Program Reviews

Rustic Pathways changed my life and the way I see travel. In 2018 I traveled to Peru on RP’s La Niña Andina: Andes Women’s Initiative. Being one of only two guys on the trip I had no idea what to expect. As soon as the plane landed I new it was going to be incredible. The landscape was absolutely breathtaking and the local culture so rich and thriving. We went to a rural village for homestays, an experience which brings you so close with local culture and takes you to places you wouldn’t normally. In Morrocco, the culture was so different it was shocking. We taught lessons in a language none of us knew and that sense of accomplishment was the best feeling ever. The local children were so kind and made the village we stayed in feel like a new home. Because of Rustic Pathways, I now have homes all around the globe and ties with more people and places than I could ever imagine.

I have been lucky enough to travel to Thailand twice with Rustic Pathways. I have done both the Rustic Pathways Children's Home and Critical Issues Summit Programs. These were amazing experiences for me because I was able to make great friends with not only the students that I was traveling with, but the local ones as well. One of my good friends that I met during at the Children's Home lives in Thailand and was able to attend the Critical Issues Summit as well. Rustic Pathways does a really good job of ensuring that you are getting a true cultural experience. For example, the first week of the Summit was an immersion week where we did a homestay with the Radical Grandma Collective. We took bucket showers and used squatty potties and had the time of our lives experiencing a new culture. I can also ensure you that you will always feel safe on a Rustic trip. Every location and program is thoroughly vetted and tested and you will never be completely alone. There will always be a program leader nearby that you will be able to find at any point in time. The two Rustic trips that I did were truly life changing for me and they allowed me to fall in love with a new country and culture. I would wholeheartedly recommend a Rustic trip to anyone who asks.

The Moroccan Wanderer program was truly the most enriching, adventurous, and fun experience of my trips through Rustic Pathways. Every day of this trip entailed something completely new from the day before and the constant moving and exploring made it impossible to get bored. What made this trip so unique and special was the perfect balance of fun, community service, and educational opportunities that were given to us all throughout the trip. Although Morocco may seem like a dangerous country to some (and parents may be concerned about sending their kids there), I never felt like I was ever in any danger, moreover, I felt extremely safe all of the time and our leaders always made sure to use the utmost caution in order to ensure safety for us in every outing or activity. Morocco may seem like its main attraction is simply the Sahara Desert, but this trip entails so much more, including zip-lining through the mountains, surfing, hiking, and so much more.
Further, I made the most amazing friends on this trip and getting to be travel with these wonderful groups of people on Rustic Pathways truly makes the experience the best it can be. Morocco is an amazing country and Rustic Pathways enables students to experience it the way it should be experienced.

This trip was honestly so eye-opening. Not only did I have so much fun, but I was also able to experience a whole different culture. After this trip, I felt like the best way someone could learn about the world was travel. The trip leaders were amazing and really cared about the group and even though at the end of the day we were all so tired they kept giving us their 200%. I would really recommend going to Thailand with Rustic, I believe they offer experiences you cannot get anywhere else. This was my third year with them and I want to be a trip leader when I turn 21 because I find everything this organization does amazing. Travel with Rustic I promise you will have the most life-changing and fun summer ever. You are going to travel to another side of the world with an amazing group of people and create life-lasting memories.

Traveling to Peru was an amazing cultural experience. For our service, we helped bring potable water to a community in the Sacred Valley. We did manual labor to dig trenches and lay down the pipes, with the help of the homeowners and members of the community. Seeing the whole community work together to bring water to their neighbor’s house was so interesting to me, because even though I am friendly with my neighbors at home this was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The community brought us in and treated us like family, and seeing how grateful they were that we wanted to help them was a truly humbling experience. The food was probably the best food I’ve ever had, mainly chicken or beef with vegetables and soup. I also had the pleasure of trying alpaca, which was amazing, even though I was hesitant to eat it at first. Overall, the relationships I made with not only my group but also with Peruvian citizens is not something I could have ever experienced at home.

