High School

Spring Semester in Asia

Name: Spring Semester in Asia
Brand: MEI Academy, World High School
SKU: 66542
Rating: 4.94 (31 reviews)

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MEI Academy, World High School

4.94 (31 reviews)

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Students

Adventure travelers

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Spring Semester in Asia

MEI Academy, World High School

4.94 · 31 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Multiple Locations +6

Thailand
- Bangkok
Cambodia
- Siem Reap
- Phnom Penh
Vietnam
- Ho Chi Minh City
Australia
- Sydney
Singapore
Japan
- Tokyo
- Kyoto
- Tokyo

Length

4 - 12 weeks

Program Categories

Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Study Abroad

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Program Details

Timeframe

Spring

Housing

Apartment Hotel

Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

29950

Price Details

Includes:

Return airfare from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport
Approximate airline departure taxes, surcharges and fees
Hotels and accommodations
Breakfast and dinner daily
Entrance fees to all course-specific sites
Airfare between countries
Transportation between hotel locations via private coach
Transportation for all listed program excursions

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Some Meals SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Last Reviewed: Mar 31, 2026

Wish List

62 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Imagine class on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in Australia or studying Buddhism in the temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. We will stand at the lasting effects of WW2 in Hiroshima, the evils of genocide in Cambodia, and burrow through the same tunnel system used in the Vietnam war. From the biggest cities of Singapore, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, we explore the geography of the region and how it shaped human migration as a result of wars, famine, disease, and colonization. And we use 21st century modern media technology to produce cutting edge videos and podcast segments to tie everything together for the modern world

We travel to: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney, Blue Mountains, Singapore, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Tokyo.
Course Offered: AP Human Geography, AP English Literature and Composition, Grade 12 World Issues, Grade 12 Modern Media, Grade 12 English, Grade 12 Studies in Literature, Grade 11 English

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program blends immersive travel with passionate teaching, fostering independence, critical thinking, and lifelong friendships.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Video and Photos

Our students will take it upon themselves to find the most unique places to engage with a lesson, depending on where we happen to be that moment.

During the day we are together, in the afternoon students have the opportunity at independence, exploring the cities together. But in the evening, we are back together again sharing the experiences and making sure everybody is safe.

To touch history, to feel the past, and to walk where some of the great monks have strived for inner peace; this is the experience that is impossible to find in any tour package let alone high school trip.

Weather, we are in Thailand, or Cambodia, or anywhere in Japan, we explore and learn about the most significant and are inspiring temples. There is no such thing as "just another temple" where we go; we immerse in the experiential learning and grow from it.

If it is going to be this hot and humid throughout agent, then we are having our classes outdoors and in the shade because it not only feels good, but it smells amazing! We strive for maximum in inspiration in all places we stop and drop for class.

You may show up to the airport and meet everybody for the first time on your own, but very quickly a family grows, and these tight knit relationships become lifelong bonds that every student carries with them for the rest of their life.

All over the regions we visit there are no restrictions on access through ancient sites. We can walk and observe and even reach out and touch the past in order to bring it into our present. This is where students experience true cultural immersion.

The experiences that we take in through Southeast Asia are unlike anything most students are ever prepared for. This is so far from what most people are familiar with, and that is what makes it so enticing and exciting.

Add a couple of points throughout our trip we are treated to genuine cultural cooking lessons. We have one in Cambodia, which was incredibly delicious. We have another one when we get to Tokyo where we engage in sushi, rolling, and making sticky rice.

Dinners with MEI are done in a number of ways, one of which is small group settings, where student students can really engage with each each other and one of the teachers.

Of course, we will take the time to have an incredible amount of fun. Welcome to the desert of Vietnam.

Amazing food can be found literally everywhere!

Japan is steeped in fascinating culture items

The tuk tuk is THE best way to get around in SE Asia

Personal time looking out over 100s of Vietnamese fishing boats

Our journey through the Mui Ne Fairy Stream

Reliving life moments of the North Vietnamese during the war

This was the reality of the Vietnam War for so many

Some alone time to reflect on this powerful experience

After classes, after dinner, we enjoy Siem Reap, Cambodia together!

Cambodia: beautiful country with such a painful history.

