Program Reviews

I travelled from Perth, Western Australia to Brisbane to take part on the You a roo' and Australia Zoo program. It was such an amazing experience not only to work at australia zoo which is a dream of mine as some passionate in zoology but also the bonds i made with all the girls and my program leaders. Although such a small group i have extremely fond memories of every single person on trip which made an already amazing person ten times better. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone passionate about animal conservation.

Despite the fact that the program I did only lasted for a week, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite trips ever. I enjoyed every single bit of the program. I enjoyed the time spent with the local community, playing with those innocent kids. I enjoyed the moment I threw the football with perfect spin for the first time, having fun with a group of kids in the village. I still remembered the day when our group went to one of Rustic Pathways' construction project and painted the wooden pillars with pink paint under the blasting sun. It was just such a great time that I could totally recall every single moment.
Indeed, the scope of the volunteering programs held in Fiji goes far beyond merely community service. We served the community, but we also had a ton of fun doing it. The program leaders always kept us busy having fun with all sorts of activities after dinner. We had karaoke, bonfire, dances, and so much more.
Since then, I fell in love with community service, truly.

My Rustic Pathways trip showed me a new way to look at the world. As the trip progressed, each day I started to put more and more into the tasks at hand. I realized how satisfying my hard work can be. Through the trip, I learned that even a little work on a project is a start in making a large difference. Although my trip was only 10 days, my perspective of volunteering changed. I was pleasantly surprised by the other teens’ commitment to our work helping the environment. My Rustic Pathways experience changed the way I view my carbon footprint and it has pushed me to make myself a better person and citizen of the world.

My rustic experience was life-changing. I spent 18 in rural thailand, the first half of my trip I spent in a small village in Mae Sariang and then we went to an elephant sanctuary for the second half. It was so incredible to see different ways of life and be able to help out in places of need. When I came home from this trip, I immediately felt like a different person. I have become so much more aware of the world and how important it is to be thankful for everything you are given. It is an incredible opportunity to be able to visit and help out people in different countries in need. My perspective on life has developed substantially and Rustic Pathways can take full responsibility for that. I would most definitely recommend this program or any rustic program.

My trip to Fiji with Rustic Pathways was absolutely amazing! I couldn't have asked for a better experience in my life. When I first thought about going overseas to Fiji, I was very nervous about flying and going to a country where I knew no one. However, when I met my Rustic staff at the airport, I felt like I was in the best hands. I always felt safe and never worried about not being safe. When I arrived, it was the most welcoming experience I could have ever imagined. Being far away from home made me feel nervous, but the Rustic staff made me feel at home. One thing I take away from my trip to Fiji is that I never had a bad memory or experience. I made life-long memories with life-long friends. I am so proud of myself for taking this huge step and will never regret it!

This was by far the most unique experience I've ever had when traveling.

Traveling abroad with Rustic Pathways taught me that coming out of my comfort zone to trying new things and learning more about myself can really develop who I am. I learned about traditional Thailand culture and values all while being able to help the community.

One of the most rewarding parts of the travel was being able to assist those in Thailand. My personal highlight was being able to teach English to grade-schoolers on one of our last days there and it was a memory I'll cherish forever. Another lesson that they really emphasize is the importance and power of self-reflection. The team at Rustic gives you a couple of opportunities to reflect with each other and it helps build character development and also a stronger bond between everyone.

My time in Peru was amazing. I spent a total of four weeks there on the Andes to Amazon and Sacred Valley programs. Between the two programs, I got to see the diversity of different parts of the country as we travelled throughout the Andes, Lima, the Sacred Valley, and the Amazon. One of, if not the largest factors in having such a wonderful experience, was the people on my programs. I met some of the most interesting, unique, fun people that I made such strong connections within in the first day or two of each program. Not to mention, the group leaders were fantastic; they were extremely interesting people, who did so much more than just lead our group and make sure that we were safe. Through my experiences in Peru, I learned so much about this world as well as myself. We did so many incredible things between the two programs, and while not everything was not what I quite expected, I had an incredible time last summer.

Program: Wonders and riches of south east Asia.

