Applications Open for Summer & Winter 2027 Programs
Develop Your Healthcare Career and Explore the World
Internship Extensions With International Medical Aid
South America Adventures
Local partner
South America adventures overview
IMA Safaris South America organizes educational tours and adventure treks in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. With a focus on student and group travel experiences, IMA Safaris integrates unique tours and safari opportunities into study-abroad and experiential internship programs. We also work directly with colleges and universities to organize faculty-led cultural treks with measurable learning outcomes.
Partnering with award-winning guides and globally recognized lodges, IMA Safaris creates once-in-lifetime travel experiences that foster cross-cultural competency and develop global perspectives.
What to expect
Tailored to Your Schedule
Your International Medical Aid internship is the main reason you are traveling. These South America adventures are optional extensions that make it easier to plan the full trip with confidence, without turning your internship into a vacation schedule.
South America works especially well for internship extensions because it offers two very different experiences without needing complicated planning. Peru gives you iconic heritage sites and the Amazon. Ecuador gives you high altitude landscapes, cultural markets, and the Galápagos, which is one of the most protected visitor ecosystems in the world.
The Best Approach: If you want a South America extension, start with three decisions: How many days you actually have, whether you want a single capstone moment or a slower nature reset, and whether your priority is culture, wildlife, or an iconic landmark.
This is not a generic travel hub. We treat these adventures as Internship Enhancements. That means we plan around program dates, build in buffer time, keep expectations realistic, and reinforce responsible conduct. Your internship comes first. The extension should support you, not exhaust you.
This is also about outcomes. You should leave with memories you’re proud of, not stories about cutting corners, missing entry times, or pushing unsafe plans because you were short on time.
If you have 1 to 2 days
Choose one focused experience and keep everything else simple. This is ideal for interns who want a single major day and then recovery.
If you have 3 to 5 days
You can do one anchor experience with enough buffer to avoid rushing. This is the most common extension window.
If you have 6 to 8 days
You can do an iconic site plus one nature or culture add-on, as long as you do not stack early mornings every day.
Machu Picchu plus one lighter cultural day, with buffer time built in. Good for interns who want one major iconic moment without nonstop movement.
2
6-8 days
Peru Nature Reset
Iquitos Amazon River as the main extension, with a recovery-first pace. Good for interns coming off demanding clinical weeks.
3
3-6 days
Coast Reset
Zanzibar, Mafia, Lamu, or Malindi and Watamu as the primary extension. Good for interns who want recovery time, warm water, and a slower pace after clinical weeks.
The goal is to help you plan an extension that fits a real program calendar. We plan around your internship start and end dates.
Five words. That’s it. The ultimate definition of short and sweet. At the end of each week during debriefing, we were asked to present the group with five words that encompassed our experience in our respective departments. Every Friday, this…
My experience in Mombasa and CGTRH was priceless. All of the IMA staff were so accommodating and supportive. They always made sure to ask you how you were doing and that you were cared for. I never doubted my safety…
I first started out losing my bags at the airport. Once I finally got them back, the staff was more than happy to pick up my bags twice for me. Javan and Teddy were awesome; I admired their upbeat attitudes…
After your internship is usually best. If you schedule mid-program, plan a buffer day before returning to placement expectations.
Plan enough time so your ticket time is not endangered by transit.
They are optional extensions. The internship is the primary program, and extensions are planned so they do not interfere with your placement schedule.
This website uses essential cookies to ensure its proper operation and tracking cookies to understand how you interact with it.
The latter will be set only upon approval.
