Rustic Pathways
®
Our Mission We empower students through innovative and responsible travel experiences to positively impact lives and communities around the world.
Rustic Pathways Group Travel Programs
United States Morocco Cuba Dominican Republic Costa Rica
Peru
Mongolia
China
India
Laos Vietnam Cambodia
Nepal Tanzania Burma Zimbabwe
Thailand Australia
Fiji
Lesotho South Africa
New Zealand
This catalog includes a selection of our programs, and is meant to display the breadth of options available from Rustic Pathways. To explore our full catalog of programs, visit our website at groups.rusticpathways.com. All of our programs are private and will be customized to meet your needs.
Creating Your Program Every Rustic Pathways Group Travel program has a story behind it. Our programs are drafted by adventurers, edited by global activists, refined by educators, and customized for you. They are works of passion, and we take extreme pride in them. To create your own Rustic Pathways program, follow the steps below. 1. Explore Our Programs The programs in this catalog are examples of the many different options we offer. They are organized by country and labeled by one of our six themes of travel. Use our itineraries to gather and inspire your own travel ideas.
2. Be Creative All of our programs can be customized to meet your own interests and needs, so be creative! When exploring our itineraries, keep in mind, what is the trip you’ve always wanted? This is the program we want to build for you.
3. Get in Touch Your dedicated Program Coordinator will collaborate with you to customize an itinerary that meets your experiential education goals, service learning focus, travel interests, and scheduling needs. Explore the programs in the following pages, then get in touch with us at groups.rusticpathways.com or groups@rusticpathays.com to begin customizing your educational adventure.
AUSTRALIA Golden Sands and Helping Hands 8 days | 12 service hours | from $1,865 + airfare
Epic Outback
10 days | 6 service hours | from $1,895 + airfare
COSTA RICA Local Immersion Page 32 Pushing Boundaries Page 34
Volcano and Rainforest Service Base
Beyond Service Page 56
Osa Peninsula Conservation
Beyond Service Page 58
Surf and Service in Playa Grande
Beyond Service Page 60
8 days | 24 service hours | from $1,485 + airfare
11 days | 36 service hours | from $2,355 + airfare
9 days | 21 service hours | from $1,995 + airfare
Spanish Language Immersion
9 days | 16 instruction hours | from $1,945 + airfare
Bribri Indigenous Immersion
8 days | 15 service hours | from $1,485 + airfare
Curriculum Based Page 62 Local Immersion Page 64
CUBA Viva Cuba! Culture and Conservation 8 days | 12 service hours | from $2,195 + airfare
Local Immersion Page 68
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Life in the Bateyes
Beyond Service Page 70
Mountain Air and Village Service
Beyond Service Page 72
Marine Life and Coastal Restoration
Beyond Service Page 74
8 days | 24 service hours | from $1,245 + airfare
8 days | 24 service hours | from $1,345 + airfare
8 days | 21 service hours | from $1,495 + airfare
Intro to Public Health
8 days | 15 service hours | from $1,455 + airfare
Curriculum Based Page 76
BURMA Irrawaddy Village Service
Beyond Service Page 36
Documenting Democracy
Curriculum Based Page 38
8 days | 15 service hours | from $1,445 + airfare
8 days | from $1,795 + airfare
CAMBODIA From the Ground Up
14 days | 30 service hours | from $2,485 + airfare
Snapshots of Southeast Asia
9 days | 18 instruction hours | from $2,035 + airfare
Floating Village Service
8 days | 15 service hours | from $1,365 + airfare
Beyond Service Page 42 Curriculum Based Page 44 Local Immersion Page 46
South Pacific Eco-Lodge Service Base
CHINA Giant Panda Conservation Project 7 days | 18 service hours | from $1,995 + airfare
Chinese Language Immersion
10 days | 24 instruction hours | from $1,995 + airfare
Mangroves and Tulous
7 days | 12 service hours | from $1,455 + airfare
FIJI 8 days | 30 service hours | from $1,575 + airfare
Beyond Service Page 48 Curriculum Based Page 50 Local Immersion Page 52
Marine and Environmental Field Studies 8 days | 18 service hours | from $1,995 + airfare
Children of the Highlands
8 days | 24 service hours | from $1,535 + airfare
Big Fiji Explorer
8 days | from $2,145 + airfare
Beyond Service Page 78 Curriculum Based Page 80 Local Immersion Page 82 Cultural Exploration Page 84
INDIA Indian Wildlife Conservation
8 days | 18 service hours | from $1,395 + airfare
North Indian Photo Expedition
12 days | 18 instruction hours | from $1,885 + airfare
Namaste India
14 days | from $1,845 + airfare
NEW ZEALAND Beyond Service Page 88 Curriculum Based Page 90 Cultural Exploration Page 92
North Island Environmental Adventure 8 days | 15 service hours | from $1,485 + airfare
Beyond Service Page 114
PERU Sacred Valley Service
13 days | 28 service hours | from $2,195 + airfare
Machu Picchu and the Amazon
9 days | 8 service hours | from $2,065 + airfare
Local Immersion Page 116 Pushing Boundaries Page 118
TANZANIA Village Service and Safari
7 days | 18 service hours | from $1,495 + airfare
Climbing Kili
10 days | from $3,595 + airfare
Local Immersion Page 122 Pushing Boundaries Page 124
THAILAND Ricefields Service Base
Beyond Service Page 126
Thai Elephant Conservation
Beyond Service Page 128
8 days | 30 service hours | from $1,375 + airfare
LAOS Mekong Service Base
7 days | 12 service hours | from $1,375 + airfare
Impacts of the Vietnam War 9 days | from $1,995 + airfare
Land of the Four Thousand Islands 7 days | from $1,575 + airfare
7 days | 12 service hours | from $2,285 + airfare
Beyond Service Page 94 Curriculum Based Page 96 Cultural Exploration Page 98
15 days | 15 service hours | from $2,745 + airfare
Curriculum Based Page 130
Environmental Exploration in the Andaman
Curriculum Based Page 132
8 days | 14 service hours | from $1,795 + airfare
9 days | from $1,575 + airfare
Rustic Pathways Children's Home 8 days | 24 service hours | from $1,325 + airfare
Rebuilding New Orleans Pushing Boundaries Page 102
8 days | 30 service hours | from $1,545 + airfare
Discover California
8 days | 9 service hours | from $2,295 + airfare
MOROCCO Arabic Language Immersion
8 days | 15 instruction hours | from $1,645 + airfare
Souqs and Service
8 days | 18 service hours | from $1,285 + airfare
Moroccan Wanderer
10 days | 12 service hours | from $1,465 + airfare
Curriculum Based Page 104 Local Immersion Page 106 Cultural Exploration Page 108
NEPAL Service and Trekking in Nepal
14 days | 36 service hours | from $2,595 + airfare
Himalayan Mountain Adventure 13 days | from $2,995 + airfare
Local Immersion Page 134
UNITED STATES
MONGOLIA Off the Map: Mongolia
Medical Certification and Community Health
Local Immersion Page 110 Pushing Boundaries Page 112
Beyond Service Page 138 Cultural Exploration Page 140
VIETNAM Northern Vietnam Service Adventure 8 days | 18 service hours | from $1,635 + airfare
Local Immersion Page 142
Six Themes of Travel Beyond Service
Cultural Exploration
These programs center around immersive travel, global understanding, and personal development through hands-on service work. Get to know community members as you work together on a variety of initiatives. Your group will reflect upon your work and brainstorm how to stay involved in global development projects.
With energetic and well-informed local staff in each of our countries, your students will gain firsthand insight into the local way of life. These journeys take you to both top tourist attractions and hidden local gems, providing your students with the opportunity for deep understanding of a culture outside their own.
Local Immersion
Pushing Boundaries
Get students off the beaten path and invite them to re-evaluate the luxuries they enjoy at home. Local Immersion programs immerse your group in a foreign culture, open a dialogue between your students and their local hosts, and provide your students with an appreciation for cultural diversity.
These programs will challenge your students to step beyond their comfort zones, both mentally and physically. Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, explore rugged Mongolia, or visit with refugees on the Thai-Burma border. Your students will return home with a new-found group cohesion and an empowered sense of self.
Curriculum Based
Schools to Schools
Take your classroom global with hands-on experiential learning. Subjects are brought to life when you take your class to a new and interesting location. Teach environmental conservation as your students monitor coral reefs in Fiji, or guide your class through ancient history as you marvel at the Incan ruins of Peru.
Forge a long-term partnership with a high-need community. Working beyond a simple sister school relationship, Schools to Schools programs provide the local expertise and support to champion large-scale projects in educational development, while fostering critical thought about the meaning of global citizenship.
Welcome to Rustic Pathways Group Travel Educators, The magic of travel is never having the same experience twice. Even if you’re returning to a country or particular spot, each time is a little bit different. When you plan a trip, you put the basic structure together, but the best part is the unknown, the novel experiences the world throws your way. Whether it be the special sunrise after a grueling summit or an illuminating conversation with a village chief, these are the experiences that mark your journey and transform you. The consistent structure of Rustic Pathways programs is in safety and risk management, in service initiatives grown from years of commitment to a community, and in continuous guided reflection. The magic comes from connections made with a host family, the first time you shake “hands” with an elephant, the power of completing a service project alongside local community members. The realization that we all have something in common, the excitement of exploring historical and cultural sites, and the immensity of nature’s beauty. These unique encounters constitute experiential learning, at once unifying and personally empowering, and felt daily by our students, our staff, and you, our partner teachers. We strengthen our framework by refining our purpose and modes of travel, honing in on the defined and implicit growth our students experience, and expanding access to diverse student communities. With a team of education experts, we defined student learning outcomes and are measuring the impact our programs have on our student participants. We partnered with international NGO, Sustainable Travel International, to evaluate our on-going impact and to help us continue to operate in the most responsible manner possible. Pursuing our vision to create a world where travel is a part of every student's education, we are the official travel partner for Thrival Academies, a network of public high schools that provide students from underserved communities with personalized and culturally immersive education abroad. At Rustic Pathways, we do not simply talk about raising the bar for educational travel; we actively work to achieve our vision. As an educator who shares our dedication to learning, we look forward to supporting you as you bring your learning outside the classroom. Working together, we can provide you and your students the opportunity to experience the magic of travel within the security of our structure; the opportunity to have a truly transformational learning experience. Travel well,
Anna Lugosch-Ecker Vice President, Rustic Pathways Group Travel
Our Vision Rustic Pathways is committed to creating a world where…
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Travel is accepted as an essential part of every education
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Travel is a model of sustainable development
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All people are connected by a shared humanity and all decisions are made with a global perspective
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What Sets Us Apart Year-Round Presence
Learning Through Travel
With over 30 years of experience, Rustic Pathways is an industry leader in student travel and service learning. We provide top-notch safety standards and partnership-based community service initiatives. We share your passion for education, and focus our programs on providing your students the opportunity to learn through travel. Our extensive year-round operations, seasoned Country Directors, and exceptional global staff members enable authentic travel experiences and immersion in local communities. We do not drop in and out of countries nor contract-out our operations. We employ individuals in every country where we operate and work hand-in-hand with communities to build long-term service initiatives. Our year-round presence not only enables us to provide a safer program for you and your students, but it also allows your group to have a unique and genuine travel experience. We are excited for you and your students to join our truly global family!
By traveling with your students, you are empowering them to engage with the world’s diverse cultures and to question the meaning of global citizenship. We have a dedicated Student Impact Director to help you integrate your learning goals into the program itinerary. Through our programs, your students will be able to form new perspectives and expand their creative horizons.
Our Dedication to You Our responsibility to you and your students does not start and end within the confines of your trip. We work with you from the time you express interest in a program until well after your group has returned. We help you identify your perfect itinerary, provide you with personalized tools to recruit your students, and design educational resources to advance their learning. We support you in preparing for your departure, and remain available to you and your students' families throughout your trip.
Our Approach to Student Learning Rustic Pathways programs are designed to encourage critical thinking; learning moments and opportunities for growth are intentionally built into our programs. Leaders facilitate meaningful discussion and reflection, supporting student learning and amplifying the impact of our travel experiences.
Student Learning Outcomes We believe in a key set of characteristics and capacities that enable students to achieve personal growth and make a positive contribution to our world. The outcomes we aim to foster in students that travel with us are: 1. Openness to New Ideas and Experiences: Eagerness and curiosity to learn from the perspectives of others and the ability to incorporate one’s own experiences into a lifelong quest for knowledge and growth.
2. Sense of Wonderment: The ability to be amazed and inspired by the world, from the small and seemingly mundane to the powerful and seemingly impossible to understand; recognizing beauty in the unknown, while letting the world’s mysteries stir thoughtful questions and give rise to new understandings; a sense of awe as a driver of one’s passion and achievement.
3. A Belief that All People are Connected by a Shared Humanity: Recognizing the innate value of any human being; embracing diversity, and believing that what unites us is stronger than what divides us; understanding the interconnectedness of one’s actions and the notion that individual actions can have global impact; the ability to connect local stories, struggles, and successes to larger structural and systemic issues facing the world.
4. A Desire to Positively Impact the Lives of Others: A drive to use one’s talents as a force for good locally and globally; recognizing the power of a series of small actions towards a larger goal and contributing personal effort towards creating change.
5. Empathy: The ability to not just “feel someone else’s pain,” but rather to walk in their shoes and see the world through their eyes; a more profound ability to adapt a new perspective and recognize multiple viewpoints. Empathy, rather than sympathy or pity, is a precursor to affecting lasting change.
6. Self-Awareness: The ability to define values, motivations, and passions, and to identify how those values are shaped; the ability to assess one’s own strengths and weaknesses, analyze where and how to improve, and to reflect on and re-evaluate previous opinions or decisions; the desire to use an understanding of self to better relate to and communicate with others.
7. Humility: An ability to understand one’s place and importance, to deeply respect others, to recognize others’ talents without comparison to one’s own; to possess a grounded understanding of one’s limitations; to provide service to others without question of their position in society.
8. Grit: An intrinsic determination to persevere through significant challenges and setbacks without complaint and the ability to defer instant gratification in order to reach an intended goal.
9. Independence: The ability to think and act for oneself; to take responsibility for and stand behind one’s beliefs and actions; to explore the world confidently and carefully and to find support when necessary.
10. Intercultural Competence: The desire and ability to behave and communicate effectively within and across cultures, to view issues from other perspectives, and to collaborate and engage in decision-making processes with diverse groups.
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Our Approach to Program Design Travel encourages students to become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers. Rustic Pathways experiences extend students’ learning far beyond the context of their own school, community, or country.
Purposeful Program Design We customize the experiences we create for schools and the discussions and reflections that complement them. We design programs that align with: 1. The Mission and Values of Your School 2. Your Vision and Purpose for Traveling with Students 3. Your School’s Curriculum 4. Coursework or a Specific Content Area Once teachers have chosen a program, we provide resources to support educators in deepening their students’ engagement with our programs before, during, and after traveling with us. We customize the activities and discussions of a program and staff it with the most capable Program Leaders to achieve teachers’ goals.
