Pacific Discovery | Peru Summer Program

As being part Peruvian, I was looking to explore this country in a way I could see the multiple aspects that it offered. I have no regrets of picking Pacific Discovery! We explored multiple areas throughout Peru; such as Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, Apurimac River, Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Huacachina, Ballestas Islands, and many more. Additionally, we mountain biked, hiked, white water rafted, witnessed many sceneries, sand boarded, rode in a dune buggy, sail boated, and the list could keep going. Peru is definitely a beautiful country and there is no other way of exploring the country than through Pacific Discovery!

My month in Peru with Pacific Discovery was the best month of my life and the most life changing for me. We started with a week of living in home stays, studying Spanish and volunteering at orphanages. This experience not only helped my Spanish but also opened my eyes to the living conditions and lives of people in Peru. The next week we started adventuring. We mountain biked down a mountain, did a multiple day hike to Machu Picchu and in the Colca Canyon, explored Cusco, Arequipa, and islands of Lake Titicaca and went sand boarding in the desert. Along the way, we experienced living conditions throughout Peru. During our Colca Canyon hike, I stayed in a mud hut with a metal roof and shared the room with two people and a goat! (He was the families pet and he would come and go as he pleased). Peru taught me so many things and changed my life so much. After my month in Peru, I changed my major from business to non-profit management. After being in Peru and experiencing life there, I realized that I want to help them and other countries in South America. Also, I became a vegetarian and a strong believer in recycling. I spent so much time near animals in Peru and many of the people I was traveling with were vegetarians too, so I decided to try it and I've never felt better. Our guide in Peru, Susan Staley was very conscious about our impact in Peru. We were advised to use the least amount of plastic possible and if we did use it, to collect it as we go. In Peru, many places didn't have recycling systems so they would just burn the plastic on the side of the road. Overall, Peru has changed me in so many ways and I could talk about it forever. I loved the trip, the people, the country, everything! I wish I could do it again!

I was in Peru with Pacific discovery during the summer 2014 trip and could not have had a more meaningful and inspiring trip there.I saw some of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen in my life --whether it was a lightning storm followed by a sunrise over lake titicaca with two other daring friends I made on the trip, or going for a roller-coaster-like ride in a dune buggy and sandboarding on the massive dunes of Huacachina. I became so much more confident in myself and my ability to navigate the unknown in my life. This confidence has spilled over into other areas, and made me unique in that I came into college ready for the change while others were terrified! If I could be there again with the wonderful friends I made on the trip, it would be a dream come true. Though some of our accommodations left something to be desired, Pacific Discovery is the type of organization that really cares about its participants and their experiences on their trips, and they are always changing and improving their itineraries. Hope to go again on a different PD trip when I graduate! Do yourself a favor, grow, learn, and get your mind blown by a priceless trip to Peru!

Pacific Discovery did a fantastic job at creating an overall well fleshed out experience of Peru. Our group partook in activities ranging from a week long home stay in Cuzco city with daily Spanish language lessons and orphanage volunteer project work to days-long white water rapid rafting and jungle trail trekking excursions. All places visited while in Peru were truly incredible, as we all got a glimpse of not only the modern society of Peru, but also the ancient history and influences that has granted the country with such a deep and interesting culture today. My personal favorite aspects of the trip included staying in Cuzco, as it was our hub-city of sorts (where we stayed for a week early on in the trip, as mentioned above, before heading out on our excursions and where we returned to between and after excursions), and the Inca Jungle Trail trek to Machu Picchu. It's been nearly a year since the trip and my mind still goes back to it on almost a daily basis... with that said, traveling to and experiencing Peru through Pacific Discovery was honestly life changing. I left the country with much more than pictures and memories, but with a group of incredible friends, a future wife (not kidding, you really meet some amazing people on these trips), and an adventure that I can't hope to match again in my life. If you haven't signed up already, go do it now!

This program was an incredible way to see Peru. It truly was a life-changing experience for me to travel across the country with such a fun group of people, brush up on my Spanish language skills, and learn about Peruvian history and culture. The outdoor adventure elements of the program were challenging for me but so rewarding. I loved the program and wish I could relive it!

This trip was an eye opener I learned so much about Peru and its culture that I am really happy that I went. I met some amazing people and I overcame challenges I never thought I'd be able to do. This trip is amazing and very inspiring and I recommend this trip whoever loves a challenge, fun and historic trip to those looking for it.

If I were to truly capture how amazing and life changing this trip was this review would never end. So I'll save you some time so you can go sign up ASAP! It was THE BEST month of my life. The reason I say this review could go on forever is because everything that happens in your life after the trip, you can relate it to something that happened during the trip. It is my favorite thing to talk about. If you are worried about the altitude, don't be. Just prepare well and keep telling yourself to stay healthy. I learned so much about myself and how I want to live my life. I value this experience more than anything in my life.