Summer High School Programs in Thailand with Rustic Pathways

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.

Over the summer I went on a 26 day trip to Thailand and Laos with Rustic Pathways. I did the “Come with Nothing” program and it was the best thing i’ve ever experienced. Rustic Pathways made me feel safe and cared for throughout the entire duration of the program. We spent our time in the villages and lived with Thai families. Almost every day we had service. The service was challenging but it was worth every single second. Nothing will ever beat the fulfillment that you get from seeing your hard work truly pay off. The Rustic staff and the other kids in my group became my second family. I never expected to love a group of people so quickly. I would recommend and and all Rustic trips if you want to create amazing and life changing memories!

I went to Thailand this past summer to work with the Thai Elephant Conservation center and to explore Thailand. I went on the Elephant and amazing Thailand program. On this trip I explored my love for animals and the environment. I loved working with the mahouts helping bathe and feed the elephants. My favorite memory was giving my elephant, Pratita, a bath in the lake while my mahout splashed me with water.and I made incredible bonds with the mahouts and my elephant. Continuing my trip by exploring Thailand I was emerged into a new and exciting culture while making long lasting friends. I loved seeing the temples and trying new foods. I even tried friend bugs! I made amazing friends that I am still close with. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging.

My program was unique because it was specifically designed for wilderness first aid education and at first this made me think that it was a better suit for students who are interested in medicine. This was something that made me nervous at first because I don't want to study medicine in future :) However, as I went to Thailand and got to know the project and my friends better, I have understood that not only this program makes you love medicine, it also reminds its participants that WFA is an education that everyone needs to get, regardless of whether they are medicine students or not. Therefore, I advise the future participants to not feel insufficient for this program if they are not interested in medicine, because as a student who has her own WFA certificate right now, I feel really proud for challenging myself to do something that I had considered as boring in past. Also, one of the best things about this program was that we turned a disadvantage into an advantage. Normally, less people prefer these kind of projects that are focused on specific areas, such as WFA. Our program consisted of only 9 people, including me, while other community service programs could go up to 40 people. With expectations to meet a lot of people from all around the world, at first I was disappointed. However, later on, I have seen that not only this was a chance to get to know your friends more closely, it also made our connections much more lasting and intimate. Spending a full week with 8 people was a chance for me to get to know everyone of them closely and build stronger friendships. This taught all of us the importance of friendships and once again reminded us to appreciate how this program brought us together, since we are still in contact :)

This past summer, I spent 2 amazing weeks in Thailand. In the first week, I learned about the gender equality issues in Thailand through talking to professors, NGOs, and homestay in the country. The second week, we were in the Rustic base house where we met with people from Vietnam and Cambodia and learned about the topic they focused on which we later formed groups and created our own projects.
These 2 weeks have been lifechanging in many ways. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried things I've never tried before. This trip also made me see the problems that we have more clearly and gave me a better idea of how I can help in my own way. It expanded my horizon and gave me the chance to see things from other people's perspectives as well.
I also loved how the group was really international and I was able to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds and formed some lifelong friendships during this trip.

I have traveled with Rustic Pathways for two consecutive summers. They have simply been the best summers of my life. First I traveled to Australia where I was able to work in the famous Steve Irwin Zoo. This past summer I traveled to Thailand. While I was there I met some of the most amazing people and creatures. Although I love the luxuries that I take for granted every day such as air conditioning, comfort foods, and wifi, I did not miss them a bit on this trip. Rustic does not lie when they say that they will get the student on the trip fully enveloped into the local culture. Although for some it might sound gruesome, it is something that I honestly am very blessed to have been a part of. I firmly believe that without some of the people I have met and the experiences that I have had through Rustic, I would not be the person I am today.

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.

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.

