There are so many organizations that take students abroad these days, but I can say with absolute…read moreconfidence that Dragons offers the most unique, comprehensive, and life-changing experience available. I've been lucky enough to attend two of their programs, one 6 week summer course in high school, and one gap year semester before beginning college. "Attend" isn't even the right word; being a part of a Dragon's course is a full wake-up call to all your senses, a hands-on adventure that teaches students to engage deeply in the foreign world around them, and reflect on their own personal growth throughout the course. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think back to my experiences abroad with Dragons, and how these courses continue to affect me. At school, I am in a number of leadership positions that require skills that I picked up through Dragons- communication skills, learning how to give and receive feedback, navigating my needs with the needs of a group, responding sensitively to a completely different way of life and set of values, and so much more. Dragon's taught me to always look for ways to raise the bar- to constantly question if I am living a life that is aligned with my values, if I am taking full advantage of all the opportunities around me. This skill couldn't be more valuable in a college setting, and I started college after 3 months in Indonesia with Dragons ready to get the most of my 4 years. There are many qualities of a Dragon's trip that makes it stand out from other programs, but in particular the staff at Where There Be Dragons are some of the most incredible and inspirational people I have ever met. My instructor team on both trips that I participated in remain some of my greatest heroes. Years after our trip, they still check in with me and remember specific goals that I was working on during our course. Having the support of adults who were so invested in my personal experience and how to help me make the most of it, every single day of the trip, was amazing. My mom is the perfect archetype of an over-caring and nervous parent, so the fact that she let me go on not one but two trips to a foreign country says a lot about this organization. If you are looking for a few weeks of coasting on bus tour, or visiting museums apathetically, or chilling on a beach for 6 weeks, don't choose Dragons. If you are ready for an all-consuming adventure that will challenge you, inspire you to raise your awareness of self and the world, find yourself living with homestay families so drastically different than yours but so willing to open their way of life to you, to make 15 of the best friends you've ever had, and to come home and be shocked with how much there is to love in your life, then sign up for any course with Where There Be Dragons. It's the best choice I ever made.

Last fall, I was a student on the Where There Be Dragons Semester course in Indonesia. I hadn't…read moreplanned on taking time off between High School and College, but my ED school (Middlebury College) accepted me with a gap semester. The idea terrified me, challenged me, and ultimately has been an incredible gift. The course with Dragons changed my life. One of the most incredible parts of Dragons courses are the instructors. Each program is made up of twelve students and a minimum of three instructors, at least one of whom is native to the country where the course is based. The instructors are chosen because of their experiences as travelers, teachers, and citizens of the world, and each came to the program with a wealth of experience in human rights, conservation, academics, and cultural building. All were wonderful, passionate people with a will to open our minds, widen our knowledge of this world, and to grow with us as we experienced the consciousness-expanding wonder of deep, informed travel. Whether the experience is four weeks or three months, being immersed in a new culture can be immensely challenging. It is so important to have quality mentorship in times of intense growth. Dragons recognizes this, and thus the instructors are people who can hold space for this kind of transformative opportunity. I found that, beyond being more than qualified to inform us on human rights issues, the environment, cultural tendencies in the developing and western world, and many more intellectual pursuits, the instructors were there to support us mentally and emotionally. They guided us, challenging us when necessary, but always there for us. They took care of us, but they also helped us learn to take care of ourselves. Another amazing thing about Dragons is the relationship they build with local communities. Everywhere we went Dragons sought to create a sustainable friendship that benefits students and locals equally. This certainly deepens the student experience as it opens up doors for friendships and mentorships. A homestay family that trusts Dragons as an organization will be more likely to get excited about sharing their world with a student. I will never forget the connections I made with parents, children, and friends as we traveled through Indonesia. In each community we studied the culture (religion(s), history, customs, political dynamics, and role of the western world in all of this), environment (conservation issues facing communities, the impact of these on their everyday lives, changes being made going forward, and our roles in these issues), and community (what are the health care and educational systems, how far away is the nearest hospital, how and what language do the children learn to read). We studied all of this through community interaction: we'd sit in on community gatherings, organize talks with the village head, midwife, shaman, workers, and professors, and we'd ask them to tell us about their lives and their world. We also set aside time to process with the group, to learn how best to handle the intensity of our experiences. The course had a great balance of time spent learning with the group and time spent exploring, hanging out, and integrating our experiences into a newfound awareness of self and the world. Each day we would come together for at least two hours to check in with everyone, take care of medical needs, and rediscover solidarity with our peers. When we needed it we would always make time to go snorkeling in the nearby coral reef, explore the regional volcano, sing songs around a bonfire, have a dance party, drink a coconut, and decompress. I know that this trip changed my life. On my own, I never could have made it to such remote and beautiful places, experienced so much depth in new cultures, made such close friendships, and internalized my experience as lasting inspiration. I have been blown away by the integrity and values exhibited by all the staff at Dragons, and I am so incredibly grateful to have been their student. Each student faced many challenges on this program: we went into the unknown and fought against our comfort zones. We pushed into growth and found that, as we were challenged, new worlds started to open up to us. New perspectives appeared, deeper empathy was felt, greater integrity was realized, and we were suddenly more mature, more moral, more in touch with our inner selves, and more sensitive to the lives of those around us in this vast, unpredictable, beautiful world. Having had this experience, I will never be able to live without thinking of myself in service to my community. I can't go back: I will always work harder in my friendships, find ways to explore, adventure, and deepen, and remember that I am a citizen of the world. I wish that more of my friends would do Dragons programs. I have complete faith they would find their minds and souls expanded by it, just as I have.

