Rustic Pathways Reviews

My dream since I was a little kid was to go to India, and I found out about Rustic Pathways when I was about 12. So I had two years of long waiting till I could go. And it was so worth it. The first day there was overwhelming, we got to India around 10 and I had to wake up a 2 30 am to fly to Kerala (where the great houseboat adventure is). I was stunned at the beauty of Kerala. Initially, I was not expecting the program to be much (I was originally only going to do The Lost Children of India, but I added Kerala just to get extra time in the country). God, I was wrong. Every morning, I would wake up around five and watch the sunrise from the upper deck of our houseboat. After breakfast, we trekked down to the school we were working at. Just standing there, you were already sweating ...so the working part was intense. But then the local boys started helping out and we ended up on the news and it was just so great. The kids were adorable, and even though they didn't understand most of our English, they got so happy whenever the got things right. My favorite part was working at the girl's home though. I brought a camera with me, and all the girls were obsessed! They were constantly dragging me around to take pictures and teach me dances and I genuinely felt like the wanted me there. Everywhere we went, people were smiling. I got to experience so much of the culture, as well as getting to help. Later, in Jaipur, we ended up on the news again! At a fertility festival!! My last day at the orphanage, I felt like crying. I didn't want to leave. The one thing I would say is, these trips require a certain level of maturity. I was the youngest on both trips at 14, most were 16 or 17. The leaders on the trips don't constantly check in on you and baby you, they treat you like adults (or at least mature teenagers) and expect you to be able to take of yourselves. They even set us free alone in the marketplace with just a meeting place and a time. Personally, I loved the independence, but some may not feel comfortable with that. Overall though, I would not trade this experience for anything and I'm soo excited to be doing Rustic again this year!!

My daughter went on the Come with Nothing trip to Thailand last summer, between her Junior and Senior year of high school. She went not knowing anyone, with only a small backpack on her back. When we said good bye to her at JFK airport she also had 102 degree fever but she wasn't going to let that stop her from embarking on this trip. This was not an easy trip, it was more of a journey, 3 weeks of discovery about other people, places, and what you are made of.
This trip challenged her intellectually, emotionally, and physically. To be completely immersed in such a different culture than your own and to be able to work alongside the villagers was such a growth experience. She got to live and work in 3 remote villages and also spent 2 weeks at an orphanage in Thailand.
I have another daughter, twins, who went on one of the India trips last summer as well. I wish they had taken the trip with Rustic earlier in her high school years so they could have done a couple trips.I wish they would do these trips for parents! I would love to take one too! These trips were life-changers, the company is fantastic, and my daughter have made friends that they will stay in touch with for life (my daughter has already visited two friends from these trip on her college visits).
I have recommended Rustic to anyone who will listen and I would send my kids anyone without a moments hesitation.

Upon discovering Rustic Pathways, this program was first on my list. After traveling to Costa Rica, I went on a "reunion" Rustic Pathways trip to Australia with the lifelong friends I made at the ecobase by Arenal Volcano ("Fire into Water"). Rustic Pathways unique "Star Alumni" program enabled us a cost-friendly opportunity to enjoy the service trip in Australia ("You, 'Roo, and Australia Zoo"), followed by a vacation trip in Fiji ("Escape to Fiji Islands")! It was amazing to travel to Australia with three people I met on the Rustic Pathways trip the summer before.

Emily Harney was an amazing and hilarious counselor. I absolutely adored her. I admired her ability to take the volunteer program seriously while having loads of fun. I sat in the front seat of the van next to her the entire week and she let me dj music for the rest of the group. I was a bit shy and older than other people on the group, so it was nice to feel close with the counselor. I was introduce to Tim-Tam Slams and practiced my Australian accent a lot on this trip!

The program itself was incredible. The base house was beautiful, overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains. It was so nice to relax after a hard day of volunteer work at the zoo. Food accommodations were made for those with special diets. I loved driving to and from the zoo every morning and was awe struck by kangaroos crossing the road instead of deer. At the end of the trip we spent a couple nights in a hostel in Brisbane which was a joyous experience. Here, we met Australian teenagers who entertained us with their accents!

