We've just launched a new Jan-Mar semester program that takes in New Zealand and the East Coast of Australia. It features:
link to the program page


1. Three week-long volunteer conservation projects in different areas of New Zealand, run in conjunction with the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand’s pre-eminent conservation and resource management organization (the equivalent of the US Forest Service and National Park Service).  Project work may include species preservation and monitoring, controlling introduced pests, managing visitor impacts, trail building etc. Participants will get a hands-on introduction to strategies initiated to protect and care for these eco-systems and the plants and wildlife they contain.





Volunteer conservation work

2. Four multi-day outdoor activities including a four-day surfing camp, a five-day canoeing journey, a three-day backpacking trip and a five-day multisport journey.  The purpose of these activities is to teach participants the hard-skills needed to overcome the natural challenges specific to each activity and more importantly to teach soft-skills…including lateral thinking, initiative, leadership, decision-making, and teamwork. Participants will experience a great deal of personal growth, gaining confidence in themselves and their abilities in the outdoors.





Surf camp


3. Overland travel component. Travelling through New Zealand and Australia’s stunning mountain, forest and beach environments, engaging in a number of activities from sea kayaking on spectacular Milford Sound, to the annual Waitangi Day concert in Wellington celebrating cultural unity; from evenings around the campfire, to swimming in crystal clear lakes and rivers; participants will gain insight into local indigenous cultures, examine historical and contemporary society, discover some of the world's most livable cities, and experience firsthand the legendary Australasian welcome.





Swimming on Fraser Island

We've just been made aware that our webserver has had a problem and we have not been receiving email for a few days. If you've emailed us in the last week and we've not replied to you, please resend your email. Our sincere apologies for this. The problem is now fixed.

We’re working on a new website at present that we hope to have launched by June.  We’re making the site easier to navigate and giving it a cleaner look.

Its been a busy few months here with Fall and Winter Southeast Asia programs; Trail of the Elephants and Tale of the Dragon groups; an Addventure VSA volunteer trip to Cambodia; a 3 week custom trip with a group from Texas State; and two high school trips to Cambodia.


Next month sees us taking a high school group to Vietnam and a research trip to Nepal and Tibet. Then in July our summer programs in New Zealand, Vietnam and Peru.

We’re currently working on a number of new trips…
 

New student programs:
First up is a New Zealand Fiji semester program that will combine volunteer conservation work with multi-day adventures in New Zealand’s wonderful outdoors. This will be offered over winter semester, from mid-January to mid March annually.


Next summer we will offer an Australian volunteer conservation program, which will have 1-2 weeks of conservation work combined with travel and adventures.


Finally, we’ve got a Nepal Tibet semester program that will combine some volunteer work with multi-day trekking and rafting trips and a modern day pilgrimage from Kathmandu to Lhasa. This program will be offered in Fall Semester


Small group tours:
We’re putting the final touches to a Peru, Ecuador and Galapagos trip and a Burma (Myanmar) trip.


Check back to see all of these in June.

Pacific Discovery was just chosen as one of the "Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" by National Geographic Adventure magazine, who conducted surveys of travel organizations and their customers around the world. Pacific Discovery ranked far above the 80% required to be named one of the "Best Travel Companies on Earth".


In June of 2007, National Geographic Adventure began conducting a comprehensive rating of the world's adventure-travel companies and compiled a list of the frontrunners, based on four categories: Education and Interpretation; Sustainable-Travel Practices; Quality of Service; and Spirit of Adventure. Pacific Discovery had to provide National Geographic Adventure's researchers with people worldwide who'd travelled with Pacific Discovery. National Geographic Adventure contacted those people and asked several questions using a 100 point rating system. It was the customer surveys that determined who would be listed in the Top 105 Best Travel Companies on Earth.

Thanks NGA - we're stoked!


