Interested in coming on a trip? You can join us each Thursday for a Trip Discovery Meeting to find out more.
Explore the world, with purpose. Padma trips are service, education, and adventure expeditions that are transformational, fulfilling, and challenging. Our students grow and mature while engaging with new cultures, and learning from experienced trip leaders, local experts and community leaders.
While these trips are packed full of fun, they are not a vacation; they are a chance for personal growth and development while helping others and pushing your limits. By working hard on vital humanitarian and environmental projects, engaging in introspective leadership training, meditation, language immersion, or deep diving into science and conservation projects, our expeditions inspire, support, and deepen students’ academic or career interests, and their lives.
Check out this year's trips below!
Volunteers help build a high elevation earth sheltered greenhouse for the residents of Chiwang Monastery in the Everest Region of Nepal.
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Participants in a medical camp at Thupten Choling Nunnery in Nepal spending time with some superstar meditator Tibetan Buddhist Nuns.
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Padma team members hard at work building coral reef restoration structures.
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Every trip includes adventure activities chosen based on the region such as: surf camps in Bali, Himalayan trekking in Nepal and India, rainforest hikes and swimming, or scuba and freediving.
2023 Trips
To apply for a trip, click "contact us" below, or email [email protected] to set up a Trip Discovery Meeting, learn more and ask any questions you may have.
Padma also designs custom trips for groups where we work with you to select the ideal location, project, and activities.
Padma also designs custom trips for groups where we work with you to select the ideal location, project, and activities.
Bali & Surrounding IslandsStay in a bungalow on the beach in rural Bali while building and deploying structures to return a section of human impacted reef to its pristine state. Hike to waterfalls, scuba dive, freedive, and learn to surf. On neighboring islands, learn about and participate in ongoing manta ray research including scuba or freediving with these graceful giants of the sea.
Trip Tuition: $3500 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: Year Round 
Azores adventure education
Designed to immerse students in the rich culture, verdant mountains, and clear blue ocean waters of the Azores Islands, this trip explores three of the nine Azores Islands. It includes beachfront camping, hiking, backpacking and a summit ascent of Pico Peak, the highest point in Portugal. Ocean activities include learning about marine conservation and swimming with dolphins, and students will learn about the culture of these unique islands. Trip Tuition: $3000 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: March-October .
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Ecuador & GALAPAGOS ISLANDSStay in a local village while working on a community construction project for an underserved school. Every day will offer students opportunities to speak Spanish with both locals and trip leaders. When the work is done, you'll head to the Golapagos Islands for a few days to learn about and engage with the endemic flora and fauna.
Trip Tuition: $3800 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: Year Round 
Montana Wilderness ConservationThe mountain and river valleys of Montana offer some of the most pristine environments left on the earth. With millions of acres of public lands, much of the preservation of these areas falls to volunteers. The Bob Marshall Wilderness is a 1.4 million acre protected area with thousands of miles of trails. In partnership with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Padma offers trips for rugged individuals to hike deep into the wilderness and camp while working on US Forest Service projects restoring trails, removing invasive plants, and engaging in wildfire mitigation work. Trip Tuition: $1850 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: June-August 
colombia
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Azores Islands, PortugalEngage in whale conservation research and scuba-dive-focused marine conservation. Dive with giant mobula rays, dolphins, whale sharks and countless fish as part of identification and data collection for ongoing research. Hike and camp while seeing flora & fauna found nowhere else in the world.
Trip Tuition: $3000 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: March-October 
Bali/Komodo Marine Conservation Scuba ExpeditionTrips begin in Bali, exploring ancient cultural sites before heading to the beach to build and deploy reef structures to restore depleted coral populations. We then fly to the Komodo National Park and board a sailboat for a four day journey around some of the most biodiverse waters in the world. Daily marine ecology and conservation talks will begin each day with as many as four scuba dives a day. After sailing around these islands we’ll visit Komodo Island to get up close and personal with Komodo dragons while learning about their habitat and ongoing threats from overdevelopment. We then spend a few days on Nusa Lembongan engaging in manta ray research and learning to surf.
