Where There Be Dragons

"Where There Be Dragons is an incredible organization with instructors that are life-changing mentors and community leaders. (All three of my instructors were, along with every other Dragons instructor that I've met since.) I learned a lifetime's worth of lessons from my South America semester in 2018. I cannot recommend their programs highly enough, for many reasons. Their administrative communications (always a perfect mix of warm and professional) are excellent. Their courses provide daily unique, priceless opportunities for genuine adventures and for real connections with the folks who live in program destinations. The dynamic nature of their course itineraries allow for group-specific travel experiences that feel personally fulfilling to all involved. With a combination of flexibility and solid, supportive structure, my Dragons course allowed me to build the foundational skills I needed to learn to travel on my own. Lastly, the critical cross-cultural questions that Dragons embraces make this gap year organization stand out among others in the field. I traveled with Dragons in the hopes of learning about my role and impact as an American traveler and aspiring global citizen, and the questions that we unearthed during our course have remained important to my life and continue to motivate me today. Two years after my trip, still not a day goes by that my Dragons experience is not present in my life. Where There Be Dragons rocks!!"

"Life changing experience trip to Thailand. So much to learn and certainly an experience which opens the mind to different cultures and perspectives. 100% recommended."

"No other program is as well thought, diverse, inclusive, and purely enlightening as Where There Be Dragons. I ventured all the way to Thailand to meet instructors that shared with me their own timeless wisdom from their home countries. With them and twelve other individuals, I learned more than I have ever in my short life. I was surrounded by people that radiate beauty like no others and we easily became as close as family. I have never felt so immersed in a culture, and I assure anyone that you will feel the same. I was so impressed by their structure that was just loose enough to where we could mold our trip as a group. Now I can really say that I lived as a true traveller for one spectacular month of my life."

"I have never been so blown away by a summer trip. I have taken many summer trips with different programs throughout high school, but found this trip to be the most meaningful. I went on the 4-week North India trip, which entailed hiking in the Himalayas while being surrounded by the culture of the specific region. I loved that I was, not only absorbing a new culture through homestays and personal interactions with locals, but also having discussions, classes, and reflections with the group to go over everything that we saw and everything we wanted to know. My dragons leaders are some of the coolest and smartest people I know, they led by example, showing us how to live and travel with purpose, as well as were super knowledgable about each place we went. If you want to go out of the country and have a purposeful experience - go on a dragons course and truly immerse yourself in many new cultures!"

"Dragons is an incredible community of passionate and inspiring educators and students. Dragons pushes students to engage in deep learning about the world and about themselves. My semester course in Bolivia and Peru was transformational, and I came home with a difference perspective about my priorities and values. While the communities in which we traveled are central to the experience, Dragons students and instructors really set the organization apart. Instructors are experts in their countries, and comprise a community of activists and change makers who carefully craft each individual program. Students are some of the most inspiring, motivated, and passionate people I have ever met. Overall, Where There Be Dragons is an incredible organization."