For some families, travel is just a vacation. For others, it’s a way of connecting with one another, to the world and to experiences that leave a lasting mark.
Below, you’ll find the stories of two families who have been part of the Discover Corps community for the past four years. Each family has embarked on a whopping five journeys with us, from bustling cities to remote villages, and both are already planning their sixth adventure.
Their stories are not unique: family travel is at our core: children learning about cultures far from home, parents inspired by the resilience and creativity of the communities they visit, and every member of the family bringing home memories that will last a lifetime. These journeys are a vivid reminder of why we do what we do: meaningful travel nurtures bonds across generations, sparks curiosity, and fosters gratitude in ways that stay with you forever.
The Lockheads – 6 Kids, 5 Trips and Counting
In 2020, the Lockhead Family of Pennsylvania was ready for an adventure. With six kids with ages spanning nine years, they needed a way to travel that could accommodate them all and handle all of the logistics.
“This was important to us,” says Lisa, the family matriarch. “It’s difficult to find a travel company that could accommodate large families with six children of different ages easily and that could meet some our unique family dynamics, including children with different special needs. For a large family like ours, [DC’s] management of the logistics takes a great deal of the stress out of our trips. One of the things that keeps Discover Corps top-of-mind with us is that the essentials of transportation, meals, and accomodations are all included in your itineraries.“
But it’s not just a matter of traveling stress free: meaningful experiences were also a big part of the Lockheads’ motivation to give Discover Corps a try. They are strong believers in the importance of experiencing the world outside of a text book or screen. A community service component and opportunities for connection were high on their must-have list.
After exploring Alaska with DC, they were hooked!
Over the next four years, the Lockheads’ travels would expose them to a huge variety of different cultures, experiences, food and people.
“Our children love interacting with the local communities and our guides to learn new things, including Spanish lessons from our guide, Sergio, in Peru. All of our confidence levels have increased by doing activities outside of the norm from snorkeling in the Galapagos and Australia with sharks, rays, turtles and fish of all kinds to hiking Machu Picchu to riding in safari trucks in Kenya only feet from wild animals. Some of our children’s favorite food experiences have including trying fresh oysters in Alaska, sampling guinea pig and alpaca in Ecuador and Peru, and experiencing kangaroo on a stick in Australia,” she says. “For each trip, the itineraries have been interesting, meaningful and impactful for us and our children.”
So, what keeps the Lockheads traveling?
“Despite all of the different issues in the world right now, traveling has shown our children that many of the people that we have met in our travels are really very similar to ourselves, despite their speaking different languages or cultural beliefs or being of a different race.”
“We feel that the DC team has matched us very well with the other families that we have traveled with and all of our guides. We have been very lucky in meeting some wonderful and fun people along the way, all of whom we still keep in touch with over all of these years. We are always impressed with DC’s flexibility when things don’t run perfectly (which has been rare for us). Also your sensitivity to the special needs and circumstances of your families is an important consideration for us. All things considered, we definitely can say “just do it” when looking for a new adventure with your family.”
The Orendain-Diep Family
Coincidentally, the Orendain-Diep family’s first foray into Discover Corps was also with the Alaska: The Great Exploration trip when their children were only six and eight years old. Since then, they have taken four additional trips with DC and have two more planned for 2026.
“We had such an amazing time connecting other people, especially since there were lots of other children,” says Lausanne, mom and busy physician. “Everyone in our group was fantastic and I still keep in touch with them. My favorite moment was all of the kids enjoying time on the scenic train ride in Alaska and the hikes with the local guides that taught us about the local plants and seeing wild moose on our hikes.”
After Alaska, the family went on to explore Costa Rica, the infamous Thailand Lantern Festival, Southern Thailand and Bali. As budding zoologists, Nalani (13) and Keanu (11) gravitate to trips that emphasize wildlife encounters and conservation.
“My kids both have wanted to be zoologists for about four years now. The trips that we have chosen keep my kids interested in being zoologists and conservationists. I think these experiences have made them more open and confident to try new things like hiking at night through the rainforest, trying new foods, washing elephants, using a machete to cut lemongrass and knives to cut sugar cane, making soap, repopulating coral reefs or joining a water and sky lantern festival.”
Keanu confirms it: “I’m more confident and braver because now I’ve seen Komodo dragons in real life. I realize they won’t run straight at me. These trips make me see how other kids my age in different countries live.”
Nalani’s experience in Bali inspired her 7th grade school science project on the effects of plastic waste on plant growth, based on her time with the nonprofit R.O.L.E Foundation in Bali.
For Lausanne, it’s the depth of experience and family-friendly itinerary that keeps them coming back.
“These experiences have exposed my children and I to different cultures, different foods, different ways of life, different ways of thinking – about climate, about the environment, about how we can help other people and the environment on a small individual scale, and I think interacting with the locals really helps us learn about that specific country. The activities and introduction to local culture, local people, local food, music, traditional dancing, will foster open mindedness, compassion, and caring for other human beings and the environment. I think Discover Corp will help my children become better human beings. I think not only will these experiences help them be more empathetic to others different from themselves, but will also inspire them to do something good for the world, no matter how small of a step it seems.”