Program Reviews

I am so happy that my son had the opportunity to travel with Pac Disco! What a wonderful healthy experience. The community is conscious of what I want for family - eco-living, economical use of money and travel, community service, organic farming, working together as peers/mentors/leaders, integration into other cultures. Exactly what my son needed to help him mature into the wonderful young man he is today.

It was so great! I had a blast! Met some great friends that I will be friends with forever. Learned so much more about myself and how to live within a budget. I really enjoyed it! I would love to do it again!!

I couldn't have asked for a more authentic overseas adventure. It incorporated everything I was looking for - hiking, volunteering, biking, yoga, rafting, a canyon swing, paragliding and cultural immersion - all with the support, companionship and guidance of an amazing group and the PD team. I was lucky enough to be involved in the maiden voyage and the PD crew handled all hiccups with patience and professionalism. The experience was rewarding and educational, providing me with greater insight into myself and a deeper understanding of how others experience the world. This trip has definitely given me the travel bug and a strong desire to continue visiting and immersing myself in other cultures and countries. Thank you Rachel and Scott for a truly life changing experience x

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!

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.

Through my time in Nepal and Tibet with PD I learned about foreign cultures, the lifestyle of travel, and my place in the world. Reading the itinerary before departing gave me the idea that this trip would be packed with new things to do, but I had no idea how well planned the whole experience was. The PD team had us working with the most well-traveled, friendly guides in the business, to the most interesting monasteries, holy sites, and monuments there were to see. Our adventure guides for the river rafting, trekking and (optional) bungee jump made me feel safe and educated about what I was doing.

As a travel destination, Nepal is definitely among the best. It's underrated, meaning that the tea houses you sleep at during the 2 week trek aren't packed with European tourists, they're a very honest portrayal of the local culture.

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.

PD's Southeast Asia semester combines scheduled group activities with independent days, offering awesome opportunities to put your independent travel skills to use. This program is great for people who may not yet be comfortable traveling completely solo and offers some really unique and unforgettable adventures such as a homestay at the Hope for Happiness School in Takeo, Cambodia and four days at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It prioritizes ethical traveling and cultivating a sense of global stewardship which, to me, are two of the most important components of travel. You won't regret your participation in these amazing two months!

This trip was exactly what I was looking for. We did a ton of fun outdoor activities like rock climbing, cave exploring (with glow worms and cute guides), white water rafting down twenty foot waterfalls, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, zorbing, kayaking, and mountain biking. We visited Hobbiton, a bird sanctuary, and some hot springs. We also did a lot of educational touring. We visited a Maori museum and sampled ingredients that indigenous peoples used as food sources and for medicinal purposes. We learned a lot about the culture. Additionally, we were able to visit cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson. My favorite thing to do in the cities was explore and visit the farmer's markets. One of the great things about this trip was that once we settled into a new place, there would be a lot of time to explore off on our own. This meant that we were creating our own experiences and bonding with others in the group. We also did a lot of conservation work, planting thousands of trees and relocating flax plants. It was hard work but it was satisfying and it paid off. Our housing ranged from simple, white walled rooms with creaky beds on a farm, to beautiful lodges complete with a basketball court, pool, and hot tub. It is totally worth the trip. Our trip leader and his wife were the founders of Pacific Discovery, and they gave us very valuable life-lessons, mainly that achieving a sustainable lifestyle is completely possible, and you don't have to give up a comfortable lifestyle to do so. You don't have to be a mountain man to go green. I loved this trip so much, and I definitely plan on returning, and maybe even pursue a living here.

Going on this program was definitely the best decision I ever made! It allowed me to travel abroad with a group of amazing people while doing amazing adventures I would never have done otherwise such as skydiving, rock climbing, abseiling and scuba diving. I have always loved camping so the canoe and hiking trips were incredibly fun, but physically and mentally challenging. So many experiences on this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me grow as a person. The scenery in New Zealand and Australia is breathtaking and the places we went on this trip such as the Whanganui River, Kahurangi National Park and the Blue Mountains are examples of some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I would recommend going on this trip, I would go again if I could!