Program Reviews

My trip to Thailand was extremely meaningful, and despite how corny this seems- it truly was life changing. In two short weeks in Thailand, the relationships I made were with people I would call my best friends, and even family. We disconnected from technology, and that combined with how fun and beneficial the trip was, and the study of Buddhism- I returned home a truly different person. Service anywhere can be very gratifying, but to work with children and have the instant satisfaction is a feeling unlike no other. Except working for elephants- this was truly magical to work with these majestic animals. To learn about our impact on the earth to and how we can help conserve and protect is truly something I couldn’t learn anywhere else. The service, fun, friends and learning all combined could not have taken place in anywhere better than Thailand and have as rewarding of an impact.

This past summer I went on the trip of a lifetime to Northern Thailand. I had been eyeing this trip for 2 years, but my parents wouldn't let me go because of their concerns about safety. They weren't comfortable with me going alone to the other side of the world, with a group of people I had never met before. Although this intimidated me, I'd been eager to travel somewhere farther and more unique than anywhere I'd ever been. My parents eventually decided to let me go on this trip with my older sister, and tears of joy came when they surprised me with the trip! We began our travel journey of 35 hours and halfway through I began to wonder if I had picked the right trip or if I was stepping way too far outside of my comfort zone. I didn't know any of the people in the airport and everyone was very anxious about their next 3 weeks traveling. After a very very long day of traveling, we arrived late at night at the base house where I would be staying for the next week. Everyone was very apprehensive and nervous when we arrived, but after a good night sleep, we began "orientation" the next morning. By learning everyone's names and walking around to meet the staff, I knew my next couple of weeks would be incredible! The friendlyness of the staff made the homesick feelings go away almost immediately. Over the next 2 weeks in Thailand, I had the best time of my life. I met people that I would've never thought I'd be friends with and made friends that I am still very close with 3 months later, and I know they will be life long friends. The service experience we did there was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it gave me a new look into how other people live outside of the bubble that I live in at home. This brought me new and important experiences, and teaching english was so humbling to do to children who need to learn it in order to get a job to feed their families in Thailand. Everything we did over the weeks I was in Thailand made a huge impact on how I view the world and how I see different situations. I would not trade this experience for the world, it made such an impact in my life. The friendships, people, and experiences I had on this trip will continue to shine through my actions in my daily life and I will never forget them. If you are apprehensive of going on a trip through Rustic PAthways, don't be! I felt completely safe the entire time and the whole trip was wonderfully put together. If you get the chance, definately go through Rustic Pathways, as they made my experience in Thailand absolutely unforgettable.

On this trip I dove deep into the belief system surrounding Islamic faith and the Arabic language. In Morocco I was able to explore the roots of stereotypes to promote peace and build empathy by engaging with Muslims in Morocco. I traveled across Morocco for 16 days to twelve different cities and the Sahara Dessert with ten other students and a professional photographer and was able to develop a portfolio that captures the diversity of the beautiful country and learn new skills to develop as a better photographer. I created a documentary series focused on changing the negative perspectives the world has towards Islam through positive engagement and understanding cultural and religious differences while emphasizing the peace and wonder of the community. I had the absolute best time and I could not recommend Rustic more! After going on two trips with this program it has shown me how amazing the world is and how I can create my own impact on the world through experiencing new cultures and new places.

This was my favorite Rustic Pathways trip I have been on. I love the other trips I went on but they were nothing like Maji Safi. This trip had the best leaders and local staff that were so supportive and knowledgeable. My favorite parts of the trip are almost too hard to choose from but when I look back on the trip I would choose the community service. Whenever we did service work the whole group loved it and everyone was so involved. The hours would always pass by so quickly too because we would always be talking to each other and laughing. Another one of my favorite parts is when we would have dinner we would all sit at this one long big table and it would be like a huge family meal. Then after everyone would hang out together before bed. At the end of the trip, we were one big family.

