Program Reviews

Over the summer I went to Thailand for a month and participated in the Intro to Community Service and Children's Home and Elephant Sanctuary programs. Putting together both trips complimented my experience by exposing me to difference kinds of culture and service work. I loved learning how to build homes from the ground up, teach young children how to swim, learn Thai, take care of an elephant (my elephants name was Tongtae and I miss her so much), get to know Thai students my age and share stories, and see part of the world I've never seen before. In the beginning, I was nervous for this trip because I was going without my friends across the world and had never done something so independent. However, once I arrived and got settled I had the best time! Almost everyone on the trip was in the same position as me and we all bonded immediately. Stepping out of my comfort zone was a unique and crucial lesson and has become part of who I am today. My trip is something I wish everyone could have the opportunity to do because it was life changing and something I will remember always.

I was very excited to be the test group for this program! Vietnam was one the most beautiful places I have ever been. People living in the USA have this misconception that it is this dangerous place. When the word Vietnam comes to mind, people can not get past war however, there is so much more to this magical country than what is seen from the blind eye. One thing that I loved about this trip was that we got to experience city life, village life, jungle life and boat life! I was able to learn a lot about the history and rich culture that Nam has to offer through various museums and pagodas that we got to visit. It was really cool for me to take what I learned from AP World History and see it in real life.
Our first stop in Hanoi was super cool. Walking through the capital city, I was overwhelmed with the different cultures that are all so incorporated into one place. The smell of the Vietnamese cuisine consisting of pho, different meats and fruit smoothies. Seeing and smelling these things while adventuring through the tiny, extremely crowded streets with moped drivers that do not obey traffic laws in the slightest, is what made me so excite for what else there was to come.
Next, we got to spend a week in a village which was my favorite. Our week consisted of mixing and making concrete by hand to pave a road along with working in the corn fields. This was the time where we really got to make connections with the people and eat amazing food!
Our third stop was Ninh Binh. We stayed at a beautiful Eco Lodge and got to visit pagodas, see beautiful scenery and take a hike as well as a bike tour! This was for sure one of the highlights of the trip because of the beautiful scenery. Also, we got to drive to a local village and plant rice in the rice fields! It was incredible.
Ha Long Bay was where we got to stay on a junk boat. It was the best way to close out the trip, making great memories with friends and swimming in the blue water surrounded by mountains. We got to go out and kayak as well!
Finally, we went back to Hanoi. We went to a ceramics village and got to make our own pottery which was amazing. We also got to see a water puppet show and shop in the night markets!
Overall, this trip was phenomenal. I would 10/10 recommend it to anyone who is ready to jump a little bit outside their comfort zone.

Going to the Dominican Republic is a truly amazing experience. It was by far the best two weeks of my summer and I have met friends that I will have for a lifetime. We took part of many educational activities, but we had so much fun. Service was balanced perfectly with fun activities. We worked hard but we would always look forward to coming back to our base house and swimming in the pool, or playing with the dogs. We visited beautiful beaches and spent a day touring a major city. The trip was the perfect length of time and at the end we all wanted to stay longer. The accommodations were very comfortable. The program leaders were so fun and were one of the best parts of the whole trip. I would completely recommend taking part in this enriching experience.

The program that i did was marine life and costal restoration which was focused on cleaning up the beaches and helping out a local nonprofit. I was really nervous going into the trip but as soon as I met the other people in my group, I was really excited because everyone was so cool. Our trip leaders were really friendly and helped you with any issue you could have had, and they made sure everything was really safe for us. The trip was 16 days long, and even though it wasn’t that much time, my whole group bonded and become so close and we had the best time together. The travel process was really easy because of all the instructions and procedures that the the trip leaders follow, so that wasn’t stressful at all. This trip was the one of the highlights of my summer and I loved it so much that I’m going on another trip with rustic pathways again this summer! I 10/10 recommend doing one of these trips because of how meaningful the work is that you do, and you reflect back on the trip knowing that you made an impact somewhere and tons of fun doing it too!

I began my trip to Costa Rica with the mindset of saying yes to everything. I did not want to miss out on any opportunity I could have while I was there. I went on every hike, even hikes where only 4 of us went on in the rain, did every activity, and was always helping out. I think the best way to go into a trip would be by following that mindset. By saying yes to everything I got so much out of the trip and would not change it for the world. Also, I went in wanting to make new friendships that would last a lifetime. I made so many friends from all over the United Sates and even from other countries. I still keep in contact with these people all the time as well. It might seem scary to go away from your parents and go on a trip, but it was such a great experience and everyone there was great. The counselors are so fun and help you out with everything and anything and are always looking out for you. I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone looking for adventure and looking to make an impact on someone and something bigger than themselves.

This trip is truly the best one rustic has to offer. Not only did I go to 4 different countries in a month, but I experienced unforgettable and life changing experiences. The people and organization of the program allowed it to run seamlessly while still allowing us to have input on what we want to do. The cultural immersion in the home stays and just living in Asia for an entire month gave me the opportunity to change the way I look at a lot of things in life. Not only regarding wealth but also who I am as a person. The people are genuinely happier than the majority of America and yet they live with so little materialistic goods. I have learned to shift my source of happiness from consumer goods to experiences and the people around me. I honestly believe that I have grown as a person since attending this trip.

