Rustic Pathways Reviews

This trip has completely changed me, and I am so happy that it did. Before this trip I was so ungrateful for my education and would most often than not, dread going to school. Seeing how limited the Thai people were to education changed my beliefs forever. When I first arrived the Kapuang School, my heart filled with love when I saw all of the students for the first time. All of the students had the biggest smile on their faces and you could see how much determination they had to learn. This experience of teaching at this school actually made me realize that I wanted to be a teacher. Making education available to everyone is now one of my main priorities because it is so important to having a good life. On another note, waking up at the Children's Home every single day put a smile on my face. Whether it was playing kane ball with the locals or singing and playing the guitar with the leaders, I had a smile on my face the whole entire time. I don't think I have ever been that happy. Another component that made my trip much better was being able to disconnect from my phone. I am usually always attached to my phone, and not having to worry about it for 3 weeks made me a much more relaxed person. I recommend everyone to turn off their phones on any Rustic trip, because it betters your experience. I made so many strong friendships on this trip with all of the leaders and I am so grateful and happy to have been able to meet all of the people tha I met. Although when arriving to the Elephant Sanctuary I was very shocked, I still had an amazing experience. A 4-star hotel was not what I was expecting but it was nice to have an actual shower! If you are looking for a more "rustic" trip (as in roughing it, or homestays) I would not recommend the elephant sanctuary for you. But if you are a first time traveler, it may be very comforting!

If your into pushing your body and having fun this is a great program for you. It is berry strenuous as there is a week a trekking through the Himalayas but I have yet to experience a more rewarding athletic experience. The views are breathtaking and the people are super nice. The food is out of this world, if you like curry this is a place for you. The rafting is intense which makes it all the more fun. Pair all of this with great people and you'll have an adventure that you will never forget about.

This trip could not have been programmed better. It was a perfect mix of hands-on service and cultural immersion with a bit of sightseeing and free time. Our service project was building a doctor's house in Mangola Juu (or Northern Mangola), a village near the Ngorongoro Crater. It was hard work - we learned how to mix cement and concrete, lay bricks, and speak a few construction-related words in Swahili. As other supplements to our service, we helped a family harvest a week's worth of corn, built a mud hut, and taught primary school children at the local school. The service, especially the construction, was my favorite part because we were making a tangible, real impact in a community as opposed to sending money off without realizing its end result. The hours spent laying bricks and mixing cement also gave way to many inspiring and hilarious conversations.

In addition to a safari and a visit to the Hadzabe, one of the last known hunter-gatherer tribes in the world, we participated in different activities in the village that helped immerse us in the culture and become closer to the people. We got our hair braided by the mamas in the village, played soccer with the village's soccer team, and later celebrated with the soccer team after their victory against a neighboring village. A few of us even joined in with some Maasai men having a jumping contest!

Overall, Culture and the Crater was an amazing trip and I would definitely recommend it to anybody, regardless of age or past travel experience.

This trip was absolutely amazing.

For starters, airport organization was extremely professional. I instantly felt confident in traveling abroad on my own for the first time. My mom also had peace of mind, for they sent photos to all of the parents once we had all arrived safely!

My leaders were some of the coolest people I have ever met. Our driver was basically another leader, and he was the absolute best. He worked with us every day. Throughout the trip, we got to work alongside members of the Sarapiquí community. We partnered with a family of 6. We not only cemented the floors of their home, but we fixed their roof and leveled the ground. It was definitely hard work. You must be willing to work hard throughout this trip! You do not have to be strong, just remember that will power, motivation, and optimism can go a long way.

Furthermore, I want to share an experience I had on my Rustic trip with you, because I feel like you might benefit from hearing my story.

One day during my trip, I had a flare-up of my stomach condition. To my surprise, one of my leaders drove on his motorcycle to get me coconut water because he says it makes everyone feel better. It made me feel better too! It was so kind. All of my leaders came in to check on me, and honestly, they couldn't have been nicer.

I sat out for service that day. While I was sitting on a nearby bench, the two sisters of the family we were working with began to play bingo with me. I taught them how to play Go-Fish, for they had never seen playing cards before. I gave them the cards to keep, and they were SO excited! Even though I was feeling a bit down, all of the people around me lifted my spirits and truly made my day.

If you have any sort of medical condition you are nervous about, or if you have food sensitivities, you WILL BE FINE with Rustic. The food was great and extremely easy and accomadating, the people were caring, and my leaders were extremely responsible.

I would recommend this trip to any first-time traveler looking for a life-changing trip that is not only service work, but also includes an element of fun. We played lots of soccer, did a ton of nighttime activities like tree-frog hunting, and we went white water rafting, ziplining, and to a waterfall. We also went to a chocolate plantation which was the yummiest thing ever. They even took us for pizza lunch and icecream one day in the village! On the last night, we showed the family how to make smores!

My experience with Rusic was life changing. Sarapiquí Costa Rica is AN AMAZING TRIP. I would highly, highly recommend.

Although the air travel was long, the trip was 100% worth it. The trip was such an eye opening experience. Living in a classroom with 12 other girls and no electricity or water and even sometimes a chicken (true story) seems like it would suck but in actuality it created memories for life and a great bonding experience. Spending time with the children of the village and seeing their happiness about every little thing most definitely changed my life for the better. If you do choose to go on this trip, make sure you know you won't be showering for a week at a time. Make sure you bring tons of baby wipes because that will be the only way you will get clean. Also bring sweaters because most nights and days are super cold. There is no way to charge your phone either so if you want to use it to take pictures, make sure to bring a portable charger!