Working in the zoo required me to follow strict rules and guidelines to ensure the safety of myself and zoo guests. The Australia Zoo is one of the world's most celebrated wildlife parks and it was important to support their professional image. The zoo works hard to foster people's love for animals in hopes that they will protect them. By being an official part of the Australia Zoo team I contributed to the education and wildlife conservation mission. The job required me to work diligently and cooperatively with others, communicate efficiently, show initiative, behave professionally and take pride in fulfilling the tasks I was given by zoo employees. Tasks included cleaning animal enclosures and working to maintain a clean and welcoming zoo appearance. I was educated on the animals in the zoo and encouraged to assist visitors in whatever way possible. This was a real service trip and more than just "playing with animals"...though of course we got to do that too! :)

On this trip I met my girlfriend who I have since been with for the last three years. She lived in San Francisco and I in Boston when we both travelled to Australia for the "You, a 'Roo, Australia Zoo" program. I had no idea that I would meet the love of my life in another country, and then move across the United States to begin a new life on the West Coast...but it happened! Thank you, "You, a 'Roo, Australia Zoo"!

My trip to Thailand with Rustic Pathways changed my life. But I guess you really can’t to go on such an extraordinary adventure and experience so many amazing things from half way around the world, and expect to return the same as the person you were when you left. There is so much to learn from different cultures and people that I feel I have truly grown as a person from experiencing them. It has given me a love for learning that I never had before; I am so interested in the world around me and want to do all I can to make a difference in it!
I met many great people and made close friends from all over the world while on my trip, and I still keep in touch with them today. I didn’t know anyone going into my trip, and I’m so grateful now, looking back, that I chose to go alone. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and I made new friends that I wouldn’t have if I had gone with my friends from back home. It has been especially helpful for me this year as Student Body President of my high school because I’ve already learned how to meet and talk to new people and find ways to serve them. I have learned what true leadership is, and that I can accomplish great things in this life! Traveling with Rustic Pathways has given me confidence in myself and a passion for service. I’ve found that I’m much happier when I’m helping others and thinking of their needs rather than my own. This has been useful as President to get other kids involved in serving so that they can feel the same great feeling that I do. It has inspired me to find ways to have an impact on other’s lives through serving them and being a positive role model.
One of my favorite things about Rustic Pathways is how well they combine meaningful service with a vacation of a lifetime! My trip was a perfect mix of service and adventure. You see what life is like for the people who live there as you work and serve among them, instead of just watching it through the eyes of a tourist. Rustic Pathways gets you into the natives’ homes, planting rice with the local farmers, and cooking meals for the elderly and sick. I have a whole new perspective of the country and culture through serving the people. I learned more, felt great about the work I was doing, and made a difference in others’ lives. For me, a service trip was the best thing because I didn’t want to travel all that way without doing something meaningful. I left a part of my heart in Thailand and I feel more homesick for Thailand than I did for home!
I have to say that of everything I miss about Thailand, the thing I miss the most is a seven year old orphan named Pah. We had the chance to visit and teach at a boys’ orphanage and work with the cutest kids in the world! We gave them balloons, which were a big hit, but probably not the best idea because soon I was being mobbed by thirty kids whacking me with balloons! I still look back on that day and can’t help but laugh. Pah and I were best friends from the moment we met. He was either in my lap, on my back, or hanging on to my legs the entire time we were there. I still think of him and wonder how he’s doing.
My Rustic Pathways trip was well planned, and gave me unique opportunities that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else. It was organized, but not overbooked. I can’t believe all that I got to do in just three short weeks! Reading about places in a textbook can only get you so far, but experiencing them for yourself is unlike anything else. Rustic Pathways has the BEST leaders who truly care about each student! They go above and beyond to get to know each student personally and make their trip extra special, just as they did for me. They are responsible and fun and I felt completely safe the whole time I was away from home.
My trip with Rustic Pathways gave me a new found confidence in myself and opened many new possibilities. It just plain made me pumped about life! Whenever I get down on myself and think I can’t do something, I just remember, “Wait a minute, Emily! You went on adventure half way around the world without knowing anyone. You got this!” I absolutely loved my trip with Rustic Pathways and I promise you that you will too. Thank you, Rustic, for taking me on the greatest adventure of my life!