Rustic Pathways is the most amazing program you could ever go on a trip with. Even though you are there to be helping with the communities, they always make you their first priorities. On the first day when you get there, they have a one on one talk with each person individually so they can do whatever they can to help make your trip goes smoothly. Everyday they make sure that you have enough food and water and you having fun is always their first priority. Rustic Pathways introduces you to people from all over the world and gives you some of your best friends. They help you to step out of your comfort zone to try new things that you wouldn’t be able to experience back home. Whether I was doing service work or jumping out a plane I was always having the best time. Overall, Rustic Pathways has given me the best summers and the most incredible experiences of my life.

I went to Fiji with Rustic this past summer (2019), along with Thailand in 2018, and can say with confidence that Big Fiji Explorer was the absolute best program I could have picked. The group was 18 people, which was the perfect size. The itinerary provided online was almost perfectly reflective of what we did on the trip, which was wonderful. Another thing that is nice about Fiji trips is the wide variety. My trip was a travel trip, meaning we didn't stay more than 3 nights in a row at the same place. This was, we saw a larger portion of the island and were immersed in several different communities. However, some people (first time or younger travelers, for example), might be more comfortable staying at one central location. The base house programs, mainly community service-based, are perfect for that! There are options all around.

I spent this past summer in Fiji on a two week service program. Those two weeks were some of the most powerful and meaningful weeks I've ever had. Throughout my time in Fiji, I built houses and animal pens, painted a school, and formed relationships with local kids. One of the best parts of this program was the wide variety of opportunities I had in terms of service. It was so hard to get bored being that every morning I'd wake up to a new task. Looking back on all I did, I am amazed at all of the new things I learned. Getting to experience living in an environment extremely different from my own was eye-opening and made me appreciate all I have. In addition, the kids who participate in the program are from all over the U.S. and getting to create these relationships is so valuable. I am still in touch with all of the friends I made and look to them for guidance and comfort when my friends at home are not providing that for me. Finding a program in which you can learn, help, socialize, and step out of your comfort zone is not an easy thing to do. In all of the programs I have done through Rustic Pathways, I have always felt as though I got each of these components out of them and I continue to come back every summer.

I've spent my past two summers traveling with Rustic Pathways to three different countries, Costa Rica, Fiji, and Australia. Each one was incredible and unique in their own way. Through Rustic I have been so lucky to get to know and love people from all over the world. As cliche as it sounds, I came back from each trip a new person.

Fiji was something special though. I had dreamed about going to Fiji since I was in fifth grade and this summer that dream became a reality. From the second we stepped foot in the airport we were greeted with a big BULA!!!! I knew this trip was going to be a good one.

The Base House: Staying at the Base House was so cool because we got to meet and interact with so many kids outside of our program, not to mention it was beautiful. There is so much to do there that it's impossible to get bored! I found joy and value in everything I experienced.

The people: The people I met on this trip are definitely what made it so memorable. Our program leaders were some of the coolest people I've ever known and they made us feel so welcomed right away. We were also so lucky to have had several local rustic program leaders at the base house with us. I became extremely close with one in particular, Lolou. We still keep in touch! The locals in Fiji were the most kind-hearted, generous people I have ever met. Every single person wore such a genuine smile and authentically went out of their way with a big 'Bula' everywhere we went. The kids!!! The highlight of my trip was the kids club in Momi Village. I have never experienced a level of complete and utter joy as I did during my time interacting and playing with the children in the village.

The love and compassion the people of Fiji have for others is something that will resonate with me forever. They live each and every day with gratitude and they taught me that's it's not always about where you are, it's about who you're with.

Community Service: I chose the Intro to Community Service program because I wanted to help the community as much as possible and also experience the Fijian culture, the lifestyle, and to explore the beautiful island. The community service we did touched on a little bit of everything and I can say with all my heart I loved it all. We took part in a beach cleanup, we worked on home improvement projects, had the blessing of working in kids club, we did meal prep for a women's shelter and also worked on a school. Besides the kids club, I loved doing the meal prep for the Navakai Hart women's shelter. We first walked about 5 minutes from the base house where we met our host for the day who has been doing meal preps for the women's shelter for years. She talked to us about the women's shelter and why she does what she does. It was heartfelt and inspiring. Every single person in my group was so excited to make and deliver the food. The women at the shelter were beyond grateful for us and the food we had prepared. Our stay there wasn't long, but the impact they had on us will be.

Activities: We did a wide variety of activities. Island hopping was definitely the most memorable. Getting to go to cloud break was one of the coolest things I have ever seen/experienced. We also went to a hot spring, hiking through Fijis only national park, learned clay making, walked around downtown, went to a local market, stargazed (the stars in Fiji are like a dream), hung out at the beach, and so many other little things in between community service and at the base house.

I talk about Fiji so much and so often I think my friends are just a little sick of it...lol. But that's what this trip will do to you. It will leave you with lifelong connenctions, an endless amount of unforgettable memories, lessons and experiences that speak to your heart, and a love/hate relationship with Kava. This trip will be something you can't stop talking about. Your heart will ache and you'll want to go back. The people, the culture, the beauty....Fiji is simply unforgettable.