5. Projects or Essays We can both suggest projects that complement our program experiences as well as work with educators to integrate an existing project into the program experience.
6. Themes or Methods of Inquiry Our staff are trained to facilitate thoughtful inquiry around the fundamental questions and themes at the heart of our programs. By doing this work outside of students’ home cultures and communities, we have seen students develop a greater personal ownership of their thinking, a recognition of the factors that have combined to shape their experience and worldview, and an appreciation of the abundance of perspectives in our world.
7. Your School’s Service Learning Goals Our country teams work hand-in-hand with our partner communities to set up service projects based on community needs and students' skill sets. Understanding your school's learning goals, we can connect your group to a program that best supports your goals and our long-term service initiatives. Many of our students have obtained service hours through our programs, and we ensure our programs meet your school's requirements. Ultimately, community service is used as a conduit to reflect on larger development challenges and the responsibility students have as members of global and local communities.
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Our Approach to Community Service Through our work, we are committed to decreasing our environmental footprint, stimulating local economies, providing direct support for communities, and teaching our students responsible travel practices. We partnered with NGO Sustainable Travel International to evaluate our global impact and to help us and our students continue to operate in the most responsible manner possible.
Partnership-Based Service Through responsible travel and well-designed service initiatives, our students comprehend pressing social and environmental challenges at a global level, and are able to contribute to efforts that combat these challenges at a local level. We take a comprehensive approach to community service, working with community partners from the design process through to monitoring and evaluation. Each year, we publish a global impact report that presents our progress, accomplishments, and goals for the future. 1. Identify and Design Projects with Local Partners We spend time with our local partners and community members on the ground to understand their priorities. In collaboration with partner communities, we design projects that both address needs and build on community strengths.
2. Provide Students Opportunities to Engage We collaborate with our partners to create well-defined roles for our students that harness their skills and ensure they make a meaningful contribution. You are able to select programs based on your group’s interests and skill sets, maximizing your experience and the success of our service initiatives.
3. Work Together to Achieve Goals Our students join the efforts of our local partners during their programs and work collaboratively to achieve project goals. Both students and communities utilize the unique skills they bring and learn from and about each other.
4. Monitor and Evaluate We conduct regular formal and informal evaluations with project partners and beneficiaries, evaluate both the process and impact of our ongoing initiatives, and consistently use feedback to improve project design and implementation.
5. Long-Term Partnerships and Sustainability We establish partnerships with a long-term view, recognizing that real change can take time. We provide ongoing support to partners and projects, take on initiatives in a range of areas, and work to ensure a lasting impact.
Five Areas of Focus Education
Community Health and Social Services
We work with schools to upgrade facilities and enrich student learning through English tutoring, computer lessons, and arts and sports programs.
We partner with a wide range of health and social service providers in both rural and urban areas. Working alongside these medical and public health professionals, we support community health screenings, nutrition programs, and other service initiatives.
Infrastructure A variety of initiatives fall under this focus, including the installation of water systems and the construction or repairing of community facilities and homes.
Environment We collaborate with local organizations and national parks to support efforts in environmental conservation and restoration, wildlife protection, and animal welfare. groups.rusticpathways.com
Economic Development Working with non-governmental organizations or identifying local communities directly, our economic development initiatives contribute to projects that begin or improve small family businesses, such as the expansion of fish ponds, chicken coops, and other smallscale agricultural enterprises.
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Rustic Pathways Service Bases Eco-Lodge Base Momi Bay, Fiji Perfectly balancing an island getaway with access to meaningful service, our Eco-Lodge boasts a swimming pool, soccer fields, and sweeping views of the South Pacific Ocean. Capacity: 100 Students Beds: Bunk Beds Showers: Solar Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No
Ricefields Base Udon Thani, Thailand Our largest service base, Ricefields offers a swimming pool, workout facilities, a Thai sala, internet cafe, fishing pond, rice fields, and a few wandering water buffalo! Capacity: 120 Students Beds: Single Beds Showers: Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: Yes
Volcano and Rainforest Base La Fortuna, Costa Rica Situated on the edge of a rainforest reserve and under Arenal Volcano’s shadow, this base allows ample space for playing outdoor games, swimming in the pool, or relaxing in a hammock. Capacity: 45 Students Beds: Bunk Beds Showers: Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No
Rustic Pathways Children’s Home Mae Sariang, Thailand Nestled in verdant rice fields, the RPCH is one of the largest teak structures in Thailand. The base includes a boarding facility for children of hill tribe villages as well as program accommodation. Capacity: 95 Students Beds: Mattresses with Mosquito Nets Showers: Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No 20
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Mountain Air Base Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic Enjoy the Dominican Republic’s mountainous interior from this comfortable base. After service, cool off in the pool or make use of the soccer field or volleyball and basketball courts. Capacity: 90 Students Beds: Bunk Beds Showers: Intermittently Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No
Mekong Base Luang Prabang, Laos Boasting beautiful views of the Mekong River, this base is designed to provide a rural village living experience with access to all of the resources and activities of Laos’ primary cultural city. Capacity: 100 Beds: Mattresses with Mosquito Nets Showers: Intermittently Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No
Island Base
Highlands Base
New Orleans Service Base
Somosomo Village, Fiji
Nasivikoso, Fiji
New Orleans, United States
Capacity: 24 Students Beds: Cots with Sleeping Bags Showers: Cold Toilets: Self-Composting Outhouse Air Conditioning: No
Capacity: 24 Students Beds: Sleeping Mats with Mosquito Nets Showers: Cold Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: No
Capacity: 25 Students Beds: Bunk Beds Showers: Hot Toilets: Standard Western Air Conditioning: Yes
At Rustic Pathways, you do not need to choose between meaningful service and a comfortable living environment. Our set of purpose-built service bases provide students with accommodation at familiar living standards, private rooms for teachers, and easy access to service projects with our long-standing partner communities. Our bases facilitate local immersion while ensuring our students can rest comfortably, play happily, serve wholeheartedly, and learn from their experiences. groups.rusticpathways.com
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Safety and Risk Management Rustic Pathways takes the health and wellbeing of our students very seriously. While we believe in the transformative power of expanding one’s boundaries, we are heavily invested in managing the risks of doing so. Our comprehensive training programs, year-round presence in countries, rigorous safety standards, and continued commitment to evaluating risks ensure we remain at the forefront of our industry.
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Philosophy of Risk We understand that risk is an inherent part of our programs. We travel to remote destinations, expose our students to unfamiliar surroundings, and encourage personal growth through new experiences. When conducted responsibly, these experiences create student transformations that are impossible to replicate, and for this reason, our risk management system remains a fundamental component of all our programs. It is driven by strong leadership and executed successfully by our teams and partners.
Four Tiers of Risk Management 1. Rustic Pathways has developed a four-tiered approach to risk management: company-wide, country specific, program specific, and medical screening. Our Safety and Risk Management Director works year-round to establish global policies, support local country teams, and train all ranks of staff on emergency response activities.
2. Country Directors maintain risk management plans for each program offered and location visited, in addition to actively monitoring local conditions through a combination of on-the-ground contacts and State Department agencies.
3. Our Program Leaders are trained on localized risks and focus attention on the safety and well-being of our students. These combined efforts are complemented by our partnership with International SOS, one of the world’s most reputable providers of medical consultation, emergency evacuations, and urgent travel services.
4. Each participant completes our Medical and Emergency Information enrollment form. The information in each form is reviewed by our Medical Screening Manager well before the trip begins to ensure participation is safe and appropriate for each student.
What About‌ International SOS
Risk Management Plans
Safety Training for Leaders
International SOS is a medical emergency provider that allows all of our students access to emergency evacuation services and expert health advisors. With 24-hour operation, International SOS has facilities in more than 70 countries worldwide including 27 assistance centers and 35 clinics. Their professional staff includes multilingual doctors and nurses who are supported by a fleet of air ambulances.
Risk management plans identify known or foreseen risks and detail the protocols by which we respond to critical incidents and natural disasters. Each risk management plan details the risks and responses that are specific to that country and the activities that occur on each program. They also identify the nearest clinics and hospitals for every location that a program visits, so we know ahead of time where to go for help.
All full-time Program Leaders are Wilderness First Responder certified and all seasonal staff have at least First Aid and CPR certifications. Programs in rural areas are staffed with leaders that have the highest level of training. Additionally, all Program Leaders attend an in-country training during the summer that covers common medical issues, emergency scenarios, and critical incident protocols.
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The Rustic Pathways Global Team Our exceptional staff members are the backbone of our organization. Their incredibly diverse backgrounds provide us with a profound understanding of the destinations we visit and offer our students one-of-a-kind experiences. The faces you see in this catalog (along with many, many others!) ensure our students have fun, empowering, and safe experiences with us.
International Staff Rustic Pathways spans the globe! Most of our staff members are based outside the United States. While the cultural traditions and accents of our staff vary from country to country, the shared values that define Rustic Pathways and make us exceptional extend across all borders. We build leadership teams that pair international staff members with local employees, resulting in diverse teams that blend an understanding of our students and their needs with deep local knowledge.
Exceptional Program Leaders Our Program Leaders come with backgrounds in teaching, experiential education, service learning, psychology, wilderness training, river rafting, international development, and other outdoor and educational fields. Each year, we hold in-country training sessions for both new and returning staff to ensure we uphold our standards in safety, student learning, community service, and the overall Rustic Pathways student experience. Our Program Leaders are incredible role models for our students and, most importantly, they are all dedicated to creating the best possible programs for our students and teachers.
THE RUSTIC PATHWAYS TEAM BY THE NUMBERS more than
from more than
speaking more than
staff members
countries across the globe
different languages
500
25
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Check out the following team pages and visit rusticpathways.com/team to learn more about our global staff.
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GLOBAL LEADERSHIP Chris Stakich
Oscar Hackett
An expert on travel and service-based education, Chris leads Rustic Pathways with an eye for innovation and excellence. Since graduating from Harvard in 2001, Chris has worked in virtually all areas of our organization, from running programs in Costa Rica to managing our global team. He works diligently with the Rustic Pathways global team to develop future leaders who embody a broad perspective and compassion for the world. Chris lives in San Francisco with his wife and three young sons.
A former Rustic Pathways student, Oscar “Oz” returns to us as our chief financial officer. With extensive experience in finance, business, and law, Oz applies his expertise to streamline and grow Rustic Pathways’ business operations. Oz earned his bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and international affairs from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. In his free time, Oz enjoys sharing his passion for adventure and travel with his wife and young son.
Anna Lugosch-Ecker
Brent Watkins
Anna is an alumna of School Year Abroad and has a dual degree in geoscience and Mandarin from Dartmouth. Anna’s passion for experiential education and travel was sparked in high school and furthered in college. She now applies this passion at Rustic Pathways, providing opportunities for teachers and students to immerse themselves in new surroundings and have meaningful engagement with other cultures. Anna began at Rustic Pathways as the China Country Director. She currently resides in San Francisco.
Brent holds a master’s in education from Johns Hopkins University where he is also an adjunct faculty member in the education department. Prior to joining Rustic Pathways, Brent managed the training and preparation of new classroom teachers for Teach For America. With extensive experience in learning development and teacher training, Brent ensures the highest level of quality across our programming. He works with our staff around the world to develop powerful curricula for all of our programs.
Dave Dennis
Ann Fuller
Dave has a master’s degree in risk management and more than 20 years of experience in the adventure and student travel industry. Prior to joining us, he owned a consulting firm that specialized in implementing risk management and emergency response programs for both domestic and global tour operators. He works with our program operations team and local country leadership to ensure the quality and consistency of all Rustic Pathways’ programs worldwide. Dave lives in Colorado with his wife and children.
Ann brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Rustic Pathways as our global community partnerships director. With a master’s in urban planning from NYU, Ann has been integral to our Fiji operations and the development of the Nasivikoso School in the Nausori Highlands. She now applies her expertise to ensure that our service initiatives across the globe meet rigorous standards and achieve meaningful results, and that our partner organizations are legitimate providers whose approach is rooted in best practice.
Kevin Porter
Erin Murphy
Kevin enters his second year directing our global program operations after several years overseeing our programs in Ghana. Now based in Boston, he manages our team of diverse Country Directors and ensures the quality of our programs around the globe. Prior to joining us, Kevin studied international relations and social anthropology at Harvard, worked with development organizations in East Africa, completed research for the United Nations in South Korea, and oversaw the Harvard First-Year Outdoors Program.
Erin is passionate about Rustic Pathways' vision of a world where travel is an essential part of every student's education. After graduating from Notre Dame, Erin spent three years in northeastern Thailand teaching business English at Khon Kaen University through a Princeton in Asia Fellowship. Erin earned her master’s in education at Harvard and brings great energy to our team of educators. In 2014, Erin managed our programs at the Rustic Pathways' Children's Home and jumps at the chance to lead programs across the globe.
Lauren Anderson
Eric Bragg
Lauren joined Rustic Pathways after graduating from Emory University. She spent her first six years with Rustic Pathways in Costa Rica overseeing our operations and seasonal staff. She then formed our Alumni Association where she developed programs for continuing student involvement. She now uses her extensive skill set to continue to improve the staffing and training of all Program Leaders across the globe. Lauren lives in Chicago, travels often, and enjoys maintaining her Spanish fluency.
Prior to assuming responsibility for the Rustic Pathways Foundation, Eric worked as a Program Leader in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and directed our operations in Ghana. A native of Connecticut, he earned a bachelor’s of arts from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s in sustainable development in Sweden. As the Rustic Pathways Foundation director, he enjoys leveraging our students enthusiasm to support our long-term initiatives year round. In his free time, Eric enjoys exploring Northern California.
Chief Executive Officer
Vice President, Group Travel
Safety and Risk Management Director
Global Program Operations Director
Program Staffing and Training Manager
Chief Financial Officer
Vice President, Program Operations
Community Partnerships Director
Student Impact Director
Rustic Pathways Foundation Director
GROUP TRAVEL TEAM Matija Paunovski
Sammy Gasci
Matija completed an undergraduate degree at Northeastern University, then went on to earn a master's degree from Harvard. Her highest priority is that educators and students walk away completely satisfied and fulfilled from their experience. Her expertise in leadership training has made her an integral member of the Rustic Pathways Group Travel division.
Sammy earned a degree in sociolinguistics from the University of Szeged in Hungary which is where he was born and raised. During his 10 years working with Rustic Pathways, his enthusiasm, creativity, and leadership skills have made him an integral member of our global team. Sammy takes pleasure in sharing his passion for education and travel with teachers and students.
Nicole Anderson
Dustin Aschenbeck
Nicole has been in the international education field for over a decade. While attending Naropa University for environmental studies, she studied abroad in Belize with the School for International Training (SIT), and went on to earn her master's in international education. She is passionate about international travel and getting students abroad with Rustic Pathways!