My Rustic Pathways experience in Fiji last summer was beyond life changing. The staff is an incredible group of people that are always making sure that you are having the best experience possible. The other kids get super involved in their programs and take what they're there to do very seriously. Everyone was dedicated to their programs and went above and beyond to make sure that all the work got done on each site we visited. I absolutely loved my experience in Fiji and if I wasn't too old, I'd go back again in a heartbeat. This is a program that if you have the means to go on it, you should go. I've never had a more life changing experience and I know the things I learned about myself in Fiji will stay with me forever.

I went on the Thailand Come With Nothing trip this summer and it was literally the best experience of my life! I loved that we were truly able to immerse ourselves in the culture and live with the locals. I loved that we saw parts of the country that were not normally seen by tourists and that we were able to serve each village separate depending on their needs. I do wish thought that each service project in the villages were a little bit more organized. in our first village, we built something that resembled a bridge for the community and i felt that the community need something much more worth while. I also wished that we were educated a little bit more on each of the places we visited so that we could make every new experience worth while. I also spent 2 weeks at the Hill Tribe Orphanage! I loved that we were able to live amongst many amazing karen children from the surrounding villages and chat and hang with them in close quarters. the group dynamics were great and we were truly able to connect through team building activities. I don wish though that we had less down time and more scheduled activities with our Thai buddies, although I had a great friendship with my Thai buddy after the two weeks, it did take some time and since many kids are only at the orphanage for one session, it would be worth it to add some other activities to help everyone get to know each other. While I was at the orphanage, i was able to teach tap lessons to the kids at the school. That opportunity truly meant the world to me and I cannot thank David Elbot and the teachers at the Bann Rai School for helping me make that dream happen.

My trip to Thailand was the greatest experience I could have ever had!The Rustic Pathways staff were so funny and I felt welcomed by them. I made so many friends from all over! Age, size, and color did not matter on this trip. We were able to express ourselves.I've never laughed as much as I did in Thailand. In the program we did a whole variety of different things to greater the community.We helped plant rice in a rice field, helped deliver food to local Thai people, went to the local schools on many occasions to help teach English like signs on a road and little sayings. We also helped teach swimming and helped the school by painting a mural! The most exciting part was in the boys orphanage. I have never seen so many happy little boys in my life! They were right when when they said Thailand is the land of smiles.I learned a lot about myself as well as others and a lot about Thailand, the land of smiles.

Was incredible. I learned so much about sustainable living while staying at the ecobase by Arenal. The food was incredible and I met lifelong friends on this trip. The hot springs in town were also amazing!

For my Sweet 16 present, I got to go to Thailand with Rustic Pathways for 10 days and train elephants! It was the most amazing experience and I would recommend it to anybody! My goal in wanting to travel to a different country was to learn a new way of life and see how other people in the world live since I feel like we take many things for granted here in America. I got exactly when I was looking for when I got to Thailand and I loved every single minute of it. From the amazing new food and culture, to the elephants, which were absolutely amazing, to the living arrangements, which were cabin-style dorm rooms, I had the best time ever. I made lifelong friends and the counselors that were with us were all amazing and they all had great stories to tell. At the Elephant Conservation Camp in Lampang, we would wake up every morning at 7am, put on our mahout suits and go into the mountains to get our elephant and then would would ride them down into the lake to bathe them. This was my favorite time of the day because it was refreshing for us and you could tell that the elephant absolutely loved it too! We would then ride them to the main camp and we would do a different activity each day whether it was going to the elephant nursery or hospital, or even the elephant show to watch them paint and play music! Each day was a new adventure and it was the most fun I have ever had! I would do it again in a heart beat!
If anyone has any questions about the program or anything, feel free to email me at julz0896@aim.com! :)

I did the elephant program in Laos along with the " Wonders and Riches of Southeast Asia". Both of these were very different trips and I liked them for different reasons. I have been back to Laos on various Rustic Pathways trips over the last three years and loved each of them. Rustic has a smaller program in Laos, which allows for smaller groups of students and more focused goals: a key aspect for positive experiences.
The local staff are warm, fun, and knowledgeable. The programs give you a taste of everything. From fun and shopping in Laung Prabang, to riding elephants in the Mekong River, and to riding boats four hours to a far off village. They offer a plethora of experiences for any type of traveler.