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Rustic Pathways

Why choose Rustic Pathways?

Travel and volunteer abroad with Rustic Pathways.

Choose from culturally-immersive adventure and volunteer programs in 20+ countries. Make lifelong friends from around the world, work on sustainable community service projects, and discover new passions during a Rustic Pathways program.

Whatever you're looking for this summer, Rustic Pathways has the right experience for you.

Scholarships

Rustic Pathways Scholarships

Every year, travel company Rustic Pathways give away $250,000 to students from across the world. Scholarships are varied and it's worth checking back in after they've been awarded as late-season scholarship redistribution -- where uncollected grants are reallocated to new applicants -- takes place a few months later. Among their scholarships, the most relevant to prospective volunteers are the following:

Service Scholarships: Available to those who have never participated on a Rustic Pathways program before, this scholarship covers most or all of the program fees for a service-learning project with the company and is available to those who demonstrate financial need.

Gap Year Scholarships: Recognizing academic merit, these scholarships are available to cover some of the fees of a one-semester gap year program with Rustic Pathways.

Value
$500 - $1,500

Reviews

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Carla
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

To any parent that is considering Rustic Pathways as an option…. Don’t.

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.

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Jaeda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rustic Pathways in Peru

I cannot recommend Rustic Pathways enough. I’ve gone on three trips with them, my first being Peru, and this was the most formative travel experience I’ve ever had. It was highly adventurous, reflective, and community focused. The service I had the opportunity to complete and the meaningful relationships I was able to create really will stick with me for life. Peru was utterly stunning and a journey of leadership and self growth. If you’re looking for a way to group as a teammate and learn about yourself and others in a context of support and collaboration Rustic is for you.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Guinea pig!!
Pros
  • Amazing staff
  • High adventure level
  • Travel to different parts of Peru
Cons
  • Physically demanding
Response from Rustic Pathways

Hey Jaeda! We're so honored that you traveled with us not once, but THREE TIMES! We're thrilled to hear that you've made long lasting friendships, grown in so many ways, and have learned more about yourself. This is exactly why we do what we do. We hope to see you on many more of our trips!

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Amanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Rustic Pathways- Amazing Experience for my Teenager!

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 :)

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My daughter went by herself, as my of the teems too. My best advice is to be open and you will meet so many amazing lifelong friends from all over the world!
Pros
  • Safety
  • Communication
  • Experiences of a lifetime
Response from Rustic Pathways

Hi Amanda,
Thank you for your glowing review! We know that it was probably so hard to entrust someone with your precious child. But we know you did it because you saw this as an amazing growth opportunity and experience for your daughter. We're so thankful for your trust! We know it's nerve-wracking letting your teen travel abroad without their parents, but we do our best to keep you updated and give you peace of mind. We're so thrilled your daughter is traveling with another summer. How exciting! Thanks again!

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Alessia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Mermaid Adventures 2024

Such an amazing and unique group dynamic, was better than I could have ever hoped. Counselors made it super easy to fit in from the moment we arrived, and enriched the whole experience so much. I loved working in the gardens, swimming and snorkeling, and going on the hikes. The food was really good, and they were very accommodating for all allergy’s and preferences. The entire trip was filled with jokes, laughter, inclusivity, and friendship. The time flew by so fast, but I am so grateful to have been able to go on the trip.

What was your funniest moment?
Every night going to bed me and my roommates were ALWAYS cracking up. I can’t pick one thing, but we were always laughing.
Pros
  • Adventure
  • Fun
  • Bonding
Cons
  • Bugs
Response from Rustic Pathways

Hi Alessia! We're thrilled to hear our Program Leaders made the group so fun, and that they created such a fun atmosphere for you all! Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you next summer too!

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Skye
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Memorable

Rustic Pathways was a great place to relax and get away from the usual stresses of life. Oftentimes I find myself worrying about the future and what i’m doing next, but I never focused on the present. This program really helped me do that my exploding my knowledge of Hawaiian culture and food. I loved just talking to everyone and being involved in meaningful activities. The program helped me learn a lot about myself, which I think overall helps me improve as a person. I made lifelong friends, some of which happen to be going to high school with me next year.

What was your funniest moment?
My funniest moment was during the closing bonfire when my new friend and I kept giggling at everything. Whenever we looked at each other we would just burst out laughing. It was very enjoyable
Pros
  • Bodysurfing and boogie boarding in the ovean
  • Playing volleyball in the grass
  • Making friends I can hold on to in high school
Cons
  • Being called “reserved” during tea time
  • Getting a ton of sand in my bathing suit
  • Getting sunburnt
Response from Rustic Pathways

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience, Skye! We're thrilled to hear that the program helped you grow personally and make lifelong friends. We hope to see you on another adventure soon!