After graduating from Lee University in 2009, Dustin joined Rustic Pathways as the director of India operations. Whether he is busy working on the river guiding trips in the mountains of Colorado or sharing stories of his many global adventures, Dustin believes that his life’s journey should never be a destination but a journey of careful observation and intentional living.
Kelli Crooks
Brandon Hartman
Kelli has worked in the student travel industry for the past 10 years with a focus on both program enrollment and business operations. She studied Social Studies at Eastern Washington University with an emphasis in Secondary Education and has since traveled extensively both domestically and internationally to meet with teachers eager to travel with their students.
randon joined Rustic Pathways in January of 2013 as B a personal travel advisor before transitioning to the Groups team. He studied finance at Miami University in Ohio, and has a background in banking. Brandon takes pride in customer service, and has employed those skills and experience for the past two years as a Group Travel Program Coordinator.
Britt Herron
David Gormley
As a Princeton University undergraduate and a Teach for America corps member, Britt developed an enthusiasm for educating youth and international travel experiences. After teaching mathematics and obtaining a master’s degree in education at the University of Colorado, she brushed up her Arabic language skills to lead RP programs in Morocco for two summers.
David’s travel bug set in during a sailing trip across the Gulf of Mexico and through Central America with his family. David graduated from Champlain College with a B.S. in international business. He is an avid outdoorsman and mountain biker, and spent two years exploring the North Cascades before joining Rustic as a Program Leader in Thailand.
Meg Koerber
Nikita Prabhakar
After studying communications and Spanish at UCLA, Meg moved to Spain, where she taught English as a foreign language. A Rustic Pathways alum, she has also worked as a counselor for international high school students, loves connecting with students and educators from all over the world, and enjoys sharing her passion for travel with everyone she meets.
Nikita graduated from Barnard College in 2013 with a degree in psychology. Her passion for travel stems from exposure to her roots in South Africa and India from a young age, and her multi-cultural upbringing in Hong Kong. She is proud to have called three of the most international cities in the world home: New York, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.
Zach Toedtman
Brad Wolf
After graduating from high school Zach embarked on a global gap year with Thinking Beyond Borders and traveled throughout Latin America, Southeast Asia, and South Africa. Zach went on to earn his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, with a major in global studies. After graduating, Zach worked at a microfinance institution and furthered his Spanish in Ecuador.
Brad graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor's in psychology. After jump-starting his career in Silicon Valley, he spent 12 months backpacking throughout Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. This passion for travel was shared with study abroad students while working as a sales director and tour guide in Florence, Italy, where he lives full time.
Kristen Waldron
Aimee Brayman
Kristen majored in English at the University of Northern Colorado. Before moving to Ohio and joining the Rustic Pathways team, Kristen spent time traveling abroad and teaching high school students in Miami. Her love of connecting with other adventurers, friendly smile, and attention to detail makes her a delightful addition to Rustic Pathways.
Aimee has worked in the student travel industry with emphasis in sales, client relations, professional training, and curriculum development. A double major graduate from Gonzaga University with degrees in English Language Arts/Literature and Secondary Education, Aimee's love of travel was sparked young when she traveled to Europe as a 7th grader.
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Recruitment Director
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
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Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Program Coordinator
Group Travel Client Services
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COUNTRY LEADERSHIP Sam Murray
Alejandro Romero
A native Australian, Sam worked as an outdoor education teacher and camp manager for 10 years before joining Rustic Pathways in 2008. His extensive travels abroad have fostered his passion for creating lifechanging experiential education programs for students. Sam loves sharing adventures with people and is proud to show off his beautiful country.
With a degree in business and tourism management, Alejo has been an integral part of the Australian team since 2012. Originally from Colombia, he now lives in Australia where he manages our Awesome Aussie and Seven Wonders programs. With a unique Spanish twist to his new-found Aussie accent, Alejo brings an exciting blend of cultures to our programs.
Braden Betts
Chit Oo
Braden grew up in the international school system, living in South America, the Middle East, and Asia all before college. After a brief four years stateside at the University of Oregon, Braden worked as a camp counselor in Switzerland and an English teacher in Thailand. Now, he specializes in designing group trips for international schools and directing our operations in Burma.
Hailing from Kengtung in eastern Shan State, Chit Oo has been working for us for more than seven years. Fluent in Shan, Burmese, Thai, and English, he has a degree in geography from Kengtung University. Chit Oo enjoys sharing his Shan culture and stories of colorful hill tribe people with our students. He is also an avid photographer and brings his cheerful personality to our Burma operations.
Alexis Simchak
Pannha En
A graduate of Penn State with a degree in visual journalism, Lexi is a skillful photographer and has led programs in Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Her interest in international travel and service learning blossomed while studying abroad in South Africa. She now brings her dedication to service, cultural exchange, and experiential education to Rustic Pathways' programs in Cambodia.
Pannha is a graduate of the National University of Management in Phnom Penh where he received his master’s in business administration. Known for his gentle-hearted nature and quick smile, Pannha hails from humble roots in Kandal province. His inspiring work ethic has shined brightly over the past seven years. Fluent in English and Khmer, Pannha is a proud manager of our local team.
Amanda Cortes
Ricardo Romero
Amanda credits working in Switzerland and Colombia to kindling her love for travel, education, and cultural exchange. After graduating from Boston College, she led international groups on camping-based adventure tours across the U.S. and Canada. Amanda is thrilled to bring her industry know-how, love of travel, and zeal for cultivating enriching experiences to Rustic Pathways.
Originally from Turrialba, Costa Rica, Ricardo joined Rustic Pathways a decade ago, after previously working in the rafting industry. Ricardo is a graduate of University of Costa Rica, an avid outdoorsman with extensive experience as a river guide, and possesses a commitment to safety in the tourism sector that makes him the ideal director of our Costa Rica operations.
Wainer Ocampo
Maricruz Acosta
Wainer’s patience and constant smile have won him a special place in the Rustic family. A Costa Rica native, Wainer spent time in the USA, where he completed a cultural exchange at Hiram College in Ohio. From Program Leader, to Program Manager, and now as Country Manager, Wainer’s hard work and dedication make him a trusted leader on the Costa Rica team.
A native of San José, Maricruz has a degree in tourism and international trade from the Universidad Internacional de Las Americas. When not working on groups and logistical tasks in our Costa Rica office, she can be found lying on the beach, reading a book, or hanging out with her family. Maricruz is never without a smile and a willingness to lend a hand.
Harry Álvarez
Reid Owens
Born in New York and raised in the Dominican Republic, Harry graduated from SUNY New Paltz with degrees in psychology and Spanish. After managing programs in both Costa Rica and Panama for four years, Harry opened our programs in the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Harry is passionate for service, Latin dance, cooking, and hosting friends at his home in New Orleans.
Reid has put his heart and soul into scouting and setting up unique cultural experiences in Cuba. Prior to joining us, Reid started his own study abroad program in Spain. Reid graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in international business management and masters in Spanish linguistics. He enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling to new places.
Evan Wells
Aimee Gunn
A native Kiwi living between Fiji and Australia, Evan has spent more than two decades helping to shape Rustic Pathways' global operations. With a degree in business, a love of the outdoors, and a deep commitment to Fijian communities, Evan proudly manages our South Pacific operations. When not at our Eco-Lodge Base, you can find Evan spending time with his family.
Aimee’s appreciation of nature and passion for the outdoors led her to the University of Florida where she studied natural resource conservation. Before joining the Fiji team in 2012, Aimee gained extensive experience working with young adults in a variety of different environments in the USA, Canada, and Central America. She has been a valuable asset to our groups programs in Fiji.
Australia Country Manager
Australia Country Director
Burma and Laos Country Director
Cambodia Country Director
Cambodia Country Manager
China Country Director
Costa Rica Country Director
Costa Rica Group Travel Operations Manager
Costa Rica Country Manager
Cuba and Dominican Republic Country Director
Fiji Country Director
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Burma Country Manager
Cuba Country Manager
Fiji Group Travel Operations Manager
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COUNTRY LEADERSHIP Kai Johnson
Divya Parameshwaran
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a degree in geography, Kai is fluent in both written and spoken Hindi and is always up for an opportunity to shake a leg Bollywood style. Kai brings a deep passion for experiential education and expert knowledge of India to our program operations, giving him the ability to create unique and powerful experiences for our students.
A native of Kerala and an invaluable member of our Rustic Pathways India team, Divya earned her MBA with a focus on international tourism and has worked extensively in India’s tourism industry. Divya’s constant cheerful demeanor and zest for adventure makes her extremely popular among Rustic Pathways students.
Khamla Sibounheuang
Davanh 'Paradon' Souliya
Khamla is an integral part of our Laos team and has managed operations for eight years. Originally from the heart of Xayaboury province, he received a degree in economics in Luang Prabang, where he now lives with his family. In addition to managing our year-round programs with expertise, Khamla has been instrumental in the expansion of our Luang Prabang Base in Laos.
Born in the village of Nam Ma in northern Laos, Paradon studied business and law at Manivanh College in Luang Prabang. There he developed excellent English-speaking skills that have made him integral to our Laos team, as well as a patient language tutor for other members of the Laos team. He is best known for his vibrant smile and adventurous spirit.
Gaia Bonini
Chaima Ait El Mekki
After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in journalism, Gaia decided to follow her passion for travel. She has traveled to many areas of the world, often working on documentaries. Gaia joined Rustic in 2010 and has led programs in Thailand, Morocco, and Ghana. She is an expert Program Manager and now brings her adventurous spirit to manage our operations in Mongolia.
Born and raised in Marrakech, Chaima has been an integral member of the Rustic Pathways family since her first summer in Morocco. Fluent in Arabic, French, English, and Spanish, she is an invaluable resource and guide. Chaima is a champion of giving back to her community and a strong believer in the power of cross-cultural discussions to better understand one another.
Kelly Moynihan
Aaron Alvarez
Kelly’s fluency in Spanish, commitment to community service, and adventurous spirit make her a natural fit as director of our Peru operations. Prior to working in Peru, She managed Rustic Pathways programs in Costa Rica for five years. She earned a degree in journalism from American University in Washington, D.C. Kelly has been to 21 countries and five continents and counting!
Rustic Pathways’ resident cusqueño, Aaron graduated from San Antonio Abad University in Cusco with a bachelor’s degree in tourism. Aaron traveled and worked extensively through Peru and South America, before joining Rustic in 2012. His strong work ethic and dedication ensure that our Peru operations run smoothly throughout the year.
Patrick Ziemnik
Bryan Haggerty
Patrick began his career in experiential education managing Harvard’s First-Year Outdoor Program as a student. After graduating with high honors from Harvard University, Patrick continued his passion for social enterprise and community service as an AmeriCorps volunteer. He brings his leadership skills, love of the outdoors, and hearty laugh to our operations in Tanzania.
Bryan studied philosophy at Saint Michael’s College before moving to Southeast Asia, where he has studied, lived, and worked for over a decade. Prior to joining Rustic, he spent time teaching at Chiang Mai University and volunteering for an NGO that advocates for ethnic minority groups in Thailand's hill tribe region. Bryan speaks fluent Thai and Lao and has managed our Thailand operations since 2008.
Pat Taedaengpetch
Keegan Kennedy
For 17 years, Pat has brought his professionalism, vast knowledge of Buddhism, zany sense of humor, cheerful nature, and love of adventure to our Southeast Asia team. An experienced computer engineer, a talented photographer, a former Buddhist monk, and a fully licensed tour guide, Pat is true Rustic Pathways all-star and one of our most beloved global directors.
Keegan has been teaching, studying, and researching in Thailand for the last nine years. Originally from Northern California, he completed his master’s thesis on the effects of forest fires on floral and fungal communities. Keegan is fluent in both written and spoken Thai and Lao, and brings his knowledge of Southeast Asia’s ecosystems, history, and cultures to our operations year-round.
Marc Mankowski
Kim Chinn
A motivated educator, Marc enjoys working with youth in all phases of life. Growing up playing a number of different sports led Marc to many jobs relating to coaching and teaching, and eventually to Rustic Pathways. His love for travel, teaching, and the outdoors make Marc a natural director for our United States operations, where he continues to create exciting programs for our students.
Kim hails from the buckeye state where she graduated from Baldwin Wallace University. Kim now leads our Rebuilding New Orleans program, and has fallen in love with the rich culture and heritage of New Orleans and all those that call the city home. In her spare time, she enjoys going on adventures and exploring the Rockies.
India Country Manager
India Country Director
Laos Country Manager
Laos Country Manager
Mongolia Country Director
Morocco Country Director
Peru Country Director
Peru Country Manager
Tanzania Country Director
Thailand Country Director
Southeast Asia Regional Director
Thailand Group Travel Manager
United States Country Director
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United States Program Manager
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An afternoon spent playing on the shores of Naviti Island Fiji | Marine and Environmental Monitoring
AU S T R AL IA | LOCAL I MME R SI ON
Golden Sands and Helping Hands
8 DAYS
FROM $1,865 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Combine meaningful community service with Outback adventure! Spot native wildlife, work on a farm, and give back by volunteering at a local school and participating in community environmental projects. Day 1 Hello Australia! Meet your leaders and settle into our Glass House Mountains Base . Day 2 Kick off your program with a visit to the Australia Zoo. Spend the day petting kangaroos, watching the awesome croc show, checking out dingoes, making friends with koalas, and more. Day 3 Today you will volunteer at a local school. Join an art lesson, help out at the preschool, or assist in a special needs classroom. Play cricket and other outdoor games with Aussie kids during break times. Day 4 This morning, explore the famous Eumundi Market, one of Australia’s largest outdoor markets. After a morning of bargain hunting, grab your bathing suit and head for Noosa National Park and beach. Then, head to the farm where you will set up camp, relax around the fire, and get ready for tomorrow’s Outback adventures! Day 5 Today is all about the farm. Work with the
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horses and help farmers with their daily duties. Learn about natural horsemanship from expert trainers and witness 30 horses run into the yard at the call of a whistle! Day 6 After rolling up your swag this morning, head out to help a local community group with a environmental re-vegetation project. Australians are passionate about their environment, and today you’ll contribute to ongoing efforts to preserve the region's biodiversity. After service work, head back to Noosa beach to surf and learn ocean safety skills from lifeguards at the Surf Life Saving Club. Day 7 Travel south this morning for a day in the city of Brisbane. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can take a bike tour along the river, through the botanic gardens and around the city to experience the sights of Brisbane. Tonight you’ll have dinner along the river and celebrate your final night in this beautiful country. Day 8 Say goodbye to your Aussie leaders and start your journey home.
