This is probably the biggest and most in-depth review you're likely to find on Dream Connections anywhere on the net.
Below you'll find the "About this Review" section, where I talk about how and why I wrote this review.
If you want to skip to the meat of the review head straight to the "Table of Contents" where you'll be able to find a clickable outline of the entire review.
Enjoy!
-JD
About this review
The Purpose of This Review
In this review I tried to compile all of the information and reviews I could find about Dream Connections into one convenient article. One of the main reasons I started FWHL was to combat the loads of misinformation that surround international dating.
Some of the worst misinformation surrounds marriage agencies (also called romance tour companies, or even matchmaking agencies). Companies write bogus reviews on each other's sites or through user submitted review sites in order to discredit their competitors. Other companies/agencies withhold certain information that might make a potential client question their services. There's a lot of BS to wade through.
The reason for all the smoke and mirrors is simple: there is a lot of money to be made in these romance tours. My hope is that this review for Dream Connections will eliminate the smoke and give you the information you need to make an informed decision on whether their services are right for you or not.
Disclaimers
My sources for the review
Personal contact with Mark
I was able to interview Mark on the FWHL podcast not too long ago. I asked him what were to me, some of the most pressing questions about what Dream Connections does. Naturally I used the interview as a source for this review.
I was also in contact with Mark during the writing process. He answers some additional questions I had, and cleared up any potential misunderstandings about the services DC offers. You will find direct quotes from my correspondence with Mark sprinkled throughout the review. Most of them appear as "Mark Answers Common Questions".
Past tour clients
With Mark's help I was able to get into contact with a couple of his past tour clients. I sent them a simple questionnaire about their experience with Dream Connections. I quote their answers throughout the review, and also provide links to their full unedited answers (though I did fix the occasional typo).
You can find these reviews under the "What past clients say about Dream Connections" section.
Unofficial reviews
I also include two unofficial/independent user reviews which were published in places other than FWHL and are not in affiliation with Dream Connections. You can also find these reviews under the "What other people say about Dream Connections" section.
The Dream Connections Youtube Channel
If you don't know already, Dream Connections has a Youtube channel with hundreds of videos providing information, advice, and interviews for anyone who wants to know more about what the company does.
Rather than reinvent the wheel I included videos that either gave relevant information about how a tour with DC works, or gave a first hand look at an actual tour or tour event.
A final word before we get started
This review was a lot of work
I spent many an hour on this review. This is mainly because the product/service in question is expensive and I believe an in-depth and detailed review is warranted.
I don't mind if you don't choose Dream Connections
I did my best to answer any and all questions guys might have when considering a romance tour like Dream Connections. I also tried hard to organize all of the information (there's a lot), in a way that is organized and easy to access.
In all honesty I won't be bummed if you read this review and decide not to go with Dream Connections. As I said before the review is designed to help you make your own decision on whether or not one of these romance tours is right for you.
I even included links to other sites and services you can use instead of Dream Connections. You can find them in the "Alternatives to the Dream Connections..." section.
If this reviewed helped you leave a comment!
All this to say, if you enjoyed this review or found it helpful, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section!
And if you do decide you want to go on a Dream Connections tour I won't complain if you use one of the affiliate links on this review 😉
The Story behind Dream Connections
Dream Connections was started in June of 2011 by the American-Ukrainian couple Mark and Anna Davis. The couple met on a romance tour in late 2006 and then married in the fall of 2007.

Mark and his wife Anna are the founders of Dream Connections
After writing and publishing a book on his experience with international dating, Mark became a sort of international dating advocate, making appearances on radio shows and TV networks.

