2024 Full-Time Management Consulting Recruiting while traveling abroad?

Summary of my Situation

I am doing my Junior Internship this summer at an elite investment bank from June to August. I am confident that I will be able to achieve a return offer as the group has a very high return offer rate. If I get a return offer from this bank, my career will be well set up.

However, I am also preparing for Full Time Management Consulting recruiting that will take place in the second half of this year. I am preparing for it so I have a good backup plan in case I come to realize that I don’t enjoy my investment banking internship or I don’t get a return offer. Additionally, I am attracted by consulting because the work-life balance is better, the range of skills and projects undertaken is wider, there is a broader variety of exit opportunities, and the ability to travel consistently really excites me.

My Issue

I have massive aspirations to travel abroad and have only been able to travel within North America up until this point. My friend who is a successful digital nomad entrepreneur has invited me to join him on an adventure to Asia starting from August 13th when my internship is over until around September 6th which is when my Senior Fall Semester begins.

This adventure is very important to me as I don’t feel like this unique opportunity to travel to Asia at this age and this time can realistically come again. Especially when you consider that after my Senior year, I will be working full time, needing to wait for at least a year of work experience to accumulate enough Paid Time Off to travel abroad for a week or two.

I am just concerned about whether being abroad in Asia these final 3 weeks of August and first few days of September would really tank my consulting recruiting efforts.

I have had the idea to bring a suit and my laptop and be ready to interview remotely. My friend who I plan to travel with is planning to work a few hours each day M-F according to USA workday timing while abroad to maintain his businesses and attend meetings. I imagine that I can do a few interviews while out there in Asia as my friend is also working, granted it might be in the early hours of the morning in Asia.

My Questions

1. Do you think that management consulting interviews will continue to be done digitally this upcoming cycle? If not, do you think that they would be cool with me interviewing digitally when hearing that I am traveling overseas? (I was invited to in-person Investment Banking super days last year, but I asked to interview remotely and they were totally cool with it.)

2. Which management consulting firms would require me to interview in this time span? I understand that McKinsey and Oliver Wyman close applications early and interview earlier. Whereas Bain, BCG, and many other consulting firms have it set up so that I could submit my application for the September deadline and then interview thereafter.

3. Do you think I should take this rare opportunity to travel abroad as a young student with a good friend or play it safe and stay behind in the United States to avoid any possible complications with consulting recruiting?

Any advice from people who did Full-Time management consulting recruiting is appreciated!