Laos: Conservation & Development in Southeast Asia (Summer)

Name: Laos: Conservation & Development in Southeast Asia (Summer)
Brand: Where There Be Dragons
SKU: 38593
Rating: 10 (2 reviews)

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Laos: Conservation & Development in Southeast Asia

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About

Laos People Democratic Republic (Laos PDR) is a land of staggering beauty, reverent Buddhism and languid mystique—a land where locals pride themselves on the motto: Laos ‘People Don’t Rush’. To live this way requires a mindset and manners as fluid and clear as water itself.

Southeast Asia’s only landlocked country, Laos is dominated by two geographic entities: the mighty Mekong River and the tropical highlands, where Indochinese tigers, Asiatic elephants, Agile gibbons and Siamese crocodiles roam wild. Historically considered a geopolitical afterthought, times are changing, and students who venture to Laos will discover roiling international debates over mega-dam projects, unregulated deforestation and transboundary resource management.

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High School

Growth 7
Support 9.5
Fun 8
Housing 8
Safety 8

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With a group of 13 other gap year students and 3 amazing instructors, we traveled down the length of the Mekong River in South East Asia observing the culture, ecology, and development issues in China, Laos, and Cambodia. In each country we did home-stays (ranging from 4 days to 3 weeks) in amazing communities, trekked, and immersed ourselves in the culture.

What would you improve about this program?

Although this program is almost perfect, there is a lot A LOT of traveling- so beware!

I traveled with WTBD to China, Laos, and Cambodia on the Life Along the Mekong semester course and had an absolutely fantastic trip. Highlights included: hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge in the Yunnan province, spending 2 nights in the jungle in Laos sleeping under lean-tos made of banana leaves and bamboo, living on an island in the middle of the Mekong for almost 3 weeks, biking to Angor Wat and watching the sunrise, and relaxing on the beach at Rabbit Island off the coast of Cambodia after 3 months of exciting travels.
The instructors were amazing and our group was comprised of 13 hilarious, fun, and brilliant students. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore Southeast Asia in a way that you will simply not be able to do on your own.

What would you improve about this program?

If I had to change one thing it would be the homestays in Cambodia. We had amazing homestays in China and Laos but I felt that the homestay in Cambodia could have actually been found if I had been traveling alone and it was not a homestay that WTBD had used in the past - I do not think they are planning to go there again.

Location

Location:

Laos

Currency:

Laotian Kip

Laos is typically not regarded as touristy, especially in comparison to its highly touristy neighboring countries of Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia; however, this is slowly changing as people now associate Laos with a laid back style of living.

About Where There Be Dragons

Dragons has been facilitating authentic cultural immersion in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for over 25-years. Our Summer Abroad, Gap Year, and College Study Abroad programs take small student groups to remote communities with the best educators in the industry to ensure personalized mentorship and meaningful engagement. Each program is custom...

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