Link to our nomination on the NGA website

Pacific Discovery was recently featured in the summer issue of Canada’s Verge Magazine. Verge is a travel magazine focused on ‘travel with purpose’. In an article on ecological hotspots around the world, Pacific Discovery’s New Zealand volunteer conservation program was highlighted. – Thanks Verge 

Our trip in Oct/Nov 2004 has changed the way we see the world. Jennie and Roger gave us so many and varied opportunities to meet people and see how others live. We now realize just how far a relatively small amount of "our" money and time will go in a Third World country. (Noel earns the money and I have the time....)


Armed with a new TEFL certificate and accompanied by my cousin, I went back to Cambodia as a volunteer for 5 weeks in 2005 assisting a group of disabled musicians who I met at the Angkor Temples (www.angkorad.org). I took a second-hand laptop computer and helped them with administration, PR and English lessons, taught English in a Pagoda and in a High School in Takeo province.


Since my return home I have raised money for 14 wells in the remote Sras village out of Siem Reap (www.thetrailblazerfoundation.org) after meeting the modest and inspirational couple who were heading this project.


We returned again in January 2007 to deliver 3 sewing machines to AAD, travel to Sras village to see the new school, the wells and the sewing shops, visit our sponsored child and the wonderful community project in Kampong Cham province (www.plan.org.au) and stay with our friends in Takeo province where we once again taught English at their schools and enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of their extended family. There we had the good fortune to meet up with Jennie and Roger and their volunteer group from NZ who were building a new library at the High School. Noel was happy to have a building project to get stuck into and soon had his shirt off much to the amusement of the students and staff!!  How wonderful it was to see the students using their new library on our last day there (www.booksforcambodia.org).


We are now preparing to sponsor one of the daughters of this family to come and spend 3 months with us in Melbourne to improve her English skills. She has almost finished an English degree and hopes to become a translator.


Back in Melbourne I am a volunteer tutor with AMES and teach a young Cambodian woman once a week in her home. When I see this written down I can hardly believe how much our priorities have changed over the last two years.  It has certainly helped us to get our "needs" into perspective.


Thank you Gecko Trails - it was money very well spent.
Carolyn and Noel

Fifteen socially conscious senior students and their teacher from Nelson’s Nayland College have just returned from an insightful 13-day educational trip to Cambodia with Pacific Discovery. Student Sashi Eggers summed it up as “an awesome, eye-opening, exciting and amazing trip”.


“This was not just a tourist trip but a chance to see first hand how the local people live and what agencies are working to help with the development of the country. The students had several opportunities to do voluntary work and it was a wonderful chance to introduce youth to the realities of the developing world” says Mary Greenland, HOD Social Sciences at Nayland College.


We worked closely with Mrs Greenland to put the trip together, arranging visits and volunteer work with schools and various organisations from small grass-roots NGO’s to the United Nations headquarters in Cambodia. A real highlight for the students was home staying with a rural family.


Feedback has been exceptional. Student Catharine Cumpstone wrote “I would never have dreamed of travelling to this part of the world but I’m unbelievably glad that I did”. While student Rosemary Patterson wrote,”It was the best decision of my life. I feel I am now far more conscious of what is happening in Southeast Asia”.


“Pacific Discovery planned, organised and led the trip. I cannot fault their professionalism. It was a wonderful trip and I highly recommend it to other schools”, says Mrs Greenland, who has already booked another class on the same trip next year.


Pacific Discovery offers small group and educational trips to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. To discuss taking your students to Southeast Asia please contact us on 1800 655 3415 or email info@pacificdiscovery.org

As you may know we also offer similar tours to the New Zealand market under the name Gecko Trails. For the last eighteen months we've been working with New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), who are a little like Peace Corps, to offer shorter volunteer experiences. The following news item is a wrap of the first of these programs which ran in December.




Gecko Trails first Addventure trip has returned from two weeks in Cambodia. While there, Addventurers built a reading shelter at Kla Krohim school, and stocked and catalogued the adjacent library with several hundred books.



