Volunteer Programs in Hilo, Hawaii (USA)

I don’t think many people will ever be able to explore Hawaii the way we did. We went to the most beautiful and magical places I have ever seen and lived so much in just four weeks. I can’t recommend this program enough. If you just want to travel around with a group of best friends and explore a new culture and do crazy activities, I promise you won’t regret signing up.

I was very nervous before attending the program. However, everyone I met in the program was very nice and friendly. We did so many things together and gained lifelong friendships and experiences. Camping is one of my favorite parts. I love being out in nature every day and hiking with friends. If you're still debating it, just do it.

This gap year has been an amazing experience! With covid 19 almost everything I had planned for this year was canceled but this has been an amazing experience because of the people and places we have met and travels too. Our group instructors have been so helpful, alway making sure we are having a great time with our operators. My favorite thing that we have done so far was the sunset atop Maunakea. The colors were so vibrant and the stars afterwards were mind blowing. My other favorite thing was the manta ray dive, they came so close which really emphasized the massive size to the animals

Got to meet really interesting people and learn about Hawaiian history and culture. Also got to do lots of thrilling activities like cliff jumping off a 40 ft cliff, surfing, swimming with manta rays, sharks, sea turtles and much more. I loved the kids on my program, everyone was so kind, smart, funny and adventurous. There was one student who was very disrespectful and unkind to the group and many of the people we met and the student was removed from the program eventually. Other than that one challenge, the majority of the trip was wonderful! Definitely an expensive 6 weeks (around 10k plus at least another 1-3k for flights and spending money), but got to do some awesome stuff. If you got the funds this is the trip for you!

From learning the art of cutting open a coconut, a proper surf board stance, hiking up Coconut Creek, enjoying a private manta ray tour, or looking at the stars at the top of the volcano of Mauna Kea, I can think of dozens of magical moments these past 4 weeks that were elevated by the support and community of my fellow peers and the Pacific Discovery team. All while prioritizing safety, Pacific Discovery has given my group a rare opportunity of true cultural immersion: daily fun experiential education peppered with moments of deeply personal growth.