Trip Tuition: $3800 (Group Rates Available) 2-Week Trips: Year round |
Choose Your Trip Focus:
• Coral reef restoration
(Bali & surrounding islands)
• Ocean/nature photography training and marine conservation
(Bali/Komodo scuba diving )
• Scuba based ocean science and conservation
(Azores scuba diving or Bali/Komodo scuba diving)
• Island exploration and outdoor education
(Azores Islands)
• Latin America community construction & Spanish language immersion
(Ecuador & Galapagos, Colombia)
• Wilderness conservation and trail maintenance
(Montana Wilderness)
• Sustainable architecture and development
(Azores Islands)
Choose a trip based on your personal passions and the location that most interests you. All trips include leadership training activities, educational and adventure activities, and cultural site visits. Most trips offer multiple service projects including background education and skills training.
• Coral reef restoration
(Bali & surrounding islands)
• Ocean/nature photography training and marine conservation
(Bali/Komodo scuba diving )
• Scuba based ocean science and conservation
(Azores scuba diving or Bali/Komodo scuba diving)
• Island exploration and outdoor education
(Azores Islands)
• Latin America community construction & Spanish language immersion
(Ecuador & Galapagos, Colombia)
• Wilderness conservation and trail maintenance
(Montana Wilderness)
• Sustainable architecture and development
(Azores Islands)
Choose a trip based on your personal passions and the location that most interests you. All trips include leadership training activities, educational and adventure activities, and cultural site visits. Most trips offer multiple service projects including background education and skills training.
Things to know
Vital Projects
When designing trips, we first consult with local leaders to learn more about the immediate needs of the communities we aim to serve. Our goal is to only select projects that are vital and unlikely to be accomplished without international partnerships. After completion, Padma members periodically visit project sites to evaluate continued viability, functionality, and effectiveness.
Cultural Immersion
Part of Padma’s mission is to educate and share with others, marvelous communities and environments they otherwise are unlikely to see. Trip participants often stay in homestays with local families, work on teams together with locals, tutor local children, and participate in community activities. We don’t want you to see new places from a bubble, but instead, want you to make lifelong connections by experiencing being welcomed into the midst of new communities.
Leadership Training & Team Building
Every trip includes daily activities focused on group cohesion and promoting positive leadership qualities such as empathy, compassion, humility and the self-awareness of one's own strengths and weaknesses. These elements are drawn from proven outdoor leadership programs, university leadership institutes, and are also largely drawn from Buddhist based contemplative traditions.
Part of Padma’s mission is to educate and share with others, marvelous communities and environments they otherwise are unlikely to see. Trip participants often stay in homestays with local families, work on teams together with locals, tutor local children, and participate in community activities. We don’t want you to see new places from a bubble, but instead, want you to make lifelong connections by experiencing being welcomed into the midst of new communities.
Leadership Training & Team Building
Every trip includes daily activities focused on group cohesion and promoting positive leadership qualities such as empathy, compassion, humility and the self-awareness of one's own strengths and weaknesses. These elements are drawn from proven outdoor leadership programs, university leadership institutes, and are also largely drawn from Buddhist based contemplative traditions.
Risk Management
From initial planning to trip completion, in depth risk assessments are performed for every location and activity of our expeditions. Medical staff join each group and prepare medical plans and kits specific to each site, and for trip members with specific medical needs. All trips are registered with US embassies/consulates and plans are prepared based on each location in case of emergencies. At every place group members travel to, healthy and hygienic food and water preparation is a primary focus.
Accommodations are selected based on familiarity with the area and in consideration of protecting trip members. Orientation at each new location and a high staff/chaperone to student ratio help ensure the focus remains on service and that potential risks are mitigated before they can become problems.
Fun
Although the majority of time on every trip is service-focused, a number of activities are always incorporated that are just meant to be a really good time. In each location we travel to, be it surfing, freediving and exploring rainforests in Indonesia, Himalayan treks in Nepal, pickup baseball games in Nicaragua, or hanging with sadhus in India, we find the best possible ways to take a break from work, and have fun local style.
Padma provides meaningful, life-changing experiences while being ever mindful of cost. All selected accommodations and home-stays are reputable yet modest. Padma maintains a minimum US-based staff, choosing instead to employ local professionals whenever possible. This not only reduces the overall budget for trips but also supports local economies directly, while promoting cultural interaction.