Addventure VSA is being piloted as a way by which New Zealanders can give their time, energy and friendship to a community overseas. One of the inaugural group, Judith Miller, says it was a great opportunity to interact with local people and to work together with them.



Kla Krohim school, in Takeo Province, is a 600-pupil school in rural surrounds. The school had recently built a library, but there was nowhere for children to read and no system for keeping track of library books. That's now changed * thanks to VSA's Addventurers.



Many of the 12 Addventurers fundraised to help get themselves to the project, and to support VSA volunteer assignments in other countries, thereby spreading the benefits far and wide. Their work is not yet over yet, though. The Addventurers have all committed to helping expand New Zealanders' understandings about life in developing countries. They will now undertake a range of development education activities, including speaking to local schools and groups, and writing stories for their local media.



Gecko Trails has teamed with New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad to run this first Addventure. Former VSA volunteer Jennie Wilson, from Gecko Trails, was one of the group's leaders. "The emotion expressed in our farewells tells the story of how successful this first trip was," Jennie says. "People really appreciated the work of the Addventurers, and enjoyed them being there, involved in the school, and home-staying with families."



Addventure VSA group and teachers outside completed reading shelter. School library in background.





The next Addventure VSA departs on 29 January 2007. This project will be at a larger school in the Takeo region, and the project will have an environmental focus. Below is some feedback from volunteers from the first Addventure.

Paul Hurley
Congratulations to Gecko Trails for their excellent organisation skills and local knowledge.


If you get the opportunity to become a VSA Addventurer grab it. You won’t regret it. The rewards were at least ten-fold the amount of effort put in to the fundraising and preparation.


Thanks everyone for looking after me so well, especially Jennie, Roger & Scott. For me it has been very rewarding and definitely the trip of a lifetime.


In one word ‘awesome’. A trip that exceeded all my expectations. The experience was amazing and I am grateful to VSA and Gecko Trails for helping make this experience unforgettable and rewarding. It has had an emotional impact on me.


Suzanne Porter
The trip exceeded my expectations in terms of what was achieved and more importantly how it was achieved. The group accepted each other and all strived with passion towards a common goal. The organisation also exceeded my expectations. Gecko Trails leaders gave tremendous support to everyone and assisted in making the Addventure a great success.


You are only as rich as what you give. Being a part of this project and visiting Cambodia has cemented this in my mind.


The Addventure will be the most rewarding trip you will ever make and in some way have an impact on your life. A wonderful thing to be a part of.

November 24th, 2006


The director, all the teacher and the students and community of Kla Krohim secondary school, would like to acknowledge to the Gecko Trails Addventure VSA group November 2006 that has provided such a lovely gift for building reading shelter and spend time to build and prepare this room for my students.


We so appreciate these lovely gifts that you kindly help our students, teachers and other users to use this place in order to read. In addition our students will have time to stay longer at school. We hope that all the users will enjoy using this shelter for their purpose.


We would love to thanks again to VSA group that have fundraised for this project, and we hope you will never forget the memories of Cambodia, especially Kla Krohim secondary school.


Yours Sincerely
Duch Sarin
School Director

Follow up evaluation at Khla Krohim Secondary School:


I spoke to the school principal and two of his deputies about the
Addventure Project. The general comment was that this is a huge success as the library is now well used by students; it is well run with a lot more books for students to read. The number of students visiting the library each day has gone up 5 fold compared to before the VSA Adventure Group arrived.


They told me the head of the Secondary School Department from the Provincial Education office visited the school on 23 Dec 06 and was impressed by the library and had made comment that it is one of the best school libraries in Takeo Province. Although small in size, the library is well run, well resourced and well attended by students.


I spoke to some students who were using the library at the time, they were all very happy with the new library. They often come into the library during break time or free time when there is no class.

