Program Reviews

When I was a senior in HS, I decided I needed to take time off from school. I decided to go to Senegal with WTBD for a semester and It completely changed my life and how I see the world. From homestays in large cities to trekking in the forests of southern Senegal to living in a rural village, this program covers everything you could possibly want from a gap semester program and more! I've learned how to respect others and their culture and how to be a successful global citizen. If you want to broaden your horizons, make new friends, push yourself to leave your comfort zone and learn about the world at the same time, do this program!

This review is for the Nicaragua educator course (Training Best Practices in International Experiential Education).

This course provided the perfect environment in which to share information among engaged peers and to develop personally as well as professionally. The integrity of WTBD's staff training, programming and administration was evident throughout, as well as a high level of professionalism and the company's commitment to lifelong learning.

Thank you for the wonderful course!

Where There Be Dragons is an AMAZING company. I spent the semester with them in Indonesia on a gap year program and loved everything about it. We did 4 different home-stays, which allowed for very deep connections to the local communities and full cultural immersion. Day to day we would had various activities with our group of 12 and then spend the rest of the day with our separate home-stay families. The day would be spent doing whatever your family was doing. If they were going to market, so was I. If they were working in their restaurant, so was I! My favorite part was learning how to spear fish in the Bajau community, where we lived on houses built on stilts in the middle of the ocean. I highly recommend the Indonesia gap year or any Dragons program!

My summers with Where There Be Dragons were without a doubt the most valuable experiences in my life-- and I cannot recommend any of their trips enough. Dragons combines language/cultural immersion and rustic travel so you can really get to know a country's culture and what every-day life is for it's people. It's also a great way to get comfortable with travel and backpacking in general. One of my favorite aspects of the trip was our amazing trip leaders who led us through hikes, learning Spanish, home-stays, the culture and history of the country, and creating activities to help us grow. I also enjoyed getting to know everyone in our group, and all of the wonderful locals you meet along the way. There were definitely challenging moments when we had difficult hikes in very rural areas, but it was all part of creating an amazing experience. Anyone who has done Dragons absolutely loves it and it truly gives you a new perspective on the world and everyone in it!

I really, really enjoyed my semester in Central America (Guatemala and Nicaragua) with Where There Be Dragons. I actually decided to return to Central America withDragon's internship program, which was also a great experience!

During the Central America semester, we lived in home-stays, worked with local community organizers, and went to language school. One of my favorite highlights of the program was my time spent with my home-stay families. I was nervous going into the program about living with families, but it is such a special and uniques experience. I immediately felt a part of the family and was included in all activities. I think it is one of the best ways to gain insight about the country and also the best way to improve your spanish. I am still in touch with one of my families today--we talk by phone every couple of months.

The instructors are awesome. They are super supportive and caring and overall, just great people who love what they do. My group experience was also great! We all become close friends by the end and still keep in touch today. Even tough we mostly lived in separate home-stays, there was still plenty of time for group bonding as we would spend all day working together and had some free time on the weekends to explore in nearby cities.

I felt pushed out of my comfort zone many times throughout the trip, but in a good way. I felt myself being challenged, which made me feel stronger and more confident about myself, and my beliefs.

I could talk about my gap year for hours. I am now a junior in college and took a gap year right after high school (Fall 2011 and Spring 2012) and I am still so glad that I did. I really valued my time abroad and it shifted my interests as to what I wanted to study in college. If you're thinking about taking a gap year--do it!! One of the best decisions i've made!