As a first time traveler to Asia, I had few expectations but an adventurous spirit as I took off for my trip around the world to Laos. Looking back, I am so unbelievably glad that I chose this trip. Not only did I build some of the greatest friendships that I've ever had, but I got to experience a culture that is completely different from my own (participating in cultural ceremonies/rituals, eating traditional foods, visiting temples, supporting local businesses, etc.) and provide service for people who truly deserved it. When working to build a fence around a school in a village, local children were always hanging around, being friendly, and offering to help. This was consistent throughout the whole trip with every local person we encountered; the atmosphere was always so welcoming of foreigners. There are countless amazing things about my experience on this trip of a lifetime!

I went on the Intro to Community Service trip in Costa Rica and it has made such an impact on my life. What made this experience truly unique was the people I met. Whether they were fellow student, staff, or local, they all made me feel so welcome. I was able to connect with so many people and learn so much from them. If you want to make a difference in not only your life, but the life of others then definitely travel with Rustic Pathways.

In 2017 I traveled with Rustic Pathways to Costa Rica where I surfed and learned what the true meaning of community service is. After a few card games and friendship bracelets, we became a family to take on the waves and building sidewalks together.

Being a new surfer I was nervous as I looked out into massive waves. Soon this fear went away as the leaders taught us how to surf and we started off at the small waves. The group was the perfect mix of half of us being first-time surfers and the other half being experienced. On the last day, everyone could paddle far out and surf the amazing waves.

We also learned how community service is not about "helping or saving" people that have less than us, rather it is about supporting communities. We build sidewalks and ramps in a school because there was a new law that required them. Rustic Pathways asked the community how we could support them the most and building ramps was the answer. In past years there this program has build houses and ect.

Whale watching and white water rafting were amazing days! We saw so many whales and all got to hang out on the beach together. On the 2nd to last day where we went white water rafting, we all made nicknames and had a great time going over rapids, jumping off rocks and swimming in huge waterfalls!

The food is awesome, I loved trying new fruits! The coconut water is the best thing ever!! The base house is also awesome as it was very clean and we could walk to community service and say Pura Vida to EVERYONE who we crossed paths with. This program is perfect for anyone who is a first-time traveler! (or experienced)

I went on this trip because I received a magazine in the mail about a similar travel organization, I looked more into student travel and I came across Rustic Pathways, everything about Rustic Pathways was so great, the website was so easy to use, the people who work there were so beyond helpful and sweet, and the programs all look so incredible. I finally chose the program that stuck out to me the most! I was so excited and I couldn't wait for the trip, I was also extremely nervous as well. I had no prior experience with being away from my family for that long so I was not sure how it would go. When time came to get ready for the trip, the packing lists were so helpful, everything you need is on it and when they say don't over pack, I wish I listened to that more because I re-wore clothes and we were constantly buying souvenirs and elephant pants so I had so many clothes at the end of the program. I would recomend bringing an extra bag though for souvenirs and other things because it will be very helpful at the end when your packing. Anyway when I first arrived at the airport it was very organized and it was really easy to meet new people, especially when we were waiting for our bags to get checked, it was so easy to start conversations with people! This boosted my confidence and it made the long travel, layovers and flights much better. When we arrived, I was nervous at first about being away from home, and started questioning myself asking if i had chosen the right program, shortly after we arrived at the base house though I had the opportunity to meet some of the local staff, program leaders and other students who were so sweet and really great in making others feel comfortable. Whenever I felt anxious the program leaders were there for me and really helpful in making me feel better. Once the service trips had started, all of my worries had washed away, I had so much fun in the markets buying food, teaching the kids English and swimming lessons, and helping to build the house and playground! The service trips are split into smaller groups so I was able to meet some really awesome people and get close to them fast, I honestly had such a blast on the service projects and it was so rewarding to know that you were helping to make someones life better! Each and everyday after that I had so much fun, learned so much, and meet such amazing people who I got so close with. Every activity we did I learned something new about the Thai culture and we got to see such beautiful parts of Thailand wherever we went. Words can not describe how incredible this trip was, it truly was life changing! Going to the "land of smiles" made me smile every second I was there. We had so many opportunities and I was grateful for every second. I loved how the program also ensured that we had rest time, side trips, and other fun excursions alongside the incredible service projects. The side trip to Laos was so much fun and such a great opportunity to get closer to the other students on the program. Each second was such a fun adventure filled with breathtaking sights! The hard work that we did whenever we went on a service project was so amazing and rewarding, I had never sweated so much and loved every second of it before! I learned how to build a house, teach kids to swim, make thai curry, and so much more with those projects, I also got to learn Muay Thai boxing, meet monks, go to a thai waterpark, save and release turtles into the pond at Ricefields, get massages, visit a cave and China Town. There were so many activities, places we saw and things we did that there are too many to mention! When it was time to leave I was actually heartbroken, I could not believe how much fun I had and how close I had gotten with people I did not know at all in 2 and half weeks. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone especially the incredible staff! I got so close to the local staff, program leaders and other students and I still talk to them everyday even after leaving the trip! To sum this experience up, it was truly life changing, I came back with a sense of how other people in this world live, I thought it was so incredible how people with so little can be so grateful and happy with what they have, which made me happier and grateful for everything that I have! I truly am so grateful i faced my fears and decided to travel with Rustic Pathways because it has open the doors up to new possibilities in my life and I now know that I want to travel the world and work for Rustic Pathways when I am older. If you are questioning whether or not you should go on this trip for any reason, the advice I give you is DO IT! Considering I only went on one trip with rustic as of now, and I loved every second of it, imagine how amazing it would be for someone to start when they're even younger than I am and travel to even more places and see the incredible world we live in! I wish I discovered Rustic sooner because I only have one more summer left before I graduate and I hope that next summer will be as amazing as this summer was and I already Know it will be!! I hope you decide to change your life and do a rustic pathways program because if you don't I'm telling you, you'll regret that decision for the rest of your life!