This falls Southeast Asia group have just returned with fantastic feedback from their two month odyssey through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Below is some of their feedback.


M. Waldfogel
Coming on this trip I knew I was looking to do things I’d never seen or done before. I had no doubt that I’d learn more in these months than in a year at university. I just didn’t know how much I would learn, or what an amazing teacher I’d find.


C. Bohlig
Thank you for showing me some of the most beautiful places in the world and for introducing me to so many fantastic people here in Southeast Asia. I will never forget the memories and all the joy this experience bought me, and of course the amazing friendships.


D. Wilkerson
I can’t express enough how glad I am that I got a chance to embark on this wonderful journey. It has been one of the best experiences of my life and I will never forget all the great memories that have developed over the last 8 weeks. I have ventured out of my comfort zone and have done things I never imagined I would have the courage to do. I have pushed myself past my limits, developed friendships, and have discovered cultures and ways of life that will forever have an impact on my life. Thanks so much for all the time and energy that you and Rachel have put into the program. Without your help and guidance I really believe I would not have gotten the same amount out of the trip.


J. Kane
The past 8 weeks have taught me so many things about myself. I came on this trip hoping to grow as a person, and I can honestly say I feel as though I’m going home a changed person. The friendships I’ve made, the fears I’ve overcome, the cultures I’ve experienced and the adventures I’ve had have all changed how I view life and the world. This trip has sparked something inside that I can’t quite explain. Before coming to Southeast Asia, I knew travelling made me extremely happy but now I also understand that travelling is also the best way to learn. I’ve learned how to experience cultures while still respecting their differences. I’ve learned to be comfortable with myself and what I have to offer. You’ve taught me so much, and for that I will forever be thankful.


L. Gipson
Being with this group of people in these amazing countries has opened my eyes to the world. My perspective has broadened, my heart has opened, and my limits have been tested. I will never forget this experience!


B. Cooper

Paying $4,500 for a pretty much all-inclusive adventure abroad where I learn infinitely more than a normal college term, where I pay $13,000? Sweet deal!


I would recommend this trip to anybody who wants to have experience new cultures, learn a whole lot about your place in the world, and try things you will never have the opportunity to do normally... which should be everybody. The itinerary offers a diversity of urban and rural settings, and strikes a balance between physically demanding days and much-needed "rest" days. I fell in love with the people and culture Southeast Asia from Day 1, and want to go back. The trip has indirectly pointed me in a career direction, and I leave it with an understanding of part of the world that is only beginning to emerge as one of the prime destinations to travel in the world (and for good reason).


N. O'Brien
The Pacific Discovery trip was a wonderful way to see Southeast Asia and experience its various cultures. I developed friendships with all of the group members and had so many great experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. Highly recommended!


R. Ellis
Traveling with Pacific Discovery is far more than trip into new lands and cultures--it is a journey into oneself. With Pacific Discovery, you go beyond observing a new and mysterious world--you participate in it. Each day in Southeast Asia revealed a new, valuable piece of insight that I could not have obtained in a classroom. By the end of the two months, I had developed an entirely transformed understanding of myself, the world, and my relationship to the world. I am ineffably grateful for my experience with Pacific Discovery.


E. Laird

Everything we did was more meaningful than I had anticipated and every experience I had felt richer and more significant.


Before I came on this trip, I'd travelled quite a bit in Asia on my own. I wasn't sure if it was worth joining a group tour rather than doing a similar trip independently. But I got so much more out of the trip than I would have otherwise. All the hassles of finding accommodation, transportation, and activity arrangements were taken care of. In the past I'd spent countless hours lugging a heavy backpack in the heat looking for a place to stay, which would frequently turn out ugly or filthy or overpriced. Instead we stayed in amazing guesthouses that were much nicer than anything I ever found on my own. All the treks we did seemed less touristy and more authentic than some of the other ones available. Our leader knew all the areas really well and could suggest things to see or do, great places to eat, and worthwhile places to go out. Finally it was really wonderful to have a group of people to share everything with. I would recommend this trip to anybody interested in Southeast Asia. I would recommend this trip to anyone who has never thought about Southeast Asia. It was a totally unforgettable experience and I had the time of my life.


