Rustic Pathways Reviews

I had grown up in the same small town in Northern Phoenix, Arizona my entire life. Ever since I was very young I was infatuated with the idea of travelling the world, but never got the opportunity until Rustic Pathways visited my school. I was absolutely in love with the whole idea of this company and everything they stood for. I then made the decision to leave the United States for the first time in my 16 years on earth to experience the beautifully, ever-changing country of India as a first generation traveller. Little did I know how how life-changing these next three weeks would be in Delhi, Mcleodganj, Balla, and Agra.

As we made our way up to the Himalayan mountain range is was absolutely breathtaking to watch the landscape change from bustling city to rolling hills and then grand mountains. There was one time when we were in Mcleodganj in the city center and everything turned completely white and I had no idea what was going on. You could not see anything at all and it turns out we were actually in a cloud! I don't know if that was just me but that was so amazing. I think the best part was the actual service though. Working with elephants and sloth bears on "Indian Wildlife Conservation" was incredible. We work so closely with the elephants and they are incredibly gentle creatures and amazing to observe. And on "Service In The Clouds" one of the service projects we did was working at a school named LHA. We held english conversations with Tibetan Refugees who were all adults over 18 years of age. My partner and I developed a unique bond by the end of the program that I still have not taken the necklace that she gave me off. There was one day where we got to leave the school to explore a unique part of the city with our partners. My partner actually took me to the Dalai Lama's Temple. She was so so excited to bring me here and had so much to say about the temple. I could definitely tell the place was special to her and it was so amazing to share that unique experience with the locals.

While there are so many fun experiences on Rustic Pathways programs, safety is also a huge thing to consider when coming to any country. As a student who had never left the United States or travelled much, I felt completely safe the entire trip while under the care of the Rustic Pathways staff. While India is not a country for the faint of heart, it certainly is possible for first time travellers with the will! There were actually many times in the beginning when I felt out of place or like I wasn't making friends, but the leaders always make you feel included. One of my leaders actually noticed that I was having trouble getting included so he made sure to bring me into conversations subtly to where by the end of the week I was talking so much more and felt way more comfortable around everyone. All of my leaders were also really good in emergency situations. While in Balla, 12 out of 15 of the students on my trip got super sick. I think it was the stomach flu, but for 24 hours straight 12 people were vomiting and 3 ended up going to the hospital. Sickness is just a part of travelling that sometimes you just can't avoid, but luckily I never got sick personally during my stay in India. And even while the leaders were taking amazing care of everyone who was sick, they still took the time to check in on those few of us who were still doing well. And I would love to give my leaders a huge shout out because they were absolutely amazing and deserve all the recognition in the world.

The Rustic Pathways staff is amazing. Thank you so much for everything Beth, Michael, and Coco. So here I leave India with long-lasting friends and memories I'll never forget. So with that I encourage others who have the chance to take a Rustic Pathways trip because it's an amazing educational experience you'll never forget and I swear you won't regret it.

Namaste,
Jenna

After doing five Rustic programs, I can confidently say that Off the Map Cambodia, which I did this summer, was my favorite. This trip is a three week service oriented trip that does a fantastic job of providing students with a full view of Cambodia. We got the opportunity to do two village homestays, one of which was in a rural village on land and the other of which was in a floating village. These two portions of the trip were my favorites because we not only got to form a complete picture of what life in Cambodia is like, but we also got to partake in extremely meaningful, intense service projects. Another aspect of the trip was the time in the more developed cities of Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. These were also great legs of the trip because they satisfied our interests as tourists to see the major landmarks of the country. Personally, I felt that this trip gave the perfect balance between travel/sight seeing and service/cultural immersion. I got to experience everything from swimming under monstrous waterfalls and touring magnificent temples to eating tarantulas and using a bucket shower each day. By the end of the three weeks, I had made lifelong friends of my peer students as well as my local and international leaders. Not only did I have the best three weeks of my life, but I grew tremendously as a person. I learned so much about myself physically, mentally, and socially by pushing my boundaries and challenging myself in ways that I could never get at home. Not to mention, I made lifetime memories and learned so many things that I never would have known had Rustic Pathways not given me this opportunity to travel.