Mark's book on International dating caught the media's attention
Mark and Anna found that their relationship, which to them had been exciting and fulfilling, was often met with skepticism and even criticism from many people in the West. Mark often cites how during the early years of his marriage he felt alone and isolated, simply because no else around him believed in his newfound relationship.
Mark and Anna's relationship garnered some media attention
Men started contacting Mark, asking for his advice on how to meet honest women overseas. Mark started leading small tours of men to Ukraine to meet ladies, and thus Dream Connections was born.
"The first Quest Tour took place in June of 2011 and hosted just 3 clients, but it proved that the model would work!"
-Mark Edward Davis
Mark, Anna, and their team have grown over the years and overcome some hurdles along the way. Their once small company is now one of the leading international romance tour agencies in the world.
Mark and Anna have repeatedly said that they started Dream Connections in the hope of helping others find the same joy and satisfaction they themselves have found in their relationship together.
Is Dream Connections right for you?
Yes if...
You want to cut the crap and meet real foreign women face-to-face
International dating is hard
Dating overseas isn't easy. That's why Foreign Wife Happy Life exists. On this site we do our best to answer the myriad of questions that come up when a guy is looking for a serious relationship overseas.
Some of these questions include:
.....the list goes on and on. This added stress can put a damper on your search to find a lasting relationship to say the least.
Some guys like going in blind
Some guys revel in the challenge of navigating a foreign culture and facing the unique risks and problems that might arise. For them it's all part of the adventure. I myself fall into this category, and in a way I guess I might have something to prove to myself: I want to take the most difficult path I can, just for the sure hell of it. That's how I ended up the honored guest at a stranger's wedding drinking fermented horse milk in the middle of Kazakhstan (but that's a difference story for a different day).
But a lot of guys would rather cut to the chase
But a lot of guys don't have the time or desire to worry about the numerous pitfalls that may await someone who is new to the international dating scene. They recognize that international dating is the proverbial road less travelled (whether you do it DIY style or through purchase a packaged tour), and they have nothing to prove.
They simply want to find a healthy and rewarding relationship with a foreign woman, and enjoy the rest of their lives together. These men would rather follow the lead of someone they can trust, someone who's been there before, to save them from any and all unnecessary challenges.
Dream Connections wants to be that guiding hand, and it's at these sort of men their tours are aimed.
You can't download a wife!
-Mark Edward Davis
Dream Connections is for men who simply want to show up and meet real and sincere women. With DC the logistics and details are all taken care of, you're safe, and you will have all the resources and information you will need to cross the cultural barrier. That way you can focus on what matters most: your dates with the ladies and finding the right woman.
You want to meet foreign ladies but aren't comfortable with international travel
Dream Connections takes much of the stress out of traveling to a foreign country. If you're new to international travel, going to places like Colombia, Ukraine, or Thailand can seem daunting.
However if you choose Dream Connections, spending a week abroad in search of love is as simple as buying a plane ticket and meeting the DC team at the airport. As we said before, they will take care of the rest.
No if...
You're on a tight budget
In general romance tours aren't cheap, and Dream Connections group tours are at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. If traveling and dating on a budget is one of the defining factors for your romantic search, then you might be better off going with a more DIY approach.
You're the independent type
DC tours are a great option if you're looking for love overseas.
However, there's something to be said for having the freedom to go wherever you want, when you want, however you want. Of course there's often more risk and more challenge involved, but isn't that part of the fun? (Maybe the fermented horse milk was worth it after all)
For some the package deal of a tour just isn't as enticing as lone-wolfing it. These types have no problem doing things like visiting a country they've never been to, learning a foreign language, and fumbling their way through a different culture. For these types a DC romance tour may not be the best choice.
They're also some guys who simply aren't interest in going on a tour alongside 20 other men. Whether it's because of introversion, a strong sense of focus, or simply being a private person, for such men the whole "group" part of a group tour doesn't sound all that appealing.
What Dream Connections offers
Group romance tours
Here we'll look at look how DC's tours work, and all that goes into them.
Tour locations
At the time of this review's writing Dream Connections overs tours in four different cities, across three different countries. Two are in Ukraine, with one in the city of Nikolaev, and the other in Kherson. The company also offers tours in Medellin, Colombia as well as Bangkok, Thailand.
Pre tour screening
One distinctive feature of Dream Connections is that they screen both their male and female clients. Before attending a tour both male and female clients are interviewed, to help ensure their intentions are sincere, and that they are open to a serious international relationship.
Every woman who signs up with Dream Connections must personally come into the company's local office, where they are interviewed, their legal information is verified, and they are put into the company's database. Male clients are interviewed over Skype.
It's important to note that Dream Connections doesn't accept just anyone. Mark openly admits that they have turned down both men and women who appeared to have insincere or dubious motives.