This trip exceeded my expectations. The amount of love you feel from the locals and staff instantly after arriving was amazing. There was also an amazing balance of life changing service and activities. The staff does an amazing job at creating personal connections with everyone there and that makes the trip so much more special. I would strongly recommend this trip (or any rustic trip) to anyone thinking about traveling with them.

This trip was amazing. There was such a good balance of service and fun outings/activities. What really made it special for me was the connection you made with the locals. Everyone was so excited to see you no matter where you went and were always super thankful in the villages we worked in! The leaders & staff also put such a good effort in making strong personal connections within the first few days which made the experience that much more memorable.

Amazing trip! If you are new to travel abroad or have been traveling for years this trip is perfect for everyone! A nine day trip to Costa Rica with up to nineteen other surfers, feels like five minuets while you're having the time of your life. If you're one to get homesick, you won't have time to be, It's constant go go go, and having tons of fun! I learned some new Spanish as well as construction techniques when working in the village, Uvita. If you've never surfed before the awesome guides will teach you and give you tips throughout the week, and if you think you're a pro... I promise you'll learn new tricks and see some incredible waves when you're there. You get to see wild life from sloths to monkeys to iguanas and ALL KINDs of bugs. Hands down the most amazing trip I've ever been on! You make friends with people from all over the country who are friendly and share the same interests as you! They'll become your friends for life, I know mine are, we've already planned our first reunion for later this year! The only tears that will be shed on this trip are at the airport on your last morning together! 100% recommend this trip for anyone who wants an exhilarating, unforgettable trip. Pura Vida!

This is my third year traveling with Rustic Pathways and there's a reason why I keep returning! This trip was a great balance of meaningful work in the community, fun and leisure activities, and important lessons about language, history, and culture. The specific project that we worked on was laying pipes in a rural mountain community so the community members could access running water in their houses for the first time ever. For weeks other Rustic groups had been working on the project, however my group was lucky enough to actually finish the project and as a reward we got to see the water actually get turned on within these houses and the looks of pure excitement on the locals' faces. We actually worked alongside the community members and bonded greatly. For me it was an opportunity to improve my Spanish that I had learned in school, but for others that weren't as confident in their Spanish, the program leaders were eager to make any translations. Every day the local women would bring us coffee, the men would work alongside us, the teenagers would cheer us on, and the children would eagerly play with us if we had to take a break from working due to rain. The locals even taught us some of their favorite games! And at the end of a long day, the program leaders always rewarded our work by buying us ice cream, or a trip to the local smoothie shop. In addition to the community work, we also spent time at a beach and we even got to go snorkeling at a coral reef! the pictures were incredible. At the end of the week, we went to Santo Domingo and got to tour the colonial zone (a UNESCO world heritage site) and experience a traditional Dominican dance performance. The whole week was also filled with small surprises like Dominican dance lessons, a trip to a chocolate museum, and open air bus rides. I really enjoyed how the activities were a mix of things we expected from the schedule, and fun little surprises. One of the things that stood out most to me was how perfectly hired the staff is. Every Rustic trip I've been on has had at least one local program leader who knows everything about the area and can answer any questions about what local life is like. The local leader on this trip was also an avid traveler and backpacker, spoke perfect English in addition to his native Spanish, and was EXTREMELY funny and charismatic. Our other program leaders were a high school teacher from Spain, and a Venezuelan-American with a degree in international relations. They were all dedicated to making sure we got the most out of the trip. Overall this wasn't the most rustic trip that I had ever done. In the past I've done programs that were far more rural and involved sleeping in tents and going without electricity. However I think that makes this trip PERFECT for any first time travelers or parents who may be apprehensive. We spent a lot of time in hotels with hot showers and wifi so this is nice for anyone that might want to try it out before going on one of the more extreme trips. One thing to note is that if you want a traditional tourist experience, Rustic Pathways really isn't the program for you. In all of my trips, we've avoided the major tourist areas and activities in favor of getting a much more local, unique experience. But if local and unique is what you're looking for, then 10/10 I would recommend Rustic Pathways

Honestly, Rustic Pathways has changed my life for the better. I have previously done a program with Rustic in Arizona in 2015, (good works + grand canyon) and both trips have exceeded my expectations. More specifically, the Baltimore program was incredibly inspiring and truly impactful. Getting to work with such amazing individuals from all across the United States and the world really shifted my perspective on how I view things in life. The refugee children are so sweet and seeing their growth in their English speaking and reading skills over the two weeks was so enlighting to watch. It's really rare that you get to work with refugees, or even meet one, so the fact that this trip allowed me to do both was incredible. I remember the first day of service, and these girls I was working with were super nervous to meet me, but at the end of the two weeks, they were heartbroken to see me go; they wanted me to say longer. Not only was the service work incredible, but the friendships I've cultivated through the two weeks was unbeliable. We got so close and we still talk to this day, even though our program took place in July of 2016. I've come to realize that it's the little things that we all really bonded over. Like the music in the car or staying up super late playing Pokemon Go and tons of card games, or laughing hysterically over a funny story someone told at the dinner table one night, it all added up. We became a close family during this short amount of time. In all, I guess I would say that I came into this program a small 16 year old girl that was very shy, and hesitant to try certain things, but I came out such a stronger individual and friend. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is open to trying new experiences, living in a new environment, and getting to meet such incredible people from all over the world. This program has truly changed my life for the better, and I thank Rustic Pathways for the great gifts of this experience you've given me.