Program Reviews

I definitely recommend this trip. It was impactful, fun, and interesting. There was a good balance between service, learning, and fun. The other students were approachable and caring, as were our group leaders. The community service was rewarding yet enjoyable. I always felt safe and we always stick together as a group. The food was really good and our leaders ensured that there was always water available. The base house was also great.

Overall, this is a great program. The communication with parents throughout the trip was ideal. My largest complaint is in terms of the packing list. Jeans were much more useful than long shorts, so I would recommend bringing another pair. The accommodations were great, but a lot of time was spent traveling to and from service. The food was amazing, and the staff was always willing to adjust in order to accommodate all students.

I just recently got back from my trip to Laos on the Sticky Rice Service Adventure. It was truly one of the best times of my entire life. Everything about this trip was well planned and authentic. My leaders made sure we were safe but still gave us freedom to have fun. The Lao people are some of the kindest, most friendly people you will ever meet, and this trip gave me and my group personal interactions with locals. This trip is special because you get the feeling of being a part of a village, but you still get to move around and venture outside of the village to other cities. Also, what is great is that you get to do two completely different service projects during the trip. One is in the village, building and doing more hands on things, and then you move to Luang Prabang where you are able to help Lao people with their english, and work in a school. This trip was life changing, and I will never forget my amazing memories in Laos. Go on this trip!!!

I loved my trip and it was very fulfilling. The leaders were great. We did service that felt meaningful and made an impact onto other people. I made great friends with everyone i roomed with and local people and kids. The service was very personal and we were given opportunities to explore the country in ways many people are not. We grew close with the culture and the people living in it. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

I was enrolled in the Mountain Air Village Service program. Overall the program was very enjoyable. I found the leaders to be very engaging and I enjoyed some very nice conversations with them. The volunteer work we did was hard work but the accomplishments felt tangible, since we finished the aqueduct the groups before us had also been working on. Seeing the water going through the entire thing and the reactions of the people who now had clean water was priceless and heartwarming. This trip was also great for meeting new people and it was really cool to meet people from all around the US and even a few from outside the US and just to connect with them. Overall this trip was very enjoyable and i’d reccomend it to anyone who is looking for an experience like this.

My 15 year old son went with Rustic Pathways on his first trip alone. We were looking for something easy to get to for a few weeks for his first adventure.
He had an amazing time! It seemed well organized and they had a nice balance between Service and other experiences in the community. I like the fact that the kids had to put away their electronics for the majority trip. I still had to get over having minimal contact, however.
At first my son didn’t feel comfortable speaking Spanish but by the end of the trip he felt more confident and was speaking Spanish to the locals. I really think that the work that they did, building an aqueduct felt meaningful to the kids and the locals.
There were many more girls than boys on this particular trip to the Dominican republic. By all reports, the trip was great! I only wish it was a little longer since he enjoyed it so much.

I have never experienced a country to this depth before. Instead of being told about their culture through guided tours and pamphlets like I had grown so accustomed to, we were able to experience traditions and customs firsthand. We grew so close to the locals and, as a result, we were able to learn so much in such a natural and seamless way. Rustic Pathways has taught me so much, not only about the beautiful country that is Fiji but about myself as well.

This was truely a life changing experience and it is perfect for someone intreated in clean water issues and health related issues. The trip had a lot of educational oppurtunities and fun activity as well. It was a balance of fun and service. We built arbolu toilets and visited a lot of schools in the village and also had fun while going on a safari and shopping. The program is located in 2 places: Shirati and Arusha. Shirati is a rural village and arusha is a city and I like that you get to see both sides to Tanzania. The program is a great way to meet people with common intrests.

I found this program to be super fun in all aspects. The people were great-- on my trip and in the towns of Costa Rica themselves. Everybody was really nice. Whether we were on the van, or at a restaurant, I always felt like I could have a great time with whoever I was with. I would definitely consider going back in the next few years. I will definitely stay in touch with the friends I made on this trip.

This program was truly life changing. I have only been out of the country twice before, and I was very nervous to not only travel to another country, but to do it with a program where I didn't know anyone. As soon as I got to the airport the staff was very welcoming and I found that it was easy to sit down and make friends. My time in Tanzania felt impactful and was really fun. I was lucky that I was in a group that bonded quickly and got really close throughout the program. Whenever we did service, we worked hard but also had fun. My favorite memory was visiting a special needs school and getting to play with the kids. I really enjoyed this program and would definitely recommend it.