Program Reviews

(I wrote a lovely review but it got deleted by accident so this one will be less lovely.)

To be honest, going on my New Zealand/Australia trip was probably the best decision I've made to date. There wasn't a single moment during the trip where I thought to myself "darn, I regret this." I have so many wonderful memories and fantastic stories, It has made my friends at home totally sick of me.
Obviously there were some obstacles during the trip. Normally I would list examples but each group will have different difficulties presented to them (and different solutions to those problems). Regardless, the good times we had far outweighed the hard.
One of my favorite experiences was Canyoning and Repelling in Katoomba, AUS. I find heights challenging (and not always in a good way) but for some reason repelling down the 30 meter waterfall was invigorating instead of terrifying. Amazingly enough, I have a reason for this glorious change: About halfway through our trip, we realized that every experience we have is preparing us for the one that follows. (Ex. Volunteering for canoeing trip, canoeing trip for hiking trip, hiking trip for more volunteering, etc.). In each stage of the trip, we became stronger and more understanding. We also learned important life skills like how to work in a big group, how to use your strengths, and how to enjoy each day despite its challenges.
I am so grateful for all of the experiences that the NZ/AUS trip gave me. Everyday tested our limits and provided new challenges while exposing us to two amazing countries and to so many wonderful people. I hope that someday I can send my children on their own PD trip.

As someone with limited international travel experience I was a little bit uncertain as to whether or not the Southeast Asia PD trip was right for me. Not only was I unfamiliar with the region and culture, but I really just wasn't sure of what to expect. Luckily, Pacific Discovery has an incredible reputation in the Chicago area and I talked with numerous past participants and parents who strongly encouraged me to put my worries aside and go. They raved about the expertise and skill of the leaders as well as the incredible variety of activities during the trip. The day I decided to accept a position in the Southeast Asia program was terrifying, but undoubtably one of the best decision I've made thus far in my life.

One of the many wonderful things about PD is that the programs appeal to a wide variety of people. Those who feel that they need structure in their trip will appreciate the detailed schedule book that every participant receives at the start of the trip with guidelines for each day. And those who crave independence will love the free time participants are given to wander and explore new areas after the scheduled events for the day are complete. In my opinion, this approach gives participants the best of both worlds: the opportunity to see the tourist highlights (such as Angkor Wat and the Cu Chi tunnels) and then the ability to plan their own mini trips where some of the best memories are made. Rogue tuk-tuk rides, impromptu karaoke, wandering the Chiang Mai night market, finding grocery stores...these are the memories I look back on and laugh about! This level of independence has made me much more confident in my ability to travel solo and push myself outside of my comfort zone in foreign places.

Before I get too carried away, I need to address the two incredible Pacific Discovery leaders on my trip: Susan and Ellie. Their level of knowledge and expertise in Asia was invaluable to the success of our group. Nearly every time we changed location, Susan and Ellie called the group together for a meeting to discuss historical significance, as well as cultural norms and expectations. In our scheduled books they had restaurant recommendations and activities we might find interesting during out free time. Witnessing the many relationships Susan and Ellie had formed with locals in Asia only increased my growing respect for Pacific Discovery. Hotel workers, our bus drivers, tour guides and host families remembered having PD programs in the past and were excited to see our leaders. I always felt safe and comfortable with Susan and Ellie, and their personal connection with area and relationship with locals allowed them to problem solve instantly. You're going to hit roadblocks in every trip, but Susan and Ellie handled each scenario with authority and confidence.

All in all, I cannot recommend Pacific Discovery high enough. I had the time of my life on this trip and I want to encourage as many people as possible to take the leap and sign up. You will be challenged mentally and physically, but you will also have a fantastic group of 14 participants there to support you. I am so impressed with the level of detail and attention that every aspect of the trip is given, from transportation to credible tour guides. Rachel and Scott are incredible resources who answered my every question and calmed my anxious parents. Thank you! The people I met in PD are lifelong friends and the types of people I feel lucky to have been able to meet; they all have that innate passion for travel and adventure that I love to be surrounded by. This is a fast paced trip and you cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. I looked at every gap semester program available before committing to PD and I never found one with comparable levels of organization, dedication to students and experience. PD offers the perfect balance of adventure and culture that is hard to find in semester-long programs. You'll do everything from cooking classes in Thailand, sampling street food in Chiang Mai, kayaking through Halong Bay, motorbiking in Hue and an amazing service project in Camodia. You will have the best experience of your life with Pacific Discovery and begin to create those memories that you know will last a lifetime. Go on a Pacific Discovery trip! You won't regret it!