" I loved that fact that I had to be screened to make sure I was genuine and not a sex tourist or something. Its showed Dream connections standards and that it was more than just to make money. Let's get things straight of course they are a business and its about the money but they showed me I was in good hands and I would need to live to their standards and the woman would also go through something similar."
David - DC tour client (Ukraine)
Arrival (include intro dinner)
The first day of the tour includes the "Meet Your Translator Dinner". Here men will be served traditional local cuisine while being introduced to their assigned personal translator. The idea behind this event is to 1) get acquainted with your translator so the two of you can build rapport, and 2) to help get you acclimated to being in a foreign country and get you in the right mindset to date the local ladies.
A closer look at one of the Meet Your Translator events in Ukraine
A Meet Your Translator Dinner on one of DC's Colombian tours
Speed dating events
The next two days of the tour are the flagship event of the Dream Connections romance tours: the meet & greet speed dating events.
How the speed dating meet & greets work
About an hour before the men arrive to the event, the local ladies arrive and sign in. All ladies at the event have been screened and invited based on the men who are attending (no walk ins). Each woman is given a name tag and is assigned a place at one of the many tables in the room.
DC does its best to ensure that each table has an even spread of ages between the ladies, so that no matter the age of a man he can expect to meet at least one (if not more) ladies within his age range.
A meet & greet on a tour in Thailand
Next the men and their translators arrive. The translators are briefed on which ladies are attending the event. Then the actual meet and greet begins.
Paired off with his personal translator each man will systematically work his way through each of the tables. Each table will have around three or four women. Every fifteen minutes or so everyone moves on to a new table until each man has met every woman and vice versa.

" The speed dating work good for their purpose. Some tables i thought WOW where did the time go it felt like not enough time and others seemed to take so long and drawn out. The idea is to get an idea of the purpose and just fell if there is any chemistry. Then you give her your Card or number and you interpreter gets her number if she is interested. The dates after is where you find out if there is anything deeper there between you."
David - DC tour client (Ukraine)
There is also a break table incorporated into the circuit, so that each man has a chance to take a breather (this is especially nice for us introverts). The ladies also get a break, during which they can have free professional photos taken of themselves as souvenirs.
The idea behind this event is to break the ice with the women in a way that is natural, respectful, and sincere. Anyone who's been on a romance tour through other companies will recognize the stark contrast DC's meet & greets and the usual open club free-for-all format common on other tours.
An actual 15 minute session from a meet and great in Ukraine
DC encourages the men and women to simply discuss what you'd normally talk about when you meet someone for the first time: your work, your hobbies, lifestyle, etc.
After 15 minutes spent at each table, the man leaves and his translator stays behind to talk with the ladies. She asks if any of them would be open to going on a date with him. Any women who are willing to oblige, write their phone number on a sheet for the translator. The man is then free to contact those ladies during the rest of the week.
Individual dates (days 4-8)
The rest of the week is open for individual dates. These dates will be with the women from the meet and greet event who accepted your invitation to go out with you.
Mark answers Common questions

Isn't weird if 20 guys are all trying to go out with the same ladies?
You’d think there would be competition among the men, but it rarely happens.
Why? Because mutual attraction sorts it out. A woman may go out with one man who she is very interested in plus another she only has a passing interest in. She feels truly connected with the one man and he feels it too.
The other man would go out with her and not feel any chemistry, so he puts his energy toward the one he feels highly attracted to. This is the way of nature, and it works.
-Mark Edward Davis
Special event (Wednesday)
On each DC tour Wednesday is reserved for an optional special event. It could be anything from a cultural show in Bangkok, to a karaoke night club in Ukraine. The purpose of this special event is to take some of the pressure off of the week and simply relax and enjoy your time in a foreign country.
Round table interviews (Thursday morning)
Thursday morning Mark typically holds a free live webinar for any men around the world who are interested in going on a DC tour. More often then not some of the men on the current tour will stop by and share some of their experiences.
One of Mark's live trip reports
Orphanage visit (Ukraine only)
The Ukrainian tours feature an optional visit to a local orphanage supported by Mark and Anna Davis through their nonprofit Abundance International. While the Ukrainian government does supply some support to local orphanages, there tend to be a lot of gaps in their funding.
Mark and Anna have stepped in to help meet that need and have successfully helped fund building projects (like a new infant ICU), as well as supplies such as medicine, diapers, etc.
More info on the Davis' Ukrainian Orphan Support Project
Finale dinner (Friday night)
The final event of a DC tour is the finale dinner. On the last night of the tour men are invited along with their date and translator to attend an elegant meal in celebration of the successful week.
Often stories are shared, staff and translators are honored, and of course tons of pictures are taken.
Saturday: home
On Saturday the tour is officially over and some men return home. However, many stay an extra few days. While these extra days aren't apart of the official tour, DC will make it easy for you to extended your time at your hotel, and with your personal translator if needed. In fact from what I've heard many men plan to stay longer ahead of time.
Post tour services
The journey doesn't end after you find your special someone and return back home. A budding international relationship faces some unique hurdles. DC offers you a range of resources to help you and your lady bridge the gap between the time you leave and your inevitable return to see her again or bring her back home.