Hmmm.. I'm not even sure at this point how many trips Cohica has planned for me (and many extended…read morefamily members). Suffice it to say that I love the service Megan and Ryan provide. Seamless and quality are apt words of praise. I love that all logistics are handled in advance and that the accommodations are perfectly situated and appointed. We are just back from our Classic Greek trip. As always the itinerary offers a nice balance of activity and leisure with top notch tour guides. Thanks (again). A presto!

Our trip to Italy, France, and the UK was incredible! The planning was flawless, and our days were…read morefilled with fun and educational experiences. A wise person once told me to always include a sentence in a review where you pick one word to describe what you're reviewing -- my word for Cohica is AWESOME! The only small hiccup was one morning in Chianti when we didn't have time for breakfast. Nonetheless, I would highly recommend Cohica Travel to everyone I meet. Thank you, Ryan and Megan!

Wow - from dialing to cancelled flight rebooking in 3 minutes while I was on the subway. Shelley is…read moreclearly a pro!

I am extremely disappointed with how this situation was handled…read more When my flight was originally scheduled for 2:00 p.m., I contacted your team months in advance to ask if it could be moved to an earlier flight because I had to work that day. I was told the only other option was a 5:00 a.m. departure. As a broke college student, that wasn't realistic because there would be no shuttle service available, meaning I would have had to pay for transportation to the airport out of pocket. Because of that, I kept my afternoon flight. I later found out that several of my peers, who were booked through the same company and traveling to the exact same destination, were placed on earlier flights throughout the day. When I checked, those flights still had available seats. I even called the day of travel and was told I could switch to an earlier flight, but only if I paid the change fee myself. What is most frustrating is that I asked about this months ago. Had I been given accurate information at that time, this issue could have been resolved. Instead, I was told there were no other options, which was simply not true. I planned around the information I was given, only to find out later that earlier flights were available all along. I feel like I was misled, and I am very disappointed with the lack of transparency and customer service throughout this process. This situation could have been avoided with honest communication, and I hope it is addressed so other travelers do not have the same experience.

We broke down and had a flat…read more Called AAA and they said it would be about 20 minutes. It was about 40 minutes but the tire was changed in a flash. They don't patch but gave an honest opinion on the tire. It wasn't salvageable so we found a place to purchase one. AAA helped us when we were stranded.

