Program Reviews

This was a unique experience because we stayed at a base house but I also had the opportunity to travel to Laos. This service-oriented trip was a truly culturally immersive experience. Throughout the two weeks we did service in the morning and the afternoon but in the night we went and explored all different parts of Udon Thani, for example, the night markets. The service for this trip was amazing! My personal favorite was teaching English and teaching swimming lessons because I truly love working with children. We also built a playground and a home. All of these experiences are incredibly rewarding and sparked a passion for service but also having some of the comforts of home like showers and electricity. But this service impression was amazing from activities that are not service and the food, and of course the service it was a trip that left me itching to do more traveling.

I could not have been happier with my trip to Fiji, the food was amazing and the service was rewarding. The trip was a truly aversive experience and is meant for anybody that wants to learn about Fiji and experience "the real Fiji". I believe that doing the homestay was the best way to understand and learn about a community and gives you an up-close view into the way that people live outside of the united states. This trip has left me wanting to make more change in the future because of the connection I made with the community. I would tell anyone that wants to take a service trip to take on this adventure because of the endless memories that you make and the rewarding experience during the homestay and during service well living in the village.

I was really on the fence about doing this service trip because I would have to go alone, but it ended up being the best experience of my life. The Intro to Community Service program in Costa Rica was perfect for me because it enabled me to try a lot of new things. With this program, we had three days of community service, a bunch of fun activities (zip lining, white water rafting, swimming in hot springs, and more), and multiple close interactions with the community. Although I originally wanted to travel with a friend, I highly recommend traveling alone because you interact with people in a more meaningful way. The Rustic leaders in my group were amazing (shoutout to Alyssa, Raleigh, Katie, Lyndsay, and Oscar!) and opened up my eyes to a lot about the world. Also, the food served at our base house was always delicious, and our base house was very nice. If you're having doubts about going on a Rustic trip, DEFINITELY do it because it will change your life in so many amazing ways.

This past summer I went to Thailand with Rustic Pathways. I had no idea what to expect before I arrived. Rustic did a really good job introducing us to the culture of Thailand and showing us how to act respectfully in this foreign place. My job was to teach children English for the first week that I was there. The experience I had in the school was one of the best things I have ever felt. I had made a connection with the students I taught, and their teachers trusted me to teach their students. We learned to communicate through the language barrier. After the first week, we went to Sappraiwan Elephant Sanctuary. I had the pleasure to feed, walk and bathe an elephant that I was paired with. I learned so much about a very unique species. The local staff at the Sanctuary did an amazing job at explaining how they rescued the animals, and how they had to care for them based on where they came from. I learned so much about elephants, it was crazy! It was a surreal feeling, to find myself caring for these magnificent creatures. Not to mention, the friendships I made while in Thailand for two weeks were so special. I still talk to the people I met, whether that be from the US or Thailand.

I took part in this program a couple of years ago, and it still is one of the best memories I have of my time in high school.

The program lasted two weeks, being a perfect combination of travel and hard volunteering work. The traveling part was absolutely stunning: Peru is an amazing country, and its people are amongst the most welcoming people I have ever met, always smiling and trying to make you feel at home. We had the opportunity to visit the city of Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Lake Titicaca and the city of Arequipa.

Our volunteering part of the program took place in locals' houses on the sides of the amazing Lake Titicaca. We were split into small groups (2-3 people), and each of these stayed for a week in the locals' houses, helping the community with their everyday activities, assisting them with the construction of modern-style toilets in the mornings, and teaching them english in the afternoon.
The warmth with which I have been welcomed in these guest houses is something I will never forget. They treated us as if we were part of their families, and I left the community feeling I received a lot more from them than what I gave them with my work.

During this experience I also made incredible friends with whom I'm still in touch, even though we live in the opposite sides of the earth!

The Spring to Fiji program had a great balance of tourism, community service, education, and activities while keeping absolutely every aspect of the trip fun and meaningful. The program leaders were charismatic, helpful, and funny; having them as guides made the trip way more enjoyable. There we about 18 kids on my trip who were divided into two groups with two program leaders each, everyone would do the same things just on a switching schedule. The Rustic Pathways value of inclusiveness made the group dynamic between students completely nonjudgemental and everyone was completely accepting and understanding. I made some of the best friends on that nine day trip because we all came into the situation of being away from familiar surroundings and let our guards down immediately which allowed for us to become very close to each other rather quickly. The other kids on my trip came from all around the world; learning from them about their different cultures, political outlooks, and general perspectives of life enriched the trip for me even further. Every night after all of our different day activities, our group of kids would all hang out together outside the dormitories to share stories and hang out, which was the best way to keep communication with the other half of the group. I went on the trip with the objective of obtaining the community service hours required for my school, without really caring about what kind of work we would be doing. The services we performed were cooking for a women's shelter and a children's home, and constructing a cement walkway to a bathroom in a nearby village. Giving community service always make me feel good about myself, but these services directly impacted people who never failed to show their gratitude. I have never felt a greater reward than the thanks that we got for the services provided in Fiji. The women at the women's shelter were gracious and interesting to talk to, while the kids at the women's shelter were a lot of fun to hang out with; we all played with spare tires, played rugby, and picked flowers to make flower crowns together. As we were leaving, all of the kids were giving us high fives, so in return we gave them our ball for rugby. The kids at the village where we were laying down cement were very sweet and showed us around their houses proudly, showing us the pigs, their bedrooms, and the various things that they liked to do to pass the time. Sharing the experience with them made the service feel more fulfilling since I knew that our work was going to help people that really needed and deserved it more than anything. We all learned a lot about Fijian culture while spending time in the villages and with the people at the women's shelter. Since our program leaders were familiar with the area, they were well informed on Fijian culture, integrating it into our daily routines. Upon arrival, we were all greeted with traditional songs and kava(a root mixed into a drink that is a traditional Fijian delicacy), classic local food, and the cutest dogs on the island! Being immersed in the culture made us all feel completely connected to our surroundings which allowed me to let this trip be a separate experience from anything else I have ever done. Leaving Fiji was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. On the last day of the trip, everyone was in a state of denial, not letting themselves accept that we were actually going to leave. I legitimately asked one of the girls who worked for Rustic Pathways if she could legally adopt me in order to keep me there for just a little bit longer. On the way to the airport we were all singing songs together while simultaneously bawling our eyes out. When we had to say our final goodbyes to our program leaders, I actually started to have a full on melt down and was on the verge of hyperventilating, it got to be so much airport security workers started to look at me weird. I got so attached to those wonderful people, that the thought that I might not ever see them again ripped my heart into a billion pieces. Saying goodbye to the other kids was no easier, with them living all over the world I don't know when I will ever see them again. Once I got home, it was hard to talk about the experience since I really wanted to keep it to myself and not let it be touched or tainted in any way. I have been able to keep in touch with everyone from the trip, even the program leaders, ever since. I would not have done one thing different regarding that entire experience, it is probably the only thing I have no regrets about. Spring to Fiji is definitely worth it.

