Program Reviews

The experience with Rustic Pathways doing surf and service in Costa Rica was incredible. The trip was a combination of watersports such surfing, kayaking and swimming along with doing service work helping to build a new sports facility for a local school. Every aspect was well planned out and the staff was amazing. Traveling there was somewhat complicated but the Rustic team too all the stress out of the planning and the journey was fun. Working with the local community opened my eyes to the world outside of Los Angeles and I feel we made a difference in improving the lives of the people we worked with. The surfing was world class and the instructors helped us improve while ensuring we had fun. It was such a great experience that we have signed up again for next year.

This summer, I traveled to the Dominican Republic to work in a summer camp for thirty local children ages 9-13. The Summer Camp Leadership program was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. I went on this trip alone and I was very scared to meet new people. I was nervous that no one would like me or that I would get homesick. It is nerve-racking to go to a completely new country, not knowing the language, people, or culture. Straight off the bat, I felt welcomed by the amazing program leaders and the other caring students. We all really connected by doing ice-breaker games and bonding over our many similar interests. Aside from the six-day summer camp that we ran and the consistent volunteering opportunities we had, this trip consisted of camping in the beautiful mountains, swimming in the crystal clear water, and exploring the cities of Jarabacoa and Santo Domingo. When I signed up for this program, I did not know what to expect. I knew that I wanted to work with children but did not fully understand how I would approach this foreign community. Throughout these 16 days, I learned how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and, most importantly, I learned what it means to be a leader. I realized that communication is the utmost important part of being a good leader. As I learned from the first couple of days of running the summer camp, communication is the key to creating a successful and inclusive environment. Although this program was challenging, mentally and physically, I am extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to experience a completely new culture with a new group of friends. I knew that I could always count on the program leaders and my new friends to be by my side throughout the two weeks. Thanks to this trip, I felt a true connection to the people around me and to the work I was doing. I really recommend this trip to anyone who is passionate about being a part of a new community and enjoying every aspect of it.

going into the trip, i was so so nervous that I wouldn’t make many friends and kept thinking to myself, “what a i getting myself into?” turns out, it was the best decision I could’ve made. you meet people and make friends instantly, right when you get to the airport. we spent most of the 16 days working on building a kitchen for students, and also spent time teaching the students English which was so rewarding. I love playing with the local children for hours- running around with them and laughing is something that I will never, ever forget. i think that by going on this trip, I was able to see a side of Tanzania that you could never get just going on vacation there... we visited local farms, cooked with women of the village, and spent time in a village that you would never even know was there if you just went on a family trip... making this experience so special.

My Rustic Pathways experience in Hawaii was incredible! We traveled all over the Big Island, staying at an amazing ranch, a unique hostel, and camping under the stars. The Aloha Service trip allowed my fellow travelers and I to learn about the diverse ecosystem and effects of invasive species on Hawaii’s environment. We weeded, planted, and learned from experts. Not only did we work alongside passionate members of the community, we also were able to snorkel, surf, and hike in some of the world’s most beautiful places. We saw black and green sand beaches and amazing wildlife like sea turtles and eels. Rustic Pathways is a life-changing program that gives students like me a chance to meet new people and grow as a confident individual and steward of the earth.

During the summer of 2019, I took the “Sun, Sand, and International Service” trip to Fiji and the “Escape to the Fiji Islands” trip. I was in Fiji for a total of three weeks while doing these trips. I can easily say that these three weeks were the best three weeks of my life. While in Fiji doing the Rustic Pathways trip, I vastly grew as a person from the variety of amazing things that we did. For example, while in Fiji I did lots of community service (which felt great to do), I was immersed in a different culture in the Nausori Highlands (which was life-changing), I went skydiving, and I did much more that was all amazing. I would 100% recommend that somebody take a trip with Rustic Pathways because I can almost guarantee that you will have the same life-changing experience that I did.

In the summer of 2019 I went with Rustic Pathways to India and Nepal as a part of their mystery trip program. It's exactly as it sounds--you don't know where you're going until you check your bag at the airport and receive your boarding pass. I knew I had to spring for this opportunity when I saw it in the Rustic catalog, since when else in my life would I be able to go overseas and not know my destination?
I'm so incredibly glad that I chose this trip, and that India was my destination. The culture was incredible, the people were kind and nicely talkative, and the food was absolutely fantastic. These held true for all of the locations we stayed at: New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. My personal favorite was Jaipur. Even though the heat was pretty similar to living inside a pizza oven (and I'm from south Texas, so no stranger to heat here), it was just a minor inconvenience. Jaipur had such an interesting feel to it--smaller than New Delhi but still plenty big. The food was an absolute highlight, doesn't matter what restaurant. Everything was great.
Basically, the only way you could go wrong with India (and Rustic Pathways) is if you hate good food, rich history, and having genuine conversations with people who want to learn about your culture (and vice versa). But, if you are like that, I bet you aren't browsing travel websites in the first place.

This experience was unique for me because I challenged and learn many things, since the fact that it was my first time traveling alone for three days but I enjoyed every moment of the trip because I knew since the very first moment that it was a unique experience. Words are not enough to describe all the experience because it was simply magic, knowing young people like you from different backgrounds and realities comparing things and finding similarities creating understanding between us.
The places that we visited were very beautiful and full of story, sometimes these stories reflected a reality of the country that impacts yourself and makes you reflect.
In resume this experience is unforgettable and incomparable, places and friends.Gracias!

I traveled through Rustic Pathways on two programs in Tanzania, spending a total of three weeks in the country. From the moment I got into the airport to when I landed back in the US I always felt like I was in very capable hands. My first program was focused on building infrastructure for a school on total Tanzania.While there we were immersed in the culture and made amazing memories. We were able to enjoy a wide variety of cultural activities from making traditional foods to learning how to build with mud while also interacting with the children. My second program focused on sight seeing through safaris in mainland Tanzania and traveling through Zanzibar. I saw sights I never thought I would see in my lifetime and had amazing experiences.

Going on a rustic pathways trip encouraged me to travel and learn about other countries. Going to Australia and actually working at the Australia zoo just reinforced my love for animals and wanting to major in a similar field during college. I’ve also made friends on this trip that I will have for the rest of my life. I got to experience things that I couldn’t have anywhere else. Our program leaders were also really nice, engaging, and always made sure we were having fun. I had so much fun and learned so much on my trip to Australia that I’m going to China this summer with rustic. I’m going to carry all these memories with me for the rest of my life. If you do go on this trip remember to just have as much fun as you possibly can. You will only get to experience this once in your life.

My Summer in Peru with Rustic Pathways was incredible. I was able to experience so many aspects of the culture, environment and people. Living with Host families gave me the chance to really see and understand the way people live there and to see how kind and generous they are. Seeing the textile factory and the Market showed me how the people in Peru work and gave me insight into their economy. Hiking and camping to Machu Picchu was breathtaking. The key factor in all of these experiences was the fun time that I had during each activity. The Program Managers and the other kids made every day fun and interesting. I made life long friendships. I saw amazing mountains, rivers, sunsets and the most stars I have ever seen in a night sky. Rustic Pathways exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable. I cannot recommend this trip enough.