I had the most amazing time on my Pacific Discovery trip in Southeast Asia. Having traveled before with my family I was looking for a program during my gap year that would provide me independence and support while traveling in a new and foreign place. Pacific Discovery did just that-there is a range of people that come on their trips and they offer a lot of flexibility in their travel schedule to accommodate that. This meant that our schedule was well-balanced with group activities with everything from volunteering to rock-climbing to kayaking and free time to explore the night markets or go out to bars to meet other travelers. This isn't a program where they are going to caudal you and keep you in a "western bubble" but they don't just throw you in without any advice and guidance of how to navigate the new cultures and cities either. I was lucky to have two leaders on my trip and both of them were well traveled in the area and one of them had already led the trip before. I felt like they were very knowable about the history, culture and sites that we visited throughout the entire trip.

One of the things I think is very unique to Pacific Discovery and that I valued so much is the effort they put in to maintain ethical travel practices. It has become so common for people to travel that I think people sometimes forget about the impact they have as travelers in another country. Pacific Discovery makes it a point to encourage their participants to learn about the history and culture of the countries before arriving as well as while traveling (there is information about each location along with language tips and more in the thorough travel itineraries they provide you!). We had group discussions and readings as well as lessons in basic Thai and how to bow properly. Our leaders also taught us some of the more nuanced elements of the the cultures-things that I would have probably missed had I traveled alone. Knowing these things while traveling makes the experience that much richer.

Pacific Discovery is also very intentional about their decision to participate in service activities while traveling. After traveling with another group where I felt like I would just show up in a community and teach english (completely unqualified) for a few days, it was refreshing to feel like the service projects we participated in were with organizations PD had relationships with and knew our help would be useful and welcomed. I also really appreciated their commitment to leaving as small of an environmental impact as possible. The small size and strong ethical practices of this company makes these things very unique.

Also-our accommodations were extremely comfortable and I always felt safe, this is not really roughing it (if you don't count the occasional holes in the ground for toilets!). But after all these small details i don't want to forget to just say how AMAZING every single day of this trip was. The mix of adventure, volunteer and just exploring was perfect. I would repeat this trip in a heartbeat-it sounds so cheesy but honestly every single day I learned so much about myself and about the countries and cultures we were visiting. We had a great group dynamic and the perfect balance of group activities and independent travel. OH and the food in Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam is AMAZING (and so cheap!). I could go on and on about how much I loved this program and I would say if you are thinking about PD-just do it! Every program member comes from somewhere different and PD somehow has a way of meeting everyone where they're at and providing an amazing experience.

We hopped on tuktuks, jumped on motorbikes, and climbed on trains with one objective: to explore. Wandering through bustling city streets, sampling the sweetest pineapple, learning Muay Thai, cooking green curry, practicing meditation, trekking through northern Vietnam, visiting local schools, roaming through temple ruins, kayaking in Halong Bay, and repelling into natural caves we're just a few of the adventures that made up our nine week journey through Southeast Asia. We explored much of what Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia have to offer all while learning to be independent travelers who are culturally and environmentally conscious.

Pacific Discovery taught me many things, but the greatest lesson I learned can best be summed up by a quote from Alexandra Stoddard, who wrote, "Slow down, calm down, don't worry, don't hurry, trust the process". The experiences I had while exploring Southeast Asia challenged me to take a step back, take a breath, and really experience everything and everyone around. We learned to be mindful and open to new ideas, and we learned what it means to truly live in the moment.

I've always considered myself adventurous, but running through the streets of Hanoi in the rain or trying fried chicken feet at a street market in Sukhothai would not have been possible for me without Pacific Discovery. At the risk of being trite, I realized in my time away that the world is as big or as small as you choose to make it, and PD certainly helped me to expand mine. The program and the leaders, in my case Rebecca and Susan, encouraged us all to open ourselves up to experiences like meditation, kickboxing, and art classes that many of us would not have been able to find or have an open mind about on our own.

