragging rights) that very few people can say they have.
You have near endless adventure travel options in our destinations. Some trips you can fit into a weekend, others you can tack onto the beginning or end of your stay in the Work the World house.
Either way, you’ll see that our programmes are located in areas that are perfect jumping-off points for broader travel in whichever country you choose.
It’s worth noting that these trips aren’t organised by Work the World. But if you rally a few of your housemates, our staff in the house will give you guidance around booking the trip and transportation.
Next Steps
Start dreaming up your own once-in-a-lifetime trip by exploring the destinations below.
Start dreaming up your own once-in-a-lifetime trip by exploring the destinations below.
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