Program Reviews

Last week I drove over 2 hours to meet up with one of my friends that I met on this trip, we reflected on the memories that we would always hold on to and the new family we shared. Earlier that summer I traveled to Tanzania for a 2-week program that I would make some of the closest friends that I will ever have and where I would change the way I see the world. I learned more in these 2 weeks about what matters in the world and about my self than high school would ever teach me.

Beginning a Critical Issues program, this program attracts like-minded teenagers who want to make the world a better place. These genuine people inspire me to do big things. On the last few days, we all brainstormed different ways we could help solve the complex Global Water Crisis that cannot be fixed overnight or with one solution. They inspired me to start an Instagram page where I make and sell bracelets with all the profits going to Maji Safi, the group that we worked with. (@bangilli.for.water) I also plan to make a video called "Why Teenagers Should Care About the Global Water Crisis" and share it with my friends and family. As the speaker we listened to at Nano Fitter said "be a millionaire who helps millions", the leaders and my new best friends inspire me to change the world.

For never taking notes at school left with a notebook full of notes from all the speakers we listened to but I learned the most from experiences. Working with Maji Safi Group (http://www.majisafigroup.org) we helped build toilets to help with disease prevention. This taught me more about WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene). Also, we played with over 3 different school group kids with the Maji Safi Group to share our different cultures and share our knowledge on WASH. One of my favorite days was the homestay day where we could experience the daily life of someone in Shirati. The Safari was also amazing!!!

This was the BEST trip ever but If your not interested in supporting other people or the Global Water Crisis (or WASH) than I would suggest looking at other Rustic trips. I went on 2 other rustic trips that were also amazing but this one was personly my favorite. My parents were worried about safety (anytime I get into a car they get worried) but rustic knows what they are doing and my family and I felt completely safe the whole time.

I will hold on to these 2 weeks for the rest my life, as these 2 weeks honestly were life-changing. Go on this trip!! :)

If you have any questions or want to hear more about my trip please reach out!!
My email is mcgrathh19@kua.org or hannahmcgrath444@gmail.org :)

Last summer of 2017, I traveled to Costa Rica with Rustic for the first time ever. To say I was a bit nervous was an understatement, as I’ve never traveled alone. The minute I met my group at the airport I knew I was in the right place. The staff and travelers were so welcoming and everyone bonded so well together! My favorite thing about this program was the countless laughs I shared with my new life long friends, our endless rounds of card games during free time, and the incredible vibe the leaders gave off. I never once questioned my safety or security and the staff were always so willing to help anyone who was having trouble adjusting to the country. I loved zip lining, white water rafting, and swimming at the hot springs, but my service work was by far the most rewarding and eye opening. If you’re looking for a fun, yet rewarding program I highly recommend the Intro to Community Service in Costa Rica!

I enjoyed every second I spent on this trip.
As a French student, I feared that I would not be able to connect with people but I was completely wrong : the very first moment I met someone from the group, I felt like I was part of a family and at the end of the trip, I was friend with every single student on the trip.
The community service was absolutely awesome too : we got to bound between each other and with the members of the community, and we got a grasp of our impact and how we could help.
When I came back home, I had this indescriptible sentiment of having found myself.

My trip to Thailand is something that I will never forget. The Land of Smiles is truly that. The smiling Thai people are the most amazing, kind hearted and fun people I have ever met.

I have had the pleasure of traveling to many places in the world with my family but Rustic Pathways gave me the ability to see places and experience things my parents wouldn't have been able to find. It is a different kind of trip when you travel with Rustic. During my trip we traveled around to different cities. Some of my favorite experiences from this trip were riding on an elephant, swimming in a beautiful waterfall, seeing Muay Thai fighting, and staying in a treehouse. These experiences were unique to Rustic Pathways trips and helped to learn about the culture of Thailand.

The group leaders consisted of people native to Thailand and other leaders from around the world. The leaders were connecting with the kids like they were one of us. During car rides everyone would we talking, laughing, singing, and telling jokes and riddles.

My group and I became a super tight knit group and cried when we had to part ways at the end. I still talk to my group of kids and even making plans to hang out with them! I was lucky to have such an amazing experience with Rustic Pathways and can't wait for my next trip!

