Program Reviews

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!!