Going to Thailand was the most rewarding experience of my life. I went to the Marine and Rainforest Conservation program. I learned so much and had so many unforgettable experiences that have changed my outlook on life. I got to connect with the locals and discover how they were approaching their conservation efforts and help them. Every day was jam-packed full of exciting and rewarding activities. I got to experience so many different aspects of the culture that was new to me while also learning about the ecosystem there and most importantly having a blast. Being on this trip felt like a personal paradise. The food was incredible. The staff was incredible (shout out to PiNeNe and PiSonia). Every experience was incredible. The people at the homestay were incredible too. At the homestay, I stayed with Bang Doni and his wife and got to spend time with his adorable daughter NaNa. Two kids who lived in the village, Nai and Apun also accompanied us on many of our activities. (They both play a mean game of volleyball too) The time I got to spend with the villagers was my favorite part of the trip which I was not at all expecting. I also loved the jungle hikes, beach clean-ups, river rafting, and the elephant sanctuary. Overall, this program was the best time of my life and I would give anything to go on this trip a second time.

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.

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.

I traveled to Thailand over the summer for 3 weeks. First, I did the Community Health Trip. I got my wilderness CPR certification and gained real world medical experience. I was able to volunteer in a small village in Thailand where I screened for diabetes and hypertension. Along with great leaders and friends made, this trip further my desire to work in the medical field. Directly after, I did the Southeast Asian adventurer. I learned about culture in Thailand and got to visit some tourist attractions in Thailand and Laos. Some of the highlights of my trip were, going to an elephant sanctuary, white water rafting, hiking and zip lining, and going to the beach. Although the journey to Thailand is very long, I really enjoyed my trip and would highly recommend it.

Ever since my older sister first traveled with Rustic Pathways in 2013 and told me of her fun and rewarding experience, I had been eagerly awaiting my turn to make lasting memories in new countries and with new friends. Flash forward to today, and I am a three-time Rustic alum, having traveled to Costa Rica (2016), the Dominican Republic (2017), and Thailand (2018). While I initially chose to travel with Rustic because of my sister's experience, I continue to dedicate my summers to this program because I learn new things each year and always return home a more thoughtful, empathetic, and curious human being. My specific program in Thailand was called "Introduction to Community Service." I spent 11 amazing days in Udon Thani, where I helped build a house for a woman with epilepsy living in the community, construct a preschool playground, and teach swimming lessons to children. We worked alongside locals to collaborate and create meaningful change, which I think makes Rustic Pathways the unique and exceptional travel and community service organization that it is. My leaders were dedicated to creating a safe, fun, and educational space for all students. To this day, some of my closest mentors and friends were program leaders and fellow peers from my Thailand trip. I love Rustic because I get the opportunity to meet other students from around the world and immerse myself in different cultures and ways of life.

This past summer I went to Thailand for 18 days. This experience expanded my horizons by making me globally aware. I taught English in Locals schools to elementary school children, helped build a school in an under privileged community, and learned the ways of the mahouts my by taking care of an elephant on the elephant conservation center. The service I did on this trip made me feel accomplished knowing that I made an impact on the local communities. I feel so lucky that I got the opportunity to experience the unique culture of Thailand. One of my favorite things on this besides the unless activities was just talking to the local people. This not only improved my communication skills but helped me create new relationships with people who were different than me. Thailand is truly the land of smiles.

One of the most lifechanging experiences a person can have is traveling. Traveling has the ability to open your eyes to the diversity of the world. Traveling gives you the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and revel in the beauty of nature. Traveling allows you to meet new people and discover new ways of life. Traveling lets you explore and have adventures, and escape your ordinary day-to-day life.
My trip to Thailand with Rustic Pathways allowed me to do all of those things, and more. I feel as though I am a more well-rounded person having traveled with Rustic. I feel I am a more globally educated and connected citizen, and a more environmentally conscious human being. Not only that, but I had the time of my life and made new friends whom I still talk to every week, even several months later. There's more to tell, but it's best to discover it yourself by traveling, too!
Rustic Pathways has many different fantastic programs to fit all types of travelers. They do a fantastic job with risk management and safety, hire caring, intelligent staff, and give their students the best of the best experiences. I am so, SO glad I traveled with Rustic to Thailand, and hope to take more Rustic trips soon!