The Floating Village Service in Cambodia was the most unique and interesting experience. While there we got to experience a range of activities, from visiting world-renowned sites to interacting with the locals. Some of my favorite things that we got to do was visiting and swimming in a waterfall in Siem Reap, building a house for an 83-year old woman, and just bonding with all the people on my trip. From the leaders, to the people, to the amazing place, I cannot recommend this program more.

There is so much to learn and the people in the communities you work in are so beautiful and fun to hang out with. This is most definitely an experience worth taking. You can travel learn how to build and learn so much about yourself as well. To be honest, the group that I was with had amazing people. Don't be afraid to get close with your group mates. Go there and enjoy yourself remember to hydrate.

I was really really nervous about going on this trip because it was my first time traveling by myself, but I am so so happy that I did end up deciding to go. I can't even explain how much the trip impacted me, and I came home feeling like a new person. It has literally changed my life, and now I feel like I have a second family.

All of the people that went on my trip were so easy to connect with and we created such close relationships with each other so quickly that by the end of it, it felt like I've known each of them my entire life. I feel like all of the free time we had and having to be in such a communal environment contributed to our friendship a lot. One of the best things about this trip by far was not just the friends I made but the group leaders, park rangers, and the cook. All of them were so welcoming and by the end, you feel so close with each of them. And the food was some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life!!

Before leaving for the trip, I didn't know much about the topic of turtle conservation but now after working in the hatchery, doing beach cleanups, and going on night walks (even though we only got to do 2) broadened my knowledge on the subject and got me really into continuing conservation work at home.

In the beginning, I kind of dreaded doing the service work 2 times a day for 2 days in a row, but after doing all that we did, like aerating sand, I feel very accomplished and it gave everyone a sense of pride. One morning, we got woken up early by a group leader and were told to go down to the beach to release baby turtles, it was honestly one of the coolest experiences that I've ever had. Also, on the night walks you could see the Milky Way and tons of stars in the sky and it was beautiful.

We also got to go on surfing, zip lining, rafting, and canoeing excursions. While during zip lining, we got caught in the middle of a thunderstorm and we had to hike all the way down in the pouring rain, which turned out to be a great experience!

The whole trip was absolutely life changing and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Tip - Bring more clothes than they tell you too!!!

I was on the BFE trip in July 2017. It was my first trip with Rustic Pathways, and would definitely recommend this trip to anyone, first timers and alumni! It gave me a true sense of what Fiji really is from the tourist perspective but the local as well.
For the first week we stayed on an island resort, Leleuvia, and villas in Pacific Harbor. Leleuvia was the most "touristy" we got as a trip but that never got to the group and me. We interacted with the locals by playing volleyball, opening coconuts, and talking to them whenever the chance was given. The pacific harbor experience was amazing. Every night we all ate dinner together and our bonds became so strong. Whoever you encounter on the trip, Rustic Pathways student, leader or local, will turn into family within the first few moments of meeting them.
The most memorable part of the trip was the last week, which was spent in villages. The first was Somosomo. It is located among the Yasawa Islands. We all developed a love for all the villagers who welcomed us to their home with open arms. The second village was in the highlands. This was our last destination before the heading home. It was like the locals were part of our group. We loved them as if they were family.
I had heard too that in the past the trips were flip-floped from ours. (Villages at the beginning and Leleuvia at the end). I thought the layout of our itinerary was the perfect way to experience Fiji. We got closer through the trip as we had to live in more and more rustic conditions the longer time we spent in the country.
My group was absolutely amazing along with my local Fijian leader Akuila. The trip as a whole has not only impacted me in an amazing way, but also was incredibly memorable. Thank you Rustic for an amazing two weeks!

I would highly recommend this program to first time travelers or students who have never experienced a Rustic program before. This program immerses you into the Costa Rican culture and puts you in that "pura vida" mindset. I loved being connected to the Ticos and learning so much about their life values from communicating with them. Though I knew very little Spanish, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I first thought it would be to effectively communicate with the Costa Rican residents. This program was a perfect balance of service, education, and ultimate adventure! The Rustic Program leaders are amazing at connecting with you and doing their best to make your experience an experience to remember. I never had a doubt about my well-being or safety on this trip. The people are incredibly nice and so down to earth. They truly care about your experience in Costa Rica and will do anything to make your stay a great one. Lastly, this trip has had an everlasting effect on me and has changed the way I look at life. I have been taught so many crucial life lessons and have made incredible memories.