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AU S T R AL IA | PU SH I N G B OU N D AR I ES
Epic Outback
10 DAYS
FROM $1,895 + AIRFARE
6 SERVICE HOURS
Explore Australia’s northern frontier as you venture into the rugged wilderness of the Outback. Volunteer with local youth, gain familiarity with the country’s indigenous culture, and explore the stunning landscape. Day 1 Land in Darwin, meet your Program Leaders, and have a program orientation. Day 2 Get your first taste of the Outback with a boat cruise on the Adelaide River where you will witness saltwater crocodile feedings and have an up-close look at these wild creatures. Then, take part in a cultural workshop run by an Aboriginal family. Day 3 Fly into the Kimberley and head out in our four-wheel drive vehicles to Lake Argyle, the largest man-made lake in the southern hemisphere. Take a cruise to view some of the lake’s 240 species of birds and 70 islands. Take a swim in the lake before
heading back to camp for a delicious traditional Aussie barbeque. Day 4 Rustic Pathways has partnered with several local organizations to provide support to children in Kununurra. Today you’ll meet leaders within the community, learn about the issues children face, and help run after-school activities for the local kids. Days 5 – 6 Today we head further into the Outback to the Bungle Bungle Range in Purnululu National Park. This is well known as one of the most striking geological landmarks in western Australia. With ranges formed from beehive-like mounds with orange and black stripes you will explore these
UP TO 18 STUDENTS
ancients landforms, creeks, and cathedrals. Cook over the campfire every night and toast marshmallows while you share stories and count shooting stars. Days 7 – 8 El Questro Wilderness Park is a one million acre cattle station filled with ancient gorges, waterfalls, and swimming holes. Drive across rivers and creeks in your 4×4’s. You will climb, crawl, and walk through billionyear-old gorges to get to some of the largest swimming holes in the Outback, with fresh spring water running year round. Camp along the river and drive up the hills to catch the sunset over the mountains. Day 9 Explore the local art and souvenir shops and have a final swim at the Kununurra beach before flying back to Darwin. Day 10 Say farewell to your Aussie leaders, and start the journey home.
Melanie Ward Outback Operations Manager Mel leads programs in Outback Australia and southeast Queensland. An accomplished equestrian who grew up in the rugged Outback, Mel now resides in Queensland where she runs her horse-training business. Her strong leadership skills and adventurous personality make Mel a wonderful role model for students and an accomplished gap year and group travel leader.
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B U R M A | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Irrawaddy Village Service
8 DAYS
FROM $1,445 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
Learn about Burmese culture and Buddhist traditions, run an English tutoring program at a monastery, immerse yourself in a local village, and visit some of Burma's most famous sites. Day 1 Mingalabar! Welcome to Yangon. Clear customs and immigration, meet your Rustic Pathways staff, and have a welcoming dinner at the former office of Burma’s national hero, General Aung San. Have an orientation session in the evening, and head to bed for a good nights’ sleep. Day 2 Wake up early and hop on a short flight to Bagan. Start your day with a brief stroll through town to the local morning market. Take in the wide variety of sights, smells, and tastes through talking to vendors and sampling local fruits and snacks. Then, visit our service partner, a monastic school supporting Burmese teenagers.
Get to know the monastery students and help improve their English fluency by serving as a conversation partner. Days 3 – 5 Head out across the Irrawaddy River to a small island rarely visited by tourists and home to several of Rustic Pathways’ staff members and their extended families. Spend the following days leading an English camp for the fourth and fifth grade students. Pitch in on other needs-based infrastructure projects, work alongside community members, and immerse yourself in island village life. Day 6 Say goodbye to Bagan as you make your
UP TO 30 STUDENTS
way towards the colonial town of Pyin Oo Lwin. British officers used this mountainous town as a cool retreat from the unrelenting Burmese sun. Stop in Mandalay for lunch before continuing the final leg through the Shan mountains. Day 7 Spend today trekking through local hillsides and taking in the panoramic landscape views. Cool off by swimming in waterfalls and floating in inner tubes beside locals. Close out your final night with a reflection session, looking back on your favorite moments and lessons learned from an amazing week of service, immersion, and adventure in Burma! Day 8 After breakfast this morning make the drive back to the Mandalay Airport and begin your journey home. Ta Tar as they say in Burmese, and come back soon!
Soe Than Burma Program Manager Soe Than is an impressive athlete and expert in cane ball, an acrobatic sport that he loves to share with our interested students. Raised on a small island in the middle of the Irrawaddy River, Soe Than is an enthusiastic traveler and has visited nearly every corner of Burma and most countries in Southeast Asia. This program takes place in Soe Than's village where students will visit his home.
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B U R M A | C U R R I CU LUM B A SE D
Documenting Democracy
8 DAYS
FROM $1,795 + AIRFARE
An in-depth look at the evolution of democracy in Burma through the stories of artists, filmmakers, students, and families. Day 1 Arrive in Yangon in the late morning and meet your incredible local team at the airport. Depending on your arrival time and after settling into the hotel, head directly to the beautiful golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the most famous religious site in the nation. Day 2 Spend the morning learning the subtle art of finding a story to tell. Our experienced staff will help you develop your skills through a series of storytelling activities. After this morning, you’ll have both a storytelling concept and some new skills for gathering that story. Day 3 Head over to one of the most famous local art galleries to get a taste of Burmese
art and speak with the artists themselves. After lunch, you’ll have an opportunity to screen two Burmese documentaries, meet with local Burmese filmmakers, and ask them questions about their work. Day 4 Rise early and hop on a short flight to Bagan. Spend the day wandering around the intricate, ancient temples. Visit a monastic school and learn about their initiatives and goals for their students. Day 5 After shopping for food in a local market, head out to the middle of Irrawaddy River by boat. Land at a small island village, home to a few of our local staff. Spend the afternoon exploring the village and meeting elders, teachers, families, and children.
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Day 6 Fly back to Mandalay where you will cross the famous U Bein Bridge and visit the village of our Country Manager, Myint Zaw. You’ll have an opportunity to interview his family and learn about the complicated land rights issues playing out in Burma. Day 7 Today you’ll have an incredibly rare opportunity to explore a village where traditional life plays out just the way it did several decades ago. We’ve arranged several home visits where you’ll be able to experience a traditional Burmese lifestyle and interview families about their own experiences. This village has many unique stories and today is the last day you’ll have to develop your storytelling concept. Day 8 After an early hotel breakfast, bid farewell to your Burmese staff and connect to your international flight back home.
Myint Zaw Burma Country Manager Myint Zaw comes from a small village near U Bein Bridge in Amarapura. He speaks Burmese, English, and French fluently. Myint Zaw’s extensive knowledge of Burmese history and Buddhism, together with his warm smile and clever sense of humor make him an indispensable part of our Burma team. He has a passion for history and loves sharing his country’s culture with our students.
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Nomadic life in the Altai Tavan Bogd region of Mongolia Mongolia | Off the Map: Mongolia
C AM B O D IA | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
From the Ground Up
14 DAYS
FROM $2,485 + AIRFARE
30 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 16 STUDENTS
Designed specifically for students who want to gain an understanding of the inner workings of on-the-ground NGO operations, this program allows students to research a variety of NGOs in Phnom Penh before heading to the BSDA base to contribute to ongoing service initiatives. Day 1 Land in Phnom Penh, meet your Rustic Pathways leaders, and have an introduction to your program over dinner. Days 2 – 5 Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields. With an understanding of Cambodia’s tumultuous history, begin planning your contribution to their future.
field. Join in a series of educational activities designed for children attending one of the BSDA educational centers, or complete infrastructure projects to improve community grounds. Spend your evenings exploring the peaceful riverside town.
Meet with local and international aid organizations. Attend talks with organization directors, tour ongoing projects, and become familiar with development sectors including renewable energy, at-risk youth, and human rights issues. Internalize, discuss, and reflect on your experiences as a group each evening.
Days 12 – 13 Drive to Siem Reap, explore the town, and check out the Phare Cambodia circus. Rising early the next day, visit Angkor Wat before dawn to witness the first rays of sunshine break over this internationally recognized architectural marvel, then relax in the shade at the Ta Prohm tree temple and explore the carved faces of Bayon. Spend your final night in Siem Reap, exploring the night market for one last Cambodian meal and souvenirs.
Days 6 – 11 Work with our partner organization, BSDA, to apply your newfound knowledge in the
Day 14 Pack your bags, say final goodbyes, and begin your journey home.
BSDA (Buddhism for Social Development Action) Kampong Cham Founded in 2005 by a handful of local monks, BSDA dedicates its time to supporting women and children from marginalized populations in Cambodia's rural communities. With several project sites in the Kampong Cham province, BSDA's crucial development work focuses on a variety of initiatives including health, education, and family support networks.
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C AM B O D IA AN D VI E TN AM | CU R R I C ULUM BASED
Snapshots of Southeast Asia
9 DAYS
FROM $2,035 + AIRFARE
18 INSTRUCTION HOURS
Photograph bustling Phnom Penh, take shots of Angkor Wat, and explore the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake, then fly to Vietnam to tour Hanoi. Travel with a professional photographer, honing your photography skills with assignments and critiques throughout your program. Day 1 Land in Phnom Penh, enjoy a Cambodian meal, and have your program orientation.
Day 3 Drive to Battambang, capturing images of the beautiful countryside.
Day 2 Meet as a group each morning to discuss your photography goals and assignments for the day. Then, head into Cambodia’s capital to learn about the country’s tumultuous past. Go to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Use the landmarks to put contemporary Cambodia into perspective. Head to the Russian Market for lunch and some shopping, returning to your hotel in the evening for your nightly photo critique.
Day 4 Continue your journey to Siem Reap, then enjoy an afternoon on the Rustic Pathways riverboat. Meet families living in floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake and photograph this unique way of life.
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Day 5 Head to Angkor Wat to capture the sun rising over the temple complex. Climb through temples overtaken by jungle, capture light traveling over the carved
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UP TO 20 STUDENTS
faces of Bayon, and play with movement as the Apsara dancers perform. Day 6 Hop on a quick flight to Hanoi, get settled into your hotel, and critique your portfolio of Cambodia photos. Days 7 – 8 Explore Vietnam, documenting the experience as you go. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, stop by Confucius’ Temple of Literature, and visit Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. Enjoy steaming bowls of noodle soup and ice-cold fruit shakes as you wander through Hanoi’s rambling streets and busy markets, capturing the old world charm of this bustling city. Day 9 After an incredible week of photography, exploration, and learning, head to the airport for your flight home.
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C AM B O D IA | LOCA L I MME R SI ON
Floating Village Service
8 DAYS
FROM $1,365 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
Hop aboard Rustic Pathways’ own Cambodian riverboat and immerse yourself in this unique way of life as you live and work in these rarely visited floating villages. Day 1 Land in Phnom Penh, meet your Rustic Pathways leaders, and dive into an introduction to your program. Day 2 Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields so you can gain an understanding of Cambodia’s tumultuous past. Enjoy lunch in the Russian Market, then catch a quick flight to Siem Reap.
Day 3 Stop by the local market for last-minute supplies, then hop on the Rustic Pathways riverboat, cruise across Tonle Sap Lake, and settle in with your floating village hosts. Days 4 – 6 Spend your next few days learning about these unique floating communities as you work on projects designed in partnership with the community. Service will include
UP TO 15 STUDENTS
repairing homes and teaching English in the primary school. In the evening, hang out on the boat, play games, and get to know the local community members. Day 7 Visit Angkor Wat before dawn, capturing the first rays of sunlight on this architectural marvel, then relax in the shade at the Ta Prohm tree temple and explore the carved faces of Bayon. In the evening, browse the night market for souvenirs. Day 8 Enjoy a final breakfast, then head to the airport for your flight home.
Sothy Than Cambodia Program Manager Sothy was raised in the Battambang countryside where he worked his way up through school and became a champion kick boxer. In addition to his native Khmer, Sothy learned English and Thai from the monks at Phreah Phrom Rach Pagoda. He loves sharing the wonders of his country with students and spending time with his two sons. Sothy spends his summers on our Floating Village program.
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C H IN A | B E YON D SE RVI CE
Giant Panda Conservation Project
7 DAYS
FROM $1,995 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Donate your time to adorable, endangered giant pandas. Help staff at the CPC Wolong Nature Center in Sichuan. Monitor the pandas’ diet, clean and maintain their living spaces, and contribute to ongoing research. Day 1 Land in Chengdu and meet your Rustic Pathways leaders. Experiencing the sights and sounds of Chengdu, China’s fifth largest city, is a great way to get a glimpse of the rapid development intrinsic to China’s past two decades. Then, head out to the conservation center in Dujiangyan to get ready for tomorrow’s service! Days 2 – 5 For the following days, groups of three students will be paired with specific pandas and researchers for service work. The daily itinerary for your time at the conservation center will be divided between direct interaction working with the pandas and spending time with your group learning about general conservation topics, participating in in-depth discussions on the panda breeding program, and performing behavioral observations to learn how scientists conduct their research at centers like this one. During your time with the pandas, you can expect to care for their living area, plan and prepare their
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food, learn about their habitat and examine threats to their environment. Outside of service, you’ll explore the city, taking tours of the local temple, learning to make dumplings, visiting the surrounding towns, and taking part in an oral history project in the area. Day 6 Today, you’ll head back to Chengdu for a bit of sightseeing in town. Stroll through the People’s Park where you can join in on both traditional and modern group dancing. No visit to Sichuan would be complete without a trip to the opera! It’s part acrobatic show, part comedic relief, modern and traditional dance performances, and Chinese music all blended together in a wonderful artistic performance. Day 7 Pack up and enjoy your last delicious Chinese meal before departing for the Chengdu airport, where you will bid your Rustic Pathways leaders farewell, and board your flight home.
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C H IN A | C U R R I CU LU M B A SE D
Chinese Language Immersion
10 DAYS
FROM $1,995 + AIRFARE
24 INSTRUCTION HOURS
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Live and study at East China Normal University. Complete four hours of language classes each morning, then spend your afternoons exploring and practicing Chinese through cultural engagement activities on the streets of Shanghai. Day 1 Land in Shanghai and, after taking the world’s fastest train into the city, drive to campus and settle into your dorms. Day 2 Spend your morning touring campus, then head into downtown Shanghai for an introduction to Chinese culture. Visit the Shanghai Museum, walk along the banks of The Bund, and travel up the Oriental Pearl TV Tower for views across the skyline of this ever-changing city. Days 3 – 7 After an early breakfast, head to the classroom to start your language lessons! Each morning students will be in class for four hours. After class, enjoy lunch with your classmates, then head out for a cultural activity such as calligraphy classes, Tai Chi, bargaining in the local market, touring the French Concession, or the Yuyuan Garden.
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Day 8 Wake up early and head to the water town of Zhujiajiao, right outside of Shanghai. Just like Venice, Italy, there are many stone bridges that cross over the narrow canals. Ride a small gondola around the canals to best experience this ancient town. Day 9 Your final day in Shanghai is all about fun. Tour the TV Tower and maybe try out a roller coaster. For lunch, enjoy a traditional meal of hot pot, which is an experience as much as it is a meal. Since the week has been filled with lot of learning, reward yourself with a massage. After dinner, have a special farewell ceremony to reflect on all you’ve accomplished and the memories you’ve made in the past week! Day 10 Enjoy one last round of Shanghai soup dumplings, then it’s off to the airport!
