Thailand, Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia Gap Semester | Pacific Discovery

Going into this program I had no experience or expectation of what it was going to be like. Not only was I able to step completely out of my comfort zone but I was genuinely supported and encouraged every step of the way. It was the best mixture of teamwork and independence, exploring and learning, and the ability to truly be present and focused. This program, along with the people I have met and learned from within it have impacted my being in such an incredibly powerful way, that it has inspired me in my approach with how I move forward through life. I recommend an experience like this to anyone and everyone.

I mean what I say when I say that this program is an experience of a lifetime. You are constantly moving, and do, see, and experience so much every single day. You also get to experience local culture and customs in a safe environment. My counselors Grace Crema and Manuel Olvera are good, experienced world travelers. The other people on my program were all interesting and from backgrounds. Every single day I spent with these people felt like an exciting adventure into uncharted territory. I couldn't wait for what came next. Being away from home, parents, and being put into this new environment allows you to explore your identity and grow on your own. It allows you to present facets of your personality that you typically don't present to the people at home. Through this process you learn self sufficiency and gain confidence in yourself. I cannot state enough how this program was one of the most happiest times in my life.

A great 10 weeks! You get an all-encompassing experience of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia that most people will never come close to.
From the mountains of Thailand to the beaches of Vietnam, the itinerary brings students everywhere they could hope and more. Cultural immersion, natural beauty, fantastic food, and meaningful service all play a large part in the experience.
Pacific Discovery has fantastic leaders and encourages students to make the most of out of the experience, leading to a life-changing semester. I look back at this experience as one of my best ever decisions and would recommend it to anyone.

Pacific Discovery does a great job choosing where and with whom you work on the Southeast Asia gap semester. They choose ethical and sustainable organizations and practices while you travel and they teach you how to identify good ones on your own. My instructors, Grace and Manuel, were very capable and knowledgeable. They were a reliable resource for concerns or questions that came up. Additionally they added a personal touch as mentors and leaders making me feel safe and giving me a positive environment to learn and grow in. The program is incredible and you will get outside your comfort zones and grow as an individual learning to live and travel with a small group. Overall, I recommend this program to anyone looking to explore and learn about the rich cultures of the areas.

Basically, it takes some getting used to but never unbearable. I was challenged in ways I didn't expect but learned a lot about myself and SE Asia. The places, people, and experiences make all the difficulties worth it tho.

Don't expect 5 stars hotels with super nice amenities. A few of the more rural areas don't have hot water, great insulation, nice bathrooms, wifi, etc, but never straight up camping. Most places are 2-3 star hotels in small cities, with wifi, ac/heating, hot water, other hotel things.

It does get tiring to live out of a backpack and be traveling to different places every few days. And traveling with the same group of people for 10 weeks can be hard. But remember that everyone else is literally going through the same. Be understanding and respect other's comfortability and they'll do the same for you!

SE Asia is also super hot and humid, be ready to be sweaty 24/7.

All in all, there'll be really awesome good days and some pretty hard bad days. The unforgettable sites, super nice people, unique experience makes it absolutely worth it.

This program absolutely changed my life. My instructors were spectacular and guided me through so many incredible experiences in Thailand. I can genuinely say this program was everything I hoped for and more. I would recommend this program to any graduating high school student, I feel much more prepared for life and future travel after completing this program. I undoubtedly learned way more in those three months than I did in all of my secondary education. It’s the perfect bridge in between high school and college/life!

Bear with me, I know this review is long but it is worth the read.

In theory, this trip really does seem lovely. You get to make new friends, see new places, have the safety net of a program with instructors to guide you. In reality, it is the absolute opposite. I went in the fall of 2019 on the Southeast Asia trip. I was BEYOND excited when I was preparing for the trip all the way through the 24 hours of flying. So beyond the price tag(12k+ could last you a whole year easily in Asia, most people don't understand how severely overpriced this trip was, even I didn't till I was there), what could be so wrong with this seemingly amazing trip?

The amount of freedom you get is virtually zero, you always have to have someone with you. It is not about not being allowed to drink or have sex, it is that you are constantly being watched, where you are, and what you are doing. As young adults, you will be treated like toddlers. The instructors that led my trip were incredibly unprepared, Pacific Discovery put two leaders together who had never led a trip. There was so much drama between everyone it was sickening, we had all graduated high school and some were in college yet some acted like petty middle schoolers, no action was taken against them. The time I enjoyed the most was when we were not doing anything in particular, and that was RARE. We barely got any free time whatsoever, you were not allowed to tap out of activities that went against what I was told when I signed up.

The elephants, that is what I was really looking forward to when I signed up, as a lot of people are. It is not what they advertised it to be, it is all volunteer work meaning scooping feces, cleaning their water bowls, etc etc. You do not get to bathe them or really hang out with them at all, the food is very good though I’ll give them that. This is just one example of the misleading information they put on their site.

Food, you would not think it to be such a huge issue on the trip but it was. For how much money you put into the trip, you got so little money for food I was always hungry. You were not allowed to use your own money in addition to the budget as it became “too complicated for them”. I was never able to even afford a drink with my meal, let alone enough to feed myself properly.
Now the big issue that sent me over the edge, being removed from the program only a month or so in. I was also not the only one, there were several others on my trip for various reasons. They mentioned constantly that they will support you if you struggle mentally, that it’s hard on everyone. That simply is not the case, they will just kick you off if they do not want to deal with you. In my case, I did struggle mentally during the program. It really is a lot to take in and to deal with. After getting in trouble for breaking a rule, which I signed a slip saying I would not do it again, I cried a lot. We had a few days in Vietnam free so I spent those days mostly in my room because yeah, I was really sad. Pacific told other parents and their kids that I had decided to leave which was so far from the truth it was almost comical. I reached out several times to either resolve this issue emotionally or financially after the trip and they did not respond for months, when they finally did respond they just said no, they wanted nothing to do with me as I was now just a liability as I apparently was before.

Overall, just do not go on this trip. You would have much better luck just going by yourself or finding another tour group.

My time with Pacific Discovery surprised me. I was challenged emotionally, physically, and mentally and I learned an incredible amount about myself and the cultures we visited that has broadened my perspective in the best way possible. The program is so well organized and the experiences are authentic and meaningful. You see beautiful places, meet beautiful people, grow as a human on the earth, and make memories that will last a lifetime. If anything it just gives you time to enjoy the fruits of life, grow, mature, question and be curious, get inspired, and experience settings that truly are once in a lifetime.