Rustic Pathways Reviews

I traveled with Rustic all through my high school years and it shaped who I am today. Although, at times, I found it difficult to mix with other students, got bored of tourism, and wanted to interact way more with the locals, this program is amazing.
You will meet people from all over the world, and if you just listen they can teach you so much.
Chose your program carefully and make sure if fits to what you want and ask other people who have done the trip about their opinions.
Overall an experience that will change your life if you let it.
:-)

It is difficult to describe my experience in Tanzania in words. It was a wonderful, life changing trip. Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is one of my greatest accomplishments and I am grateful that the Rustic Pathways staff and other students were able to help me summit the mountain and reach my goal.The trip enabled me to challenge myself intellectually and physically. The staff members engaged the students and encouraged them to participate in activities even if they were not scheduled activities. For example, one of my trip leaders on the Culture in the Crater trip led runs through the villages almost everyday after we finished our tasks at the school. The runs were especially memorable because I saw a different part of the village than when I visited the school. I believe that the flexibility and openness of the trip leaders helped completely emerge the students in the culture.

I really enjoyed being in the village of La Jagua because it was a life I hadn't experienced before. I really wanted to help build the aqueduct and I did, but I would've liked to work on it a little more. I did love the dance classes but I was expecting to be able to do a little more work when I signed up for the trip. I loved the expeditions to Rancho Baiguate and also white water rafting. The staff was awesome! The living arrangements were ideal and I loved having a local cooking all of our meals because it was truly part of the cultural experience. Overall, it was a great experience.

The program I went on was simply amazing. There are no other words to describe it. It changed my life truly. I got to meet so many people and got to explore such a different culture than mine. It just blows you away to see what life beyond the tip of your nose is. Yes, they are pricey, but compared to other High School Summer programs, they aren't at all. Plus, they have scholarships available. And in all honesty, the VALUE of this trip is way beyond a couple thousand dollars. It teaches you to be grateful and gives you a sense of global awareness. I'm so glad I went on a Rustic trip and I am so excited to go on one again this coming summer.

Inexpensive, made tons of friends, the service part was rewarding, loved the leaders. Would absolutely recommend. I had a great time and will never forget it! Rustic Pathways totally knows what they're doing

Rustic Pathways in general is amazing. My trip to Australia seriously couldn't have been any better. The trip leaders were awesome and were really great at making sure everyone was comfortable and having a good time. There was never a dull moment and there was constantly something fun and new to do. I went on the Tropical Reef and Rainforest and You a Roo and Australia Zoo trips and it was amazing. Meeting all the new people in such new places was definitely the highlight.

My daughter went on a Rustic Pathways to Thailand. Before the trip, I called to be sure it was safe & the owner called me promptly to reassure me. Subsequently, my 17 year old was on an excursion to visit a remote shrine & the 2 vans left without her!! They neglected to do a head count, and did not know she had been left behind. They had never given her any info on how to reach her group leader in an emergency. She did not have her passport with her nor even more than a few dollars. It was only because she kept her wits about her and found someone to take her to the police station in the next town that she was able to log on to their computer and ultimately re-connect and have someone come get her. They never even realized she was missing! This is absolutely a true story. As a parent, I was horrified when she called to tell me. Please note that when I called them to complain, the owner never returned my call. I counted the days until she was safely home, let me tell you.

I went on the two and a half week highlands service trip when I was in high school (2005 I think?). It was my first big international trip and an incredible experience. The staff were extremely friendly and competent at handling the group dynamic and travel logistics at the same time. There was a great balance of activities to stay busy and time to relax and enjoy the beautiful Fijian scenery. I would be extremely confident in recommending RP to students or to parents both in terms of the quality of the experience and the safety/professionalism of the staff.

I don't think I have ever connected and had as much fun with kids in my life. Even with a language barrier, I still made best friends for life that I will definitely one day have to go back and see once again. Monks and Rustic Pathways staff were amazing, food was incredible, and everything about Cambodia that we saw made me crave more experiences exactly like it. I think I learned more in my 11 days in the State then a whole year at school. Just simply breathtaking!

Everyday I was able to wake up to an unreal seen. I love every minute from surfing in Uvita to when we would play soccer with the local school children. I was able to help give back by adding on the local school so they would have more classrooms. We even spent a beautiful day out in the jungle visiting and SWIMMING in unreal waterfalls. All of the staff member were amazing and became more than a friend by the end of the trip. By the end of the trip it wasn't uncommon for everyone to consider our group as a family who just got to have the best time of our lives.