T. Allen
The culture will never cease to amaze you, even when you think you've seen it all. The phrase "only in SE Asia" will become a staple of your vocabulary.

The Migrant Learning Center in Chiang Mai need volunteer English teachers. The center offers Burmese refugees basic English, reading comprehension and business English as well as Thai language and computer, and are trying to provide courses to meet the needs of their students.


More than 200 students are attending the current course which runs until December, and many students request an English conversation class. The centre cannot offer a paid job but it is a well organised and supportive place to volunteer.

If you are able to offer at least a week of your time, and are interested in doing so, please contact Jennie Wilson of Gecko Trails, +64 6 753 6343, and she will put you in touch with the centre.

In January 2007, we will take a group of year 12 and year 13 social studies students from Nelson’s Nayland College to Cambodia.  For the last month we’ve been working with social studies teacher Mary Greenland to develop this trip.  The focus will be international development, giving the students an insight into the work of international non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) in Cambodia - their problems and their successes. In addition, the students will have a chance to do some volunteer work of their own, will be immersed in Cambodian culture through home staying with a rural family, and will be exposed to Cambodia’s rich history through visiting the  Angkor Wat temple ruins and Tuol Sleng Museum.


We are delighted that there is so much interest in this trip from Nayland students and we feel that exposing young people to different cultures is the best way to combat intolerance, racism and prejudice in our society. Additionally, this sort of experience broadens young people’s horizons through exposure to the limitless possibilities that life holds.

A Gecko Trails iniative, established by Jennie Wilson, Books for Cambodia is fundraising for books for the Kla Krohim High School library.


Kla Krohim High School, Takeo Province Cambodia, is a poor rural school with a roll of over 600 students. Recently a new library was constructed and there is a small collection of books available to the students. As part of the VSA Addventure Project in November 2006, volunteers will be building a reading centre adjacent to the library.


The aim of Books for Cambodia is to increase the number of books in the school library. The library will be bi-lingual with both English and Khmer language books. Schools in Cambodia basically do not have money to purchase their own books and any help you are able to give would be greatly appreciated.


Donations can be made by direct debit, deposit to any TSB, or by posting a cheque to:
Taranaki Savings Bank
Centre Branch
120 Devon St. east
New Plymouth

New Zealand
Account: Books for Cambodia, A/C No. 15 3953 0614339 00

Welcome to our updated website! We’ve changed the homepage to display more information, including this news section, the photo of the month, an overview of Pacific Discovery, and 10 reasons to travel with us.


The next stage will be the addition of an online booking and payment forms, new page headers and slideshows for each tour.

Pacific Discovery has joined the Nelson, New Zealand, Sustainable Tourism Charter, a pioneering project aimed at making Nelson tourism businesses more sustainable.


What is sustainable tourism? Sustainable tourism is about the protection and enhancement of the natural environment and resources for future generations, whilst at the same time ensuring long-term economic viability for businesses, and providing socio-cultural benefits to the wider community.


A sustainable tourism charter is a regionally defined, community-developed vision of sustainable tourism.  Representatives of tourism operators, Iwi, local councils and the Department of Conservation were involved in the creation of the Nelson/Tasman Sustainable Tourism charter.


The charter encourages local tourism businesses to move towards sustainability at a pace that is within their capability by identifying practical, achievable and understandable actions to increase sustainable business practices.


The charter is being managed by Latitude Nelson, the regional marketing body for Nelson and is one of six regional tourism organisations given government funding to implement the charter.


