Program Reviews

This was an amazing experience and so unique and eye opening to the culture of this beautiful place. This program tours throughout all of the different parts of Japan and the Japanese culture. From the bustling streets of Tokyo to the quiet gardens of Kanazawa. The program leaders led us each with their different skills to help us make the most of this trip. We were able to learn so much about the different foods, cultures, activities and everything we need to know about Japanese life. From the amazing housing and train rides. Our program leaders made this an unforgettable experience.

All the planned activities were both exciting and educating in both traditional Japanese culture and practices along with more modern things such as pop culture. The group leaders were so special and impactful to the overall experience and community that was built within the group. Thank you for providing the space for this experience.

Words cannot explain how amazing this trip was. As an avid fan of Japanese culture and Japanese media, this trip was something I have been dreaming about for years. Not only did we experience city life in Tokyo, but we lived in a more smaller area to see what life was like beyond a huge city in Japan. In Tokyo, we ate amazing authentic food as well as shopped depending on the interests of people within the group. The adults with us were easily approachable and easily the most friendly people in the world. They’re willing to accommodate for the needs of others and are flexible with adjusting plans if needed based on the wants/needs of others. I can’t express how much this trip has not only changed me as a person, but has prepared me for life beyond school and given me a brand new mindset beyond what I considered to be the ‘norm’.

The experience I had here was one I will never forget. They always made us feel safe and welcome where ever we went. I will never forget this trip and i encourage anyone thinking of going or thinking of it for your kids i would 100% send them or yourself on this trip. If you want a trip to try new foods this is definitely one i would recommend for anyone thinking of someplace to get new clothes this is that place and anyone just wondering if this is the trip you should go on… It is!! Be adventurous and go to Japan!!!!

I’ve traveled with this company a few times before, and they never failed to create a supportive and intimate environment. They facilitate connection amongst the students on the trip, as well as ensure everyone feels included. This was the first time any students went on the program, and they were very open to feedback to create a better trip! I met people that I hope to keep in my life forever, and I’m sure many people will have similar experiences. Out of all the trips, this was the one that I made the strongest connections with, and I had such an amazing time being able to be on my own and experience a culture I’ve never been to before.

I had a great experience on this program. Halfway through me and a lot of the others were sick, I think because of the food. I think that more options could have been given to us when this happened, we kept eating at the base house which ended up being fine but it would have been nice to have other options. I also felt like the packing list wasn’t totally helpful. I think it should have mentioned that we should bring pants we are able to do service in. Also it had us bring tank tops but we were not able to wear them for doing service. I think that it should have mentioned somewhere that there will be a lot of downtime so to bring chill clothes for that because I mostly just brought ones for service. Also maybe 2 towels instead of one and mention that they are for swimming and rafting, and that the base house will provide bath ones because that was confusing when packing. Finally the swimsuits, I didn’t realize how much we would be swimming so I only brought 1 but it was wet all the time. Lastly, last summer I went to Thailand and the rustic ties were actual friendship bracelets where as the ones here were just a piece of ribbon and some of them were too small. When we were sick, there wasn’t any medication like Pepto Bismol, the program leaders had to go buy some which we had to give them our money for. Overall I had a super fun experience on this trip, and I really enjoyed the memories I made + people I met.

The leaders really made the trip so fun and i hope i get to meet them all again. They made it so easy to do everything and even during hard times they made it a lot of fun. Also the lead it really well and guided us to be better people. They were also serious when then need to be which made me feel safe and like they know what they were doing. Also they made fun activities and switched up things when weather did not comply. Overall i would love to see the leaders again. And i think they did a great job.

I had an awesome time on my trip to the Dominican Republic. It was one of the most fun weeks of my life. Rustic certainly helped to make that experience complete. We had awesome group leaders who showed us all the coolest places. There isn’t really much I would change about the trip. It was well put together and it was certainly a profound experience for my life. I was able to grow as a person and create new memories with my friends. I got to learn a new culture and improve my Spanish as well. Overall it was a great trip.

This program was a great experience. I would love to travel on a Rustic Pathways trip abroad, however due to my other commitments I am unable to block out the time to do so. I found that the GIDC program was a great substitute and I still learned tons of new information about different parts of the world from within my home! I was able to learn about different remote areas and how they need assistance, while also building my own person skills throughout all of the group work that we did. Recommend!

I was hoping that other students could participate more, however the teachers were very supportive. I loved how supportive and fun the Fiji team were. The activities were fun and faculty has shown great support in guiding me through the process of creating my prototype. I really enjoyed learning the Fijian culture and language, it has inspired me to go to Fiji and do physical improvements rather than digital ones. Overall because I celebrate New Years the timing was a little bit uneasy for me, but it was still very engaging and I do not regret doing it at all.