" The great thing about DC is that even when you are back in the states with your soon to be wife and daughter they were a phone call away to help you if needed, even guiding you in the right direction when time to start your paperwork and etc..."
Richard - DC tour client (Colombia)
These services include access to coaching, translators, and even recommended visa attorneys (note that these services do come at an additional cost and aren't included in the initial tour price).
You'll also have access to a community of other international couples and well wishers who have walked the trail before you. This is a true benefit. An international relationship is a unique experience and it's an invaluable experience to have others you can share it with.

" Dream connection has a couples group on Facebook were the couple can support each other and give advice on visa and other things (if the ladies for example are finding it hard to settle in). They also have functions and a couple meet up to spend time at disneyland."
David - DC tour client (Ukraine)
What makes Dream Connections different?
Emphasis on creating relationships
One of the guiding values of DC is that they strive to help their clients find meaningful long lasting relationships. They aren't in the business of letter writing, or the free for all socials that are common in the international dating industry. In fact men have no contact or correspondence with ladies until they meet them face to face on the tour.
Everything about a DC tour, from the initial screening and interview process, to the format and itinerary of their tours, is designed to create an environment where good honest men can make meaningful connections with equally honest and relationship-minded ladies.
Mark answers Common question

Why can't I write to the ladies on the Dream Connections site?
Pre trip training
Training videos
Before leaving for a tour each man will be given access to a series of exclusive training videos. The goal of this series is to help prepare guys to head into the tour with the right mindset and excepections. They also help prepare viewers to date within the context of a foreign culture.
Here's a few of the topics the training videos cover:
Personal translators (the secret sauce of DC)
Mark himself often says that the single most important component of DC's success over the years has been their translators. If you find your way to DC's Youtube channel you're likely to find past DC clients saying the same thing. All this begs the question: what exactly does a personal translator do on a DC tour?
Who is your translator and how will she help you on a tour?
What does your translator actually do?
She translates (duh)
Naturally, they provide translation (if you don't speak your lady's language or your lady of interest doesn't speak English). More than that though, your translator also helps you navigate the maze of the local culture.
She helps you navigate the local culture
Many a man has dated a foreign woman only to have things go south, not because any one person had bad intentions or did something purposefully wrong, but because of a cultural misunderstanding.
The cultures in these countries differ widely from that of the West. Your translator will personally protect you from cultural faux pas and misunderstandings between you and your dates. Whether it's dress, etiquette, or traditions your translator has you covered.
Your personal translator is a valuable cultural asset
She's your wing-woman
What if you could have a trusted sister or female friend personally dedicated to helping you find the right woman? She would be your buffer against BS and scams. She could also lend you her keen feminine intuition, as she shared with you her thoughts on the chemistry between you and your date.

" I’m sure all the translators were great, but I felt like I had best ever, after setting down and speaking with her. After letting her know a little about myself and what I’m looking for, from then on everything was a breeze until I left heading back home. DC did an excellent job in matching us together, that all came from DC getting to know me as well. "
Richard - DC tour client (Colombia)
She'd seek to understand what you want and need in a romantic partner and she would try her hardest to help you find such a woman.
It's this sort of wing-womaning (yes I made that word up) that best describes what your translator will do for you on a DC tour.