Traveling on the Big Fiji Explorer program was a remarkable experience that will never leave my heart. Fiji itself is filled with many charms such as beautiful mountains, crystal oceans, wildlife you name it (see pictures)! Another charm is the amiable nature of the Fijians: From the moment the flight lands in Nadi, the Fijians will welcome you like family. To the people of Fiji, you are not a stranger; we all bleed red so we must be family right? If you reciprocate this point of view, you will immerse yourself in a culture that is so distant from home and even learn about how you can enhance your life at home.
On the trip, day to day there was something new, exciting, and surprising. Those surprises will have to wait until you travel to Fiji. But something that lays beyond the charms of Fiji is the people you traveled with. Those are the people that will impact and inspire you. Going into the trip, my mind was locked on how beautiful this place would be, which it was. But I didn't even think about the people I would be meeting, and quite frankly, the people I met made this experience 10x more unforgettable. Rustic Pathways ensures that this happens, your group leaders will take you under their wings as if you are their own. Rustic Pathways allows their students to be themselves, which establishes an environment of pure happiness.
If you are hesitant about enrolling on a Rustic trip, don't be! It will forever change your life!

This past summer I took part in Rustic Pathway's BriBri Indigenous Culture and Service trip. The experience was truly unforgettable. While in Costa Rica I met new friends, went on adventures, and was able to give back to a native community. The trip provided the perfect balance of adventuring, learning, and helping. By going on a Rustic Pathways trip I was truly immersed in the pura vida lifestyle and got to learn local insider knowledge from my leaders. While on my trip I went river rafting, surfing, boating, and hiking. Additionally, we learned about medicinal plants, the unique Costa Rica ecosystem, and how to make cocoa butter and jelly. The service work that we took part in was centered around helping a native Costa Rican community, the BriBri. While staying in Yorkin, the town where the BriBri live, we helped paint a house for their school teacher to live in and we helped to build a greenhouse for their school. Although the service work was rewarding, the best part of staying in Yorkin was getting to know the locals. Their positive energy and acceptance was inspirational and their simple, community-driven way of life opened my eyes to a fresh perspective. If you are looking for a summer experience of adventuring, growing, and stepping outside of your comfort zone, I would highly recommend this program!

The time I spent in Cambodia and Thailand for the Critical Issues Summit was the best three weeks of my life. I never thought I'd meet such an amazing group of people and be able to actually make a difference in what we did on the trip. It was really enlightening learning about the problems that Southeastern Asian countries face, and to get to meet with NGOs and local governments and to be able to interview them was amazing. In the end, my group ended up winning $2,000 to continue our project that we started, which will hopefully help better the lives and economies of the floating villages of Cambodia. Overall, I couldn't have ever asked for a better trip, and the memories and friends I made will stay with me forever. If asked, I wouldn't change a thing about my experience with Rustic Pathways.

I loved my trip with Rustic Pathways. They allowed me to enjoy so many life-changing moments. I was able to become friends with people that I would never have met without them. I still keep in touch with these people very often. The leaders were nice and made the trip so much fun. It's crazy to me to reflect on some of the amazing memories I made on my trip. From playing cards with friends in the Amazon rainforest to sitting on the roof of a school in the Andes, my experience was amazing. I am so happy that I went on this trip, and I cannot wait to go on another one with Rustic Pathways. I got to meet so many new people and learn about different cultures. I enjoyed playing with the little kids at the school while they taught us all the new words in Spanish.

The people of Fiji are truly the most interesting people you will ever meet; they are kind, funny, and welcoming. You will also never meet a Fijian who cannot sing. Even though I was on the opposite side of the world, I always felt surrounded by my family. My program leaders made my experience even more special, as they became my family over the course of two weeks. Traveling with Rustic Pathways provided unique opportunities that would not have been available to me if I traveled with my family. I got to stay in remote villages and know the locals. I made many friends and I enjoyed getting to experience the lifestyle of many Fijians. We went to Somosomo, for instance, where I befriended many Fijian children. The people are not the only beautiful part of Fiji, however. Fiji's waters are the clearest I have ever seen, and the marine life is truly unique. Almost every single day we were swimming in the ocean, and we got to swim alongside manta rays and other extraordinary marine life (even though we got stung by many jellyfish). I cannot wait to return to Fiji and make more memories with the place and the people.