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C H IN A | L O CA L I MME R SI ON
Mangroves and Tulous
7 DAYS
FROM $1,455 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
Explore Fujian province. Contribute to conservation efforts in mangrove forests, stroll through Xiamen’s bustling streets, and immerse yourself in a traditional Hakka tulou village. Day 1 Land in Xiamen, have your program orientation, and get a good night’s sleep. Day 2 Drive to a tulou village. Built by the Hakka ethnic minority group, tulous are ancient circular structures that house an entire village. Learn the traditional trades of tea leaf harvesting and vegetable cultivation, then enjoy a barbecue dinner.
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Day 3 Take off for the biggest tulou in the world: Yuchanglou. A true marvel of architecture, Yuchanglou is over 700 years old and boasts an incredible 270 rooms for the five families that live there. Days 4 – 6 Join the China Mangrove Conservation Network, our NGO partner, in the Zhan Jiang River Nature Preserve. Explore the
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
mangrove forest by boat, learning about its flora and fauna and the vital role this ecosystem plays in the local environment. Contribute to the environment's protection through service initiatives which may include planting saplings, cleaning up trash, conducting soil and water quality testing, constructing honey bee hives, and assisting in educational workshops. Day 7 With a new appreciation for its environment, culture, and people, say goodbye to China and prepare to tell everyone at home just how amazing and life-changing this trip has been!
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Traditional lanterns light the bustling souqs of Marrakech Morocco | Souqs and Service
C OS TA R IC A | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Volcano and Rainforest Service Base
8 DAYS
FROM $1,485 + AIRFARE
24 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 30 STUDENTS
Teach children, support community improvement projects, engage in a cultural exchange, and contribute to green initiatives, all from our stunning Volcano and Rainforest Base. Day 1 Land in San José and meet your Rustic Pathways leaders. Depending on your flight schedule, sleep in San José or drive to La Fortuna. Get settled into the Rustic Pathways Volcano and Rainforest Service Base for your program orientation and first local Tico dinner. Days 2 – 5 Work on service initiatives in the villages around La Fortuna. Split your time between morning and afternoon service sessions, returning to the base for lunch and a quick siesta or dip in the pool. Choose from a variety of ongoing service initiatives designed and monitored by Rustic Pathways staff in cooperation with local community leaders. Projects will focus on community infrastructure de-
velopment, educational facility improvement, and environmental initiatives. Spend your evenings hanging out at the Volcano and Rainforest Service Base, hiking to waterfalls and hot springs, or exploring La Fortuna’s markets. Days 6 – 7 Having completed your service projects, take advantage of Costa Rica’s exciting adventure opportunities. Choose from optional activities including zip lining or whitewater rafting. Learn about Costa Rica's indigenous cultures through a presentation from a nearby community. In the evenings, learn to salsa and merengue. Return to San José for your last night. Day 8 Head to the airport for your journey home.
Carolina Bolaños Costa Rica Program Manager Carolina has a background in business administration from the Universidad Interamericana. Her firm handle on complex logistics and ever present smile make her an integral member of Rustic Pathways' Costa Rica team.
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C O S TA R IC A | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Osa Peninsula Conservation
11 DAYS
FROM $2,355 + AIRFARE
36 SERVICE HOURS
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten path program that combines service, adventure, and lots of nature, this is the program for you! Named by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on earth,” the Osa Peninsula is a true jewel of land, water, and wildlife. Day 1 Land in San Jose, Costa Rica and meet our Tico staff. Spend the night in the city or head directly south to Dominical, where your adventure will begin. Day 2 Spend today getting to know the town of Dominical. Relax on the beach or spend the afternoon surfing the waves. Day 3 Drive out to the Osa Peninsula and settle into to your lodging. Meet the staff of Osa Conservation and have an orientation about their work and the service projects you will be contributing to.
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Day 4 Wake up for an early breakfast and a full day of community service. Help replant native species to grow the forest at Finca Osa Verde in Osa Conservation, a former farm and ranch. In the evening, learn about the endangered sea turtle species and prepare for your patrol tomorrow. Days 5 – 7 Rise and shine for your first sea turtle beach patrol! Tag turtles, record data, clean up the beach, or move at-risk nests to the hatchery. This afternoon and the following day, work on the farm, helping with the reforestation project and gaining more experience in sustainable, tropical agriculture.
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UP TO 17 STUDENTS
Then, head out for one final night patrol for sea turtles and at-risk nests. Day 8 Today you will work on trail maintenance efforts to ensure this pristine environment is protected for generations to come. In the afternoon, play games of beach volleyball or relax in a hammock. Day 9 Reward your hard work with a day of high adrenaline adventure. Zip line high above the jungle canopy and witness the spectacular views of the coastline. Day 10 Rise early and return to San José. Stop on the way for some souvenir shopping, arriving in San José in the evening for a final dinner and your last night in Costa Rica. Day 11 After some final group photographs, hop on your flight and make your way home.
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C O S TA R IC A | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Surf and Service in Playa Grande
9 DAYS
FROM $1,995 + AIRFARE
21 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Work hand-in-hand with Ticos from rural villages on a variety of community development projects. Service projects will allow you to get to know the locals and their way of life. Reward your hard work with exhilarating surf lessons in the afternoons. Day 1 Costa Rica is world-renowned for its adventure activities and fantastic surfing conditions, both of which you’ll be sampling in the days to come! Head to your lodgings for the night and get a good rest in before the activities begin. Days 2 – 4 Wake early each morning, and kick-off your day with contributions to a service initiative that is designed and monitored in collaboration with local partners to support community goals. Students are assigned to project teams and will rotate through the initiatives outlined based on the needs of each project during their program. In the afternoon, ride the waves during your surf lessons, then relax in the sun, explore the famous beaches in Guanacaste, or play a game of beach soccer with local children. Day 5 Enjoy a day-long whitewater rafting trip on the Cucaracho River. The Cucaracho River offers world class rafting experiences in Costa Rica. Enjoy an awesome 12 mile
stretch of river packed with over 70 class III-IV rapids and surrounded by lush and untouched jungle filled with wildlife. Days 6 – 7 The next two days, wake up for an early breakfast, then return to your community service initiatives. As before, projects will focus on community infrastructure improvement, educational facility development, and environmental concerns. In the afternoon, head back to the beach to surf the Pacific waves. By now you’ll be a pro! Day 8 Surfs up! Enjoy an early morning breakfast and then it’s off to the ocean. Spend your last morning in Guanacaste taking advantage of the region’s renowned and consistently high quality waves. After lunch, head to a beach up north for an afternoon sailing. Spot tropical fish as you snorkel and swim through the waters of the Nicoya Peninsula. Day 9 Say hasta luego to your Program Leaders as you head on your flight back home.
Rolando Carazo Costa Rica Program Manager Rolando’s passions for running, rafting, and surfing come in handy as he leads Rustic Pathways Group Travel, Gap Year, and summer programs through Latin America's great outdoors. This Turrialba native's kind personality makes every student feel welcome, and his deep knowledge of Costa Rica’s history and culture turn every adventure into a learning experience.
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C O S TA R IC A | CUR R I CU LU M B ASE D
Spanish Language Immersion
9 DAYS
FROM $1,945 + AIRFARE
16 INSTRUCTION HOURS
Perfect for students at any Spanish level, this program offers a local homestay and guided language immersion activities alongside structured classroom time, enhancing your linguistic ability as well as knowledge of Costa Rica’s vibrant culture. Day 1 Land in San José and meet your leaders. Sleep in San José or drive to Turrialba, and have a program orientation. Day 2 Meet with the language school director for placement tests and go on a walking tour to familiarize yourself with Turrialba. Then meet your host family and settle into your home for the week. Days 3 – 5 After breakfast with your host family, attend four hour-long class periods with your Spanish teacher each morning.
Focus on vocabulary and grammar related to the experiences you are having and your scheduled afternoon activities. Each afternoon, enjoy lunch in town as a group, then set out to explore your surroundings with immersive activities such as touring a butterfly garden, visiting a zoo, swimming in nearby waterfalls, hiking in Irazu Volcano National Park, and mountain biking through the jungle. Each evening, return to your host family for a traditional Costa Rican dinner. Day 6 Spend one final morning practicing
UP TO 30 STUDENTS
your Spanish in class, then pick up any remaining souvenirs in town. Return home for your last delicious Tico meal with your host family. Days 7 – 8 Depart Turrialba for a two-day white water rafting adventure on the class III-IV Pacuare River. Enjoy the spectacular scenery, adrenaline-pumping rapids, and picnic meals. Spend your night at a river lodge, taking time to explore natural swimming holes and relax in the tranquil jungle surroundings. Spend another day out on the rapids, completing your trip in the afternoon. Then return to San José for a farewell dinner with your group. Day 9 Take one final group photo, say goodbye to your Rustic Pathways leaders, and begin your journey home.
Mauricio Carazo Costa Rica Program Manager A former river guide and photographer who hails from the hills of Turrialba, Mauricio is a great asset to our Costa Rica team. With a degree in business management and tourism and a fervent passion for mountain biking, kayaking, and adventure, he provides invaluable insight into the logistics and safety of our adventure and surf programs.
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C O S TA R IC A | LOCAL I MME R SI ON
Bribri Indigenous Immersion
8 DAYS
FROM $1,485 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
Take the opportunity to understand rural life and indigenous culture in Costa Rica. Boat to the rural community of a Bribri tribe, where you’ll stay in tents in the village, work with community members on small-scale development projects, and learn about their unique culture. Day 1 Depending on the arrival time of your group, either spend the evening in San Jose or head directly to the coast. Settle into your hotel, then gather for a group orientation before a good night’s sleep.
Day 3 Journey by boat to the Yorkin Community, an indigenous Bribri community in the mountains of far southeast Costa Rica. Settle in, and receive an introduction to this unique culture and community.
Day 2 Time to grab your paddles and hit the rapids of the Pacuare River! Enjoy the rich greenery and narrow canyons that have earned the river a reputation as the most beautiful whitewater in the world.
Days 4 – 5 Spend the next two days working alongside community members on a variety of education initiatives. We have partnered with local schools and with Aventuras Naturales, a community tour-
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UP TO 18 STUDENTS
ism and economic development initiative run by members of the Yorkin community. Day 6 Take a break from your service work for cultural activities! Learn about local plant's medicinal uses and how to make chocolate from cacao. Take a river tour before returning to the community for a delicious dinner and group discussion period. Day 7 Say goodbye to Yorkin and head back to the coast. Spend a few hours relaxing on the beach and spotting sloths, toucans, and other wildlife at Cahuita National Park. Day 8 Say adios to Costa Rica and head out on your flight home.
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Sun shines down on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park United States | Discover California
C U B A | L O C AL I MME R SI ON
Viva Cuba! Culture and Conservation
8 DAYS
FROM $2,195 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
This is a highly immersive and interactive program designed to teach you about the country through a local lens. Experience iconic landmarks and build relationships with the Cuban people who will help you understand their culture. You will learn how Cubans conserve their natural resources and enjoy the beauty of the country’s pristine parks, forests, and coasts. Day 1 Bienvenidos a La Habana! Today, you’ll settle into your hotel, have an orientation and introduction with your group to learn about Cuban history, the island’s relationship with the United States, and the future of diplomatic relations as the country continues to open its borders. Day 2 Head out to Charco Azul, an eco-lodge tucked into the hills just west of Havana. Horseback ride to the famous Charco Azul lagoon and cool off in the blue waters. Then, give back by contributing to a reforestation project within the preserve.
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Day 3 Travel to Banao where you will work on more conservation projects with local rangers at the National Park. This could include planting tree hatchlings, monitoring wildlife, or other reforestation projects. Days 4 – 5 After a day volunteering in the national park, head off on a two-day trek through the Lomas de Banao preserve. Eat lunch at a beautiful lookout, swim under the Las Cortinas Blancas waterfall, and enjoy a meal cooked over the campfire. After sleeping under the stars, hike back with more scenic vistas and swimming breaks!
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UP TO 18 STUDENTS
Day 6 After breakfast, set off on a cultural exploration trip to the beautiful coastal town of Trinidad. Step through the cobblestone streets, taking in the sight of 200-year-old, brightly painted colonial style buildings. Hear salsa music streaming out of homes and shops as you walk around and learn from local leaders about the history of this town. Then, head to the beach! Relax and enjoy the warm water before driving back to Havana. Day 7 Spend your last day exploring the iconic city of Havana. Ride a 1950’s Ford around as you visit the Plaza de Revolución, El Malecón, and El Morro Castle among other sites. You’ll also have a locally guided night tour around Havana, culminating in an incredible dance show. Day 8 Say goodbye to your leaders and head to the airport for your flight home.
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DOM IN IC AN R E PUB LI C | B E Y ON D SERVICE
Life in the Bateyes
8 DAYS
FROM $1,245 + AIRFARE
24 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 35 STUDENTS
Learn about the challenges faced by Haitian migrant workers in the Dominican's expansive sugar cane fields as you contribute to Rustic Pathways’ ongoing service initiatives, which focus on raising the standard of living in these communities. Day 1 Arrive in Santo Domingo, head to your bateyes volunteer facility, and prepare for your upcoming service projects.
to agricultural work, leading educational workshops for the community, and facilitating activities and interactive games with the local children.
Day 2 Enjoy breakfast at your volunteer facility, then head to a batey community. Spread across 236,000-acres of sugar cane fields, bateyes are predominately Haitian communities so neglected by Dominican infrastructure that they often lack such basic necessities as running water, electricity, and access to public education.
After each day’s service is complete, learn more about your surroundings. Take a trip to the beach, explore a nearby cave system, and continue to learn about batey communities through documentaries and guest speakers.
Spend your day learning about the sugar cane process, the Haitian cane cutters, and the challenges of citizenship and immense disparity between batey communities and those across the rest of the Dominican Republic. Days 3 – 5 Spend your next several days contributing to ongoing service projects. Projects may include infrastructure development in batey Monte Coca, as well as contributing
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Day 6 Having completed your service projects, say goodbye to the batey communities and drive to Bayahibe. Grab your bathing suit and sunscreen, then hop on board your private catamaran for a day of snorkeling and beach lounging on Isla Saona. Days 7 – 8 Return to Santo Domingo. Spend your afternoon exploring the city’s colonial zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting the first cathedral, hospital, and university in the Americas. Enjoy a final Dominican meal, then head to the airport.
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DOM IN IC AN R E PUB LI C | B E Y ON D SERVICE
Mountain Air and Village Service
8 DAYS
FROM $1,345 + AIRFARE
24 SERVICE HOURS
Immerse yourself in the welcoming Dominican community as you work alongside Jarabacoa’s residents to improve village infrastructure and lead a day-long kids’ camp. Raft down rapids, hike to pristine waterfalls, swim in turquoise waters, and relax on the white sand beaches of the northern coast. Day 1 Land in Santo Domingo and depart directly for Jarabacoa, a beautiful mountain town. Settle into your rooms at the Rustic Pathways Mountain Air Service Base. Days 2 – 3 Head further into the mountains each morning, where you will provide rural villages with a most basic need— running water—by working on aqueduct construction. Over the past three years, Rustic Pathways students have built five
UP TO 100 STUDENTS
on the northern coast, and spend the day relaxing on the sand and swimming in the turquoise Caribbean Sea.
aqueducts, bringing running water to over 200 people in this community.