" My interpreter was a very big part of my success she made both Katya (my now wife) and myself feel more comfortable on our dates. When I wanted to do something special like bring sushi lunch to her on her lunch break at work, Mila my interpreter helped me. She left us alone a few times staying close by so we had to communicate without an interpreter. This made us work to communicate more and was not as easy, but we both knew we could do it for when I went home. Mila also helped me plan my proposal. Ok course it did not work out the way I planned and iI had to improvise but that is all part of our story, and Katya said yes so i would not change anything."
David - DC tour client (Ukraine)
She's your personal assistant
Your translator will arrange your dates, manage your schedule, take you shopping, help you pick out gifts, arrange transportation, and take care of just about any other logistic that stand between you and a successful date.
Mark answers Common questions

How do you find your translators? Are they screened or trained?
Translators are all hired based on personal interview with our managers. They come from referrals of current translators or friends of ladies who have attended our events. They go through a detailed training program to help them know how to help clients in many different varieties of situation - to help him succeed. They are matched to clients based on personality types and other criteria.
-Mark Edward Davis
Can I date my translator?
If you watch any of the videos DC puts out on their translators, undoubtedly one of the first questions to come to mind will be "Soo....can I date my translator?". It was certainly the first question that popped into my head.
These women come off as intelligent, beautiful, very sincere, and they already know how to speak English, thus any straight man is likely to find them attractive.
Be honest...what guy wouldn't want a date with a lady like Julia?
As a rule of thumb DC does their best to use translators who aren't single, so as not to stir up any unneeded tension while going on dates (a wise man would know the danger of simultaneously going out with two women he was both interested in).
Still, DC translators are sometimes single, and a few couples have resulted from a client going out with a translator. However, according to Mark no client has dated his personally assigned translator. If a romantic spark is lit, it's typically between a client and a translator assigned to another guy.
Price
The cost of a group tour vs an individual tour
A spot on a group tour will run you $4,950.
Cost of a dream connection's Group tour
Group tour
$4,950
What is included in the price of a tour
What is not included in the price of a tour
Criticisms of Dream Connections
As with any successful company, DC is not with out its critics. Here are the two most common criticism of their tours.
1. A high price tag
The biggest criticism you're likely to hear about Dream Connections is their high price tag. At $4,950 for a spot on a nine day group tour, it's one of the more expensive romance tours on the market.
Many point out that the countries DC operates in (most notably Ukraine), have a much lower cost of living than in the West. The rationale follows, "If things like hotels, food, and transportation, are so cheap in Ukraine why does DC charge so much money for their tours?"
At first glance, I think it's a fair question. I've spent some time in Ukraine myself and I'll be the first to tell you that prices there are considerably lower for things like food, lodging, and transport. The actual prices will vary based on the city you're in. Generally the bigger the city the higher the prices (just like anywhere else in the world).
My two cents
As I said before a romance tour isn't really my cup of tea, but if it was, would I be willing to pay almost $5,000 for a tour with DC?
Hmm...probably.
This is because I'm impressed with the company's system. There are a lot of good things that set apart DC from other companies. Taken by themselves, I don't know that any one of them would be worth paying so much money for.
It's when all these pieces are moving together in a unified system that the magic happens. The training videos, the personal translators, the speed dating events, the pre-screenings, the support....if I paid just under $5,000 for it all I wouldn't feel cheated.
Over the years Mark and Anna Davis have worked together to develop a model for a romance tour that makes honest relationally-minded international dating available to even the most travel averse guys out there.
If I was shopping around for a romance tour and $5000 was in my budget, and I was serious about actually finding a real relationship, I'd have no problem going with Dream Connections.
Other guys may feel differently, and that's cool. This is just my two cents (for whatever it's worth)
What Mark says about his price tag
Mark brings up a interesting perspective on the price for his tours. A $4,950 romance tour isn't far removed from the expenses a man might incur through a combination of dating site subscriptions, and the price paid for one or more trips abroad to meet ladies.
In his view (and I think he brings up a good point), a DC tour is a step up from the DIY dating approach, but it's isn't an unreasonable step. You can check out what Mark says in the video below:
Mark's take on DC's price
Mark answers Common questions