This summer I went on my first trip with Rustic Pathways and had an incredible experience. Before my trip I had never traveled alone before but I was pleasantly surprised with how safe I felt with Rustic's staff helping me at every step of the way. Once in Fiji, I bonded with so many amazing people I met on my trip. I was very nervous about the social aspect of the trip because I knew I was going to be one of the youngest people there. My nerves were quickly calmed once I met the people I would be spending the next 16 days with. The group leaders on my trip were so welcoming and fun. They were great at keeping everything organized and running smoothly while also having tons of fun. With the leaders and amazing organization I never once felt unsafe on my trip. The service part of the trip was so great. It was hard work but I loved every second of it because I was with awesome friends and I knew how helpful my work was. I strongly recommend traveling with Rustic Pathways and hope that everyone has and incredible time like I did!

This summer I went on my first trip with Rustic Pathways and had an incredible experience. Before my trip I had never traveled alone before but I was pleasantly surprised with how safe I felt with Rustic's staff helping me at every step of the way. Once in Fiji, I bonded with so many amazing people I met on my trip. I was very nervous about the social aspect of the trip because I knew I was going to be one of the youngest people there. My nerves were quickly calmed once I met the people I would be spending the next 16 days with. The group leaders on my trip were so welcoming and fun. They were great at keeping everything organized and running smoothly while also having tons of fun. With the leaders and amazing organization I never once felt unsafe on my trip. The service part of the trip was so great. It was hard work but I loved every second of it because I was with awesome friends and I knew how helpful my work was. I strongly recommend traveling with Rustic Pathways and hope that everyone has and incredible time like I did!

I had the most amazing time on my trip to Thailand this summer. We stayed at the Rustic Pathways Children’s Home, where students can stay if they don’t live close to good education. In Thailand, we spent time teaching English at local schools and workingg to build new classrooms. I think one of my favorite parts of the program was meeting my Thai buddy. Upon arrival, I got paired with a Thai student staying at the children’s home to talk to and show me around. We became friends quickly and still talk today. My experience in Thailand was incredible and I couldn’t recommend it more.

My trip in the Dominican provided me with the experience of a lifetime. I got to meet some lifetime friends while working with a local NGO called Fundemar, but also got my eyes opened up to the impact of climate change on our oceans. The programs allowed me to create valuable and close social connections with fellow program members; and the program leaders passion for this cause drove my heart towards this cause as well. Thank you Rustic for giving forever friends and an unforgettable experience.

My trip to Peru this summer was some of the best days of my life. My friend and I traveled to Peru for the first time and at first I was worried. My friend Lexi, has traveled with rustic before and this was my first time. As we landed from Toronto into Miami we were instantly greated by smiles and the kind airport staff that made both me and my parents less nervous about the upcoming travel. As my group and I landed in Peru, we were met by our program leaders who made the whole trip a great experiance. Every rustic staff that I had met during my experiance was kind, helpful and understanding. Throughout the whole trip the staff helped push us out of our comfort zones and helped to make the trip the best it could be. One of the things that I was most worried about the people, however the people that I have met have become some of my closest friends. As my group was small, we were able to become very close in the short amount of time which made it very hard to leave at the end of the trip. I am a picky eater and the food on the trip was not a challenge for me, where it most of the time is. Rustic made sure that the food provided had many options to choose from and the food always tasted great!! My rustic experiance this summer was by far the best travel experiance that I have had and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for adventure, service and new experiances.

My experience in Fiji was amazing, not only did I meet amazing people, but the country itself is beautiful. I truly do miss waking up to the sunsets and the quiet all around, where every local there is so full of life and happy to be there, which shows such a big contrast with the world I live in. The way of life was completely different there, however, I adapted quickly and realized that the little things in our life were nothing, because people here live in such a different way that it inspires us to change how we live and not be so focused on things that do not matter. Being in Fiji for three weeks really did inspire me, being disconnected and far away from home, I was able to look at life from a different, eye-opening perspective. Now that I have this new perspective, I feel like I can accomplish so much more.