This ten week program was amazing and will leave a lasting difference on my life. We visited many popular locations like Machu Pichu, rainbow mountain, the amazon, and the Galapagos. Yet, we also had the amazing opportunity to go to hidden gems throughout Peru and Ecuador including living with family’s in the rural town of Agato and working with the Llama pack project in Urabamba. Our instructors were amazing and always gave constant support to all of us students whether we felt uncomfortable doing a certain activity or simply needed a friend to talk to.

Program was amazing!! Every day had a new challenge such as Inca trail to snorkeling in the Galapagos that was always fun and kept us in shape and excited! Food was so delicious and I was happy to try new Peruvian and Ecuadorian cuisine! I’m so happy to have gone on this program as without a gap year I would have been stuck inside studying and leading instead of exploring! I made so many new friends from all over the US and Amsterdam which makes me want to visit where they live and I would recommend this program to everyone who is considering a gap year!

From the jaw dropping and history filled Peruvian Andes to the lush and alive Amazon & Galapagos of Ecuador, this program has many stunning views and awesome places to walk around. On top of that, the cultural experiences from food and music to dances and traditional outfits are well layered into the program. It was a wonderful time, with a good mix of adventurous and new experiences and time to work on associated school work and having time to relax. Spanish skills are not strictly necessary, but having even beginner knowledge of simple words and phrases goes a long way and more often than not is all that is required. 10/10 would recommend!

As an instructor, I had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of this program firsthand. The program balances challenge and adventure with beauty and culture in a way that creates an ideal environment for personal growth.

Peru, Ecuador, and the Galápagos each have something special and unique to offer. Students in this program will surely face adversity and learn experiential lessons on responsibility, accountability, and communication. Meanwhile, students are sure to gain experiences that will lead to core memories, such as paragliding in the mountains of Ecuador or snorkeling with hammerhead sharks. Pacific Discovery programs have consistently ranked among the most successful programs I’ve been able to instruct. If you’re a prospective student, you may rest assured that your desired outcomes will be met in this program.

This trip was an extremely unique experience that shifted my perception on life. During the three-month trip, I got to experience the culture in different countries and towns that at first felt inexplicably foreign to me. I got to share these amazing learnings with new friends, with whom I got increasingly closer over the duration of my time there. I saw and learnt about the vast history of what was once the Inca Empire, also immersing myself in many different micro-experiences in which people that I’d met for maybe only minutes would add to my growing knowledge of the area I was in.

I think my fondest memory there was a home-stay in Ecuador, where I ended up staying with a big family of five, one of whom was a guitarist in a mariachi band. Being a guitar player myself, I was more than excited. We ended up living together for two weeks, sometimes having trouble communicating since the amount of Spanish I spoke was only to the extent that I’d gotten to learn during my travels (which to my surprise, was better than I had expected it to be). By the end of our time, we had a small performance. We sang a song in Turkish—my native language - Quichua, and Spanish - the native languages there. The bond that we’d created felt so intrinsically human, and playing these songs together felt absolutely magical.

That feeling of magic lingered on while watching shooting stars at the top of Lake Titicaca high up in the mountains and diving alongside hammerhead sharks, turtles, and seals in the Galapagos. In Peru, we got to hike up to Machu Picchu, which took us around 5 days. Walking this trail that so many had walked before me was an intense feeling that made me reflect deeply - especially during the nights that were the clearest I’d ever seen.

All in all, I think this was an amazing journey. The only thing I would have liked to be different would have been a bit more time to myself, where I could stroll alone and have the opportunity to discover on my own. I think curfews were a bit early, and I didn’t get to spend much time with my friends either, where we had free time to do what we wanted or didn’t have supervision with us. Although that is an aspect I understood and, in retrospect, think was really crucial for the safety of students.

I know that Pacific Discovery offers many different programs but the one I went on to Peru and Ecuador encompasses everything that a program could ever try to be. 70 days is a lot. And it is an experience you can only really do once. It’s essentially separation from your life at home, while getting your feet on the ground somewhere else. Hiking, climbing, rafting, canyoning, biking, snorkeling, and everything you could ever try to do physically. While learning Spanish, culture, volunteering, eating, and dancing. While building lifelong relationships with those around you, with guidance and support to better yourself. This trip did not only allow me to visit the beautiful world in the best way possible. But it also let me spiritually learn about myself more than ever before. Best decision of my life

I decided I wanted to take a gap year during my Sophmore year of high school. I started working and earned up enough money to make it happen. I did plenty of research into what would be the best option and searched nearly every program in GoOverseas. I was looking for a program would a group of kids around my age 18-20, who were excited to see and try new things. I chose the South America program because of the opportunity to use and learn Spanish, also because it is the program with the most volunteering and activities that I new would benefit me in the future (with experience and resumes). I wanted to see the world but feel safe and confident as a 18 yr old girl. This was the perfect program. I got everything I wanted and way more. Every day was packed with life changing experiences that I reflect on all the time. It was definitely one of the best periods of my life waking up every day knowing it might just be the best day I have ever had. With fun ziplining, rafting, biking, and so many other tours. Seeing Machu Pichu, Galapagos, and the Amazon were definitely some of my highlights. After the semester I spent the next semester doing internships and volunteering as I solo traveled using the skills and knowledge I gained from PD. I am now a student at CU Boulder. When graduating high school I had no idea what I wanted to study and the only think that inspired me was traveling. Because of my gap year I found my passion for architecture through all the amazing volunteer work and seeing some of the most impressive architectural sites. I am now studying architecture and am so thankful I took my gap year. Pacific Discovery helped me start of my life on the right foot after high school and has definitely gotten me to where I am today. I would encourage anyone who is not sure about their next steps to consider the Pacific Discovery South America program.

My time on the South America gap semester program was easily one of the best experiences in my life so far. I had so much fun whether we were trying delicious new foods, zip-lining, or hiking a volcano. I also feel like I learned so much, not only about South American culture, but about myself. This program really pushes you to go out of your comfort zone, both physically and mentally. For me, a big takeaway from these two months was the value of group living and learning how to show up for a group of people. I’m forever grateful for the people I met and the bonds that were formed in this program.

Getting to experience the beauty of South American culture was so incredible. Visiting local communities, volunteering in the Andes, and even learning bits of the Quechua language were experiences I’ll never forget. I will say, this trip is very jam-packed with not a whole lot of downtime. It’s challenging but so rewarding. If you’re someone who loves being on the go - or wants to challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone, I think you’ll really appreciate this experience like I did!