AAA auto club has become a telemarketing company. Their primary product is SPAM. I have been…read moreswamped with deceptive postal mail and email at least weekly since I joined AAA. The mailings are deceptive with big red letters saying "Signature Required" or Important or Urgent but nowhere on the envelope is "AAA" or "insurance". AAA insurance is the worst. AAA appears to "share" personal information with third parties who spam you too. I've have asked repeatedly for AAA to stop this, but it continues. Unless you want a mailbox full of junk, weekly, forever, don't give AAA your name, email or address, ever. Even for towing, there are alternatives with better service for less money. AAA keeps restricting what the basic membership covers so they can upsell you, or sell you other stuff. Keep away from AAA.

Ocean First Travel Center is mainly comprised of retail products for dive trips and also houses…read moreDream Weaver Travel, a separate business that does the actual travel booking. Ocean First maintains its pool and lesson business in their north Boulder location. But the cooperation here with the Dream Weaver team allows one stop shopping when you need a gear refresh or products for an upcoming trip. That is what my husband needed to do today after speaking with Dream Weaver first. He needed to refresh his supply of reef safe sun block for an upcoming trip. There are plenty of gear options in this shop as well as brochures for dive locations around the world. There are many organized trips arranged by Ocean First too. Note that this is a separate business that was formerly Weaver's Dive shop, the retail side only has changed hands. There is less retail stock here now because they have the original Ocean First retail and pool at another location. Yelp has merely merged the reviews for the retail businesses.

Best dive shop in CO IMO. Very knowledgeable group and very tuned to the needs of their clients…read more Ocean First has some very unique features that set them apart. Really have enjoyed meeting and learning from them as the years have gone by.

Great customer service. Would highly recommend! Booked a Sandals vacation with Shannon. Loved it…read more Have recommend this agency to friends.

Shannon booked us at the most busiest hotel in Maui for the holidays and it was less than an…read moreenjoyable. It was a total zoo and amidst the ongoing renovation, which she forgot to mention, elevators were out and we had to smash into one elevator the whole time like sardines. Not to mention thtat she booked us at the back of the plane for a 5 hour trip smelling disgusting bathroom smell. After spending $1500 on this trip, willl never use her or the stupid expensive resort she put us in. Not even an email afterward to check in to see if we enjoyed it. She is awful!

Booked a group trip for us for my birthday with 12 demanding people which can be difficultread more

From the owner: Sarah Bender is an independent Travel Agent affiliated with The Travel Society. The Travel Society…read moreis a highly respected agency in the travel industry, and we have many excellent, or preferred relationships with vendors. Sarah has booked both corporate and leisure travel and have extensive experience booking both domestic as well as international travel, including air, hotels and cars, rail, packages, tours and cruises. Sarah specializes in Australia and New Zealand, including experience with Mexico, Europe, The Caribbean and Europe. Call or Message Us Today To Schedule!

May have been great once before, but now, no more. What a…read morelet down. I hate to ruin a once perfect score, but the last review was what, 8 years ago! If you are using this platform then, at least give a review once in a while and if you find a business has changed services, stopped services, or has just gone lame, then do a review and report it. This is a poor reflection not only on Gold Key Travel, but Yelp and its users as well. Come on people. All previous reviews looked outstanding, so I thought Gold Key Travel is going to be a great gig. Wrong! I wasted way too much time trying to contact GKT only to find out that they are no longer open to the public for regular services. They now apparently only do certain special annual package deals for seniors. So why is GKT showing up as number one on a Yelp search for the Greeley/Ft Collins area when they are no longer open for regular travel services? There should be a way for Yelp to remove businesses or change their status listing so of users don't waste their time trying to contact businesses that no longer offer the regular services as once previously performed or advertised.

I've used Gold Key Travel for at least 20 years (including 3x over the past 12 months). The last…read moretwo trips were at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, and I couldn't have been more pleased. Both recommendations were perfect (amazing food, drink, service, etc), and the agents couldn't have made it easier. They setup transportation to and from the airport, recommended excursions that the whole family loved, and even contacted the hotel to add special perks for my wife and I on our anniversary. If I could have people like this plan my normal day-to-day activities my life would be much less stressful!