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because one of my closest friends went through the same program and told me about her experience. It sounded amazing and thoughtful and it interested me to learn more about opportunities to provide service abroad.

I love giving back to the community whenever I can and I love traveling. Being able to experience this program was a dream come true for me and I learned a lot about myself. It is something I still look back on to this day and reflect on.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My provider assisted me with planning and organizing the trip from start to finish. We were made sure that there would be someone to accompany us every leg of the journey; every airport, every city, every car ride. The program also provided the agenda for what we would be doing every day. I had to organize my own luggage and passport but not too much to worry about.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

One piece of advice I'd love to give someone is to go in with an open mind. Know that it will not be like anything you've ever experienced before but in a good way. You will learn a lot about yourself, your surroundings, and your community. It taught me not just the value of service, but also the value of quality time and quality people.

Ever since the program, I actively reflect and still keep in touch with people I met on the program because it gave me such a strong comradery between the others in the program.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day looks like waking up, eating breakfast with everyone and talking about the agenda for the rest of the day. This may include eating breakfast, and then discussing what happened yesterday, what you learned yesterday, and then we will discuss what service project we will be doing today and what else to look forward to.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was probably the language barrier.

I did not know any Thai and I still don't know a lot, but rest assured: the program leaders made sure we had a pocket of useful phrases kept on our body at all times and even helped us translate when needed. It ended up not being a big deal because most of the time they would communicate for us and we can focus on providing service and enjoying ourselves.

What's your favorite memory from the program?

I think my favorite memory would be the day of arrival.

My group just spent over 16 hours flying, layovers and flying again nonstop. When we finally arrived at the base house, it was already late into the evening in Thailand and not only that, we were pretty jetlagged. It was a long and exhausting journey, but nothing will compare to the joy of arriving there, suddenly curing all fatigue and exhaustion due to the adrenaline of pure excitement for what was to come.

That night, I still remember getting settled into my room and bed, lying down, and just looking outside the window. I saw the moon amongst the skies, and the stars just seemed to glisten with grace. It was a beautiful night and I remember looking outside and thinking about how exciting a journey this next week was going to be.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Connor Stowe

Job Title
Global Program Advisor
Connor has worked for Rustic Pathways over the past 8 years having run programs in 15 different countries for the organization. He now helps families find good program fits for students that align with their passions, interests, and desires to explore the world!
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How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I think one of the largest benefits of travel is simply just seeing and learning about cultures and backgrounds different from the one that you grew up with at home. It has allowed me to consider different points of view, put myself in other people's shoes, and overall has made me a more compassionate person.

It's really exciting to be a part of that opportunity for growth with other students because having knowledge and empathy for people in different communities other than your own ultimately leads to a stronger global community where we all want the best for one another.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

There was a girl who traveled with us in India and then later went on to win a design contest for Tom's shoes where students could create and submit an idea for the company.

Her inspiration came from the time that she spent on a Rustic Pathways program in Northern India and the colors and patterns she saw in the country. I love this story because there are some really easy ways to see how travel can shape students and expand their world-view, but it reminds me that travel opportunities can inspire and ignite our students in smaller, more subtle ways as well.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I have a personal affinity for our Panda Conservation project in China because I've spent so much time developing educational content for the program.

Students are just able to learn how researchers manage captive species as well as how much work goes into the field of conservation, and we work at a center that has 20% of all pandas in captivity in the world. It's just a very unique opportunity to work on a project that you wouldn't be able to do on your own in personal travels later in life.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I think the thing that makes Rustic Pathways stand out is our long-term commitment to sustainable growth in the countries and communities that we work in.

We have full-time staff year-round in the countries where we operate that allow us to more easily control our safety policies as an organization, but also be a part of year-long planning with the communities where we work setting up volunteer projects and continuing to make sure that former projects keep their momentum after our students leave their program.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think one of the biggest factors to being in a successful organization is being able to adapt and make changes when necessary.

Being flexible also allows us to work with a wide variety of students from a wide variety of backgrounds so that our trips on the ground fulfill the goals of individuals that may have different passions. Adaptability also allows us to innovate and create new programs that fulfill program wishes for our future students with new and exciting content!

The world of international development is always changing and it allows us to be able to work with communities in an ever-changing environment of what is most beneficial to those communities.

Professional Associations

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