I signed up for Where There Be Dragons sort of on a whim,only knowing that I wanted an immersive and independent travel experience. I chose to go to Nepal with Dragons because of the Kapan monastery stay and the trekking experience. Dubious of anything group oriented or heavily guided, I was a bit tentative about Dragons at first. But once I realized the immense amount of wisdom and insight my instructors and peers and the whole program of experiences had to offer me, and let myself be open to them, I fell in love. With the country, with the program, with the people I was traveling with and the people I met along the way. I had such an amazing experience abroad. It was one challenging and eye-opening experience after the other. There were so many times I felt like crying and going home, like taking the easier option would have been better, but I am 100x more proud of myself than I ever have been before for rising to the countless challenges and overcoming them. For instance, climbing a 13,000 ft pass in the Himalayas, and learning a 6 minute traditional Nepali Folk Dance and performing it for hundreds of family members and friends. My sense of self-worth increased immensely from my experience with Dragons, and despite moments of regression, I truly feel like I can do anything now. The amount of roughness, the things you learn to live without (and live happier without), and the unexpected connections you make with people are life-changing. I feel like I am a better, more competent and confident, more self-aware and culturally sensitive, and interesting human being since my experience abroad, and I feel empowered both physically and intellectually.

Where There Be Dragons really and truly changed my life. I gained a sense of independence, a strength of character, and a feeling that I could conquer any obstacles that came in my way. I met a truly exceptional group of people, people who I was able to get to know in such a deep and personal way due to our shared experiences. Going to India was by far the most interesting, scary, and amazing experience, and without this program, I would never have been able to expereince it the way that I did. Our instructors definitely did an amazing job, for they not only provided help when we needed it, but also allowed us to truly grow in this strange environment. The times I remember most are the times when I or other members in the group had to step up, assume responsibility, and lead the group on. This program is not for those who are not willing to open their hearts and their eyes, and to this day I think of this trip as one of the more difficult things I have ever done. However, it was by far the most amazing thing. I learned to open my eyes in a way I did not dream was possible, I learned to accept things about myself that I could barely acknowledge, and, above all else, I came back a better person, a better citizen of this world. I cannot do Dragons justice just with these 5 stars and this jumbled review, but to anyone reading this, I beg of you, take a leap of faith, just as I did. You will be changed forever.

With Where There Be Dragons, I was able to experience life in an urban setting in Nepal, as well as life in a rural setting. My instructors had great in-country connections, and were able to find every single student a mentor for their specific Independent Study Projects. The home-stay families were all extremely generous and kind, and I always felt safe staying with my family in Kathmandu. Trekking in the Himalayas was intense but so beautiful, and gave us all a real understanding of why development in Nepal is so difficult. I have come home with a new perspective on my own life, and with a better idea of who I am and what I want to do with my life.

If I had the option of going back and going somewhere else with a different program or simply spending my summer doing something else... I would've still chosen Indonesia. Dragons is a program that lives up to its promise of rugged travel and cultural immersion. I can honestly say that I have never felt dirtier or more exhausted during my experience, but I have also never been happier. Every snorkeling destination and landscape we came across was exotic and stunning. My home-stays were the best part of the trip; Indonesia has become a home to me, and I know that if I ever want to go back, I have family there waiting with open arms. I ate weird foods and drank the freshest fruit juices available to man; I learned of the differing environmental issues unique to each of the areas we visited; I was able to explore a topic of my own choice independently. The adventurer in me came alive in Indonesia, and that would not have been possible without the most amazing instructors and a loving, outgoing and open-minded group of friends that I will never lose touch with. There was the perfect mix of language classes, trekking, rugged travel, survey of developmental issues, home-stays and just overall excitement. This trip instilled in me the desire to take every chance I get in life to experience the world and the communities around me, and to be flexible with life and just enjoy it as it comes. Dragons also makes sure to prepare you for culture shock and reverse culture shock at the beginning and the end of your trip. The only real problem I had going home was jetlag, because the best friends you come home with can be your outlet; they know exactly what you're going through and can relive the memories with you. If I could go again, I would. And if I ever decide to travel to another country through a program, and it is an option to go with Dragons, I would choose Dragons every time.

Where There Be Dragons is an unbelievable, life changing Gap Year program that allows you to become fully immersed into a culture. After spending 3 months in Bolivia and Peru, I felt like a true global citizen. Through home stays, language classes, volunteer work, trekking, and independent study projects, I grew as a person and made some unforgettable memories. I HIGHLY recommend Dragons.