Location
  • Thailand
    • Bangkok
    • Chiang Mai
    • Krabi
Length
2 - 12 weeks
General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Snorkeling Yoga
Timeframe
Summer
Housing
Guesthouse 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 including the mid-program flights within Thailand
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
Nov 21, 2023
Apr 03, 2023
66 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Learn to rock climb, explore Buddhist temples and volunteer at an elephant sanctuary on this cultural Summer Program through Thailand!

From immersing in Bangkok's bustling mega-city vibes to climbing on Railay's limestone ocean cliff walls, our trip in Thailand is incredibly diverse. The mountainous northern jungle is populated by minority tribal groups and has stunning national parks, while tropical islands in the south have some of the world’s best beaches and snorkeling spots. Traveling with us, you’ll have the chance to get off the beaten track and uncover the true essence of a South East Asian experience.

From cultural immersion in the mountains to island living, the program is deliberately staged with the ideal combination of adventure and relaxation. You’ll get a taste of everything from volunteering at an elephant sanctuary, practicing thai cooking and muay thai, tubing down rivers in Khao Sok National Park, and getting zen at a meditation retreat near Pai!

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

  • Get up close and personal with elephants during a volunteer project at an elephant sanctuary
  • Explore the best islands and beaches in southern Thailand
  • Learn to make authentic Thai food during a cooking workshop
  • Kayak around the beaches and islets surrounding Railay Beach
  • Work with an organization that helps to break the cycle of poverty in Thailand

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 16 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.75
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 4.95
Showing 1 - 8 of 16 reviews
Default avatar
tyler
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Pacific Discovery Thailand Trip

This was a once in a lifetime experience that I will forever value. I met the greatest people, some of which who will remain close friends for the rest of my life. I got to throw myself into a culture to a level I wouldn't have been able to reach on my own that I am forever grateful for. The different cities, towns and villages that I was able to see during this trip was amazing. There was a combination between urban and rural places so that was super cool to see the contrast. The nature scenes were insane and something that I am so happy I got to see in my life, especially at such a young age.

Pros
  • Trying new foods
  • Exploring new culture
  • Meeting new people
Cons
  • nothing was a con
71 people found this review helpful.
Casandra
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best summer with PD

Traveling to Thailand with Pacific Discovery was everything and more that I could've imagined! It was the most courageous summer of my life! I was so out of my comfort zone I'm never going back. Everything from the volunteer projects, global citizenship and the impact you have in the world,expeditions, amazing cities,the cultural immersion, inspiring leaders, the food, the group, the adventures made this experience unforgettable. I’ve learned how to challenge myself physically and mentally, conquer my fears and not letting them stop me. It was the best 30 days where I lived in the moment, challenged myself and made life time friends! I highly recommend PD! <3

131 people found this review helpful.
Jack
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

10/10 would recommend.

Traveling with Pacific Discovery to Thailand was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. So much was packed into just thirty days of travel that by the time the program finished, we all felt like we had been gone for months - our itinerary was well-planned and varied, and no two days were alike. The group leaders were extremely knowledgeable about Thailand's history, customs, and the like, which allowed us to interact more meaningfully with the locals. Additionally, instead of following the typical tourist routes around Thailand, we went off the beaten path, allowing us to experience so much more of what the country has to offer. The sheer range of activities you would get to take part in on a Pacific Discovery trip is, in my opinion, reason enough to sign up.

137 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Haley
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Experience Ever!

One of my favorite experience of this entire trip was during the Climbing and Caving Adventure. We repelled down into the cave and only using head lights we were able to see the crystallized stalagmites and stalagtites which our guide told us all about. But the best part was when we got so far in to the cave that there was no light and we all turned off our headlamps. It was the darkest I've (n)ever seen and all you could hear were the bats flying around you! Coolest experience ever!

134 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Rachael
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Just do it!