Day 6 Return for one more morning in the village laying pipework, then wrap up your project and embark on a whitewater rafting adventure down the Rio Yaque del Norte.
Day 4 Take a break from your infrastructure project to engage the community’s youth in a day-long camp. Lead games, team-building exercises, art projects, and sports activities. In the evening, take time to discuss responsible tourism and water access.
Day 7 Return to Santo Domingo to explore the city’s colonial zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to the first cathedral, hospital, and university in the Americas. Purchase any last-minute souvenirs, then enjoy a traditional Dominican meal.
Day 5 Drive to Sosua and Cabarete, beach towns
Day 8 Board your flight home. Safe travels!
Halle Jackson Dominican Republic Program Manager A native of the fishing town of Sabana de la Mar in the Dominican Republic, Jackson is an integral part of our team. As a naturalist guide he has led conservation efforts in Los Haitises National Park for many years and is one of the founding members of the local Green Brigade group. His constant smile, big heart, and local knowledge have made him a student favorite.
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DOM IN IC AN R E PUB LI C | B E Y ON D SERVICE
Marine Life and Coastal Restoration
8 DAYS
FROM $1,495 + AIRFARE
21 SERVICE HOURS
Grab your swimsuits and snorkel gear for a week of conservation work in the warm, Caribbean waters. Work with local marine professionals, dedicated to protecting the ecosystem in Bayahibe. Day 1 Arrive in the capital city, Santo Domingo, meet your Program Leaders, and head straight to the coastal town of Bayahibe, your home for this week of marine service! Days 2 – 3 Begin your hands-on marine training out in the water as you familiarize yourself with the tools and techniques of marine life conservation. Today, your group will divide up to accomplish two projects: coastal cleanup or marine monitoring. Service initiatives may consist of building coral reef structures, marine life and coastal erosion monitoring, and building buoys, depending on current local needs.
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Day 4 Head out to the beautiful Isla Saona and get your hands dirty while learning about the life of a sea turtle. Very late at night, the group will participate in a beach walk to look for turtles and help preserve the eggs that they lay, and maybe catch a glimpse of a mama turtle laying eggs! Day 5 Head back to mainland and out to the Chavon River for kayaking, hiking, and zip lining. Then, jump in the bus and make your way to Sabana de la Mar, the hometown of Jackson, our Program Manger. Get a good night's rest before more hands-on environmental service tomorrow!
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UP TO 30 STUDENTS
Day 6 Work alongside park rangers, Green Brigade volunteers and other environmental groups in Los Haitises National Park. Contribute to the restoration of mangrove eco-systems and the marine life that rely on them, including local dolphin populations that feed in the Samaná Bay. Meet with local volunteers in town who are also working to conserve the park. Day 7 Ride back to Santo Domingo where you will spend your final day shopping for souvenirs and touring the historic Colonial Zone of the city. At night, practice your merengue dance moves with live music over a typical Dominican dinner. Day 8 Say adios to your leaders and La Republica Dominicana, it’s time to head home!
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DOM IN IC AN R E PUB LI C | CUR R I CULUM BASED
Intro to Public Health
8 DAYS
FROM $1,455 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 35 STUDENTS
Work alongside health care professionals on high-impact public health projects in the Dominican Republic. Identify health needs of rural, urban, wealthy, and impoverished communities and help develop meaningful public service initiatives. Day 1 Arrive in Santo Domingo. Get settled at your hotel, then dive into your program. Watch a documentary providing context on public health in Latin America. Day 2 Meet with our partner NGOs and learn about the initiatives they focus on in this city of immense socio-economic disparity, then head to a local hospital for a firsthand look at the urban health care system.
ture. Speak with locals about the impacts of specific health problems, and tour a rural clinic. Your evenings will include discussions on public health case studies. Day 5 This morning will be your last day of service! Wrap up your service project, then drive north to Samana, a beautiful beach town. Have dinner as you watch the sunset turn the ocean orange.
Having built a baseline for health in the Dominican’s urban environments, leave the city for San Pedro de Macoris, a rural region roughly an hour outside of the capital.
Day 6 Today, enjoy the island’s natural beauty. Hike to one of the tallest waterfalls in the Caribbean, then return to the beach for an afternoon of lounging on the white sand beach and swimming in the turquoise sea.
Days 3 – 4 Begin your service initiative. You may contribute to construction projects relating to sanitation or clean water, or conduct educational health workshops for local community members.
Day 7 Enjoy time at the beach, then return to Santo Domingo for a tour of the city’s colonial zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spend your afternoons visiting nearby communities to better understand the cul-
Day 8 Enjoy one last tropical Dominican breakfast, then catch your flight home.
Kate Lubina Dominican Republic Country Manager A native of Southern California, Kate is at home near the ocean with her feet in the water. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and a master’s degree in global medicine. Bringing her interest in the application of international public health, Kate now applies her expertise in health and development while inspiring our students on programs in the Dominican Republic.
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77
FI JI | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
South Pacific Eco-Lodge Service Base
8 DAYS
FROM $1,575 + AIRFARE
30 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 80 STUDENTS
Partake in various service projects designed to strengthen education, sanitation, nutrition, environmental conservation, and access to health care in neighboring communities. Live at the South Pacific Eco-Lodge Service Base, taking advantage of the many tropical adventure opportunities surrounding you. Day 1 Land in Nadi, meet your leaders, and settle into the South Pacific Eco-Lodge Service Base. Snorkel, swim, and unwind on the beach, then get oriented for your service projects and participate in a formal sevusevu ceremony. Days 2 – 6 Work on service initiatives in small communities surrounding the South Pacific Eco-Lodge Base. Split your time between morning and afternoon sessions, with the option to focus on one large-scale initiative to gain a more diverse understanding of need in this region, or to contribute to a few smaller ongoing projects. Tutor English grammar, teach computers, and lead arts and sports enrichment activities in local elementary schools. Support underprivileged families as you prepare and deliver nutritious meals. Donate your time to help local communities develop sustainable farming initiatives. Contribute to construction projects such as waste
management, home repair, or school facility improvement in surrounding villages. Partake in environmental conservation initiatives as you plant trees to battle coastal erosion and clean up the beaches on Fiji’s western shores. Wrap up your service projects each day, then spend your evenings enjoying Fiji’s immense natural beauty. Soak in hot springs, enjoy mud baths, and play in the waves. Learn Fijian or IndoFijian dance from women in nearby villages, and relax by the pool. Day 7 Explore some of the many exciting activities that Fiji has to offer. Relax, swim, snorkel, and body surf at the beach, take a day trip to a neighboring shore, or elect to skydive above the idyllic tropical islands. Day 8 After packing, head to the Nadi handicraft market, then on to the airport for sad farewells and your flight home.
Bethany Thomas Fiji Country Manager Bethany has been part of our Fiji team since 2011 and loves sharing her passion for the island culture with our students. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she took a gap year and spent time living in Tokyo and London before attending The George Washington University. An avid soccer player, Bethany has extensive experience both playing and coaching, and she can frequently be spotted challenging the locals to a pickup game on the Eco-Lodge field.
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FI JI | C U R RI CU LU M B A SE D
Marine and Environmental Field Studies
8 DAYS
FROM $1,995 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
Learn about Fiji’s marine ecosystem. Identify tropical fish and coral species as you work to conserve and restore the natural habitat, keeping an eye out for dolphins and other unusual marine animals. When not working in the water, get to know Fijian culture with visits to nearby villages. Day 1 Land at Nadi International Airport, and settle into the South Pacific Eco-Lodge Base. Snorkel and relax on the beach, then meet with your marine instructors for an orientation on your week’s initiatives. Day 2 Take a boat to the Yasawas, arrive at Naviti Island, and settle into the Rustic Pathways Island Base. Get oriented to the Fijian culture, then head out with a snorkel and fins for your first hours on the reef. Days 3 – 5 Explore the marine reserve in the bay out-
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side your home. Rustic Pathways leaders will work with you to create your project schedule, factoring in the weather conditions, tides, and objectives of the group. Time can be spent performing fish counts, creating coral gardens, planting mangroves, or searching for manta rays (seasonal) and other fascinating ocean creatures. After wrapping up your environmental initiatives each day, head out to explore your surroundings. Hike a mountain to watch the sun set, try your hand at night fishing with the villagers, head to nearby coves by ocean kayak, and enjoy a traditional Fijian meke dance.
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Spend your evenings with your neighbors, playing with and tutoring school kids, learning traditional mat weaving from village women, and immersing in this unique culture. End each day with reflection and discussion on your experiences around a bonfire. Day 6 Return to Momi Bay, relax by the pool, and enjoy the comfort of the Rustic Pathways South Pacific Eco-Lodge Base. Day 7 Today is for island hopping! Jump on the boat and explore the islands off the Viti Levu coast. Relax, swim, and snorkel through this nearby island chain. Day 8 After packing your bags, head to the Nadi handicraft market for last-minute souvenirs before taking off on your flight home.
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FI JI | L O C AL I MME R SI ON
Children of the Highlands
8 DAYS
FROM $1,535 + AIRFARE
24 SERVICE HOURS
Lead enrichment programs for local kids, build school facilities, and live with local families in Nasivikoso, a traditional Fijian mountain village that has offered a home to Rustic Pathways students for the past 20 years. Day 1 Settle into the South Pacific Eco-Lodge Base, and unwind with the tropical waters and golden sands of Natadola Beach.
into service as you work alongside the villagers to further ongoing construction projects at the village school.
Day 2 Stop in Nadi for last-minute supplies, then drive to Nasivikoso village, deep in the Nausori Highlands. Partake in a sevusevu ceremony with the village chief, and get to know your host family.
Day 4 Break into small service teams. Plan lessons and lead English and arts projects at the village kindergarten, or continue to work on constructing school facilities. Take a break and hike to a waterfall for a swim and a picnic lunch.
Day 3 Meet with the village school committee to learn about the challenges local children face in getting an education. Dive
Day 5 Apply your lessons from yesterday at a neighboring village’s elementary school, and learn what a typical school in the
UP TO 25 STUDENTS
Nausori Highlands is like. Build on your observations with guided discussions as you help forge Nasivikoso’s curriculum and infrastructure into a regional model. Day 6 Return to your service projects around Nasivikoso, either in the village kindergarten or on construction projects on school grounds and around the village. Spend a final evening with your host family enjoying a village celebration. Day 7 Head out of the mountains for lunch in Nadi, then spend your afternoon relaxing and reflecting at the Eco-Lodge Base or exploring a nearby beach. Day 8 Head to the Nadi handicraft market, then to the airport for your final goodbyes!
Panapasa "Oro" Orodai Fiji Program Manager Oro has brought laughter to the Rustic Pathways team since the day he joined us. From the rural village of Wouosi in the interior of Fiji, not far from our Highlands Base, he studied at Nadi College. Oro’s great sense of adventure, natural athletic ability, and extensive knowledge of the cultures and geography of Fiji make him a strong leader. When asked how he is doing, Oro always responds, “110 percent.”
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FI JI | C U LT U R A L E XPLOR AT I ON
Big Fiji Explorer
8 DAYS
FROM $2,145 + AIRFARE
Swim, kayak, and immerse in traditional Fijian culture on Naviti Island. Zip line, relax in natural hot springs and mud baths, and spend time swimming, snorkeling, and getting to know the immense diversity of Fiji’s coral reefs. Day 1 Settle into your bures at the Eco-Lodge Base and meet your Program Leaders. Have a program orientation, then grab your swimsuit and hit the beach for some relaxing and snorkeling. Days 2 – 4 Enjoy island paradise with new adventures each day. Explore a sunken plane wreck, go night fishing and ocean kay-
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aking, snorkel with manta rays (seasonal), learn the traditional Fijian war dance (meke), play soccer on the beach with the local kids, and wake early for a hike to watch the sun rise over this island chain. Day 5 Return to Fiji’s main island, exploring Nadi before you head to Momi Bay and the Rustic Pathways Eco-Lodge for a hot shower and good night’s sleep.
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Day 6 Spend a relaxing morning in natural hot springs and mud baths, then head to the Tau Caves for a ride on Fiji’s largest zip line. Enjoy the stunning coastal vistas as you fly through the tropical canopy. Day 7 Enjoy one last day on the water, with a trip to the beautiful islands off of Viti Levu. Swim, snorkel, relax, and play on the stunning white sand beaches. Day 8 Return to Nadi for souvenir shopping, then head to the airport and say goodbye to your Rustic Pathways leaders.
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The Haw Pha Bang temple glows at dusk in Luang Prabang Laos | The Mekong Service Base
I N DIA | B E YON D SE RVI CE
Indian Wildlife Conservation
8 DAYS
FROM $1,395 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Work with Wildlife SOS to improve the lives of rescued sloth bears and elephants in Agra. Learn all about wildlife conservation, human and wildlife conflicts, and the story of the dancing sloth bears in India as you build structures, care for bears and elephants, and work on other Wildlife SOS projects. Day 1 Clear customs, meet your Rustic Pathways leaders, and settle into your hotel in New Delhi for a good night's sleep. Day 2 Drive to Agra and dive in to your service project! Meet with representatives from Wildlife SOS, learn the history of dancing bears in the Kalandar community, and have an intro to the rescue facilities and your service responsibilities. Days 3 – 6 Dedicate your time to service at the Wildlife SOS center. Your main tasks will include constructing pen enrichment structures and helping bear keepers with their daily
work. You'll also help care for elephants at the nearby elephant rescue center. Spend your evenings immersed in your surroundings. Play sports and visit with a former snake charming community that now works with Wildlife SOS. Day 7 Wake early and head to the Taj Mahal for a stunning sunrise on the famous marble structure, then return to New Delhi. Relax in the afternoon, and stop by the market to pick up any last minute souvenirs. Day 8 After a final breakfast of puri sabzi, head to the airport for your flight home.
Wildlife SOS Established in 1995, Wildlife SOS began as a movement to make lasting change and conserve India’s natural heritage and wildlife wealth. Over their 20 years of operation, they have grown to protect Indian wildlife, habitats, and biodiversity, to conduct research, and to create alternative and sustainable livelihoods for poacher communities or those communities that depend on wildlife for sustenance.
