Rustic Pathways Reviews

My experience with rustic pathways was great. I was apart of the Intro to Public Health trip with around 15-16 kids and 4 counselors. All of us bonded immediately even the counselors and we all got along extremely well, even though most of us didn't know each other before. The first days of the trip were spent in Santo Domingo touring hospitals and listening to NGO's privately speak to us which was so interesting. Then we went to Hator Mayor and spent the majority of the time there traveling 45 minutes each day to Batey Botecito to do community service. There we were able to bond with the kids and adults while building latrines and cement floors and talking in Spanish. After two days of service we took a beach break and then 3 days of Wilderness First Aid Classes that prepared us to create health lessons for the kids in Botecito. The next two days we hosted workshops for the kids teaching them hand washing, wound care, trash clean up and built them a DIY sink. It was very life changing and i would love to go back again. The way of life in the bateys is so different from my life at home and opened up my eyes. After all community service (30 hours) was completed we took a ferry to Samana and hiked to El Limon Cascada which was beautiful and then the next day we spent time at an island beach. The flight from JFK is not bad at all and is a great way to meet new people.

This was the best two weeks of my life. I met some amazing people and the experience was so eye opening. The leaders were super friendly and it being my first trip like that and going alone I felt very comfortable. I felt safe and I felt I made an impact on the people that we met there. The service was hard so be prepared to work but it's worth it.The friends I met I still talk to every day. I would 100% recommend to anyone who loves helping people.

Our son took a Rustic Pathways trip to Thailand in July, 2015 for the first time. He absolutely loved it and was very impressed with the program and the chaperone/guides. He can be quite critical when it comes to group activities and teacher/guide skills and had nothing but great things to say about his experience. He loved it so much that he wanted to sign up for next summer as soon as possible! He will be traveling to Peru for two different programs in 2016!

I went on the program Heart of the Jungle in Costa Rica with the hopes of going on an adrenaline filled adventure. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Heart of the Jungle perfectly balances adventure, service, and down time. The white water rafting, zip lining, and rappelling are perfect for someone looking for a thrill. Although I am not very good with insects, staying in the tents was an amazing experience. I fell asleep to the sound of the jungle at night. There was also a base camp we stayed in for a few nights that was not very rustic. It was more like an apartment. We stayed in beautiful destinations that I had serious trouble leaving. The volunteering was a rewarding experience, since we helped build a house for a family in poor living conditions. The itinerary was not accurate on the volunteering jobs we would have because every program gets assigned jobs based on what is needed in the community at that time. I would not go into the program having any expectations on volunteering. I have to say that I loved the leaders on my program! We even called one of our leaders Mom because she was like a mom to us. Overall, it was an experience of a lifetime. I have met so many amazing people and have great memories. I would definitely recommend this program.

3 weeks before I left for thailand my mom texted me out of the blue saying she had just seen a magazine for a travel program and and asked me if i wanted to go to thailand 3 weeks from then. To me this was crazy I've never been any were outside of america other than europe and in such short notice too. I didnt want to because i was so nervous but was convinced to do it and it was the best decision of my life. Definitely the most amazing week of my life!

I'm writing as a parent. My daughter just completed the Floating Villages trip to Cambodia. This was her second trip with Rustic Pathways. She enjoyed it, though not quite as much as the trip to Tanzania. It wasn't as "rustic", with a lot more hotel stays and general tourism. She knew that would be the case before going. In the event, she was disappointed that the group didn't take more advantage of the opportunities to visit museums and sights. She says they spent just 1.5 hours at Angkor Wat because the majority of the group wanted to go back to the hotel "to rest" (aka play with their phones), and this happened several times. The group leaders needed to be more forceful about saying "you have this amazing opportunity, you can rest any time" and actually leading them. Her impression is that most of the kids had been sent by their parents - whereas she had actually selected the trip - and that made them less enthusiastic travelers. She doesn't plan to take another trip with Rustic, though she thinks our middle school daughter would get something out of it.

This trip was a once in a life time experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning about the ocean and its ecosystem. I went into this trip wanting to figure out if marine conservation was something that I wanted to study in college and this trip helped me form a concrete decision. Although I went into this trip knowing a few people I came out of this trip with many new friends. Do not sign up for this trip if you are thinking that Fiji is an island paradise where you will become a tanned goddess, Fiji is a paradise but we did a lot of work. Much of the work consisted of snorkeling, fish counts, reef checks, giant clam measuring, hiking, and crown of thorns removal. Fiji is a developing country so don't expect warm showers. Come into this trip with an open mind and a desire to learn about a culture and make new friends.

Mountain Air and Village Service in the DR was an overall good experience. It's a pretty basic and introductory program so it's perfect for first time travelers and for people who just want to get their feet wet. The councelors were really cool and gave us a lot of freedom. The only part of the program I wasn't crazy about was the fact that some of the people can be very exclusive and cliquey really fast. Obviously this depends on the people on each program, although since it is a very introductory program, a lot of students' parents made them go so they may not be the most passionate people that want to get to know you. This varys because there were plenty of cool people on my trip as well. Otherwise, it's a good time and a good experience to have. It would help to know a little bit of Spanish beforehand but you don't need to. I came in knowing nothing and learned as I went but learned so much. I would recommend this program to anyone.

I had been impressed with the experience from our initial decision to send our daughter. She was signing up with a friend who had previously been on a Rustic pathways trip. Me, being the nervous mother, packed many items to insure that they would be comfortable. Aleve, pepto bismal, tums, etc. However, four days in to the trip my daughter started to have an allergic reaction on her face that she occasionally gets during seasonal allergies. I didn't think to pack that medicine. I was able to text my daughter the name of the prescription and they had it for her within an hour. It would have taken me longer to get that prescription here. I was very impressed.

This summer I had the opportunity to go on a Rustic Pathways trip to Costa Rica. I chose to go on the BriBri Village trip as I felt that it would be both rewarding and full of adventure. I am 15 years old and I truly believe this trip exceeded my expectations. If you are unsure of whether or not to go on this trip, I would suggest to go for it. I can guarantee that you will not have another experience as unique as this one.

It is an immersive program and is truly "rustic." The village of Yorkin, where the BriBri people are found, was serene and secluded yet full of fun things to do. We slept in a 3 story, wooden, open-air house overlooking the jungle. Falling asleep and waking up to the sounds of nature was truly incredible. Keep in mind that there are LOTS of mosquitoes in this part of Costa Rica and that you will be VERY muddy for the majority of the trip. My only advice for people looking to go on this trip would be to make sure you bring rain boots and to bring lots of bug spray. Also, in terms of the social aspect of this trip, be sure to keep your mind open and you will be sure to make friendships that will last a lifetime.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you will rarely have internet access during this trip. Coming from someone who is pretty attached to social media, I'll say this: you will be absolutely fine. In fact, it was refreshing to step back and take a break from the digital world.

In conclusion, this trip was an experience I will never forget. The people I met, food I consumed, and things I did all created an amazing trip. I'm looking forward to partaking in another Rustic trip next year! Trust me, it's worth every penny!!!