Over the past two summers, I have been going on Rustic programs, and it has completely changed my life. Rustic has taught me how to be myself and be comfortable in situations that I would not have willingly put myself in before. Two years ago, I did a photography program in India with Rustic, and I made great friends and had an amazing time. I was able to step out of my comfort zone, because as I am generally a very quiet person, I was able to be myself around my friends. I never thought that I would be the type of person that would travel the world in a setting like this, but pushing myself to do it was a great idea. While in India, I got to learn about other cultures. I remember how much I learned about Buddhism that I found so interesting. The highlight of the trip by far was when we got to see the Dalai Lama on his birthday at a celebration. We also got to stay with a semi-nomadic tribe, where we learned about their way of life. When I returned from the trip, everyone could see that it had changed me.
This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania and participate in the African Wildlife Conservation trip. When the trip began, I did not expect myself to be as interested in the topic as I was. It was a Critical Issues Program, where we studied the topic of wildlife conservation, specifically chimpanzees. We worked alongside the Jane Goodall Institue to study chimpanzees and learn how our actions have made them endangered. We worked to plant trees in order to create a habitat where chimpanzees could pass through to get to other populations of chimps. Our service in the area culminated in a trip to Gombe National Park, where Jane Goodall conducted her research. We went on a hunt to find the chimpanzees, which resulted in a long hike, but once we saw the them, it was worth it. We also got to go on a safari, where I saw all of my favorite animals! (Besides chimps)
My trips with Rustic Pathways were the best experiences of my life. They taught me so much and I am beyond grateful for having the opportunity to go on these programs.

Before the trip, I was excited, yet frankly very nervous. I had never traveled out of the country without my family and was scared of a culture shock. But what I expierenced in Fiji was nothing what I could’ve ever imagined. My outlook has changed immensely from my trip; experiencing new culture and seeing how one thing may seem tiny but made an enormous positive impact put everything in perspective. We often take many things for granted, like running water, restrooms, and even shelter. But, after helping to build compostable toilets I was able to see how much change one person can make. I know it may seem far fetched or dramatic, it really isn’t. Once you take a trip to an amazing and welcoming culture, like Fiji, your eyes will he opened. It wasn’t just service, but even the service was fun and very rewarding. We were able to go island hoping and even to the highlands, which is the “real” Fiji; most people just think of beaches or resorts and look past the locals lives in the villages in the mountains. We took a caravan to our home stay, where we were instantly accepted. The people are just the nicest and friendliest people you’ll ever meet, there’s no words to explain how at home you’ll feel in just a few short weeks. I loved my trip and would do it again in a heart beat.