Class time on the steps of the Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office

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Program Highlights

9:1 Student to staff ratio (maximum)
Earning Ministry-approved Credits
Touring Famous UNESCO Heritage Sites
Culturally Immersive Experiences

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Program Reviews

4.94 Rating

based on 31 reviews

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Rating Spread High School

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4 rating 6.45%
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Growth 4.95
Support 5
Fun 4.95
Housing 5
Safety 5

Good for Students, Adventure travelers, Photographers

Showing 9 - 16 of 31 reviews

I did the MEI big year, and it was an experience I will never forget. Although it was not what I expected, I would not trade it for any other travel program. In the span of seventy days, I was able to - ski in Whistler, dive in the Great Barrier Reef, hold a monkey in Bali,take a surfing lesson, swim in a waterfall, sing karaoke in Seoul, and many more. While doing these unforgettable experiences, I was able to learn about the world around me in a truly unique way.

MEI has changed me in ways that I cannot begin to explain. The friendships I have made while travelling with MEI will forever be cherished in my heart. The teachers have left such a mark in the way I see and appreciate the world.

I recommend MEI for anyone who can, wake up early, learn on the go, and is eager to learn about the vast world that we live in.

Experienced things that made me question, think, and pick my own brain about. In all, made me a deeper thinker. Made life long friends to travel with in the future. And had some really cool fun experience’s that I’ll never forget. Uncovered my love for travel and made me realize how I want to life my life. Is a really great program for students that want to do more then just sit in a classroom all day and learn academics that probably don’t intrige them, and instead want to learn through experience and see the world.

Pros

Travel experience
Culture immersion
Safe

Cons

Not complete freedom
Unique teaching that might not be for everyone
Can be mentally tiring

Amazing. Honestly this trip is outstanding. This trip is probably the coolest thing I have ever done. It allows you to see different perspectives of the world, step out of your comfort zone and meet your future besties. Truly, I wish to do it all over again. This program keeps you on your toes both physically and academically. The friends and memories I made in this trip are indescribable. Also if you like adventure I highly suggest MEI, the excursions we did were unreal: Zip-Lining in Cambodia, Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef, Swim in waterfalls in Bali. I know nothing is perfect but this trip comes pretty close to perfection.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

LIVE IN THE MOMENT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU WILL BE BACK SLEEPING IN YOUR BED

I had an absolutely amazing time on the Trailblazers trip. I made incredibly strong connections with all of the students and teachers and would not trade my experience for anything else. I HIGHLY recommend this trip to everybody who has a strong passions for adventure, making new friends, learning, and having fun! I fell in love with Australia and Bali, and can’t wait to be able to travel back one day. MEI truly made being on the road feel like home. Since being back, I have maintained strong relationships with everybody from the trip, and can’t wait to visit everyone soon.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

The most unfamiliar thing I ate was smoothie bowls! And I wish I had learned about them sooner. Although I have to say they taste much better in Bali than they do in Toronto. I also tried many dishes I can not remember the names of but were delicious.

On this day of the trip, we hiked from the famous Bondi beach, all the way to Coogee beach.

The reef was my favourite part of the trip. We got to Live aboard a boat for 3 days, see lots of marine life, snorkel 24/7, and swim with sharks.

We got to visit amazing temples, forests, and waterfalls in Bali.

My adventure with MEI was an unforgettable, life changing experience. From the places we went to the people we went with, everything and everyone was amazing. You meet a whole new group of people that become your family, including your teachers. With spending every day together, you grow together, learn together and are able to experience the world together which is so great. I recommend MEI to any student or teenager that is adventurous, wants to see the world, wants more out of school or life, or needs help finding themselves.

MEI was the most amazing experience! I made some incredible, life long friendships, saw very beautiful places, and had the best teachers. They offer a good blend of academics and fun while taking us to all of the major tourist attractions in each location assuring we don’t miss out on anything. Living away from home without my parents taught me a lot of independence and helped prepare me for going away to school best year. My business class with Simon was the best course I have ever taken, he is the best teacher I have ever had. If you have the opportunity to go on this trip, do it!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

My advice would be to put your phone down. Try to live in the moment and don’t get caught up on whats going on at home. Moments pass by and you don’t even realize it until you’re looking back.

