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A review on Dragons Life Along the Mekong Semester Abroad: A Gap Year
Reviewed by Melaniestudent on
Amazing, immersive experience
I traveled with Dragons on the Mekong semester as part of a gap year before I started college. Overall it was an amazing experience that exposed us to a wide spectrum of cultures and people while giving us insight into the developmental and environmental issues facing Southeast Asia. My group was fantastic, and the instructors and in-country guides facilitated an incredibly diverse itinerary. Dragons' style of travel and learning is pretty rugged, so don't choose this program with an expectation of luxury. My experience opened my eyes to regional and global issues, and I feel like a more capable and independent traveler. I would recommend this program to anyone with a sense of adventure and a desire to have a really low-to-the-ground, immersive experience that makes them more aware of their place in the world.
Review Details
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Academics
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Program Administration
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Living Situation
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Cultural Immersion
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Other Reviews on Dragons Life Along the Mekong Semester Abroad: A Gap Year
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Dragons Life Along the Mekong Semester Abroad: A Gap Year A unique cultural and life changing experience.
Reviewed by Eva on .
The Life Along the Mekong Semester is a unique experience and opened my eyes to the languages and cultures of Cambodia, Laos and China. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is is interested in studying abroad in South East Asia.
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Dragons Life Along the Mekong Semester Abroad: A Gap Year Life-changing
Reviewed by Tina on .
I liked and appreciated everything about this program. It gives students a lot of independence and choice within the structure of a planned group trip. You are most definitely given room to pursue your "inner journey" while sharing the "outer journey" with the rest. The places traveled to were breathtaking, the home stays and cultural immersion were impacting, the format of the program conducive to transformation, and the people on it beautiful in every way. There is a language component to this particular trip that differs from the rest; we travel through 3 different countries, each with their own language, so there is a lot of starting over from scratch when you thought you were finally making progress. I would not recommend this trip to anyone who is not prepared for rugged travel. Be ready to live out of your backpack, eat street food, stay in cheap guest houses, and take 12-hour bus rides like the locals! There were some parts that were extremely challenging, like when the group decided on a trek in Tibet to cross a 3800m mountain pass. Being one of the least physically prepared for aspects of the trip like this, I am proud to have completed it - all with the help and support of instructors and fellow students at the back. You will become very good friends with the people you share these three months with, and will know everything about them. It is incredible to reach the end and look back on everything traveled together.