Why do DC tours cost so much?
“The cost for attending a Quest Romance Tour can’t be compared to a trip to Ukraine by yourself for many reasons. What we do is much more like a matchmaking program.
We have a series of pre-tour Skype calls to learn more about our clients and build a list of possible matches. Ladies are invited to the events based on these lists. The client is assigned a dedicated Romance Coach, like a personal assistant, who is a constant guide throughout the trip.
But the biggest value is the work we do to know the ladies who attend our events. Meeting over 100 women who are also looking for their life partner, are warm hearted, and open to the idea of marrying a man from another country, is extremely valuable.
When you consider that our success rate is 80%, you have to think about how many times you’d have to go on your own to have such a high probability of success.
Our clients have said the Quest Romance Tour took 2-years off of the dating process. The value is worth more than the price.”
-Mark Edward Davis
DC's price compared to the competition
A Foreign Affair is one of the oldest and most popular romance tour companies, and one of DC's main competitors (we'll talk more about AFA later). The cost of a ten day/nine night AFA tour in Ukraine costs $3495. That's exactly $1,000 or about 20% less than a Dream Connection's tour in Ukraine.
So my personal question when surveying these two tours is this: is there anything worth $1,000 which DC offers on their tour that AFA doesn't? DC offers a personal translator throughout the week. The translator has been trained according to the DC tour system.
The DC tour format is unique, though other companies (AFA included) have mimicked the idea of a speed dating event to varying degrees of effect. There's also the idea of overall higher quality, given that DC vets both the men and the women who come on their tours. AFA is known for taking any and everyone.
So is a personal translator, natural environment for meeting women, pre-trip screening, as well as overall higher level of service worth the extra 20% in price? You'll have to decide for yourself.
2. DC's success rate claim
Mark freely cites that Dream Connections has an 80 percent success rate on their tours. He openly defines this success rate based on how many men leave the tour with a woman they want to pursue a serious relationship with (not by how many men marry a woman they met on the tour).
Some criticize the company for not basing their success rate on the percentage of men who marry a woman from a tour. As far as I can find there is no official statistic for how many men marry a woman they met while on a DC tour.
A marriage success rate would be a little weird (if you think about it)
Personally I have no problems with Mark's 80% success rate. To put a percentage on how many couples get married would seem a bit unnatural....
Imagine I had company that did romance tours and I told you that you had a 75% chance of marrying a woman on the tour. That's a tough metric to gauge. It'd be very easy for someone to renege their payment saying I didn't meet my end of the bargain because they didn't meet their wife. Not to mention it would put a lot of pressure on the dating environment (it would be anything but casual).
Also, this sort of statistic wouldn't sit right with a lot of people. There's an element in mate selection that is irrevocably human, and thus next to impossible to predict or quantify. You could put the best women and the best men from around the world in a room with the perfect environment, but that still won't automatically mean everyone or even most will find a soul-mate.
At the end of the day life and the people who live it are unpredictable. To put a hard guarantee on a success rate for marriage would turn romantic interactions into something more akin to a transaction (I give you money, now you give me a wife). One of the things that makes love what it is, is the freedom of choice and possibility.
That means each man or woman has the freedom to choose whomever they wish. There's a possibility that a woman will reciprocate your advances, and there's a possibility that she won't. The fact that she had a freedom and possibility to say no to you, makes it all the more meaningful if and when she says yes.
So yeah, Mark's success rate makes complete sense to me.
Mark answers Common questions

Why is your success rate based on guys who start relationships, and not guys who end up married?
"We measure the success rate of men who start relationships because that is the part we are most connected to.
Although we counsel couples to help make their relationships stick, not all relationships are meant to result in marriage."
-Mark Edward Davis
What past clients say about Dream Connections
Past DC clients interview by Foreign Wife Happy Life
Per my request Mark was kind enough to put me in contact with some clients from past tours. I sent out a little questionnaire and received their honest feedback. If you haven't noticed, I've included some snippets from these surveys in the review.
Below you'll find the links to their full unedited responses. One man shares his thoughts on his experience on a tour in Colombia, there other is an Australian man who attended a Ukrainian tour.
Past clients share their experience on a DC romance tour

