I was enrolled in the Mountain Air Village Service program. Overall the program was very enjoyable. I found the leaders to be very engaging and I enjoyed some very nice conversations with them. The volunteer work we did was hard work but the accomplishments felt tangible, since we finished the aqueduct the groups before us had also been working on. Seeing the water going through the entire thing and the reactions of the people who now had clean water was priceless and heartwarming. This trip was also great for meeting new people and it was really cool to meet people from all around the US and even a few from outside the US and just to connect with them. Overall this trip was very enjoyable and i’d reccomend it to anyone who is looking for an experience like this.

My 15 year old son went with Rustic Pathways on his first trip alone. We were looking for something easy to get to for a few weeks for his first adventure.
He had an amazing time! It seemed well organized and they had a nice balance between Service and other experiences in the community. I like the fact that the kids had to put away their electronics for the majority trip. I still had to get over having minimal contact, however.
At first my son didn’t feel comfortable speaking Spanish but by the end of the trip he felt more confident and was speaking Spanish to the locals. I really think that the work that they did, building an aqueduct felt meaningful to the kids and the locals.
There were many more girls than boys on this particular trip to the Dominican republic. By all reports, the trip was great! I only wish it was a little longer since he enjoyed it so much.

This program really opened my eyes to the life in the Bateyes, and public health in the DR. I have always been interested in nursing, and the medical field and so this trip immediately caught my eye. We stayed in this beautiful base house in San Pedro for 10 days, which was super helpful and nice to really unpack and make it like home. The house had a pool, 2 dogs, and 2 cats and beautiful architecture. One of the most impactful memories from this trip was the health workshops. For two days, we created fun games to teach kids basics on living a healthy lifestyle. We also gave them anti-parasite medication along with vitamins. I was in charge of weighing and measuring the babies which was precious. The kids were so excited to see us and play with us and they were so happy, even with the little that they had. The community service portion of the trip was also really incredible to experience. Making a big difference hands on, and seeing our effort making others happy is just a priceless experience. I learned a lot about myself and about the nurse I want to become. We also got our Wilderness First Aid training which was super fun and awesome to learn. We got to use makeup and fake skin and acted out scenarios to make it as realistic as possible. Overall this program was fascinating, and I learned A LOT. For anyone interested in medicine I strongly encourage you to go on this trip!

I was hesitant to sign up for my first Rustic trip, I had travelled alone before, gone somewhere where I didn't know anyone else, but this was different. I didn't know what to expect from a trip, even though they provided an itinerary, I was still in doubt. After thinking about what kind of service I wanted to provide, and where I wanted to go, how long I wanted to stay, I had finally decided to choose Island Living. This trip was only 9 days and left me wanting more. This was 12 hours of service with plenty of beach days, so you can soak up the tropical sun on your off days. You will learn a lot about the island as well as providing eco-service, you'll probably end up leaving the Dominican Republic in hopes that you actually start your sustainable garden in your backyard just like my whole group did. You may be hesitant at first, especially if you go alone (without a friend), but it just makes your group that much more special. You aren't exposed to any other support system other than the people around you, and they become your family in such a short amount of time. I still talk to most of my group, about 16 people were on my trip and thats the maximum. It may seem small, but in reality, it just makes getting to know each other easier. We all worked really well together and our group leaders were fantastic. They all have stories of their own, and my group leaders were some of the most outgoing and adventurous people I've met, definitely take the time to get to know them too, they'll teach you a lot.

Island Living was such an amazing experience and even if you don't choose to go to the Dominican Republic, I would highly recommend you choose a Rustic trip of some sort because the experiences are life-changing.

The people you meet, places you visit, foods you taste and things you do are all amazing. The DR is like no other place, the atmosphere was so lively, fun and energetic. It's a trip that can completely change you as a person and open your mind to so many new things. Also living with random people from all over of all different backgrounds, gives you the chance to learn about other places and their point of view. Just being unplugged and living in the moment, in such a beautiful place, is so relaxing.

SO GLAD I TOOK THE PLUNGE! I had been checking out service and adventure trip websites for two years before I finally went to the Dominican Republic with Rustic Pathways. Luckily, I had a friend that had been on two RP trips before me and had amazing experiences both times. Always great to hear good reports from other people!

My program "Life in the Bateyes" was a 16-day critical issues, service intensive program. Our service was split between building (homes and latrines) and working in a camp with kids from the Dominican. In both of these experiences - we worked with the MOST AMAZING, generous, warm, curious and truly grateful people you will ever meet.

Not only did we feel safe - we felt welcomed and loved! They were so truly grateful for the work we were doing and wanted us there. Only a couple of the locals are actually employed to help with the building project - but many would just show up because they wanted to be part of it all.

I was nervous going in, got sick from some of the local pizza and had a point in the trip that I really thought I wanted to go home. But I was so glad I stuck it out. Not only did I stay to the end, I wished it were longer, am already signing up for another trip next summer and am researching colleges with service semester abroad programs.

If you're on the fence about going - JUST DO IT! And pick a trip with a good amount of service hours. Our group got really close on this trip and I think a lot of it had to do with bonding through the work. We were so happy to reunite with our families at the airport but we lingered for an extra half hour just to get through the good bye tears with this new family of friends we made on this TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

The trip brought a lot of realizations to all of the participants. We were able to experience the life of the locals there and we were given an introduction to their culture. The campers we had taught us all different aspects of caring for each other and creating special bonds that we never thought we would learn in such a short time. I will never forget the day we said goodbye to our campers. The bonds and memories we made throughout the week had been so strong it brought us all to tears. After experiencing this trip, I have been inspired to start doing service trips to benefit the kids that we met and other kids in similar situations. Tips I would share are bring a journal to write down and reflect on the day, and never be afraid to share in group discussions or participate in group activities. Also, the climate is very hot and we wore a lot of pants so water and staying hydrated is very important.

Overall this program was a really great experience. It was awesome to have the opportuntiy to contribute to a good cause and see a new country, culture, and lifestyle. The activities we did after dinner were always really fun and helped the group come together! The staff, accommodations, and food were all great. The group I was in, was almost thirty students, which lead to lots of small groups and at times I felt very left out. I feel that if the group was smaller then everyone would have a better oportunity to get to know each other and the group wouldn't be as socially divided. Another thing I might change would be going shopping in a huge market. The last day of the trip everyone went to this huge indoor market which was very intimidating because people would hassle you to come into their store. Although it was nice to have freedom in this market, I feel that it was not the safest way to shop. Maybe go shopping on the streets near the world heritage site- it seemed a little more safe and less overwhelming. Other than those two flaws, I was really glad I went on this trip, it was an awesome experience to see a different part of the world!