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.

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.

I had wanted to go to Thailand for years and when I was finally given the opportunity, I wanted to explore the depth of the country in an environment that was safer than traveling alone, and gave me the benefits of a group. This program met all of my expectations and surpassed them. Each day is filled with group activities and the chance to explore individually, so you can make friends but also give yourself a chance to grow outside of the group. Our leader Rebecca was amazing, she was always fun and filled with excitement about our tour, and inspired me to keep traveling. I cannot believe we spent an entire month over there, we did so much. Each day was amazing, and I constantly reference my time with Pacific Discovery when people ask how my journey abroad was. This program is perfect for those who wish to grow and explore, for it gives you all the opportunities to do so, while making friends, and learning in depth about a new culture. I cannot give a higher recommendation.

This experience was quite possibly one of the best decisions I have made yet! The support of PD from registration to closing was extremely helpful and friendly. There's so much I could say about this experience but I'll highlight the most important things I got out of the trip. The program gave you just enough independence and free time mixed with structured time. It was the perfect way to dip my foot into experiential learning through traveling. I was treated as an adult and gained the confidence to navigate foreign places independently which has set me up for a new and exciting future! I can't stress how amazing this program is enough!

The support and administration before the trip was great to have as it eased a lot of stress of going on a month long trip on your own for the first time. They provided you with all the information you would need for planning your trip, from scheduling your flights to knowing what to pack. The support from the program leader during the the trip was also an amazing asset to have as it allowed you the freedom to just relax and enjoy yourself without feeling like you were missing out on something or being completely and utterly lost on foreign soil.

Traveling with Pacific Discovery never felt rushed or frenetic, but also never felt boring or like time was being wasted. There was a great mix of activities from caving and rock climbing, snorkeling and kayaking, Muay Thai and Thai cooking lessons, meditation retreats and nature walks, and the absolutely amazing week spent at The Elephant Nature Park. There was also enough free time to explore parts of Thailand on your own or with the small group of individuals you quickly become friends with on the trip.

The highlight of the trip for myself had to be the week we spent volunteering at The Elephant Nature Park. If I had not traveled with Pacific Discovery, there would be a good chance that I would not have known about this place or the plight of the elephants in Thailand. In fact, I could see myself having fallen into the tourist trap and chosen to support companies that treated their elephants cruelly. Pacific Discovery provides such insight into Thailand that many tourists may not understand or see if they were planning their own trips. Absolutely amazing experience that I would go back for in a heartbeat.

For individuals who have never experienced backpacking on their own, or have limited experience, Pacific Discovery is a great program to travel with that allows you to experience situations possibly outside your comfort zone in safety while also providing you with an opportunity to meet new people, and make new friends, with similar interests from around the world!

Going to Thailand with Pacific Discovery is one of the best decisions I have ever made. There was so much support available, before, during and after the trip, something I think we all really appreciated. I got to experience so many new things with P.D: caving, going to a meditation retreat, exploring the streets of Bangkok and Chiang Mai - I even got a tattoo out there! We went to some amazing places, ate so much delicious food and met some lovely people. Our accommodation was fantastic, too - my favourites were staying in the treehouses in the national park, and at Railae Beach - places that I never could have found or afforded if I hadn't gone with Pacific Discovery.
While the first few days were slightly difficult - as I tend to be quite shy at first and I was the only one from the UK - we all soon settled in and got to know each other really well. We had different roommates in each accommodation which helped break the ice so well with everyone.
My ultimate highlight, without a doubt, would be staying in the Elephant Nature Park. A truly incredible place, I learnt so much, both about elephant conservation and myself. Met so many inspiring people (and elephants) and had some of the best food of the whole trip.
Overall, an excellent way to spend the summer and introduce myself to Thailand. Would recommend Pacific Discovery to anyone.

This trip was amazing; I met so many incredible and fun people, spent a week at an Elephant Sanctuary, took an authentic cooking class, went on a rock-climbing weekend trip, explored many temples, and we all spent the last week of the trip at a couple gorgeous beaches. The other participants in the program were awesome and very friendly, and our trip leader, Rebecca, was so welcoming and helpful. I highly recommend this trip!!

I have nothing but amazing things to say about my Thailand experience and Pacific Discovery as a company. Going into the trip I had no idea what to expect. I loved that 15ish people that lived completely different lives all met up in Bangkok and by the end we were great friends and knew so much about one another. There were so many neat experiences that I know I would never have done without this program such as: work on an elephant reserve, go caving, go on a meditation retreat, and live with villagers. I learned how to go with the flow and be okay with not being clean all the time. The food was amazing and the street shopping is a blast since there were so many neat artifacts and it was so cheap! Although most of out time was planned, I enjoyed our free time and our leader, Rebecca, would help make whatever we wanted to do possible. Overall the trip far outweighed my expectations and I would recommend it to anyone!