Unofficial reviews of Dream Connections
True to FWHL fashion, I've included an unaffiliated review from past tour clients of DC, who have shared their experiences independent of any request from Mark or from me. I found this review on another podcast on international dating.
An anonymous client shares his experience with Dream Connections on the Dating Abroad podcast
Dream Connections in the press
Mark and Anna Davis appear on the TODAY Show
Dream Connections featured in TLC UK documentary
DatingAdvice.com's article on Dream Connections

My interview with Mark on the FWHL podcast

Alternatives to a Dream Connections group tour
Dream Connections Individual Quest Tour (IQT)

Thorough video outlining how the ITQ works
If you have a busy schedule and can't make the dates for the group tours, or if you'd prefer a more private and personal experience, then the Dream Connections Individual Quest Tour (IQT) is worth looking at.
Group tours are a natural way for people to meet in person for the first time, with little or no advance information to taint their first impressions. This is a very natural way for people to assess chemistry before selecting who they want to date. The IQT program is for those who, either can’t make the specific tour dates, or have very specific requirements and would rather just date those who would be a fit. In this program, they will work with a matchmaker to select 10 ladies that appear to be a match, and where the lady agrees to the date.
-Mark Edward Davis
An IQT follows the same principles as a group tour. You'll have an initial interview, personal translator, etc. The chief difference is that in lieu of the group tour setting and meet and greet event, your personal translator will work with you one on one to set up initial dates with women whom you both feel match the criteria of the woman you're looking for.
Cost of a dream connection's IQT tour
IQT tour
Gold
$7,950
Diamond
$10,950
Also, with the IQT tour you have the option of selecting dates that fit your schedule (in contrast to the group tour dates which are fixed). There are two popular levels for IQT tours: gold and diamond. Gold is a nine day tour in one city. The diamond level is a two city tour which occurs over 14 days.
A Foreign Affair
A Foreign Affair (aka Loveme.com), is easily one of the oldest and most well known international romance tour companies out there. The American based company has been offering Western men the chance to meet ladies throughout the world through tours and online introductions since the mid nineties.
AFA currently offers tours in Ukraine, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Thailand, and China.
Since their inception AFA has received a lot of press, through traditional news outlets, documentaries, and has even been the subject of a book or two. Over the years many happy international couples have met through AFA (Mark and Anna Davis included).
However not all of the press surrounding AFA has been good. In fact a lot of it has been bad. Their screening process for male and female clients isn't known for being the strongest. Tales of scammers and professional daters abound. You need only watch a mail-order bride documentary or read Odessa Dreams by Shaun Walker to find some real dirt on the international dating industry.
A 2014 documentary which followed several men on an AFA tour
The format for AFA tours are a bit different from DC. Tours include multiple cities (2-5 depending on which tour you choose), where as DC tours take place in a single city. AFA dating events are usually open night club free-for-alls, where men are bused into a local night club full of local women and told to go at it. However the company also appears to be incorporating some speed dating type events now too.
You won't have a personal translator on an AFA tour. If you want a translator on an AFA tour she usually comes at an hourly rate over and above the price of the tour.
To be fair, not all stories about AFA are negative
All and all it's possible to meet a genuine woman on an AFA tour. Just as their are bad stories about AFA, there are some good ones as well. Their tours are offered in more countries than DC, and the price tag for an AFA tour is also lower too. If the difference in format doesn't bother you, and the scam stories don't scare you away, than AFA is an option worth considering.
Dating sites
Dream Connections has secured a place in the international dating industry as a go to company for the all exclusive romance trip experience. From the moment you step off the plane until you step back on, they take care of everything you need.
However, not every guy necessarily wants this fine catered approach. Some value the flexibility, independence, and challenge that comes with planning and arranging a trip on their own.
Others might desire a more economical approach to international dating.
If this describes you then you might want to lean more toward international dating sites, versus an agency.
A Closer look

Dating Sites vs Introduction Agencies: Which to Use and Why
Just as there are scammers in the world of romance tours, you can bet that there are also scammers lurking in the online dating world. As always exercise common sense and use what we teach in scam school to avoid getting taken advantage of.
Here are some of the dating sites we recommend for making connections abroad.
Asia
Europe
Latin America
Conclusion
That pretty much concludes our review of Dream Connections. I hope this review helped you to make an informed decision about whether or not a Dream Connections tour is right for you.
If you liked the review leave some love in the comments!