I met people from all over the world, and this trip opened my eyes to new places and people. In addition to being in a new country, the people on my trip and program leaders expanded my knowledge of the world around me. It was a great 9 days. I loved the people I met and everyone was so welcoming and nice. The chef and cleaners were lovely local people and were so accommodating about my difficulties speaking Spanish and tried to help me. The food was also great! I wish laundry was free, but it’s okay because if you pack enough you won’t need to do it. BRING MULTIPLE TOWELS!!!! Things do not dry in Costa Rica!! I also saw many new animals and things I never see back home, like wild sloths, tucanes and monkeys. I also loved to try new foods- the pineapple in Costa Rica is incredible- and the staff at rustic pathways is very accommodating and understanding of everyone’s dietary restrictions and choices. One thing I was a bit annoyed with is that they list the trip as 9 days, but it’s only 7 because you leave very early in the day so it’s not even close to a full day in Costa Rica. Besides that, it was very fun! I also wish I had a little more independence- we were watched over like hawks! We’re teenagers! Let us have a little fun sometimes! Besides all of this, I would still consider it to be a great trip, and a once in a lifetime opportunity. Rustic is a great organization and I never felt unsafe or like it was sketchy. The staff was very nice and I loved everyone I met. Everyone was inspiring, and I got to practice my Spanish a lot. If you are in intro to Community service in Costa Rica- be ready to meet the best dog ever! Paco is the local dog there! He is the best. Despite it being a bit overpriced, I had a lot of fun and would recommend it

My experience with Rustic Pathways has created some of the most fond and influential memories of my life. Over the course of two weeks in Australia, I was introduced to different cultures, foods, people, music, etc. I broadened my horizons by going skydiving over Uluru, planting trees in the Daintree rainforest, and visiting the Sydney Opera house, just to name a few. The memories I made and people I met on this trip will be with me forever and have shaped me into the person I am today. I 100% recommend Rustic and you would be silly not to sign up!

This summer was the best summer of my life and I owe it all to Rustic Pathways. If I could give a higher rating than 10, I would.

First of all, I never would have considered going to Morocco, had I not traveled with Rustic Pathways in the past. After doing two prior trips, I realized I wanted to go somewhere that was unlike any place I would ever go. Morocco hit that on the nose.

From the first day at the quaint guesthouse in Sbiti, I knew I was in for an incredible journey. Doing service there opened up my eyes to a whole new world. It brought me the greatest amount of joy to see the smiles on the village kids' faces as we helped build them a new part of their school. From the casual high five to an elaborate handshake that they taught me, I will never forget them.

Next, we embarked on our journey to the Sahara, stopping at Ait-Ben-Haddou, the filming site of Gladiator. Though the journey took two days it was far beyond worth it. The Sahara is the coolest place I have ever been to! We were all jovial as we sat atop camels and admired the massive sand dunes all around us. We tried our hand at sandboarding, (which I was pretty good at) and stayed up talking and staring at the stars for hours. I cannot stress enough how amazing this place was and the whole time there I was just in awe.

From the Sahara, we made our way to Marrakech, but not without stopping in Dades and at Terres D'Amanar. The drive through Dades Gorge was breathtaking and I had an amazing time on the zip lines and ropes course at Terres D'Amanar. When we got to the Red City, I was immediately impressed by the bustling Jemaa El Fna Square. From the hundreds of vendors to the snake charmers it was such an exciting place to walk around. Our time in Marrakech was spent shopping in the medina, eating great food, and viewing the historical sites.

We finished the trip in the European feeling town of Essaouira. Here we had two super fun surfing lessons on a perfect beginner beach. We spent our final night buying gifts for each other for "Secret Tzatziki" and then ended with a super posh restaurant with great food and live music, the perfect ending.

The leaders were so knowledgeable and fun, yet safety was their number one priority.

Once again, this trip was the best trip of my life. The entire group became so close so quickly and we still talk every day, 3 months later. This program is an absolute must if you want lasting memories and friendships.

I went on my first rustic trip this summer. It was the best two weeks of my life. I met so many amazing people and was able to explore and see awesome parts of Costa Rica. I also completed Service on my trip. It would be impossible to get better program leaders. They were very approachable, fun, and just overall amazing. Even from the first day everyone was so kind and sweet. On my trip I’ve met some of them the most amazing people and I know that I will remember my rustic trip for the rest of my life. I could tell the service we did really did make a difference and I had so much fun doing it. I would recommend for anyone to go on a rustic trip! It is so much fun and an amazing experience!