Program Reviews

The dragons Peru program is truly inspiring. It provided me with a multi faceted experience in understanding and enjoying the astounding nature and intellectual depth of Peru. We first had an introduction period for everyone to get to know each other in a family resort near Urubamba. We had sessions on gender equality and ice breaking games, which effectively fostered a sense of unity in the group. As the only Chinese in the group, I felt included and cared by others. This create a huge contrast to my worries of being neglected by the group due to cultural differences. I actually felt being a part of the family with the dragons. After the intro session, we went on a three days trek and ended up in an hot spring resort. Though the journey was challenging physically and mentally, but it was worth it! The nature of Peru was unbelievable. From the plantations to the crystal clear river streams, it is the heaven for travelers and photographers. With a little break in a hostel in the town, we were sent to our homestay families. The experience was unforgettable. The family that I stayed with is the Gustavo family. We have formed strong relationships and had a great time together. During the home-stays, we as a group also had the opportunity to explore the town and explore the language of Spanish. Since, you guys won’t bother to read a whole long essay, I will summarize the story later in short. We explore the rich history of the Spanish style Cusco, stood at the peak of the Machu Picchu, and learned about the current political and economic climate in Lima. The this is a once a life time experience. Therefore, I must advocate for this program and everyone should go!

This program was easily the most incredible experience I’ve had abroad. Dragons allows its students to intensely immerse themselves in their host country through home stays, independent studies, language learning, outdoor adventures, and so much more. Dragons also employs incredibly inspiring instructors who strike the perfect balance between acting as a support system, and pushing students out of their comfort zones. I made deep connections on this program, both with my fellow travellers and with people we met along the way. After Dragons, I feel I can create deep, immersive travel experiences for myself anywhere in the world.

I love the way Dragons travels. The instructors taught us about travel awareness. Most importantly, that we are not here to change or help the people we are meeting but to learn and observe their culture and lifestyle. This perspective guided me through the course. It helped me be more open to new experiences. And these experiences have continued to have a lasting impact on my life. For instance, during a homestay in Rural Nepal I sat on the floor of my host families hut watching my host mother make dinner. I could only communicate my needs so I sat in silence watching my mother cook from a fire in the ground. It's hard to explain how these experiences directly impacted me. Simply put, a feeling from those moments still last inside me and continue to shape the way I look at the world.
Each day, an experience from Nepal guides me throughout my life.

The program was amazing! There was a perfect blend of experiencing culture, backpacking, spending time in towns and cities, and seeing the natural wonders of Peru and Bolivia. I became connected with people from both countries through homestays and classes. I spent two weeks with a family in Peru and 2 weeks with a family in Bolivia, during which we had Spanish classes, and classes with local mentors where we learned things such as pottery, weaving, and cooking. It was amazing to share meals with a host family, and to become connected to the place and community there. I also formed incredibly close bonds with my friends in my program group. We spent so many days traveling, exploring, hiking, and just hanging out, sharing so many experiences, memories and laughs. This program thought me how to be a conscious traveler and gave me the confidence to do solo backpacking trips in other parts of the world, something I would have been terrified of doing the year before. I would highly recommend doing a program with Where There Be Dragons!

Where There Be Dragons Andes and Amazon was a once in a life time trip. I am forever pining for that type of immersive and genuine travel experience. Dragon's local connections and understanding of the culture, people, social and political climate, and every day life of the places changed the way I thought about the world and my role in it. The instructors were thoughtful and fed our curiosity. To learn like that is an incredible privilege. Seven years later, three of my 11 trip-mates are still some of my dearest friends and travel companions.

Pure magic! An ineffable experience that changed how I see myself, others, and the world we live in. I contribute much of my experience to my instructors- Alena, Uttura, and Hemant. Their place based insight and understanding of the region was immensely helpful as we navigated new environments. The program wonderfully balanced group instruction, independent exploration, and local homestays. I strongly recommended this program to those who are pursuing about an active travel experience with a large trekking component.

I loved my trip to India. I went in highschool and still think about it almost every day. I grew in ways I never imagined and my eyes were opened to new cultures and experiences. Some of my my favorite memories were climbing up to 17,000 ft, visiting villages only accessible by foot, and interacting with Ladakhis. My instructors were incredibly knowledgeable and they helped us through this incredible experience. During our homestay, we were able to truly experience living in a very different culture. The whole thing was amazing!

In the summer of 2022, I traveled along with 3 instructors and 10 students in the West.
It was my first time backpacking and camping experience. But Where There Be Dragon instructors made my transition as smooth as possible. In Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, we went backpacking in the backcountry, learned the water usage of the Colorado River from different guest speakers, homestay on a farm, white water rafting on the San Juan River, visited the Grand Canyon, and most importantly explored the "unknown world" and challenged me.
After this four-week experience, I found out I love the simple life of backpacking and camping, which I had never known before. Thanks to Where There Be Dragon, I was able to find my love of nature and camping. I will definitely join another program in the near future.

This program was even more amazing than I could ever imagine. My instructors were all incredible, and they were very well equipped to handle any situation. They helped foster a great environment which made the trip 10x better. Every aspect of the trip was well planned, fun and very interesting. The way the program was structured helped me become immersed with the culture and feel a connection to the things and people around me. We were introduced to so many amazing people that gave us insight on the land and it’s rich history. One of my favorite moments from the trip was our Markha Valley, an experience I will never forget.

The Where There Be Dragons program is unparalleled to any other travel program. My six weeks in Guatemala was truly transformative and filled with opportunities to grow. The instructor team was experienced and cultivated opportunities that encouraged a broad spectrum of learning. The relationships developed both with the communities and among our group are still among the most memorable connections I have. Dragon’s program components create an intentional framework for travel yet each program is unique. I couldn’t recommend Dragons enough for anyone seeking to travel and I will forever remember the lessons and people from my trip. My six weeks in Guatemala allowed me to see the world in a new way, and I am incredibly grateful to Where There Be Dragons.