Thailand Summer High School Programs with Rustic Pathways

I can only share my experience in case it can be useful to any parent that is considering Rustic Pathways as an option…. Don’t.

Rustic Pathways is -in theory- an attractive concept: cultural immersion in a foreign country tied with community service. Unfortunately, weather or not the experience ends up being a good one depends on a mix of variables: the size of the group, the types of kids that end up attending, and the capability of the guides assigned to supervise them. All these factors are unknown ahead of time and it all becomes a leap of faith. Our family learned the hard way that this company lacks consistency in their vetting capabilities. Therefore, any given trip is like rolling the dice.

My son first went to their program in Bali and had a great experience, which led us to sign him up the following year to a program in Thailand. The second ended up being disastrous. The group was detrimentally small, only 4 more kids. The age disparity was significant and unfortunately my son was on the younger side. He was paired with a much older roommate that continuously smoked pot and ended up providing it to the rest of the group. They would smoke at the hotel they were staying at under the alleged supervision of the guides. To make matters worse, during a day trip to the market, the same kid bought marihuana there. Again, the guides where in close proximity all the time yet remained oblivious.

Only 4 days into the trip, our son called us he was having a hard time with the peer pressure. We immediately found a way to get him on a flight back home. I spoke to the regional director and warned them about what was going on. After all, more than half of the trip remained. I made them aware of this particular kid that was providing pot to the rest of the group. To my surprise, they refrained from removing this kid from the trip, concealed this information from the rest of the parents and allowed the trip to go on as if nothing was happening. The only other time I heard from them was when I received a bill for additional expenses. Reimbursement was out of the question, not even partially.

I was left feeling very disillusioned but mainly disappointed at myself for having placed my trust in this company. I wanted my kid to be exposed to a new culture and in return he got exposed to pot for the first time. Their lack of response was irresponsible. I kept thinking about the other parents that never found out about this. Unfortunately I didn’t know who they were or how to contact them.

As a parent, I want my kids to explore the world. Life gets busy, work demands happen and I was so excited to find a travel program specifically for teens! Of course I was nervous, but I can’t say enough great things about Rustic from beginning to end.

Emily was amazing during the pre-departure process and answered my million questions!

The leaders are educated and awesome with the kids! They have a WhatsApp to keep us informed every step of the way. They meet the teens at the airport, send parents updates, and keep a great eye on all the teens traveling! I am excited that my daughter will be doing another trip this year :)

The program was ok. There was not a lot of elephant service to be honest considering that's what we paid for, but it was otherwise fun. We only spent three days at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and spent too much time in the three markets considering they have pretty much the same things. For a service trip, there wasn't enough service. However, the chaperones were very nice and helpful, and the food was very, very good.

I had a lot of fun on this trip and am so sad that it was only a week! Everyone was so cool and the leaders were really welcoming and fun. I also really loved the staff at the thai elephant conservation center. They were so friendly and I learned a lot from them. The service work was also really fun and it was nice that it was spread out between the days and wasn’t for too long because it was pretty hot. I also loved shopping at the markets and it was nice that we were trusted to go out on our own to shop.

My time in Thailand was unique, because we got to have some people from the Thailand elephant and some from places out of the US. Meeting people from all around and trying to learn some of there languages was one of my favorite favorite parts! I really liked that everyone was so easy to get to know and they were all open to do new thing like food, activities, and experiences. Thailand is definitely a place I can see myself coming back to and I loved it so much. I hope anyone who is thinking of going on this trip goes and tries it!! It’s amazing!

My rustic experience was life-changing. I spent 18 in rural thailand, the first half of my trip I spent in a small village in Mae Sariang and then we went to an elephant sanctuary for the second half. It was so incredible to see different ways of life and be able to help out in places of need. When I came home from this trip, I immediately felt like a different person. I have become so much more aware of the world and how important it is to be thankful for everything you are given. It is an incredible opportunity to be able to visit and help out people in different countries in need. My perspective on life has developed substantially and Rustic Pathways can take full responsibility for that. I would most definitely recommend this program or any rustic program.

This was by far the most unique experience I've ever had when traveling.

Traveling abroad with Rustic Pathways taught me that coming out of my comfort zone to trying new things and learning more about myself can really develop who I am. I learned about traditional Thailand culture and values all while being able to help the community.

One of the most rewarding parts of the travel was being able to assist those in Thailand. My personal highlight was being able to teach English to grade-schoolers on one of our last days there and it was a memory I'll cherish forever. Another lesson that they really emphasize is the importance and power of self-reflection. The team at Rustic gives you a couple of opportunities to reflect with each other and it helps build character development and also a stronger bond between everyone.

Program: Wonders and riches of south east Asia.

Great experience that was full of immersive opportunities. Travelled from Thailand, to Laos, to Cambodia, to Vietnam. Everywhere we went we got to see famous sights, but not only that, we truly got to learn more about different countries cultures whether that was trying individual delicacies or adventuring through the countryside. On one memorable day we took a bike ride through the Cambodian countryside. It was a hot day, but a truly unforgettable experience.
In Chiang Rai, Thailand, we spent one day at an elephant conservation center. We splashed around in the water with baby elephants and got to help make the elephant's food.
Ultimately, Rustic Pathways in south east Asia was an amazing trip that including a diverse offering of activities and experiences.