Rustic Pathways Reviews

I loved Namaste India this summer because of the amazing things we did in Southern India. One area we stayed in was Munnar, it is a beautiful area with a colder climate but amazing tea plantations. The hotel we stayed in was isolated in the mountains, with the clouds dropped low. The best part of being in Munnar was getting to visit a local village, where many of the citizens used to be nomad travelers but overtime decided to settle down. The village in Munnar was small, most things were handmade and the rest was things that were traded in the market. Even though I really enjoyed seeing the plantations, museum, village and martial arts in Munnar, there were some things I wasn't fond of. Thanks to Rustic Pathways, and my trip leaders, Divya and Meg, I got to experience something special; getting an inside view of Indian culture. The RP online site prepared me very well for a packing list, I packed exactly what I should have. I do wish someone would have told me to bring a bag that could be a duffel with wheels, and not to pack too many pants. I wished I wouldn't have packed so many pants because I did end up by a BUNCH of pants and I ended up not wearing the pants I brought to India.

During my two week trip to Costa Rica I made so many friends that I'll have for a really long time. I'm from a really small town and this trip gave me an opportunity to see people, animals, and culture that I otherwise would not have been able to see. Rustic pathways takes you to places and to do things that tourists don't normally do. A moment that really stuck out to me was one day we were eating lunch at a restaurant in La Fortuna and I happened to be seated at the end of the table. The restaurant was really open and had big doors to the street in the front. Just sitting there watching people go by in their daily lives in a culture that is so different from my own was so amazing. It made me realize that people are so different and it's actually a really good thing. I feel like sometimes I forget that and this trip helped me open my eyes to what is out there and all the things there are to do and people to become friends with.

I went on this trip expecting to see some exciting sights, try some new food and maybe meet some cool people, but that was just the beginning. I chose to go on the Namaste India trip because I felt as if I would get to see the most out of India but at the same time have opportunities to really experience each sight we went to. This trip does contain a lot of time in commute and at first it's dreadful but once you make friends, bus rides become two hour sing alongs and intense games of "I spy." It is important to remember to bring a pair of speakers if you have them because everyone will be thanking you two hours into a six hour bus ride.Traveling with companies whose staff lives in the country you are traveling to, opens up a unimaginable amount of once in a lifetime opportunities. Pretty much everyone who travels to Agra Fort rides the elephants to the top and then looks around, but on this trip we had the memorable opportunity to take a quick five minute bus ride down the street and paint elephants who would be attending a wedding in the following hours. You also get to stay on a house boat for two nights on this trip and since our trip leader knew the owner of the house personally, we were allowed to climb to the top of a two story boat and jump off the roof. This might not seem like much but being able to say that you "jumped off the roof of a house boat and into the arabian sea" is pretty cool. The language barrier is not a big deal on this trip since most Indians that you interact with do speak English and if they don't, your tour guide is always a yell away. It's important to keep an open mind on this trip since Indian culture is far different than Western culture, and as long as you do, you'll have a phenomenal trip.

I don't even know where to begin! My trip to Costa Rica this past summer was by far the best trip I've ever been on, it was truly eye opening. We got to surf almost everyday and we got to do community service. I'm not just saying this to sound good, but the community service was one of my favorite parts. We went to a village in the town of Uvita and assisted families in poverty. We helped them by building/ repairing their homes. We painted rooms for them and we even built a filtration system for one of the houses. The people were so thankful for the work we did and it felt so good to be able to help. Before this trip like a normal teenager I definitely took things for granted, wether it was having my own bed to sleep in, food on the table every night or shoes to wear on my feet it was the little things I didn't realize I was lucky to have until I went on this trip. Another thing I really enjoyed was meeting new people. At first I was kinda nervous I was going to get there and have no friends but I was complelty wrong, as soon as a passed through security at the airport and checked in at my gate I had already made friends and when we got to the base house it was like we were a family after only hours of knowing each other. I could go on and on about how great my trip was but you would end up reading a novel so I'm going to stop here.

