Program Reviews

I chose this trip at random. From the pictures and short blurb on the Rustic Pathways website, Off the Map: Mongolia seemed like the greatest adventure, requiring the most adventurous spirit while providing the most rustic accommodations. I have no regrets. On my trip the seven other students I traveled with and our three leaders quickly became a family. We had fun living in the moment and seeing where our three week adventure would take us. This trip has been one of the most accurately, culturally immersive experiences I have engaged in as a student traveler. The homestays, while not what I had anticipated, were exciting. We lived in yurts--or traditional gers-- with the other members of our trip. These homes were set up by families who were willing to host the group as a whole, not the individual. We ate all of our meals together and spent all freetime bonding with the parents and their children, or the greater town population. If you are looking for a once in a lifetime trip and lifelong friendships, Off the Map: Mongolia is waiting for you.

Morocco, a unique country with an ancient history and a rich culture. I embarked on the Moroccan Wanderer program during the summer of 2019 through the Rustic Pathways program. This trip offers just about all you could possibly want when exploring and learning about a new country. On this trip we learn alot: the fundamentals of Islam, the history of Morocco, and the cultural climate within the country. Some valuable skills are learned as well through teaching the kids by developing our own lesson plan, along with the construction work done. These valuable parts of the trip are only half of it, the scenery and architecture in Morocco is incredible and extremely unique. This trip covers almost all climates of Morocco, as you travel from sub-saharan Africa to the windy coasts. The amenities throughout the trip were also excellent. We were served authentic Moroccan food throughout the duration of the trip, it was fantastic! Along with this the sleeping arrangements were always of a good standard while still keeping an authentic nature about them. I highly recommend this trip for anyone interested in learning about a new country, as you will be fully immersed in the culture and come away with a meaningful experience.

I traveled to Fiji with Rustic Pathways at the beginning of June 2019. This was my second time to travel with Rustic, the first being to Costa Rica on Intro to Community Service. Big Fiji was easily one of the best trips of my life. The opportunities that Rustic provides on trips would not be possible on an ordinary trip. Rustic also gives you the chance to meet people that you will never forget about. My favorite memories from both of my trips are not the big, high adrenaline moments, but more, the time spent with the amazing native people and my new friends that soon become family. The relationship you make with the Fijians is amazing and teaches you so much about yourself and the world around you. Also, the leaders are so supportive and high energy. Some of my favorite activities over the two weeks include: long van rides to different cities while listening to Fijian music on the radio, watching sunsets on different islands and in the highlands, hiking to the top of a mountain on SomoSomo to watch the sunrise, floating down the river in Fijian built boats and visiting a local village, visiting a local school and playing with the children, hiking the sand dunes, and playing volleyball with the locals in the Highlands.

My trip to Fiji was hands down the coolest thing I have done to date. All of the experiences were so special that I will remember the journey long into the future. Despite almost missing my connection in Bangkok when my plane got delayed, the entire trip was both relaxing and exciting. The first thing we did the day we got there was to go to the beach. The beach was beautiful, the sand was warm, and the waves were perfect. I did the Spring to Fiji trip, which is a mixture of service and adventure. In the mornings, we helped rebuild the house of a family who lost their home in a wildfire. We learned the ingenious method of dealing with rain, which was to make one side of the roof 6 cm higher than the other, allowing rainwater to run right off. In the afternoons, we did everything from cooking to ziplining and from going to the mud springs to kayaking. The people were fantastic and incredibly fun to be around, especially our counsellors, Emily and John, who were always so happy and excited that we could not help but be happy and excited too. I highly recommend this trip to anyone regardless of travel experience; the people at Rustic Pathways are so helpful and will make sure that nothing bad happens to you.

I traveled to the Dominican Republic with Rustic Pathways in June 2019. My time in the beautiful country is one I will always cherish. Before this fantastic trip to volunteer, I have never traveled without my family, so I was a little nervous. Though, the Rustic Pathways traveling team was with the other kids and me the whole time, which made me feel safe. When I arrived in the Dominican Republic, our group's lovely leaders met up with us. On our bus ride to the first place we were staying, they told us more about this country I would call home for the next week and a half. On my trip, I helped with the black water treatment system. This is a system that would help re-use water and clean it. Since freshwater is not found all over in the Dominican Republic, this system would be able to help out the community so much! Other places I volunteered during my duration in the Dominican Republic were helping at a local garden, cleaning a beach sadly ridden with trash, and my favorite, re loacting mangroves. Each time volunteering made me feel so good knowing that I was helping the people and the Earth as well. Rustic Pathways is very good at teaching kids on their programs about helping out whenever you can. Before my trip, I did volunteer around my community, but, after my journey, I have more than doubled how much I help out in my community. No matter where you live, there can always be places to go and help out the earth/community. I started my Rustic Pathways trip nervous of what would happen. I left with a new understanding of the world I live in, life, long friends, and memories that will always hold a dear place in my heart.

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to travel abroad through the Rustic Pathways "Service Off the Grid" program. Initially, I will admit I was very nervous. Will I make friends? What will the program leaders be like? 5 days without my phone?! Reflecting back on my trip, I must say that I got pretty lucky. I was able to bond with all of my peers and program leaders. To this day, my group continues to stay in touch! Cell phone separation anxiety was a real thing, but the lack of service brought my group and me closer together and forced us to bond with the community. I can't even begin to describe the kindness I was shown by the locals. Every meal, every dance party, every hike, etc, they took us in with open arms and showed us what it meant to live a happy life. Although the language barrier was difficult at times I was still able to make meaningful relationships with people of all ages, races, and economic classes on the island. 9 days in the Dominican Republic was not long enough! Every Rustic trip has something unique and special about it, but what you make of it is the defining factor. I know for a fact that all the program leaders and other staff at Rustic Pathways are working their hardest to guarantee that each traveler gets the best experience possible. My experience embodies the phrase, "A trip of a lifetime", and I would strongly encourage others to take advantage of the many opportunities Rustic Pathways has to offer.

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.