The world is becoming increasingly more global in the 21st century creating new opportunities for intercultural interactions that require individual adjustments in diverse cultural environments; thereby, creating the need for cultural intelligence in both the academic, non-work, and non-academic settings. This study explored the development of cultural intelligence in a short-term cultural exchange program that was defined by intercultural interactions; Southern Africa Asia Cultural Exchange Training Program (SAACETP). The problem that was addressed in this study was the misunderstandings created by increased intercultural interactions in the 21st due to globalization. Cultural intelligence is the ability to adjust in culturally diverse settings. This study is significant because increased intercultural interactions create the need for more cultural diverse individuals to operate in these settings. Cultural intelligence theory and experiential learning theory were used to frame this research that explored the perceptions of the intercultural interactions of hosts and delegates that occurred in a non-work, non-academic, short-term cultural exchange experience. Qualitative case study was chosen because it allows exploration based on the meaning an individual ascribe to a phenomenon. Forty-two participants completed the expanded cultural intelligence survey and from the forty-two participants, six were chosen for an open-ended interview. The open-ended interview explored the perceptions of the intercultural interactions that occurred during the cultural exchange program. Data was manually coded and uploaded using Atlas.ti. Qualtrics was utilized for the delivery of the survey and to input data. Four research questions guided this research. Several themes emerged from the data. First, cultural assumptions were adjusting during the interactions in SAACETP. Secondly, cultural learning occurred during the conversations and interactions in SAACEP. Thirdly, hosting is more than just a place to stay. Food was an integral part of the intercultural interactions was forth and finally, the structure of SAACETP limits the intercultural interactions. This study can assist in the development of more culturally intelligent and culturally competent individuals in a non-work and non-academic setting. Future research should focus on developing specific cultural intelligence training for the non-work and non- academic setting.