I traveled with Rustic Pathways in the summer of 2013 on their Off the Map: Mongolia program and felt thoroughly impacted, inspired, and changed by the experience. It was a one of a kind experience that was by no stretch of the imagination glamorous- we spent most of the trip traveling in a Soviet era van or on horseback, and living with nomadic, traditional families- but it was authentic, and left me feeling fascinated by the country, people and culture. The best part for me was meeting and experiencing the hospitality of Mongolian nomads, who were happy to share their way of life with us foreigners. When we arrived at one family's ger camp in a rain storm, they welcomed us into their family ger for the night, preventing us from having to set up our tents in the rain. The ger- a one roomed, sturdy tent-like structure that is probably smaller than your bedroom, made up their house and living quarters in entirety, but they were kind enough to share this personal space with us- complete strangers. Overall, I would recommend this trip to anyone who is adventurous, and interested in learning about a completely different way of life. It will challenge your understanding of "happiness", and will leave you fascinated with this beautiful country.

Service in the Clouds (literally - IN THE CLOUDS!)
After the end of our 14 hour drive from New Delhi, someone in my car screamed "Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. LOOK. LOOK!" We were all so tired and delusional that we didn't react. He was FREAKING out. I decided to take a look out the window at this "most beautiful sight in the world." I didn't see anything. That is, I didn't see anything at first. Once I really looked, I saw THE "most beautiful sight in the world:" The Himalayas. The reason I couldn't see them upon first glance was because I hadn't looked up. I looked out like I do when admiring mountains in the US. These mountains were up high and they didn't look like mountains at first. I thought they were clouds. But after squinting my eyes I saw the faint line of the peaks of the Himalayas. My eyes were glued to the window of the car until we made it to Balla where that sight would be my backdrop for the next 2 weeks...

-Balla: eating; digging; carrying; mixing; chai tea; digestive cookies (I didn't get sick-luckily- but most others in my group did); dance classes; yoga; eating; napping; cow selfies; human knot; meditation

-McLeod Ganj: tuk-tuk rides; eating momos; teaching my Tibetan language partner; learning from her; listening to the stories from Tibetan refugees and learning how they remain so positive and loving; eating; shopping; avoiding eye contact with monkeys; walking barefoot in the temple of the Dali Lama

**IDNIAN FOOD IS THE BEST FOOD EVER**

Dancing Bears

-Agra: mashing mangos for sloth bears; picking up elephant poop (not as gross as it sounds!); hand-washing rescued elephants; creating enrcihment activities for the bears; eating; cooking; dancing, singing, and playing the local instruments in a former snake-charming village

On my trip to costa rica i had the time of my life. I saw things I've never seen before and met a ton of new friends i still keep in touch with from all across the country. I learned about the culture in Costa Rica and how to help a community thrive. Overall it was a wonderful trip through Rustic Pathways.

This trip is adventure packed and visits multiple once in a lifetime destinations. The highlights were scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, bungee jumping, climbing Ayers Rock, and climbing the sydney harbour bridge. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

I did the Tribal Issues Program with Rustic Pathways. It was one week in Thailand and one week in Burma.
I recommend this program to anybody interested in journalism, video, photography, or just somebody that is intrigued to hear a different perspective from people of another culture.
We interviewed/visited various people/places in both countries. We went to NGO'S, schools, interviewed a the head man of the village, monks, Burmese teenage immigrants living in Thailand to get an education (their stories were heartbreaking but so incredibly inspiring). We even interviewed people at the local border market, a tomato farmer, local families, so may people with first-hand stories that will amaze you.
The living conditions are great for the most part, in hotels (the beds are hard but that is common in SE Asia and it just part of the experience!). The home stay in Thailand was a great experience. The families all loved having us and I felt at home with them. The staff was incredible so supportive and helpful whether it be with the history of a country or revolution, journalism techniques, or video. They were also on top of all medical issues big or small.
I would recommend Rustic really to anyone because they have so many different programs for people with different interests. Also, Southeast Asia is just a great place to travel to because of the beautiful places full of rich history and the people you will meet that will change the way you define happiness.

My time in Thailand with Rustic was unforgettable. It was my first time out of the states ever. I felt incredibly safe and immersed in the culture all at the same time during my entire trip. Every day I learned something new or had a new interaction with a local or elephant. I got to go to the children's home, teach at locals schools, visit a refugee camp, go white water rafting, try new food, go to an elephant retreat, visit local markets, learn to make bamboo products, weaving, learn Thai culture, and so much more. I can't explain how much this trip has impacted my life and the way I see the world.