Rustic Pathways

Community Photos

We all recieved red white and blue Rustic pathways bracelets as a symbol of the friendships we had made and our unity in the work we had done at the end of the trip.

We saw turtles lay their eggs on our night walks and then we retrieved them and placed on a fenced in "hatchery" on the beach so they would be protected.

This is where we went on a snorkeling weekend trip!

One of my Rustic Pathways group members plastering walls with cement.

Teaching English at an Elementary School

The most beautiful sunset ever seen with a mountain range shadowed over.

Big Fiji week one group at Somo somo village

After kayaking to an island we got to go snorkeling.

At night we got to see turtles giving birth

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About

Travel and volunteer abroad with Rustic Pathways.

Choose from culturally-immersive adventure and volunteer programs in 17 countries. Make lifelong friends from around the world, work on sustainable community service projects, and discover new passions during a Rustic Pathways program.

Whether you're looking for summer volunteer programs or searching for the right gap year, Rustic Pathways has the right experience for you.

Website

connect.rusticpathways.com

Founded

1983

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Reviews

I travelled from Perth, Western Australia to Brisbane to take part on the You a roo' and Australia Zoo program. It was such an amazing experience not only to work at australia zoo which is a dream of mine as some passionate in zoology but also the bonds i made with all the girls and my program leaders. Although such a small group i have extremely fond memories of every single person on trip which made an already amazing person ten times better. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone passionate about animal conservation.

What would you improve about this program?

Extend the amount of time working at the zoo as junior zookeepers

Despite the fact that the program I did only lasted for a week, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite trips ever. I enjoyed every single bit of the program. I enjoyed the time spent with the local community, playing with those innocent kids. I enjoyed the moment I threw the football with perfect spin for the first time, having fun with a group of kids in the village. I still remembered the day when our group went to one of Rustic Pathways' construction project and painted the wooden pillars with pink paint under the blasting sun. It was just such a great time that I could totally recall every single moment.
Indeed, the scope of the volunteering programs held in Fiji goes far beyond merely community service. We served the community, but we also had a ton of fun doing it. The program leaders always kept us busy having fun with all sorts of activities after dinner. We had karaoke, bonfire, dances, and so much more.
Since then, I fell in love with community service, truly.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

If I could do this program all over again, with the same group of people, I absolutely would try to talk to as many peers and program leaders as possible. They are all very very nice people whom I desperately wish to have a deeper relationship with.

My Rustic Pathways trip showed me a new way to look at the world. As the trip progressed, each day I started to put more and more into the tasks at hand. I realized how satisfying my hard work can be. Through the trip, I learned that even a little work on a project is a start in making a large difference. Although my trip was only 10 days, my perspective of volunteering changed. I was pleasantly surprised by the other teens’ commitment to our work helping the environment. My Rustic Pathways experience changed the way I view my carbon footprint and it has pushed me to make myself a better person and citizen of the world.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

As you head into this trip keep an open mind. You are going to see another culture and many new parts of nature. If you are open to trying new things, you will come out with so much more from your experience. So use this chance to meet new people while learning about yourself and what you are capable of. If an opportunity on the trip is offered, say “yes”. You might be nervous, but quickly your perspective will change and you’ll have the best time. With a willing, excited and open mindset, you can come out of the trip with so much more than you started with.

My rustic experience was life-changing. I spent 18 in rural thailand, the first half of my trip I spent in a small village in Mae Sariang and then we went to an elephant sanctuary for the second half. It was so incredible to see different ways of life and be able to help out in places of need. When I came home from this trip, I immediately felt like a different person. I have become so much more aware of the world and how important it is to be thankful for everything you are given. It is an incredible opportunity to be able to visit and help out people in different countries in need. My perspective on life has developed substantially and Rustic Pathways can take full responsibility for that. I would most definitely recommend this program or any rustic program.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

Definitely bugs! One night our leaders put a bunch of plates in front of us and offered us a taste of normal foods in that region

My trip to Fiji with Rustic Pathways was absolutely amazing! I couldn't have asked for a better experience in my life. When I first thought about going overseas to Fiji, I was very nervous about flying and going to a country where I knew no one. However, when I met my Rustic staff at the airport, I felt like I was in the best hands. I always felt safe and never worried about not being safe. When I arrived, it was the most welcoming experience I could have ever imagined. Being far away from home made me feel nervous, but the Rustic staff made me feel at home. One thing I take away from my trip to Fiji is that I never had a bad memory or experience. I made life-long memories with life-long friends. I am so proud of myself for taking this huge step and will never regret it!

