Program Reviews

This trip was so amazing!! Spending a week with the elephants was a once and a life time opportunity and one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. The first week we stayed at the hill tribe base. We met all the children that lived there and got to talk with them about there lives. We also got to see the beautiful Thailand. We went to temples and on a bike ride around the town. We also went to the local school where we finished the side walk around the new classrooms. We got to talk to the principle and speak with him about his life and the school. It was all so amazing! The second week we were at the sappraiwan an elephant sanctuary. It was stunning there. Everyday they had a new activity for use and it was all so fun!! I defined recommend this program!

The South East Asian Adventurer Program was truly a surreal experience. Spending time in both Thailand and Laos, I zip-lined across waterfalls, went island hopping, got face to face with an elephant, and most importantly met the most incredible people. I didn't imagine the bonds I would form with my group-mates and leaders could be so strong. My group of 9 was extremely close, from singing and dancing on the bus, to telling stories around the fireplace we were always laughing and smiling together. All three leaders were wonderful. One was American, and the other two were local. In addition to just knowing the local language, they introduced us to new foods, taught us about the culture, and told amazing stories. They were always attentive and worried about our well-being. The trip was extremely well organized, and the accommodations were amazing. The one piece of advice I would give students is to not overpack! There are a lot of flights and traveling that take place throughout the program so I recommend packing lightly. I would never get to have the same experiences if I just traveled with my family. I could not recommend Rustic Pathways more highly.

This past summer I went to Thailand with Rustic Pathways. It was a a little bit more than a two week program which combined teaching children english at Thai schools while helping create a foundation for a new kindergarten, as well as an elephant conservation program. Rustic was really good about making our accommodations nice as possible. The food that our chef, Chris, made for us as well as the students and families who lived at the base house was amazingly good. I was able to try so many new foods, including insanely flavorful fruit such as rambutan and mangosteen. During the first week of the program I was able to create really good friendships with not only the students who came to Thailand with Rustic, but the Thai locals as well. I really liked getting to engage with some of the Thai students who were around me age because I was able to get an insight on how life is in different parts of the world. Getting to hear various stories about little parts of different people's lives and how they got involved with rustic were some of the best stories I've ever heard in my life. Then the second part of the trip began and I got to go spend all of my time with elephants. I absolutely loved getting to learn more about how intelligent they really are. Elephants are so emotionally motivated, and they remember who humans are. Knowing that I could make an impact on these creatures lives was very special to me, and it changed my life forever.

Rustic Pathways trips to Australia for high schoolers are very well put together and fun. There are many options for programs some including service opportunities. I went on the Aussie Surf and Service which was an 18-day trip that included 4 surf lessons, whale watching, shopping, and over 25 hours of community service. The program leaders were organized and kind, the housing was amazing, and the service was meaningful. This experience immersed me in Australian culture and introduced me to 6 other kids who are life-long friends. The ability to travel and tour an amazing country while also serving the international community is so unique and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do so. I would strongly recommend Rustic Pathways to high school students interested in traveling, meeting new people, and helping people around the world.

I had been looking at this trip for many years, it was always so intriguing to me as I have already, luckily, been able to explore many asian countries such as: Indonesia, Singapore, Mongolia, China etc. However, the prospect of being able to visit some of the most beautiful countries in Southeast Asia and the World in this case intrigued me greatly to this trip.
Backroads explores Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand, each country having its own quirks and qualities. On this trip we were able to truly experience some of the most rural villages where we were able to fully immerse ourselves into their culture. To me, it is greatly important that whilst in a new place, experiencing totally new things, my intentions are to experience every moment of every day to the absolute fullest, and this trip for sure allows you to do so.
Having visited Mongolia the year before (also with Rustic) I knew that to fully immerse myself I were to disconnect from my regular life as much as possible and this trip for sure allowed me to do so. There was always something to see or do, so I would highly recommend putting your phones down and just look and listen to what is going on around you because it is such a special experience.
Furthermore, on my trip we had the most amazing trip leaders, I will never forget how great they were. They allowed us to see and do as much as possible every day, as well as that, I have always found it interesting hearing about all the adventures my trip leaders have been on. This proves that you can honestly learn from every aspect of your Rustic Trip.
Overall, the trip was a once in a lifetime experience and something I will never forget. However, I did realise that the trip doesn't exist anymore, which is a shame, it was absolutely incredible.

My experience with Rustic this year was amazing. I was surrounded with some incredible people both Fijians and students. I cannot even put into words how incredible the culture is. Never in my life have I been surrounded by such pure happiness. Flying across the world is terrifying for some, but the kindness and hospitality you feel once you are there is incomparable. I made the choice to travel to the highlands during my stay. I had a mom and dad and siblings, and for the short period of time I was there I truly had a second family. The Fijians are some of the most pure hearted and loving people you will ever meet. They want nothing but the best for you. I highly recommend doing a service trip, there is something special in helping while there. You get to see a side of the world very few will ever get to see. Remember to say Bula (hello) to everyone and drinks lots of Kava!
Sari Goldberg (16) Chicago

When I heard that their were no hot water and that their was no air conditioning I thought I would not make it two days in. But I was wrong. I stayed their the whole time and when it was time to go I didn’t want to go. When they said the night walks were going to be 3 hrs long at would start at 12:00 I thought I was going to loose my mind. It turned out that like what I said in the second sentence of this review I was wrong about my reaction. I loved having those night walks and seeing the sea turtles making their nest and laying their eggs. On our second to last night walk we encountered a dead sea turtle with a fishing line and hook stuck in its throat. Because of that encounter I started a Conservation Club at my high school to prevent these endangered animals from going extinct.

My trip to Morocco with Rustic Pathways was amazing. Even for the nervous traveler, it was just over a week and your constantly doing things. The service was really impactful for me and lasted just a couple days. After the service you do lots of fun activities such as zip lining, riding camels, surfing, and more. I loved how the group size was pretty small because it allowed you to really bond with the whole group and make some great friends. The leaders were great too, they were supportive whenever needed and were just really fun people. Two of the leaders, being from Morocco were very knowledgeable about the culture and history so that was awesome. Overall, this trip had a large impact on my life, helping me build some solid life skills and I was able to better find myself as a person

I did this program because I would like to go into the medical field. This trip showed me the types of health facilities in the Dominican, and how people live and work. This program also helped me get my Wilderness First Aid Certificate. The class was very fun and informational. For a few days we mixed cement and built floors for multiple houses. We also finished working on a latrine. For two days we went to four different villages to weigh children and hand out vitamins to the village residents. For the final two days we went to the beach and hung out. The entire trip is one that I will never forget. I highly recommend this program for anyone wanting to go into the medical field and is not afraid to shovel lots of dirt and mix a lot of cement.

Moroccan wanderers with Rustic Pathways is an amazing experience. Even for the nervous traveler, it’s just over two weeks and your constantly doing things. The service aspect had a huge impact on me, and was definitely my favorite part. Everything after the service project was all fun, riding camels, zip lining, surfing, and more. I also loved that the group size is a little smaller because you really get to bond with the whole group and make some great friends. The leaders were great too, the were really supportive if needed, and just really fun people. Two of them being from Morocco, were very knowledgeable on the culture and history which was pretty awesome. Overall, this trip helped me build up some solid life skills and find myself more as a person in the world.