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I N DIA | C UR R I CU LU M B ASE D
North Indian Photo Expedition
12 DAYS
FROM $1,885 + AIRFARE
18 INSTRUCTION HOURS
Hone your photography skills on this exploration of northern India led by professional photographers. From the blue walls of Jodhpur to the vast orange sand dunes of Osian, you will learn how to capture the stunning landscapes, bustling markets, and interesting people throughout the region. Day 1 Your photography adventure begins in New Delhi! Upon arrival, meet your Program Leaders and partake in a group orientation. After an introductory photography lesson, stroll the streets in small groups, capturing your first encounters in India. Day 2 Fly to Jodhpur, also known as the Blue City. After lunch, your leaders will share their expert knowledge on how to tell a story through photos and present your first photography assignment. Then it’s out to the markets to put what you’ve learned to use! Day 3 Today you will visit Mehrangarh Fort, overlooking the entire city. After lunch, catch incredible views of the area by zip line! You
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will fly over over desert canyons, palace lakes, and 600 year old ruins. Next, hit the bazaars in the Blue City and shop for locally crafted goods such as Rajasthani puppets, slippers, and tapestries. Day 4 Depart from Jodhpur and make your way to Galthani, a small village in southwest Rajasthan. Here you will visit a local Jain temple to learn about another religion that contributes to the diverse cultural tapestry of India. This evening you will settle in with your homestay family, getting to know your hosts over a delicious Rajasthani meal of daal tadka. Day 5 In the morning, partake in a cross-cultural exchange with local Indian students before
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
your photography lesson. In the afternoon, visit a cow farm as well as a nearby village called Shivganj,where you will practice both landscape and portrait photography. Day 6 Bid you homestay families farwell and drive to the desert city of Osian. Visit the ornate Sachiya Mata temple and settle in to your new camp. Tour the area by camel and capture the sun setting over the dunes. Day 7 After an early morning photography lesson, return to Jodhpur to catch your flight back to Delhi. Here you will have one last photography lesson from your Program Leaders and a delicious group dinner at a nearby restaurant. Day 8 On your way out of town, stop by a few Delhi monuments, head to the bazaar for some last minute souvenir shopping, and then head to a South Delhi resort. Have a final closing ceremony before heading to the airport to catch your flight back home.
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I N DIA | C ULTU R AL E XPLOR ATI ON
Namaste India
14 DAYS
FROM $1,845 + AIRFARE
Experience India using all your senses. Explore Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur in north India, then connect to Kerala on the southwest coast. Namaste India focuses on major historic sites as well as local arts, crafts, cuisines, and languages. Days 1 – 2 Spend your first days in India getting to know the capital. Discover New Delhi’s markets and become familiar with the Hindu gods and goddesses with a scavenger hunt. Learn about Mahatma Gandhi, visit India Gate, and explore Sikhism at the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.
workshop to learn how local artisans make the famous bangles. Partake in a Rajasthani cooking class, then get a customized mehandi design and learn the traditional Ghoomar dance.
Day 3 Head south for a day in Agra. Learn about Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, then explore his famous contribution to Indian architecture, the Taj Mahal.
Days 7 – 8 Depart northern India for Kerala, India’s tropical paradise. Stay in historic Fort Cochin, visit the centuries-old Jewish Synagogue, learn a handful of words in Malayalam, be enthralled by a Kathakali dance performance, and watch the sun set as you cruise on the Arabian Sea.
Days 4 – 6 Continue on to the Pink City of Jaipur. Explore the Amber Fort and visit a lac
Days 9 – 10 Hop aboard a traditional Ketuvallam houseboat on Vembanad Lake. Fish for
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
your dinner, swim in the lake, and compete in a canoe race. Conclude your time on the southern coast with a mock Onam Festival, welcoming the gods to Kerala by dressing in traditional clothing and creating vibrant patterns of fresh flowers. Days 11 – 12 Head inland to Munnar. Once the colonial British government’s summer resort, Munnar is famous for being one of India’s most beautiful tea plantations. Learn the history of growing and making tea, visit nearby tribal colonies and learn about their cultures. End your evenings sampling local dishes around a bonfire and watching a Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration. Days 13 – 14 Return to New Delhi after a stop in the Cochin spice markets. Spend your last day in the capital picking up some final souvenirs, relaxing, and reflecting on your experiences before heading to the airport.
Sudarshan Singh Deora India Country Manager Sudarshan comes to us with a degree in tourism management. He is a constant source of energy and excitement for Rustic Pathways students in India, and is always ready to teach about his native state of Rajasthan. He’s a fan of Indian folk music and a star cricket player. If you’re lucky, he’ll teach you how to swing for sixes!
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L AO S | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Mekong Service Base
7 DAYS
FROM $1,375 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
Stay at the incredible Rustic Pathways Mekong Base right on the banks of the Mekong River. Discover the beauty of Laos as you work alongside villagers on community service projects. Day 1 Sabai dee and welcome to beautiful Laos! Settle into the base, meet your leaders, and have a program orientation. Day 2 You will rise early to the sound of the gong calling the monks to morning prayer, before heading out to the main street to give morning alms. After breakfast, you will climb aboard a slow-boat down the Nam Khan River to explore the Pak Ou cave system. Then, explore Luang Prabang by bicycle, stopping at temples and other important cultural sites along the way.
Days 3 – 4 Today you will venture out into the countryside to a Khmu hill tribe village for two days of service and an overnight homestay. Work with community members to improve village infrastructure, develop education enrichment projects, or construct water access points in the village. Get your hands dirty and learn about the challenges that this community faces. Day 5 After a final morning of work on your service project, say goodbye to your homestay families and conitnue your adventure
UP TO 90 STUDENTS
with a hike to Kuangsri Waterfall. Drive along the windy country roads to this seven-tiered waterfall. Then, take a short hike up Phousi Mountain where you will see both the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers, and majestic Luang Prabang at sunset. Day 6 No visit to the Land of a Million Elephants would be complete without an elephant ride! Meet the mahouts, professional elephant caretakers, and spend your morning bathing, feeding, and playing with the gentle giants. End your day with a kayak down the river and a farewell ceremony with your group and Program Leaders. Day 7 Head home with memories of meaningful work and fun adventures in Laos!
Lay Lay Ooh Mekong Service Base Manager Born in Burma’s Bago Division, Lay Lay Ooh has been an integral member of the Rustic Pathways team for more than nine years. Ooh is fluent in Burmese, English, and Thai, and is known throughout the organization for his strong leadership skills. He has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and the US as one of our Senior Program Managers. Ooh is now the manager of our beautiful base in Luang Prabang, Laos.
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L AO S AN D VIET N AM | CUR R I CU LU M BASED
Impacts of the Vietnam War
9 DAYS
FROM $1,995 + AIRFARE
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Learn about the Vietnam War and Laos' Secret War from a local perspective. Visit little-known battle sites in northern Laos, then connect to Vietnam to see Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and the Cu Chi tunnels. Day 1 Land in Luang Prabang, an UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Laos. Hike up Phousi Hill for a program orientation and sweeping views of the city. Day 2 Rise early for morning alms as Buddhist monks stroll through the streets, then learn about the Laotian monarchy and subsequent communist takeover as you explore Luang Prabang by bike. After lunch, drive east to Phonsavan province, home of the mysterious Plain of Jars and many battle sites of the Vietnam War. Day 3 Spend your morning learning about Laos’ Secret War. Meet with professionals who raise awareness about Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs), then drive to a nearby village built primarily of scrap metal from bombs and other war agents, a haunting reminder of the Vietnam War’s legacy. Day 4 Visit the Plain of Jars, a mysterious site loaded with prehistoric relics and home to many battles between Hmong resistance
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fighters and the communist army. Then, take a break from your history lessons as you hike to a nearby waterfall for a picnic lunch and afternoon swim. Days 5 – 6 Visit the Pak Ou caves, a famous pilgrimage site filled with thousands of Buddha statues, and enjoy a massage and trip through Luang Prabang's night market before departing Laos for Ho Chi Minh City. Day 7 Continue learning about the Vietnam War with a tour of Reunification Palace, where communist tanks crashed the gates and Saigon surrendered to North Vietnam in 1975. Visit the War Remnants Museum, and end your day in Ben Thanh market. Day 8 Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, a vast network of underground tunnels that served as the Viet Cong's base for the Tet Offensive of 1968. Return to Ho Chi Minh City in the evening for a water puppet show. Day 9 Enjoy a final Vietnamese coffee, then head to the airport for your flight home.
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L AO S | C U LTU R A L E XPLOR AT I ON
Land of the Four Thousand Islands
7 DAYS
FROM $1,575 + AIRFARE
Step off the beaten path and explore the beauty of southern Laos. Climb through ancient ruins, meet friendly locals in sleepy fishing villages, and journey through Si Phan Don, the Four Thousands Islands region of southern Laos. Day 1 Sawat dee and welcome to Thailand! Your Rustic Pathways Program Leaders will be awaiting your arrival in Suvarnabhumi Airport. From there, you will hop on a quick flight to Ubon Ratchathani, the gateway to the southern Mekong region. Take a short van ride across the Lao border and let the adventure begin! Day 2 Board a longtail boat after breakfast and cruise Lao-style on the Mekong river to Champassak. Your boat will arrive at the
UNESCO World Heritage site of Wat Phou, a Khmer Hindu temple complex dating back to the 5th century. Explore the ruins and hike to the top of the mountain for some breathtaking views. Day 3 Leave the bustling energy of the city behind this morning and venture into the Bolaven Plateau, created long ago by a volcano and home to breathtaking mountain views, extensive coffee plantations, and cascading waterfalls. Your local guides will take you through the country-
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
side on an all-day trek including a picnic lunch and a refreshing swim at one of the many waterfalls that dot the trails. Day 4 – 6 Drive south to Si Phan Don, the four thousands islands region of southern Laos. Take a boat ride out to Don Khon, and get into the groove of the slow-paced southern Lao lifestyle. Over the next two days you will explore the islands by bike, longtail boat, kayak, and foot. Search for endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, visit secluded temples, relax in the sun, and take in the gorgeous scenery. Day 7 Enjoy your final, fresh Lao baguette and coffee before heading to the airport to catch your flight home.
Chanthavong ‘Vong’ Keopanya Laos Program Manager From a small village outside Luang Prabang, Laos, Vong joined our team full-time in 2012. He is a graduate of Luang Prabang Technical School, speaks Lao, Thai, and English, and manages several of Rustic Pathways' community service projects at both the Ricefields Base and in Laos. Vong has spent time as a monk, and has traveled throughout Southeast Asia and the United States.
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Kayaks rest in the tranquil waters of Gulfo Dulce on the southern Pacific coast. Costa Rica | Osa Peninsula Conservation
M O N G O L IA | PU SH I N G B OU N D AR I E S
Off the Map: Mongolia
15 DAYS
FROM $2,745 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
Join host families in gers and live life the nomadic way, then trek into the Tavan Bogd mountains to see some of the world's most stunning scenery. Journey off the map in Mongolia and leave the modern world behind. Day 1 Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and settle in to your guesthouse for dinner and an orientation. Day 2 Get to know Mongolian culture. Learn about the Mongol Empire and enjoy displays of cultural dress, traditional dance, and khoomi throat-singing. Day 3 Fly to Ulgii, home to Mongolia’s Kazakh ethnic minority. Settle into your host families’ gers, and prepare for your service projects in Sogoog village.
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Days 4 – 6 Work with a locally-run NGO to teach English, lead community workshops on dental hygiene, and contribute to an initiative to balance the local meat- and dairy-heavy diet with vegetables.
UP TO 18 STUDENTS
Bogd mountain range. Hike along the Tsaagan Gol, or White River, and summit Maalchin Uul peak. Complete your circuit with a night at the mountain's base, then stop by Bronze Age petroglyphs on your way back to Sogoog. Day 13 Say farewell to your generous hosts in Sogoog, then fly back to Ulaanbaatar.
Spend evenings riding camels, training eagles, learning traditional Kazakh handicrafts, and enjoying nomadic dances to the tune of the two-stringed dombor.
Day 14 Shop in Ulaanbaatar’s outdoor market, featuring everything from hand-carved wooden saddles, to traditional Mongolian jackets. In the evening, enjoy a final dinner and closing ceremony.
Days 7 – 12 Drive to Tavan Bogd, home to the highest peaks in Mongolia's legendary Atlai Tavan
Day 15 After breakfast, say goodbye to your leaders and begin your journey home.
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M O R O C C O | CU R R I CULUM B ASE D
Arabic Language Immersion
8 DAYS
FROM $1,645 + AIRFARE
15 INSTRUCTION HOURS
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
This is an incredible opportunity for your students to put their Arabic skills to test and dive into a completely different culture. Morocco is an ideal setting for international study, with a rich, colorful, and fascinating history. Day 1 Meet your leaders and head to your hotel in Marrakech. After settling in, eat a wonderful welcome dinner at UNESCO World Heritage Site Jamya’ Al-Fna. Day 2 Sabah al-khair! Good morning! Rise and shine for your first day of Arabic lessons. Be ready for engaging, conversation-focused classes in small groups with other students at a similar proficiency level. Day 3 After morning classes head out to explore some of the vibrant sites that Marrakech has to offer. Stop by a genuine Moroccan spice shop and smell and sample everything from argan oil, to jasmine, to amber. Afterwards explore the ruins of the 16th century El Badi Palace. Day 4 Today in class you will be paired up with a local Moroccan speaking partner to get to know over the course of your time in Marrakech. After class get ready to put your Arabic and Moroccan Darija to the
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test as you go on a challenging scavenger hunt into the souqs of Marrakech. Day 5 During today’s lesson you and your Arabic speaking partner will share a special presentation on what you’ve learned throughout the week. Day 6 After your final day of Arabic class, dive back into the medina’s markets and stop by a wood carving and silversmith shop where you will partake in a workshop from skilled local artisans. Day 7 Say goodbye to Marrakech and head back north to Casablanca. Pay a visit to the Hassan II mosque, the tallest in Africa. Afterwards stop by the souqs of Casablanca to grab some last souvenirs before you enjoy a final farewell dinner. Day 8 Pack your bags, head to the Casablanca airport, and say goodbye to Morocco. It’s time to make the journey back home.
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M O R O C C O | LOCAL I MME R SI ON
Souqs and Service
8 DAYS
FROM $1,285 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
Experience rural life in the Atlas Mountains as you work with local organizations on education, health, and agriculture service initiatives. End your program in the colorful souqs of Marrakech, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day 1 Land in Casablanca. Explore the markets and wonder at the intricate Hassan Il Mosque, then head to Marrakech and your riad in the heart of the city. Day 2 Depart Marrakech for the High Atlas Mountains. Stop for lunch and a hike at the majestic Cascade d'Ouzoud falls, before continuing to a Berber village in the Zawiya Ahansal Valley.
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Days 3 – 5 Partner with the Atlas Cultural Foundation, a US non-profit organization that works with rural Moroccans in order to improve cultural preservation, community education, and public health. Your projects may entail running a youth camp or digging irrigation canals in the wheat fields. Spend your evenings enjoying a traditional tagine at your guesthouse and immersing in local village life.
