Rustic Pathways Reviews

This past summer I went on this trip with 16 other teenagers from around the world. It was truely an amazing experience that I am so grateful to have gotten. If you are a person who is looking to discover a new culture and way of living, if you are not afraid to push your comfort zones to the edge, if you want to learn about the rich history of a beautiful country and not afraid to get your hands dirty mixing a lot of cement, than this trip is for you. If you are thinking about doing this program, do it. You won't regret it. My one piece of advice to you is to ignore the packing list that Rustic Pathways offers for this trip and follow the description instead. Go with a carry on sized bag with bug spray, sunscreen, toothpaste, a toothbrush, underwear, running shoes and money. Buy everything you need in the local markets and Rustic Pathways will provide you with a bag

I went on the Rustic Pathways Summer Camp Leadership in Costa Rica, and it impacted me in more ways than one. Meeting the Tico kids allowed me to make connections despite the language barrier (I barely spoke any Spanish) and allowed me to improve my Spanish skills. The leaders treated us as their equals and were always open to talk with you about anything or to take suggestions or critiques. Everyone on the program made me feel like I was part of their family. I would recommend this experience to everyone.

I went on the Marine Life and Coastal Restoration trip in the Dominican Republic this summer and it was magnificent! I had never traveled with Rustic Pathways before nor, have I spent this much time away from home before. I had a great group and the staff members were amazing. They made me feel right at home and I never got homesick once! The country is beautiful and Rustic Pathways helped me to see that because unlike going on a family vacation where you stay in a resort, Rustic had us stay directly within the small town so that we could be amerced in the culture. Some of my best memories from the trip revolve around one of my staff members. She was a native Dominican so she was able to give us the inside scoop about the country. We had culture nights and personal tours with her and it was great. One of the best parts was when she was teaching use some of the traditional dances including the merengue and the boys had to dance it with her. (It was hilarious!) Memories and experiences like this you can't get by going to a resort and that is why Rustic Pathways is so amazingly unique. I'm so happy with my decision to do one of their trips and if I could I would do it over again. I am definitely doing one of their trips next summer!

Last year, I traveled to Thailand for 2 weeks with Rustic Pathways. My experience was so positive that this summer, I once again chose RP to be my guide in Northern Australia!
My trip this summer took me through many, many different landscapes as myself, my 4 Rustic leaders and 13 other students traveled through the Kimberley Region. We spent our days driving in the Trippy (a cross between a Jeep and a Thai song-tao) and and our nights in the traditional Australian swag (if a tent and a coffin had a baby). When we weren't staring out the Trippy window at the Outback's finest during our many, many hours of road-tripping, we were hiking canyons and gorges, cliff diving in the bluest lakes, or cuddling with kangaroos (literally). Photos and videos do not do the Bungle Bungle Mountains, the outback view of the Milky Way, or the Mindil Beach Sunsets justice at all.
When we weren't immersed in Australia's natural wonders, we spent time giving back to the communities that had welcomed us to the Outback. Between cooking meals for the women's shelter, playing Just Dance with the aboriginal kids at Save the Children (like a Boys & Girls Club), or feeding kangaroos at the rehab center, we always had work to do- and we enjoyed every second of it!
Epic Outback was the perfect balance of community service and vacation. I got to see a new part of the world (I'm at 6/7 continents now!), and also immerse myself in a new culture while interacting with many different types of people.
As always, the RP staff were amazing; they were well trained & well traveled, and they became just as close to me as the kids my age over the course of the trip. My group was the first full run-through of the Epic Outback program, and though a few tweaks were made, our staff handled everything like pros and made this easily the best RP trip (and overall trip) that I have ever taken. Nothing compares to the memories mad on this trip, and this experience has reinforced my love of travel & belief that it is the most important form of education. Plus, when I turn 21, I'd gladly work for Rustic Pathways to help other kids have the same experience that I had on this program!

i had the time of my life meeting life-long friends, having once in a life-time experiences, impacting many lives for the better, including protecting the animals of this world and the nature we all live in. most importantly, taking in the beauty that life offers us everyday, being grateful and enjoying ourselves, our surroundings, the people we have with us and this amazing thing called life. i absolutely loved the Amazing Aussie Service Adventure and if anything, i would want it to be longer so we could all spend time with one another in such an amazing country. visit australia!