At Pacific Discovery we believe that we run a sustainable business and we are looking forward to sharing ideas with the other members of the charter. Our current sustainability policy ensures that all accommodation, activity operators, transport and restaurants, used on our tours are locally owned, so that money spent on our tours remains in the communities visited. In addition all of our clients receive a tour handbook prior to departure that contains our ethical travel policy, which is full of tips and ideas to reduce impacts on host communities and environments.
 
For more information on the sustainable tourism charter, please visit the ‘sustainable tourism’ section of the Latitude Nelson website: http://www.nelsonnz.com/sustainable.tourism/


Click here to see our sustainability policy.
Click here to see our ethical travel policy.

The Luang Nam Tha accommodation we use on our Three Points North trekking tour won a commendation in the prestigious UK awards.


The First Choice Responsible Tourism awards are a collaboration between on-line travel agent responsibletravel.com who organise the Awards; and UK media partners The Times and Geographical Magazine. The Boat Landing Guesthouse won a commendation in the best hotel category. This is much deserved recognition for their excellent sustainable tourism practices. 


The Boat Landing Guesthouse is located in Luang Nam Tha, an isolated town in Northern Laos. The guesthouse is an absolute oasis to return to after trekking in the Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area, one of the highlights of our Three Points North trekking tour. The guesthouse is located on the banks of the Nam Tha River and every aspect of the business is carefully managed to be sustainable and to benefit the local community. The Guesthouse’s restaurant is singled out by Lonely Planet as being among the best in the country for Lao food. 


Interestingly the Nam Ha guides service who we trek with in the Nam Ha NBCA receives funding from NZ Aid, New Zealand’s international aid and development agency.


More info:
First Choice responsible tourism awards www.responsibletravel.com/awards
The Boat Landing Guesthouse www.theboatlanding.laopdr.com/index.html
NZ aid www.nzaid.govt.nz
Nam Ha NBCA www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=486/nbca.html

After feedback from potential clients that wanted to travel with us, but only had 2 weeks up their sleeves, we’ve developed a new tour, the ‘Essence of Asia’.


This boutique sensory experience touches down in four of the most iconic places in Southeast Asia…Chiang Mai - Thailand’s cultural, artistic and therapeutic hub; Luang Prabang – steeped in history, with wonderful markets and textiles; Siem Reap – home to the incredible Angkor Wat temples; and Ko Samui – tropical island ‘paradise’ in southern Thailand. The tour is two weeks long and travel between destinations is accomplished with flights on Bangkok Airways – recently voted the best regional airline in Asia.


Please follow this ‘link’ for more information.

Client feedback from our January Trail of the Elephants tour has been fantastic. The January 2006 group recently returned and had the following to say:


“Thanks and many thanks and even more thanks (and yes please use us as a reference if you require). You get the drift..... we had the  best trip of our life time .... special thanks to Jenny and Roger.” Declan Mordaunt


“First thanks a million for a great holiday, the best I can recollect. I still think daily of our many and varied experiences, especially the great group and our esteemed leaders. Hopefully we will get an opportunity to travel with you again (maybe Burma but more likely Vietnam).” Declan Mordaunt


“We were first time travelers looking for an off the beaten track type trip with a bit of adventure. We certainly had this. We enjoyed the company of a great group of fellow travelers. The attention to detail by Gecko Trails and the tour leaders was exceptional.” Mary-Ann and Trevor Stretton


“It was very easy to travel in the group…I felt very safe at all times and had lots of fun.” Rose Holland


“I want to thank you both again for such a wonderful trip through Southeast Asia. I am so grateful for having the experiences you shared with the group. Our trip throughout southern Cambodia was most touching to me, and I don't believe I would have gotten that with anybody else, let alone, travelling on my own.” Erika Scholz

On August 24, Rachel and Scott became proud parents with the birth of their first child, Kahurangi. Named for the nearby national park the name means variously, ‘blue skies’, ‘treasured possession’, and aptly, ‘wanderer’. To see pictures of our little treasure you can visit: http://www.kahurangi.net