The top 6 places to work this summer (aren't in the UK)

Working over the summer doesn't have to involve dingy nightclubs (I once worked in one called "Tramps", a name it more than lived up to) or waiting tables in a restaurant that has a suspiciously high turnover of staff. Traveling doesn't have to completely drain your bank account either.

If you're planning on doing more useful work experience and want to see more of the world, some of the best summer jobs out there aren't in the UK.

Intern at a Dive School in the Seychelles

The Place

The Seychelles are a group of islands 990 miles east of Kenya, containing some of the world's best beaches and island resorts. Located in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles' water is warm and crystal clear and is home to some incredible marine life, including turtles, manta rays and hammerhead sharks.

The Job

The word 'intern' is normally a euphemism for 'copy boy', for which you're unlikely to receive an official diving qualification.

Not so with this internship.

On the programme you'll divide your time between marine conservation and a 12-weeks with a local dive school school, allowing you to complete a PADI Divemaster course. You'll undertake extensive marine research whilst improving your dive skills, and conduct regular dives to the coral reef.

Work includes:

Coral reef monitoring and recovery research

Whale shark migration observations

Sea turtle nesting surveys

Best bit

Between August and October there is a migration of Whale Sharks which you can observe.

Ideal for

- Students studying biology or who want to move into conservation or research.

- Students who want to learn diving in some of the best waters in the world.

- Turtle fans.

Find out more

Find out more, including costings and start dates here.

Volunteer in Kruger National Park

The place

Kruger National park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. Located in the North of South Africa, it's home to lions, cheetahs, hyenas and all the animals those animals tend to feed on. Elephants, rhinos and many other large animals roam the park, and the project boasts that you can easily watch hippos in the river from your base camp. Watching them without impersonating David Attenborough is the difficult bit.

The project

Contributing to conservation research, you'll be working in the Balule nature reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park.

Working in the Balule game reserve in the Greater Kruger National Park, volunteers assist on wildlife conservation research and reserve management projects. This worthwhile project will see you work on several different projects from animal counts, data collection of bird life and reserve maintenance.

You'll be seeing large animals and experiencing everything you'd see on safari but in a way that contributes to conservation.

Applications can be made here.

Best bit

Did we mention you can see live hippos from your base camp?

Ideal for

Students looking to get involved in research projects, and bolster the research part of their CVs and people who want to live and breathe the African bush life, if only for a few months.

Find out more

Find out more, including cost, start dates and how to apply here.

Take a working holiday in Europe or the Commonwealth

Torronto, Canada

The Place

Anywhere you want.

Working abroad doesn't have to mean taking an organised package. You can easily organise your own visas and job from the UK, especially if the country you're going to is part of the EU or the Commonwealth.

For working in the EU you won't need to organise a visa if you're a UK citizen. There are plenty of seasonal jobs out there (check season worker jobs boards for suitable jobs), which can range from a few weeks to a few months.

For accommodation YHA membership is a must. Youth hostels will give you good deals on long stays, and often better rooms

If you're worried about speaking the language, places that are part of the Commonwealth are great choices. They're places different enough from the UK to be exciting, but with a familiar and comforting culture. You'll see the queen's face on one side of their money, even if there's something weird like a moose on the other.

Canada offers working holiday visas specifically for young UK citizens who want to work for a season abroad. If you're considering this it's best to start checking the Canadian Visa website soon. The application process is listed as opening "not before mid-February" and are likely to go fast.

If you'd like help with setting up visas and finding work, there are schemes that will help you, and can help set up work on ski resorts.

Best bit

Living independently in a new country is a better feeling than you'd expect. You'll feel like you can survive anywhere once you've done this, and may feel more confident about taking a full gap year after uni if this is something you're considering.

Ideal for

- People who want a bit more independence on their working holiday abroad.

- Language students would find working in Europe especially useful. Working abroad is a very quick way to pick up a language.

Work in a retail, souvenir store in California

California, USA.

The Job:

This scheme will sort out a job in California for you, and help you with visas etc and is only available for students. The scheme offers a range of jobs over California, with similar programs available for other areas of America (with North Carolina also proving popular).

Working in retail may not be the most exciting of jobs, which is precisely why you should do it somewhere fun. Why are you in Slough when you could be in California?

Great for

The scheme is ideal for someone who wants to explore America and earn their keep whilst they're there. Whilst retail may not be your dream job, at least you'll be in an amazing place.

Best bit

Exploring the area around California in your own way and in your own time.

Top tip

If you're interested in doing this trip it's best to book asap. The price is has been reduced to £629 (a reduction of £100) until Sat 14th of Feb.

Each job will run from June to September, so you must be available to start work between the 1st and 15th of June.

Find out more

Find out how to apply and view similar schemes here.

Intern as a wedding planner in Australia

The location:

Hamilton Island, Australia, is so beautiful you can see why people want to get married there. Even if you're a single, a-sexual, celibate Buddhist monk with commitment issues you'd want to get married there, it's that scenic, which is probably how BUNAC are able to run this internship scheme.

Hamilton Island is the place you'd stay if you had "the best job in the world" (a job based in Hamilton Island looking after the Great Barrier Reef, voted the best job in the world).

Other internships on this scheme take place across Australia.

The job

Wedding planning for people getting married across Australia. As with any internship, expect to "develop office/administrative skills" as well as other more useful experience. You will also develop skills of managing client relationships and assisting with other adhoc duties, great skills to learn for most jobs.

Best bit

Australia and its islands are incredible to explore. There really isn't a bad part of the country, and anywhere you'd end up on this internship you're bound to have incredible summer weather, as well as an amazing time.

Great for

People who want to get into event planning or build management and client relationship skills, as well as enjoying a summer with great weather in a great location.

Students who want to explore Australia in depth but don't want to take a full gap year.

Find out more

Find out more and apply here.

Work at a top American summer camp, teaching water sports

The place

They generally take place in idyllic settings, but with plenty of nearby rivers and lakes for water sports. The scheme from BUNAC offers placements all across America.

The job

The summer camp scheme is big in America. Working at an American summer camp is a classic summer working holiday. There are a range of camps that you can work on, from girl scouts to special needs. Expect to help coach children as they take part in sports and arts and crafts. It's rewarding work, especially if you're considering a career working with children.

Best bits

The scheme offers up to $1000 spending money, depending on your age and experience. The idyllic settings of the camps and the weather also put England to shame.

Ideal for

- Students considering a PGCE after their degree. Get some experience teaching children and find out if you enjoy it, whilst exploring America.

- Magic enthusiasts. As well as the usual skills you'd expect summer camps to be looking for, BUNAC are also looking specifically to recruit people familiar with simple magic tricks to teach children, as well as people who can juggle, plate-spin, do diablo or other circus skills. If you've picked up juggling skills whilst at uni (and who hasn't?) this is when they might prove not to be entirely useless.

Find out more

Find out more and apply here.

Looking for summer jobs? Check out 5 Summer Jobs You Haven't Thought of...

This article was sponsored by BUNAC