TRIP TUITION COVERS:
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• MOST MEALS (WE OCCASIONALLY ENCOURAGE TRIP MEMBERS TO EXPLORE LOCAL RESTAURANTS)
• LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
• PROJECT PLANNING, MATERIALS, AND MANAGEMENT
• ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
• TRAVELERS MEDICAL, EMERGENCY, AND EVACUATION INSURANCE
• LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRIP LEADERS
TRIP TUITION DOES NOT COVER:
• INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE (TRIP LEADERS CAN HELP SELECT AND ARRANGE AIRFARE FOR GROUPS)
• LOCAL SHOPPING
• ADDITIONAL SIGHTSEEING & ACTIVITIES
• ACCOMMODATIONS
• MOST MEALS (WE OCCASIONALLY ENCOURAGE TRIP MEMBERS TO EXPLORE LOCAL RESTAURANTS)
• LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
• PROJECT PLANNING, MATERIALS, AND MANAGEMENT
• ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
• TRAVELERS MEDICAL, EMERGENCY, AND EVACUATION INSURANCE
• LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRIP LEADERS
TRIP TUITION DOES NOT COVER:
• INTERNATIONAL AIRFARE (TRIP LEADERS CAN HELP SELECT AND ARRANGE AIRFARE FOR GROUPS)
• LOCAL SHOPPING
• ADDITIONAL SIGHTSEEING & ACTIVITIES
1. Contact us to attend an in-person or online Trip Discovery Meeting. This makes sure our trips are a good fit for you and we can answer any questions you have.
2. Once you have decided on a trip, request an online Trip Application including a $200 trip deposit to secure your spot.
3. A trip leader will contact you to go over the pre-tip timeline and introduce you to Padma's student portal.
2. Once you have decided on a trip, request an online Trip Application including a $200 trip deposit to secure your spot.
3. A trip leader will contact you to go over the pre-tip timeline and introduce you to Padma's student portal.
After you've been accepted on a trip, trip payments can be made all at once or in three payments on this website, by Venmo, or check. As we have expense deadlines throughout the year, if payments are not made on time, a $50 fee will be assessed for each late payment. If you can pay all at once that helps a great deal, if you prefer multiple payments. Payment schedules vary by trip and will be provided durning Trip Discovery Meetings and in the Student Portal.
When completing your trip application, make sure to include any pertinent medical information on the medical form. All medical related information is kept strictly confidential. If you are not comfortable writing something down, please contact us to schedule a phone call with a medical team member. Medical staff members are on every trip, and help directly administer treatment, or coordinate care at medical facilities. Trip members are provided travelers medical insurance, and individual medical plans are prepared for any trip members with significant conditions. In some cases, trip members may be asked to have their own additional insurance if necessary.
Before traveling abroad, we recommend visiting the CDC website for vaccination info: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
Before traveling abroad, we recommend visiting the CDC website for vaccination info: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list
Water Safety:
During your trip, there may be opportunities to swim, snorkel, scuba dive, and surf in the ocean, or swim in rivers and lakes. Currents, sudden depth changes, riptides, large waves, sharp reefs, stings and bites are some of the inherent risks we will face. Trip participants are never to swim alone and careful consideration of individual swimming ability and experience must always be considered.
Minimum Eligibility Criteria:
Padma’s Bali Reef Restoration Expedition includes outdoor and/or physically strenuous activities in various environments such as snorkeling, surfing, hiking, and building large or heavy structures. Following instruction, trip members must also be able to work independently for up to four hours a day and be capable of completing or participating in the specific activities of this trip.
During your trip, there may be opportunities to swim, snorkel, scuba dive, and surf in the ocean, or swim in rivers and lakes. Currents, sudden depth changes, riptides, large waves, sharp reefs, stings and bites are some of the inherent risks we will face. Trip participants are never to swim alone and careful consideration of individual swimming ability and experience must always be considered.
Minimum Eligibility Criteria:
Padma’s Bali Reef Restoration Expedition includes outdoor and/or physically strenuous activities in various environments such as snorkeling, surfing, hiking, and building large or heavy structures. Following instruction, trip members must also be able to work independently for up to four hours a day and be capable of completing or participating in the specific activities of this trip.
Trip members can cancel for any reason up to sixty (60) days before their trip, and receive a 50% refund of all paid tuition, less the $200 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations made less than 60 days prior to the trip cannot be guaranteed a refund. In case trip members are unable to join a trip due to medical or emergency related reasons, a full refund may be considered at the discretion of Padma staff. If trips must be canceled due to unexpected travel restrictions, or for any reason such as a natural disaster, social unrest, etc., full refunds will be offered, pending refunds from trip partner companies and organizations, contractors, and third party vendors.