SE Asia defies description; never have I visited anywhere that has instilled in me such a vibrant and immediate sense of place, somewhere that was at once vividly away and yet so welcoming that it challenged my notions of the word "home". This program gave me the confidence to try everything, do everything, and process it all in a safe, supportive environment. Simply put: go.

The trip was a great mix of must-see tourist spots, off the beaten track volunteer opportunities, and educational trips. My leaders were both amazing and did a good job of teaching us about the places we visited while also being a lot of fun. Something that really stood out to me about Pacific Discovery was the how thoughtful they were about our impact on the places we visited. The leaders and the readings for credit taught me about a thoughtful way of traveling that I think will change the way I travel in the future.
It's definitely hard to pick highlights, but I have to say the homestay and volunteering in Cambodia was my favorite. I sitll think about the people I met there and the stories and ideas they shared with us.

What can I say? I had a fantastic time. The group leaders were very supportive and knowledgeable, and the group of people I traveled with was amazing. As someone who had never traveled outside of North America before, I had some reservations about going to a whole new place and being in touch with new cultures that are much different from my own.

However, as a Vietnamese American, I wanted to visit my birth-country, and that played a role in my choosing of Pacific Discovery's Southeast Asia program. I spoke to several previous participants about their experiences, and with glowing reviews from each I decided to sign up and start packing.

Now there are more highlights than I could mention in a single review, but if I had to choose a few right now, I would say that working at the Elephant Nature Park was phenomenal, the scuba diving eye-opening, and the boat trip through Ha Long Bay? Breath-taking.

Highlights aside, I also felt that I was challenged (in a good way) by the trip. I had to learn to really budget my allowance, be completely packed and prepared before a day of travel, and get used to interacting with people who didn't speak english well or at all. I am not a fan of heights which made the rock climbing/caving activities felt difficult, but I left with a strong sense of accomplishment.

In short, check out Pacific Discovery. Not only will you gain a larger perspective of the world outside of home, but you will see yourself grow and succeed. Sign up, get your plane tickets, and get ready for the trip of your life!

Before my Southeast Asia trip with Pacific Discovery, I had never really traveled outside of the United States. I was so nervous when I committed to the trip because I felt as though I had no idea what I was doing, but that changed almost immediately when I met my amazing leaders, Susan and Rebecca, and my 13 other group members, who are now all some of my all time closest friends. That was one of the biggest takeaways from the trip for me: the bonds I made with my group members. I've never been so close with a group of people before! Other than making lifelong friends, I learned so much about traveling abroad that now I would be extremely comfortable traveling elsewhere. I was able to experience cultures different from my own and that gave me a wider perspective on everything. What I especially liked about this aspect was that we interacted so personally with each culture and it's people. Homestays were one of my favorite parts because of how real the experience felt to me. It's really indescribable. Some parts of the trip exceeded my comfort levels, but I learned from them and it was awesome when I conquered fears or did/ate something something I'd never tried before. I could talk for ages about how much I loved the trip, but overall it was such an incredible experience and I hope that everyone can experience something like this in their lifetime.

The Southeast Asia trip through Pacific Discovery immediately sparked my interest because of the appeal of being able to see 4 countries in a reasonable amount of time. It also had a very well thought out academic plan that worked perfectly with my university. After going on the trip I can honestly say I have a good understanding of the countries various cultures, and perspective. Pacific Discovery had a unique way of showing its participants a very local and out of the box view of the countries. Due to much research and personal travels through the countries, the brains behind Pacific Discovery have created an unbeatable experience. Every academic assignment I worked on was completely relevant to our day-to-day activities. Being able to read about particular aspects of each country, and then seeing these details first hand was one of the more effective ways of learning.
Another aspect of participating with Pacific Discovery that I had never even put thought into before embarking on the journey, were the amazing relationships you build with fellow participants as well as group leaders. Being able to share such personal and life changing experiences with others really builds this powerful connection. The group leaders are also absolutely astounding, and were able to add a component to the trip that was unbeatable.
Overall my trip through Pacific Discovery was genuinely life changing. I can honestly say I am a better, well-rounded individual, who was able to discover themselves in a much deeper sense thanks to Pacific Discovery.

Pacific Discovery was exactly what I had been looking for after travelling for 4 months on my own. It was a program so well thought out and organized that it gave the participants the perfect medium between free time and sight seeing. Pacific Discovery is something I would recommend to absolutely anyone!!