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

Personally, I HAD a terrifying fear of the ocean, but that changed due to the confidence and courage that I had built up in Fiji because of the people I was surrounded by.

8.71 •21 reviews

One theme each of our United States programs shares is the idea of...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because one of my closest friends went through the same program and told me about her experience. It sounded amazing and thoughtful and it interested me to learn more about opportunities to provide service abroad.

I love giving back to the community whenever I can and I love traveling. Being able to experience this program was a dream come true for me and I learned a lot about myself. It is something I still look back on to this day and reflect on.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My provider assisted me with planning and organizing the trip from start to finish. We were made sure that there would be someone to accompany us every leg of the journey; every airport, every city, every car ride. The program also provided the agenda for what we would be doing every day. I had to organize my own luggage and passport but not too much to worry about.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I'd love to give someone is to go in with an open mind. Know that it will not be like anything you've ever experienced before but in a good way. You will learn a lot about yourself, your surroundings, and your community. It taught me not just the value of service, but also the value of quality time and quality people.

Ever since the program, I actively reflect and still keep in touch with people I met on the program because it gave me such a strong comradery between the others in the program.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day looks like waking up, eating breakfast with everyone and talking about the agenda for the rest of the day. This may include eating breakfast, and then discussing what happened yesterday, what you learned yesterday, and then we will discuss what service project we will be doing today and what else to look forward to.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was probably the language barrier.

I did not know any Thai and I still don't know a lot, but rest assured: the program leaders made sure we had a pocket of useful phrases kept on our body at all times and even helped us translate when needed. It ended up not being a big deal because most of the time they would communicate for us and we can focus on providing service and enjoying ourselves.

What's your favorite memory from the program?

I think my favorite memory would be the day of arrival.

My group just spent over 16 hours flying, layovers and flying again nonstop. When we finally arrived at the base house, it was already late into the evening in Thailand and not only that, we were pretty jetlagged. It was a long and exhausting journey, but nothing will compare to the joy of arriving there, suddenly curing all fatigue and exhaustion due to the adrenaline of pure excitement for what was to come.

2018 Alum

Aidan Sullivan

2018 Alum

Alice Markey

2018 Alum

Tenny Miller

2018 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I think one of the largest benefits of travel is simply just seeing and learning about cultures and backgrounds different from the one that you grew up with at home. It has allowed me to consider different points of view, put myself in other people's shoes, and overall has made me a more compassionate person.

It's really exciting to be a part of that opportunity for growth with other students because having knowledge and empathy for people in different communities other than your own ultimately leads to a stronger global community where we all want the best for one another.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

There was a girl who traveled with us in India and then later went on to win a design contest for Tom's shoes where students could create and submit an idea for the company.

Her inspiration came from the time that she spent on a Rustic Pathways program in Northern India and the colors and patterns she saw in the country. I love this story because there are some really easy ways to see how travel can shape students and expand their world-view, but it reminds me that travel opportunities can inspire and ignite our students in smaller, more subtle ways as well.

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If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I have a personal affinity for our Panda Conservation project in China because I've spent so much time developing educational content for the program.

Students are just able to learn how researchers manage captive species as well as how much work goes into the field of conservation, and we work at a center that has 20% of all pandas in captivity in the world. It's just a very unique opportunity to work on a project that you wouldn't be able to do on your own in personal travels later in life.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I think the thing that makes Rustic Pathways stand out is our long-term commitment to sustainable growth in the countries and communities that we work in.

We have full-time staff year-round in the countries where we operate that allow us to more easily control our safety policies as an organization, but also be a part of year-long planning with the communities where we work setting up volunteer projects and continuing to make sure that former projects keep their momentum after our students leave their program.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think one of the biggest factors to being in a successful organization is being able to adapt and make changes when necessary.

Being flexible also allows us to work with a wide variety of students from a wide variety of backgrounds so that our trips on the ground fulfill the goals of individuals that may have different passions. Adaptability also allows us to innovate and create new programs that fulfill program wishes for our future students with new and exciting content!

The world of international development is always changing and it allows us to be able to work with communities in an ever-changing environment of what is most beneficial to those communities.