This was literally the best time of my life. Nothing in my life has topped this thus far. I've traveled to many countries and I've done many volunteer hours back in America, however, this trip truly made an impact on me. Not only did Intro to Community Service help perform tasks and volunteer hours that truly made an impact in the community, the people and friends that I met through this program are unforgettable. We were building a flush toilet in a village that previously shared one between the entire village. It made me appreciate so much. It was amazing to see how we were actually making a difference. Also, my group was told that we were the most compatible and fun group. The leaders and Fijians made our group. Simen, Sophia, Sam, Max, Julie, Hollie and many others made this trip the best. I cried about 8 times when leaving the Eco-lodge and the airport. I'm so upset that I didn't do a longer trip. I hope I encounter those people later in my life. I can't wait to visit Fiji again. I've cherished every moment in Fiji with the best group leaders and friends. Can't wait for the reunion in Portugal!!!

I joined rustic in a chance to join Jane good all's roots&shoots program. My favorite part was going to the village in Sokoine where we installed water tanks and bagged 4,531 trees for the village also Lake Tanganyika was so much fun we had like our private beach and left in tents it was really great time to connect with people and life. My program changed me in many ways me personally in life. fun!

The greatest decision of my life! Rustic trips are so unique in their content and character. We did things in the South Pacific that few people get to do. We stayed in an authentic Fijian village, skydived, learned how to save lives on an Australian beach, road tripped around New Zealand and had countless adventures along the way. This program is expensive, but for what you get it's actually rather cheap! If you tried to do everything we did on your own it would cost much more than doing it with Rustic group discounts and loyalty discounts. The Rustic experience wasn't like any other group trips I've done, it felt like a family. We all supported each other and genuinely cared about each other. We had conversations about life and traveling and school and adventure and we all grew as people. I've changed as a person from my experience in ways that I hadn't expected. I'm excited to go to college this year and have a new outlook on life that I've gained from this experience and to have more perspective on the world and its people than my classmates. Taking a gap year is a choice I will never regret and I highly recommend it to anyone who is unsure about the future after high school. There are so many options out there for post high school education, don't overlook the ones that take place in a Fijian village or on an Australian beach. Those classrooms are by far the most effective!

Before going on my gap semester I was a little nervous of getting out of my comfort zone, especially when it came to Southeast Asia! Looking back, it is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. With Rustic I visited places that I would not be able to point out on a map. Doing service in the villages was incredible, living like the locals made me aware of many people's reality. We are so used to our comfortable lives we sometimes forget those around us. When working in the villages, we were able to make connections with the locals. I remember in one village our homestay father called Su would greet us by name every morning. He would also come during dinner with his English-Thai dictionary, eager to learn. Overall, Southeast Asia is a great destination. The people, FOOD, places, and culture are like nothing you have ever experience, and Rustic Pathways really helps you make the most of it.

My time spent with Rustic Pathways was the best! I was able to experience a new culture and met new people from all over! During out trip we got to work with some amazing people who really helped up out with the marine service we did. I am very interested in marine biology, and this trip was great for that. I saw sharks, learned new things about the ocean, tried foods I'd never imagined I'd try before, met unique people and saw some of the most beautiful coral reefs ever! Food was pretty good as long as you're not too picky. The Fijian people are the best ever and they act like you're their family. The accommodations were nice. At first we stayed at this sort of rustic resort Kuata Island. So beautiful and it was my favorite spot, despite the cold showers. Then we went into the village of Somosomo which was more rustic where we stayed in tents with cots. Still had a great time! Lastly we finished off the trip with adventuring around the main island, where we stayed at many different places that we all equally as nice. No 5 star hotels but still it was awesome! Go into it with an open mind and a positive attitude and you'll have such a great time!

would also recommend getting scuba certified and going on the shark dive they offer as an optional activity- pricey but SO worth it!
Other tip- I wish I had brought some warmer clothes like sweatpants and more than 1 sweatshirt. It rained while we were in Fiji and got windy and a little cold.