Going on MEI was one of the best decisions I could have ever made. Not only did we have this amazing opportunity to travel, meet amazing people, and be taught by the best teachers, but we were able to experience what is truly means to adventure, explore, and just feel alive. If you want to escape the ordinary, and truly step outside of your comfort zone, this is the trip for you. Every morning of these 90 days I woke up excited and eager for the adventure this new day would bring. Each day filled with unforgettable places, friends, experiences and moments, moments filled with pure joy and vitality. But on top of all this, I was also able to grow personally. MEI gives you just the right amount of guidance to help you gain independence and leadership, learn responsibly and help you find and forge this new and better version of yourself.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

I would recommend that you truly just live in the moment as much as possible. Every single moment of this trip is special, and so you should try to be the most present you can be. Try and avoid being wrapped up on your phone too much, and try to keep your home life at home. Don’t dwell on what you might be “missing out on” overseas, because you are definitely not missing out on anything! You get out of this trip whatever you put into it! Also, try and get to know everyone on the trip. Don’t just stick to your own little group, branch out! I can assure you that you will have a lot more fun that way.

Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Even if it might seem scary to explore an unknown part of the world with an unknown group of people, it was one of the best decisions of my life. The teachers are incredible and strive to create a strong sense of independence, community, and curiosity in all students. This program is the reason I finally enjoy school. It gave me a new point of view on the world we live in. It is incredibly safe and I wish I could do it again. I strongly recommend this trip to any student looking for an adventure!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Don’t be scared to try new things and work towards a healthy work and play balance

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you pick this program?

I picked MEI Academy's study abroad program because it gave me the chance to visit many different countries in a short amount of time. Rather than staying in one place for 2-3 months, MEI gives you the chance to explore and see a variety of countries during that time.

I choose to go with MEI Academy because after talking with friends and researching the program, I knew I would be receiving a proper interactive education, learning a lot, and trying new things, while still having fun!

What do you tell your friends who are thinking about going abroad?

Whenever a friend asks me how my trip was, if they should go, or what program should they go on, I always mention the MEI Academy.

I tell them they will have the best semester of their life, and they'll never want to come home. I tell them it won't be easy, but if they work hard they will learn more then they ever have in a classroom, and it will be fun!

The people you meet at MEI - your teachers and peers - will become your family and best friends, and you'll make memories that you'll keep with you forever.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

To future MEI Students and others studying abroad, the best advice I can give is to make the most out of your trip and use your time abroad wisely. Become friends and interact with everyone as the 80 days will fly by.

Work hard, and get your work done early. It's terrible to be stuck in a hotel room writing an essay while everyone else is out exploring the cities. Studying abroad taught me a lot about time management - there seems to be so little time when you're having the time of your life!

What's your favorite story to tell about your time abroad?

One of my favorite stories to tell from studying abroad is the night market in Beijing, China. What an exotic, crazy adventure! Never did I imagine myself to be snacking on silk worms and snake, or munching on a scorpion or tarantula. But I did. And it was good. At that point in time, I had completely stepped out of my comfort zone, and I tried everything I could.

The crunchy crispy tarantula legs tasted like chips, and the snake was so crispy and salty. On the other hand, a gross warm liquid dripped from the silk worm as I bit into it and shook my head in disgust. Most certainly one of the most exotic and memorable times I had while studying abroad.

Were you scared to leave your family and friends behind?

On the first day I was nervous for about 5 hours, but then I remembered I'm not the only one alone; there are 29 others who are in the exact same position as me. They are all leaving their families for 80 days, and they are all saying goodbye to their friends for 80 days.

After a few introduction games everyone was laughing, and the memories had begun. Before I knew it, I wasn't curious about what was happening at home - the parties I was missing didn't matter, the drama at home stayed at home, and I wasn't homesick. Why? because, I was living in the moment, traveling the world with 30 amazing people. Nothing else mattered because I was creating memories and having the time of my life.

About MEI Academy, World High School

Our guiding principle has always been to encourage students to learn about the world and how to live in it. It isn’t enough to travel abroad, visit historical sites and museums, and expect meaningful connections to happen automatically. Our mission is to offer a global high school experience with each lesson designed to inspire REAL education in...

Spring Semester in Asia

Spring Semester in Asia