Great experience that was full of immersive opportunities. Travelled from Thailand, to Laos, to Cambodia, to Vietnam. Everywhere we went we got to see famous sights, but not only that, we truly got to learn more about different countries cultures whether that was trying individual delicacies or adventuring through the countryside. On one memorable day we took a bike ride through the Cambodian countryside. It was a hot day, but a truly unforgettable experience.
In Chiang Rai, Thailand, we spent one day at an elephant conservation center. We splashed around in the water with baby elephants and got to help make the elephant's food.
Ultimately, Rustic Pathways in south east Asia was an amazing trip that including a diverse offering of activities and experiences.

When signing up for my Rustic Pathways trip, I had extremely high expectations. My sister had gone to Costa Rica the summer before and she had the best experience of her life. I thought that it would be the same for me. Little did I know, my extremely high standards were completely topped. I do not think I could have prepared for the amazing experience I was about to have. On the first day of arrival, I was placed in a group with ten complete strangers. By the first night, we were already staying up past curfew getting to know each other. Every single day we were given an opportunity to not only see a new part of the amazing country that we were in, but to form connections with the people of Fiji through service. Of course, improving someone's home or building a chicken coop is extremely meaningful, but when you get to meet the people that you are helping, it is a truly incredible experience. By the end of my trip, the girls in my group had become my best friends. Our dramatic goodbye in the airport and the entire trip itself seemed to be something straight out of a dream.

“How was your trip?” A necessary and welcomed question, usually followed by a description of some event that happened or a couple of pictures. A quickly forgotten conversation by the asker but not by the teller. Coming back from Mongolia, answering this question countless times left me with another: How could I ever tell people that seeing real poverty made me want to change the world without being that kid who never stopped talking about his trip to Mongolia?

Seeing poverty in its purest form moved me in a way I never could have predicted. One of the service aspects of my trip to Mongolia entailed delivering food to the people of Sogoog; one bag of flour, one bag of pasta, and a couple of other smaller goods for a single family. This delivery would need to last these families for several weeks. In my world, these supplies would last my family one night.

When I dropped off the food, I was surprised by how I was welcomed into the houses of strangers. With beaming smiles, they allowed me to enter into their homes not fearing judgement in the slightest. When I looked at their cracked walls and dirty attire, one part of me felt guilty, but as soon as I saw their faces, I realized that they were the ones who had it all figured out. These families were elated to have us privileged foreigners cramming into their crumbling dwellings, yet we stay in our suburban lives wondering if our bay windows poke out too much.

Genshu, Aishu, and Kinshu were a trio of sisters who ran over to my camp as soon as I arrived in the West. Within ten minutes, I was giving more piggyback rides than I thought my legs could handle. When I mistook the youngest girl, Genshu, for a boy because of her short hair, I discovered the girls belonged to the poorest family in Sogoog. Genshu wasn’t a boy; her mother was just forced to shave her hair because she couldn’t afford shampoo.

When I entered the girls’ home, their grandmother brought out a few pieces of candy as well as bread and butter. It was everything they had. This is when I realized I was living my life completely wrong. I felt a sense of guilt that I had not made the most of the opportunities given to me from my privileged background. I knew I couldn’t be distracted by this guilt, though. I needed to finally practice what Gandhi has told me millions of times: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

I returned from Mongolia late at night. It must have been around 10 pm when my sister and I pulled into the North Avenue McDonald’s. I stepped up to the electronic cashier to order my food, not really feeling like reality was reality. Just two days ago, I was shampooing Genshu’s scalp. Now, I was selecting an instant hot meal through a touchscreen wall. I’d like to say that this disparity made me sick, but it didn’t. I destroyed that quarter pounder.

I was changed when I came back from this trip. It wasn’t for the better or worse (maybe the better), but I felt almost uncomfortable in my own skin. I just spent three weeks in the part of the world farthest from the ocean and even farther from my town, and it felt like I never left. So what is this feeling I still can’t shake? I felt more responsible about what I could control. If someone were to have thrown a bottle out the window while I was in the car before the trip, I would disprove of their actions but I probably wouldn’t have said anything. Now, I had to speak up. Two years later, I still feel the same way. If I don’t, who will?