Program Reviews

While volunteering at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center, I had the opportunity to engage directly with wildlife while learning about local conservation efforts. I felt so connected to the animals. I was so grateful to feel so trusted by the members of the staff, to have such independence, and to feel empowered to take risks. I bathed the elephant I was paired with every morning and afternoon, stepping out of my comfort zone as I plunged deep into the water. I formed such a close relationship with my elephant as well as the mahout—the man who has dedicated his life to taking care of that one elephant. I am so appreciative to Rustic for giving me this experience in high school. I also had the privilege of being with a group of students who have become lifelong friends. We share such meaningful memories and we are always in touch. Every year, we travel on a new Rustic trip together, exploring new horizons.

This summer I went to the Dominican Republic with Rustic Pathways on the marine life and coastal restoration program. I was very impacted by this experience working with a community in need (Bayahibe). The people of Bayahibe and those from Fundemar showed me different ways to reduce my carbon footprint by eating less meat, reducing my plastic consumption, and using public transportation. I really enjoyed doing beach cleanups because I could see the progress my group made each and every day. We were also able to participate in kid camps where we interacted with different age groups of kids. It brought me great joy when a young boy asked me to make him a paper airplane and he spent the day throwing and watching how far the plane would go. It was really fulfilling to see a big smile on a kids face knowing that you impacted their life.

As a rustic pathways alumnae, I was looking for a program that would challenge me more than my previous programs have. When searching for one, Off The Map Cambodia seemed the perfect fit. The website promised a service trip that would be full of adventure and impacting service activities. The program definitely met what expectations I had for my trip. I had an amazing experience that challenged me socially, intellectually, and physically. As always, I made some friends that I became closer with in three weeks than some of my best friends back home. The leaders were supportive, and the service experiences were amazing and inspiring. Whether we were in the village, at the elephant sanctuary, or in the floating village, both the local and american leaders supported all students through both emotional and physical struggles. Over all this was an amazing trip and I would recommend it to any student who is looking for a trip that will help them grow into a more confident leader and have the experience of a life time.

I went on my second Rustic Trip this past summer to Fiji and it was as amazing as the first. I met a lot of people from all over the United States in my group and was able to make new friends. I really liked the Rustic leaders especially since they were so kind and caring and made all the projects very fun. The food was really good with a lot of options and there was also a snack shack with all sales going to the Rustic Pathways foundation!! I also especially liked how there were many days for volunteer service as well as spending the day in town. There’s also an option for a day activity such as skydiving or island hopping and the last weekend of the two week trip has a option for a weekend getaway. I chose to go skydiving and it was the most exhilarating moment of my life.

My experience with Rustic Pathways was unique and will never be replicated. Rustic Pathways impacted me on how I view the world and others from different cultures and cities. Being able to accomplish two things in one sitting is very effective. With Rustic Pathways, you get to travel as well as help out others in different communities that aren’t as fortunate. Costa Rica itself holds a huge spot in my heart because I was overwhelmed with happiness every moment I was there. If you chose to go on a service trip to Costa Rica with Rustic, you should expect a lot of fun activities, bonding with new people from all over the world, and lots of smiles on people’s faces. My favorite part of this trip was being able to see the gratitude expressed by the Costa Rican’s after seeing all the help we provided during our community service. I would extremely recommend ANY of Rustic’s trips if you want to travel, help others, and have fun!

It’s going to be difficult to sum up this incredible and unique experience, but hopefully I can do it justice. I went to Costa Rica on the Summer Camp Leadership program and was given the opportunity to run an authentic camp for Costa Rican children. The connections I made with even the youngest of the group were so valuable, even with a language barrier between us. In a sense, we were able to find common ground because we didn’t quite understand each other, and that brought the counselors and campers all the more closer. I benefited so much from this trip by truly experiencing what life is like for so many people in the world. My outlook on life as a whole is much deeper, and I felt a greater sense of self immediately after returning home. I grew confidence and leadership that will stick with me forever, just like the beautiful memories from the program altogether.

My life was changed by Rustic Pathways. I met people that live life in a completely different way. I changed my values and have looked at my daily life with different perspectives. I learned about new cultures and gathered different ideas. I made connections with people across borders and developed deep friendships that I will carry throughout my life. I loved how it took me out of my daily life and immersed me in an educational environment. I made a connection through true friendliness and compassion. I have traveled to many places around the world, but Fiji brought me to tears because I made connections I have never made before. While in the highlands, I met some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. I stayed with a family that immediately called me one of their own. They were always smiling and happy to adapt their culture to make us more comfortable, even though we were in their village. In the house I was assigned to, I paticularly bonded with the 2-year-old living there. He would fall flat on his face and cry. But whenever I said "it's gonna be okay" and smiled at him, he smiled right back and would call me "yalewa" (sister in Fijian). It still makes me smile. Even though we didn't speak the same language, we made an immediate connection that I will never forget.

I was a little bit hesitant in the beginning coming on this trip knowing no one, but after getting to the airport and meeting everyone going on the same program as me, I knew I would have a good time. This program was educational and fun. I had a great time and I hope to go back for more years to come. I made some great friends that I hope to keep for a long time and the service I did here had a great impact on me. The food was phenomenal, having a home cooked meal basically everyday 3 times a day was great. All of the hiking and swimming we did was super fun and the service we did really helped out the people in the communities that needed it. We also learned about many different things and about the culture. This has by far been my favorite trip that I have ever been on and I highly recommend it to anyone that is thinking about it.

A unique aspect of my Rustic Pathways trip over the summer of 2019 was not just meeting teenagers from across the United States, but in other places such as Vietnam and Hong Kong. I was very glad to meet two people that were from outside of the US because on my previous Rustic trip, everyone was from the States. It’s not often that you get to meet some really cool people from across the world. As the program progressed day by day, I learned about the Vietnamese and Hong Kong cultures and what their lives were like back at home. These topics lead to lengthy and intriguing conversations. So all in all, I was learning about the Hawaiians, the Vietnamese, and the people from Hong Kong, all at once! Establishing friendships and connections around the world, whether that be Texas, Chicago, New York, California, or Vietnam, etc. can be beneficial to have in the future.

If someone is considering this program, they should keep in mind that it did rain just about every day in Hawaii. However, it depends what areas of the island you’re on and at what elevation. For example, within the lower level elevation areas by the beaches, it was always hot and sunny, but up in the mountains where the base house was and where we camped, there were frequent yet light rain showers. That didn’t keep our spirits down, it’s just something to keep in mind.

I will always choose Rustic for my travels as a highschool student, thats why for the past 3 years I have chosen to spend my summers with them. I chose this trip super last minute and I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I was pleasantly surprised by the activities and Rustic always outdoes themselves with a great combo of service of fun. The zoo was very organized but kind of inconsistent. They would split us into groups and some groups didn't get to experience things that others did. There was a lot of downtime on this trip at the zoo and after because once you are done with the zoo for the day, they don't really have anything else planned. The accommodations were probably the best I have experienced with rustic in comparison to Fiji and Costa Rica. We stayed at a nice house and super nice hostiles. The food was great because most of the time we cooked and could recommend dishes or places to eat to our program leaders. I highly recommend this trip for animal lovers!