Location
  • Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • Amazon
Length
2 - 12 weeks
General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Bird Watching Camping City Exploring Hiking Kayaking Rafting Snorkeling Swimming Trekking
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Host Family Hostel Hotel Lodge
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
17
Age Max
22

Pricing

Starting Price
7950
Price Details
Program fee inclusions:
All in-program travel and transport (not flights)
All accommodation
All meals
All expeditions, activities, excursions, entry fees and adventure travel as described in the itinerary
Experienced Program Instructors and local guides
Environmental education and volunteering projects
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Equipment Meals Tour Guide Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Apr 30, 2023
Sep 19, 2016
19 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

This program combines equal-parts authentic community immersion, adrenaline activities in the rainforest, and exploration of a UNESCO listed ancient volcanic island chain!

Ecuador is a South American treasure. The people are welcoming, the food is delicious and the views are out of this world. After exploring the colonial capital of Quito, we will spend the rest of the week in the northern township of Agato, connecting with a local community on a rewarding service learning project. We will be in homestays, immersing in the culture and supporting a needs-based grassroots initiative. The tasks change according to what the community needs when we visit; all we need to bring is enthusiasm and curiosity!

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with Pacific Discovery for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

We understand that we have a long way to go in achieving the diversity we strive for among our students, staff, and partners. We are committed to fostering a more diverse and inclusive organization, and we recognize that this requires time, effort, and resources. At Pacific Discovery, we deeply value diversity, equity, and social justice, and we are dedicated to creating educational experiences that reflect and promote these values. Our program curriculum incorporates social justice education and encourages students to explore their own identities. To further support these efforts, we offer a 'Diverse Voices' Scholarship.

LGBTQIA+ Support

All of our Pacific Discovery programs are LGBTQIA+ friendly, and our operations team have attended CIS Abroad's LGBTQ+ Allyship Training, to ensure we’re doing what we can to support this community. We provide an open and non judgemental space for students to explore who they are at this pivotal time of their life, and in our admissions process we seek information not only on a student's gender, but their pronouns and gender identity. We’re aware of the differing cultural perspectives of LQBTQIA in the countries that we visit, and can direct students to a semester location where they’ll feel the most comfortable. Operationally we ensure that our instructors use inclusive language and can facilitate conversations with students around their identity, and discuss the rooming situations with LGBTQIA+ students.

Neurodivergent Support

Our programs are designed to support students with a wide range of neurodiverse conditions while following our essential eligibility criteria. For students needing extra help, we provide personalized wellness plans . These plans include coping strategies, care protocols, and specific requirements to help them engage effectively in the program. Our instructors have access to mental health first aid resources and are well-prepared to offer strong support to students with these needs.

Accessibility Support

Our programs offer a variety of physical activities, including hiking, surfing, rafting, and mountain biking. We make sure to accommodate students with diverse needs such as asthma, diabetes, and chronic medical conditions, while working within the infrastructure of the host country and our program schedules. We're mindful of the varying levels of accessibility in the countries we visit and can help students choose a semester location where they feel most at ease.

Impact

Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the 6 core components of each Pacific Discovery program, where we educate students about the local and global environmental issues, how to travel sustainably, and have them think deeply about their impact and what they can do in their daily lives to affect change.

We recently embarked on a Net Positive Benefit project where we are qualifying what impacts our groups have on the local communities, taking into consideration carbon emissions +/- social impacts +/- conservation impacts +/- community impacts. On our programs, students engage with non-profit organisations such as Litter Intelligence, Scholars of Sustenance, Ulu Mau puanui, Llama Pack project where they directly work for a better future - planting trees, eradicating invasive weed species, helping local communities and food banks.

Ethical Impact

We make a conscious decision to partner with host communities and suppliers who are passionate about our students' participation and involvement with them being of a positive benefit to the community. We want our presence to enable positive sustainable growth for our partners and this mantra is ingrained in the fabric of our programs.

Program Highlights

  • Have close encounters with marine iguanas, sea turtles and giant tortoises – just to name a few!
  • Ziplining, canyoning, salsa lessons and hot springs in the jungle near Baños
  • Hike the rim for spectacular views of the high altitude Quilotoa Lake
  • Experience homestays in the small Andean village Agato
  • Learn about Galapagos conservation in action at the Charles Darwin Research Station

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 4 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Default avatar
Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Thank you Pacific Discovery!

Definitely a life-changing experience! I really enjoyed learning about the country including it's culture, food, lifestyle, etc. I also found that I grew as a person due to the experiences I had and the people I met. I would recommend a trip with Pacific Discovery to everyone, no matter what background or experience of traveling. The leaders provide a safe and comforting environment for everyone and give support throughout the entire trip. It made for the best, and most memorable summer I have ever had!

55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

New Perspectives

Overall amazing trip. I went on it the summer between my senior year of high school and first year at college and it really helped me grow into my own person, become more independent and learned so much about the world. The people I met on the trip were awesome and I'm still in contact with most of them.

What would you improve about this program?
Honestly, nothing. I can't think of anything I would change.
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I think about my trip all the time.

The summer of last year (2014), I went on a month long trip with Pacific Discovery around Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. We did incredible things like fixing a water system in rural Ecuador, hiking up Chimborazo mountain, swimming with sea lions as well as myriad other marine animals near Kicker Rock, and interacting with locals. The food was delicious and authentic everywhere we went, and we learned a lot about the country's agriculture (the cacao farm was so interesting!). Not once did I feel uneasy about safety. Everyone was extremely welcoming and eager to become friends with us. I loved every single member in my group; I have met up with several of them after we got back from the trip, and I still plan on seeing others! To this day, I find myself talking about my trip to people all the time. I will never forget the experiences I had there! I would definitely go on a trip with Pacific Discovery again.

What would you improve about this program?
I can't think of anything I would change about the program. Seriously, it was amazing.
56 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tobi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Thing I've Ever Done

The Ecuador/Galápagos program was--hands down-- the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. There is so much diversity and YOU get to experience it. We saw the city, the country, the islands, lakes, rivers, villages, jungles, rain forests, snow, beaches, volcanoes, etc. The wildlife was amazing too (llamas, vicuñas, sea lions, sea turtles, tortoises, sharks, dolphins, iguanas, etc.) Not only do you see and experience amazing things, but you'll meet amazing people. From day one, everyone was hanging out in each others' rooms and getting along wonderfully. You'll be amazed at how close you become with your group in such little time. At the end of the trip, walking each other to our gates at the airport was heartbreaking. Your group members will be incredible, but so will the people you get the privilege of helping. It was so humbling and rewarding. The culture and language immersion was also something that I loved.
When trying to pick a program, I read many reviews. They all seemed too good to be true ("life changing" "time of my life" "made life long friends"). I was skeptical to say the least, but I was so so wrong. I live in Hawaii and have travelled a bit (Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Korea, and more), but nothing compared to what I saw, learned, and experienced on this program.
Please please please feel free to contact me (there should be some way of doing so since I've left my email address here). If you're trying to decide or if you have questions about what to expect/bring if you have decided, I'd love to help!

What would you improve about this program?
I loved every place we visited, but if I had to pick one place to take out of the program, it would be Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. It was all a bit fake and amusement park-y. AND we read that it's not even really the equator.
51 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers