Where There Be Dragons
Why choose Where There Be Dragons?
At Where There Be Dragons, we believe connecting with others & new parts of yourself are foundational to creating a more just, compassionate, and inclusive world. We have offered immersive and responsible Gap Year and Summer Abroad programs in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the USA for nearly 30 years. Engaging as travelers, not tourists, programs give students the rare opportunity to genuinely...
At Where There Be Dragons, we believe connecting with others & new parts of yourself are foundational to creating a more just, compassionate, and inclusive world. We have offered immersive and responsible Gap Year and Summer Abroad programs in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the USA for nearly 30 years. Engaging as travelers, not tourists, programs give students the rare opportunity to genuinely experience the places they travel and meaningfully connect across cultures. Each small-group program is custom crafted by expert instructors and combines 9 hands-on program components such as homestay, trekking, and language learning. With Dragons, students gain new perspectives, knowledge, and skills needed to be more active and resilient participants in the world. On course, we learn by doin...
Where There Be Dragons Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
A Life-changing 3 Months
by: Rowan Carr - United StatesProgram: Nepal Semester: Himalayan Studies (Gap Year)I spent 3 months in Nepal with Where There Be Dragons. On my trip I spent a week at a buddhist monestary learning philosophy and medication and living alongside monks as they went about their daily lives. I lived for 2 weeks with a family in a rural village. During my time there I experienced life as a local while also having daily language lessons and group activities with the rest of my group. The family I stayed with spoke very little english and, at the time, I spoke very little Nepali, desp...
The trip of a lifetime— immersive and unfiltered!
by: Jennifer W - United StatesProgram: Senegal: Youth Leadership, Arts, & Culture (Summer)The Where There Be Dragons summer program in Senegal was the opportunity of a lifetime to really experience another culture with no filters. Students were really allowed to interact and BE in the culture, rather than just looking at it or learning about it from afar. I'll never forget sitting on a mat under the stars with my homestay family, learning simple words in Pulaar, eating grilled corn, looking at a sky full of thousands of stars, and the last evening with them when we danced late into t...
My Himalayan semester
by: Olivia - GermanyProgram: Nepal Semester: Himalayan Studies (Gap Year)My Himalayan semester was one of the best experiences I have ever had. From rural homestays to trekking in the Himalayas, it was full to the brim of adventure, community, culture and collaboration. My instructors were absolutely amazing as were my fellow Dragons students. The space that Dragons creates for self reflection and growth along with building an incredible group environment was something unique and awesome. On a trip like this it is expected that at one point or another you are pushed ...
Where There Be Dragons Programs
Browse programs you might like
The Himalayas. Since time immemorial, these colossal peaks with their vast web of rugged, isolated valleys and distinct ethnic groups have drawn ...
Known for the incomparable ruins of Angkor Wat, Cambodia evokes images of overgrown jungle temples, bright orange-robed monks, and lush rice fiel...
The Central Andes is a region full of superlatives, existing at extremes. From sparkling glaciers to lush tropical forests, this Gap Year program...
Join us for a trekking intensive program that explores environmental and rural community resiliency among one of the most stunning landscapes on ...
At dawn, a howler monkey cries from the branch of a giant cieba tree. In the Cuchumatanes Mountains, a young woman rises to grind corn on a stone...
Investigate the impact of climate change at the source, traveling from Himalayan glaciers to the Indian plains and examining environmental activi...
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Interviews
Read interviews from alumni or staff
Matthew Ambrogi
Participated in 2014
Matthew is a 20 year old student from Massachusetts. After spending a year abroad in China, Laos, Cambodia, and India, Matt will be returning to the U...
Matthew Ambrogi
Participated in 2014
First off, it wasn't an easy decision. But, for me, it was something I had to do. I was in my freshman year of college, working so hard everyday for an engineering degree, but I felt that I was missing out of an immensely valuable educational experience: traveling abroad. I knew there was more out there and I needed to see it. I had thought about taking a gap year the previous year but, for one reason or another (fear and a feeling that "no one does that"), I ended up at college. I had done some research and was really excited about my options, so I decided to act.
Hilary LeBlanc - Admissions Associate
Interviewed in 2018
Hilary grew up in Connecticut and attended St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. After college, Hilary headed west to Colorado to teach at High...
Hilary LeBlanc - Admissions Associate
Interviewed in 2018
What inspired you to travel abroad?
Before starting at Dragons, I worked for a number of years in outdoor and experiential education. I was working with students in the capacity that I loved and this wasn’t something I wanted to give up, but it also wasn’t totally sustainable for me as these were all seasonal positions.
Megan Fettig
Interviewed in 2018
From 2000-2002, Megan served as a Peace Corps volunteer in an agricultural village in southern Senegal. A few years later, she instructed Dragons firs...
Megan Fettig
Interviewed in 2018
What inspired you to travel abroad?
What inspires you to work with Where There Be Dragons?
Recognitions
Check out awards and recognitions Where There Be Dragons has received