I had such a fun time on this trip. From the time I got there I was exposed to new music and new food. The people were so welcoming. I had 3 great group leaders who made us all feel super independent and made sure we were aware of the culture around us. I will be back to the DR without a doubt, and look forward to being with the children and families from the Bateyes again. They all have a special place in my heart and the culture as well.

A high school service project had been on my agenda long before I was old enough to partake in one, and when the time came around for me to finally book one, I did about five months of research into different organisations before choosing the program I did with Rustic Pathways. I was drawn to Laos because of its level of poverty and destruction after the Vietnam war, as well as its beauty that had been reported by people who had visited it. But it was really the program that Rustic Pathways offered that I was the most drawn to. Rustic Pathways had seemed the most organised, the most well thought out, and the most established organisation out of all those that I had looked at. And when the time came and I flew over, all of that was confirmed.

The work that rustic pathways does globally is so meaningful that I was taken aback several times on my trip. It is a genuine organisation that serves not only the students it takes on its trips, but also its staff, whether they are local to the country or international. Something that truly stuck out to me was that Rustic often funds the university education of local staff who cannot afford it, for example, those who work at the base house, or those who come from a Lao boarding school that is funded by the Rustic Foundation. This holistic approach to community service, taken on in all elements of the company, is something that has never ceased to amaze me.

The trip itself was a life-changing experience. It was the perfect balance of being able to stay in the houses of locals and take part in service projects that are determined by the community itself (we helped in building a school and a water tank) as well as having the chance to see the place that we were working in, having adventures through hiking up mountains or trying street food at the Luang Prabang street market. I have countless photographs of the smiling children that my group genuinely bonded with, and look back at them while smiling helplessly. On our rest time between service projects which allowed us to do some site seeing, I can recount a moment where I was sitting on a slow boat on a peaceful day on the Mekong river. I was filled with an indescribable feeling of happiness as I reflected back on the 5 days I had had in the village of Na Som, looking out at the beauty of scenery around me with the most amazing group of students and leaders around me. I cannot say I have felt like that so strongly ever before. The organisation of the trip was phenomenal, with never a stressful moment, everything moving smoothly, yet all the while it being very flexible.

Going alone, I had also been nervous that the trip may not have been what I wanted or that I may have felt uncomfortable at times. However, I can assure anyone looking into having a meaningful, adventurous, beautiful service-based travel experience, that you will not go wrong by using Rustic Pathways. After so much research and such a beautiful time in luscious Laos, I can only confirm that Rustic Pathways does the most amazing job at achieving what it sets out to do. I returned to my home homesick for Laos and the people I met along the way.

I spent five weeks with Rustic in SE Asia this summer (Floating Village Service was my last program of the season), and the experience has tremendously impacted my life in the most positive way imaginable. Rustic Pathways has an incomparable amount of unique connections throughout the region, and staying in a floating village along the Tonle Sap River is definitely one of them.

From learning about the tragedies of the Khmer Rouge to building a floating house for a family in need, I was lucky enough to have experienced the unparalleled culture of Cambodia. This program was a great, balanced mix of city life and village life. My group and I spent a few days exploring Phnom Penh and Battambang before heading to two floating villages (primarily Prek Toal) for about a week. We slept on thin mattresses with mosquito nets, and we went to sleep sweating because it was so hot! And I loved every second of it! The final few days were spent in a really nice hotel in Siem Reap. We explored Angkor Wat, markets, and museums there.

Completing service and living in a floating village really opened my eyes, and made me even more grateful for the privileges I have. All three of my leaders were caring, kind, hilarious, and fun. At one point during my trip, I got sick with tonsillitis, but my leaders took me to the clinic and encouraged me to stay positive so I could continue to have the time of my life (and I did, many thanks to them!). There was a total of seven students on the trip (five girls and two boys), and we all bonded really quickly. Everyone on the trip was so interesting and fun, and even after arriving home from the trip, we've kept in touch.

By the end of your program, two weeks will have felt like one day! Prepare for an unforgettable experience.