One of the most rewarding trips of my life! Great people, amazing opportunities, and an overall wonderful trip! The trip was incredibly organized, I never had to worry about logistics. We did everything I had hoped to do in Thailand. It was very smooth. The only thing we changed from the itinerary was that we didn't go scuba diving. While unfortunate, I never felt like this impacted my experience. No complaints. The company is great and I highly recommend it. I would definitely go on another trip through PacDisco.

What would you improve about this program?
Honestly I wouldn't have changed a thing
138 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Edward
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best trip of my life

I have been on a lots of trips to different places around the world. It is always the case of some things turning out better than expected and then a lot of things really letting you down. However with Pacific discovery they have already found out all the amazing things to do, so the trip is just constant highs. I wish I could do the whole thing again and plan to save up to go on another trip if with brilliant company.

135 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Desiray
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Thailand changed my life in so many different ways.

I had the unique experience of staying away from the group for a night in Pai for personal reasons, and during that time, I took a really long (20 kilometer) walk up to an amazing waterfall. During this walk, I came across so many different people and I always got looked at.. well, I had green hair.. Although I may have looked strange, I always got smiles. The natural loving vibe that was in the air really helped me push myself to get to the waterfall and I found my peace. It was a very cherished moment of my life. Right after the group met back up in Pai, we traveled to the Elephant Nature Park, and that was the most eye-opening, impacting moments on my life. I found a passion for Elephants that I didn't know was in me, and I can't wait until I get to go back again! Pacific Discovery has encouraged me to travel more and experience as much of the world as I possibly can and I plan on doing so.

What would you improve about this program?
There was one day that we did a Yoga and Meditation class in Chiang Mai and although it was absolutely awesome, we had to go run off on the "amazing race" around Chiang Mai right afterwards, and it was really exhausting. We were all really relaxed and I think that it would be really fun if there was a museum tour or something a little bit less rushed.
136 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Growth Experience Like No Other

I would recommend this trip to anyone. The amount you see and taste and touch and explore during those four weeks is phenomenal and pretty much unparalleled. It is hard to convey how much this program offers, but I will lead with saying I had never been to Asia before and spending four weeks in Thailand make me want to spend months more there, traveling and learning and taking it all in. Which, I will note, is definitely possible even on a student budget because once you're there everything is very inexpensive. A hotel room might be $15, and a meal well under $5 if you want it to be.

This program offers huge benefits both to those who have traveled internationally frequently before and those who haven't. If you are looking for an opportunity to explore a foreign country without necessitating that you speak the language and struggle through identifying and booking all the arrangements, this is the perfect mix of hands-on, supportive, and hands-off. I thought about trying to do a similar trip alone or with a friend, and there's no way we would've had as smooth or as enjoyable of an experience had we not had such a fantastic trip leader to handle the logistics. They find the coolest opportunities for you that you would never have thought existed (or, would never have thought to do or wouldn't have found the right people to connect with to do it), and make sure that you're safe and supported while allowing you to explore. In other words, the support is there, but if you want to be more independent then those opportunities do arise during free time on weekends or afternoons. We would often have an activity or two planned (like Thai cooking lessons or yoga) but would then be given time to just go explore. I remember one evening we spent hours in the marketplace in Chiang Mai, watching the people who'd taught us Muay Thai hours before fighting in the ring. We then shopped, found a really cool jazz platform, and stopped at a western tea shop before returning to the guesthouse. The accommodations, by the way, are amazing.

What would you improve about this program?
I just recommend learning which shots to get before you go. They mention vaccinations very briefly in the information they send you (trust me, I read it cover to cover) but it's actually important to make sure you're covered against certain diseases. No one had a problem on my trip (no one contracted a disease that I know of), but when they learned the first day that I hadn't gotten a certain vaccination I had to spend some time in a Thai hospital getting the shot while everyone else toured a Wat. The hospital was efficient and well run and not expensive at all ($40 for my shot), though.
128 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers