where there be dragons
where there be dragons
where there be dragons

Program components

To ensure that each course is consistently rewarding, common themes are threaded through all of our programs: these are our "Program Components". Because each country has its own unique cultural and physical landscape, the emphasis of each component varies program to program. To understand the core components of each Dragons experience, consider the descriptions and ratings represented on each program page.

rugged travel Rugged Travel:
Dragons participants travel in a style that enables them to genuinely know the people of the countries we visit. Most often we travel on local buses and trains. We may pile onto a tractor or horse-drawn cart. This often isn't the fastest or most comfortable way to travel, but for adaptable participants it offers the most authentic experience.

  • 5 star = extremely rugged, few showers, undeveloped roads
  • 4 star = limited time in urban/developed areas, mostly remote
  • 3 star = half time in urban areas
  • 2 star = some remote, more than half the time in urban locales
  • 1 star = limited remote travel


rugged travelHome-stay:
Often the most challenging and fulfilling component of our programs, home-stays take students to the core of their experience. Home-stays are carefully set up with each student's individual personality in mind.

  • 5 star = 15 + days of home-stay
  • 4 star = 10 + days of home-stay
  • 3 star = 5 + days of home-stay
  • 2 star = 3 + days of home-stay
  • 1 star = possible one or two day home-stay


trekking Trekking and Wilderness Exploration:
Though programs vary in their degree of physical challenge, exploration of the natural environment is integral to all Dragons experiences. Whether backpacking through pristine wilderness, rafting down jungle rivers or hiking to breathtaking mountain views, we discover remote and infrequently traveled places.

  • 5 star trekking = 20 + days of wilderness hiking and camping
  • 4 star trekking = 12 + days
  • 3 star trekking = 7 + days
  • 2 star trekking = 4 + days
  • 1 star trekking = day hikes


service learning Service Learning:
Making a long-term investment in the community, participants may work as a whole group, in smaller sub-groups, or individually. Students generally engage in a diverse range of projects that best suit their passions - from classroom teaching to healthcare outreach, assistance in microeconomic development, or hands-on building projects.

  • 5 star = 40 + hours
  • 4 star = 20 + hours
  • 3 star = 10 + hours
  • 2 star = 5 + hours
  • 1 star = limited community service


survey of development Survey of Development Issues:
Each course explores a range of development issues, from issues in health care, resource management and environmental impact, to children's and women's issues, to peace and conflict studies. Through meetings with development professionals, participants learn first-hand how the efforts of community leaders and aid organizations both positively and negatively impact the region's people, culture and environment.

  • 5 star = focus of program
  • 4 star = concentrated inspection
  • 3 star = fairly strong survey
  • 2 star = limited consideration
  • 1 star = not relevant to program


internships Internships and Independent Study Projects:
For inspired students, internships are often arranged with renowned artists, musicians, yogis, monks, dancers, cultivators, development workers, and healers, and many other people who have spent much of their lives mastering a skill. Independent Study Projects enable students to look more intensively into a particular topic. Facilitated by course instructors and area contacts, students may explore topics such as religious practice and meditation or yoga, political organizations and community activism, tourism and development, the role of women or children in society, or an interest of their own design.

  • 5 star = major component of program
  • 4 star = strongly emphasized
  • 3 star = fairly integral to course design
  • 2 star = part of program, not emphasized
  • 1 star = limited opportunities for self-directed projects


language study Language Study:
We absolutely do not expect participants to come with language skills, nor to master them. We do expect that our travelers will want to interact with locals as closely as they can, and few things do more to empower participants, and facilitate an ease of cultural understanding, than frequent language lessons with supportive instructors.

  • 5 star = major component of program, 40 + hours of instruction
  • 4 star = strongly emphasized, 30 + hours
  • 3 star = moderate amount, 15 + hours
  • 2 star = limited language instruction, 10 + hours
  • 1 star = little language instruction


philosophy Introduction to Philosophy/Comparative Religion:
Participants are introduced to the commonly shared religious and political thinking that has helped to shape the country's culture. Depending on the country, travelers explore the tenets of Theravada, Mahayana or Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Shamanism, Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism, or Hinduism.

  • 5 star = major component of program
  • 4 star = strongly emphasized
  • 3 star = fairly integral to course design
  • 2 star = part of program, not emphasized
  • 1 star = limited opportunities for study and exploration


focus if inquiry Focus of Inquiry:
Each course lends itself differently to the introduction of particular academic themes. Programs may be more heavily weighted towards an introduction to minority issues, land-use issues, expedition planning, or traditional art, music and performance.

  • 5 star = major component of program
  • 4 star = strongly emphasized
  • 3 star = fairly integral to course design
  • 2 star = part of program, not emphasized
  • 1 star = influences program, only slight emphasis
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