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UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Day 6 Return to Marrakech, an UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its still-bustling, thousand-year-old market. Day 7 Rise for an early breakfast as the call to prayer rings over the city, then head into the market. Wander the vibrant, colorful souqs of Jamya’ Al-Fna, visit the Bin Youssef Madrasa, and hike to picturesque ruins overlooking the medieval city. In the evening, celebrate your trip with a Moroccan feast, concert, and traditional (temporary) henna tattoo. Day 8 Head to the Marrakech airport to fly home.
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M O R O C C O | CU LTUR AL E XPLOR AT I ON
Moroccan Wanderer
10 DAYS
FROM $1,465 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
Immerse yourself in the colors, sounds, and smells of Morocco. Provide service to a small mountain community, ride camels under a starry Saharan sky, and explore the golden kasbah of Ait Benhaddou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day 1 Land in Casablanca and meet your Rustic leaders. Explore the bustling markets and admire the intricate Hassan II Mosque, the largest mosque in Morocco and seventh largest in the world. Then, head to Marrakech where you will spend the night in a riad in the heart of the city.
Days 3 – 5 Drive to the Tighza Valley where you will stay in a Berber village and spend three days contributing to service initiatives focusing on infrastructure development and education. Each evening, your group will discuss what you've accomplished and what you've learned over dinner.
Day 2 Drive to Ait Benhaddou, a fortified city of earthen clay architecture. Later, explore the golden kasbah on a scavenger hunt through the overflowing markets.
Day 6 Head into the Sahara for a night at a Bedouin camp. Ride camels along the sand dunes at sunset, enjoy cool tea and Berber cuisine, and sleep under the stars.
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UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Day 7 Photograph the Sahara at sunrise, then depart the desert for a day of hiking in the rugged Todgha Gorge. Explore the stunning limestone cliffs and ancient Moroccan architecture, then return to your hotel for a delicious tagine dinner. Days 8 – 9 Journey across the peaks of the High Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the vibrant thousand-year-old market, then depart the red city for Casablanca. Enjoy a final Moroccan feast in a 17th century Portuguese fort near the water. Day 10 Head to Casablanca’s international airport, where your flight home awaits.
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NE PAL | L O CA L I MME R SI ON
Service and Trekking in Nepal
14 DAYS
FROM $2,595 + AIRFARE
36 SERVICE HOURS
Immerse yourself in Nepali culture through homestay and service work in Mechchhe village in central Nepal. Reward your hard work with an overnight rafting trip to experience the incredible beauty of this adventure capital. Day 1 Step off your plane and into the vibrant sights, sounds, and people of Nepal! Meet your Program Leaders in the Kathmandu arrival hall. After a delicious Nepali dinner in Thamel, have a program orientation, then turn in early to recover from your travels and prepare for your day ahead! Day 2 Head out of Kathmandu on a scenic onehour drive to Dhulikhel and Mechchhe Village. For centuries, Dhulikhel has been an important trading center on the commercial route linking Nepal to Tibet. You will stop here for lunch and continue your drive to Mechchhe village. After a short and beautiful hike to the village, settle in and meet your homestay families. Days 3 – 8 Wake up to the cool mountain air and enjoy a home cooked breakfast. For the next five days you’ll put on your service shoes and dig into the ongoing projects of the village. These projects may range from
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earthquake relief, to construction, to education enrichment. After working hard on service projects, spend the evenings exploring the village and experiencing Nepali culture. Play cricket or soccer with village students and enjoy evening chaya with your homestay families. Day 9 Say goodbye to your host families with a farewell ceremony and trek back to the vans. You’ll transport to a nearby river for your next adventure—white water rafting! You will stop for lunch on the side of the river and then continue down the rapids until you reach camp for the night. Cook dinner over a campfire and enjoy a night under the stars. Day 10 Wake up to a beautiful riverbank sunrise. Sip your morning chai and have breakfast at the camp. Then it’s back on the water for a final morning of rafting. When you reach the banks, head to the hotel for dinner, hot showers, and a good night of rest.
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UP TO 18 STUDENTS
Day 11 Today, choose between high adventure and relaxation. Go for a bungee jump, mountain bike on trails, or swim and relax at the hotel pool. This evening after dinner you’ll come together as a group to debrief your adventure experiences. Day 12 After breakfast, make your way back to Kathmandu. On the way you will stop for lunch at Bhaktapur, an ancient Newar city in the east corner of the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur has beautiful, well-preserved palace courtyards and an old city center. Tour this incredible cultural site and head to Kathmandu in the evening. Day 13 Spend the morning finding unique souvenirs for family and friends in the markets of the Thamel neighborhood. After lunch, check out the famous Swayambhunath, also known as the monkey temple. After exploring the ruins, watch the sunset over Kathmandu from atop the hill. Day 14 It’s time to say goodbye to Nepal and your incredible service adventure. Pack up your bags, say goodbye to your leaders, and head to the airport.
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NE PAL | PU SH I N G B OU N D AR I E S
Himalayan Mountain Adventure
13 DAYS
FROM $2,995 + AIRFARE
Take an epic journey through the adventurer’s paradise— Nepal. Immerse yourself in Nepali culture as you visit iconic temples. Hike through the majestic Himalayas and raft the Trisuli River through this awe inspiring program. Day 1 Arrive into Kathmandu International Airport where you will find your Rustic Pathways leaders waiting for you. Enjoy the sights and sounds of Kathmandu and get to know your Rustic Pathways leaders during an evening discussion about Nepal and your upcoming adventure! Day 2 Today you’ll be exploring the history of Nepal and the Kathmandu valley. First stop, Durbar Square, where you will learn about the Malla and Shah rules of Kathmandu valley. Next it’s off to Asan bazaar. Here you’ll get a guided tour of the local market. Sample Nepali spices and herbs and understand the economies of local clothing and Tibetan wholesale
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items. Then, head to the beautiful stupa of Swayambunath, a famous Buddhist monument and pilgrimage site. Day 3 You’ll drive for a couple of hours to the Trisuli River, named for the powerful trident of the Hindu god Shiva. This is the start location for your next adventure— white water rafting! After a day of rafting, and park up on shore for an overnight camp along the banks. Days 4 – 5 Wake up with the sun, enjoy a hot breakfast, and get ready for some more action. You’ll head back out on the river this morning, arriving to your final take-out point by mid day. After lunch, road trip to
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UP TO 20 STUDENTS
nearby Chitwan National Park. Here you’ll spend the next day on safari, spotting onehorned rhinos, sambar deer, crocodiles, and perhaps the elusive Bengal tiger! Days 6 – 11 Pack up and hit to road for Pokhara, the adventure capital of Nepal. Throughout the next five days you’ll hike through the Himalayas, staying at tea houses and eating at delicious local restaurants. Admire the breathtaking views and snowcapped peaks that surround you. Day 12 After a quick flight back to Kathmandu, head to famous Boudhanath Stupa, the locus of Buddhist monasteries in the Kathmandu valley. Tour the area, shop in the markets, and cap off your final night with dinner and farewell ceremony. Day 13 Say goodbye to Nepal and your incredible adventure as you head on your way home.
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NE W ZE AL A N D | B E Y ON D SE RV I CE
North Island Environmental Adventure
8 DAYS
FROM $1,485 + AIRFARE
15 SERVICE HOURS
Explore the great outdoors of New Zealand! Appreciate the beauty of the land with hikes, surf lessons, and cave exploration, then give back by participating in a variety of local environmental conservation efforts. Day 1 Kia ora! And welcome to New Zealand. Arrive into Auckland where you will be met by our exciting on-ground Kiwi staff. Start the trip off by heading up to the Auckland Skytower for incredible views of the surrounding land and if you’re daring, the option for a SkyJump!
tion projects. Help remove invasive species and replant native ones. After full days of service there will be opportunities to enjoy the area with afternoon games and hikes. Each night the group will have debriefs or group initiatives that challenge each person to grow as an environmental steward while having a lot of fun!
Days 2 – 4 Today you will head south to Hamilton, stopping in Waikato Country to see beautiful farms and tons of sheep! Over the next few days you will work with our local service partner on a variety of conserva-
Day 5 After several days of service it’s time to head to the beach! Before hitting the waves, take a land lesson with professional surf instructors that call the world class surfing destination of Raglan home.
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Day 6 Today, you will experience the famous luminescent glow of the Waitomo glowworm caves. Venture underground for an exhilarating caving experience that blends climbing, tramping, abseiling, tubing, and floating through a unique underground river system. Day 7 Create an unforgettable end to your time in New Zealand with a gondola ride up a mountain and thrilling luge ride down! On your way back to Auckland, stop for a hike along the Waikato River to Huka Falls. Dip in the natural hot springs and enjoy your last afternoon in the countryside. Day 8 Finish up packing, soak in the final views of this beautiful country, and head home.
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P E R U | L O C AL I MME R SI ON
Sacred Valley Service
13 DAYS
FROM $2,195 + AIRFARE
28 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Work with local villagers in a rural Sacred Valley community on sustainable service initiatives addressing public health, education, and economic concerns. Explore the mountains around you and visit Machu Picchu. Become fully immersed in this ancient South American culture. Day 1 Land in Lima, meet your leaders, connect to Cusco, and settle in to Pisac, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley.
project or shift your focus to a new initiative. Your time in the village will culminate with an inauguration ceremony, a traditional Incan meal, and dancing.
Days 2 – 4 Visit Pisac’s colorful handicrafts market, then get set up in your Sacred Valley village. Spend three days working on sustainable village improvement projects. Design and build waste management systems, contribute to potable water projects, or work with local children at underfunded schools. In the evenings, get to know your high-altitude surroundings, learn a few words of Quechua, and relax under the clear night sky.
Days 9 – 10 Hike in the mountains and camp alongside the Urubamba River, then board a train for a ride under majestic Veronica Peak and up to Aguas Calientes. Spend an afternoon shopping in local markets, or hiking to a nearby waterfall.
Day 5 Whitewater raft down the class III rapids of the Urubamba River in the morning, then bike along dirt paths in the surrounding mountains. Spend your night in the ancient Incan city of Ollantaytambo. Days 6 – 8 Return to the village and continue your
Day 11 Arrive at Machu Picchu in time to enjoy views of the morning mountain mist spread between the peaks. Explore the ruins and intricate stonework of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day 12 Return to Cusco and spend your day exploring the ancient capital city. In the evening, enjoy a final celebration dinner. Day 13 Return to Lima, then fly home.
Alex Ball Peru Country Manager With a degree in international relations from Brandeis University, Alex uses his expertise to set up sustainable service initiatives. He is a veteran guide with a love of Peruvian culture and humanitarian work. Alex is also the founder of a nonprofit educational dormitory in the Sacred Valley that aims to provide school access for Peruvian girls from indigenous communities.
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P E R U | PUS H I N G B OUN DA R I E S
Machu Picchu and the Amazon
9 DAYS
FROM $2,065 + AIRFARE
8 SERVICE HOURS
Explore Incan culture with a trip through the Sacred Valley as you mountain bike, zip line, and trek your way to Machu Picchu, then connect to the Amazon rainforest for several days immersed in the diverse flora and fauna. Day 1 Land in Lima and head to your hotel for a program orientation.
ecosystems, stopping in Santa Maria for lunch before arriving in Santa Teresa where a soak in a natural hot spring awaits.
Day 2 Catch a flight to Cusco then drive to Ollantaytambo, where locals are still living in houses built by the Incas. Spend your afternoon exploring the town.
Day 4 Start today zip lining across the Santa Teresa River Valley, then hike to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.
Day 3 Drive into the mountains, past Incan ruins and llamas, to the 3,900 meter Abra Malaga Pass. Hop on mountain bikes and make your way downhill through diverse
Day 5 Wake early and get to Machu Picchu in time for sunrise over the ancient complex. Spend your morning exploring the ruins and photographing the stunning views, then return to Cusco by train.
UP TO 18 STUDENTS
Day 6 Depart Cusco for the Amazon jungle. Land in Puerto Maldonado and hop on a riverboat headed for Tambopata National Reserve. This evening take a guided jungle tour in search of nocturnal wildlife. Days 7 – 8 Get to know the Amazon rainforest. Go on jungle walks and learn about the flora and fauna you encounter. Build traditional rafts, then climb aboard and float downriver. Stop by an animal sanctuary and spend a few hours caring for the grounds. Spend each evening listening to the incredible jungle sounds. Day 9 Return to Puerto Maldonado, then hop on a flight back to Lima. Enjoy a final dinner and board your flight home.
Mary O'Connor Peru Program Manager Originally from the North Shore of Massachusetts, Mary graduated from Boston University with degrees in photojournalism and Spanish. She is fluent in Spanish and culturally competent across the globe. Mary's passion for travel has led her photograph and lead Rustic programs in Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Peru.
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Traditional buildings house a bustling market in Chengdu China | Giant Panda Conservation Project
TA N Z AN IA | LOCAL I MME R SI ON
Village Service and Safari
7 DAYS
FROM $1,495 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Contribute to a long-standing relationship with a friendly and welcoming community outside Arusha as you participate in a sustainable construction project. No trip to East Africa is complete without an epic safari in Tarangire National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater. Day 1 Arrive in Tanzania, meet your Rustic Pathways leaders, and hit the ground running with an introduction to Tanzania. Tonight’s discussion will revolve around what makes a good ambassador and how we conceptualize community service. Days 2 – 4 Each morning and early afternoon you will carry out service work at the village school. Projects may include constructing a dining hall and kitchen that will double as a community center, or tutoring English and helping with other classroom activities. Late in the afternoon you may spend time playing soccer with the primary school students, learning to make local dishes, or hiking to a nearby waterfall.
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Days 5 – 6 View Tanzania through a different lens and spend time learning about its wildlife on an epic two-day safari! Spend a half-day in Tarangire National Park, with the most dense elephant population left in the world. Then, descend into Ngorongoro Crater where you and your group will spot zebras roaming and lions lounging, on a scenic game drive. Pick the brains of your guides, who are eager to teach you everything they know about animals, their behaviors, and their environment. Day 7 Spend your final morning enjoying a meal in town and doing some last-minute souvenir hunting. Kwaheri na safari njema! Goodbye and safe travels!
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TA N Z AN IA | PUSH I N G B OUN DA R I E S
Climbing Kili
10 DAYS
FROM $3,595 + AIRFARE
Reach the peak of mighty Mount Kilimanjaro on this exciting sixday trek. Close out your trip with a day-long safari adventure. Day 1 Land at Kilimanjaro Airport and meet your Rustic Pathways leaders, then drive to Arusha to settle in for an evening of orientation, acclimatization, and rest. Day 2 Today, the adventure begins. The trip to the summit moves through five unique climate zones, beginning with the rainforest portion of the trek. Join your mountain guides, drive to Marangu Gate, and register with the Kilimanjaro National Park rangers. Gain nearly 1,525 meters in altitude as you trek into the rainforest to Mandara Hut. Day 3 Trek past Maundi Crater as you leave the rainforest and ascend into open moorlands. Continue your climb to Horombo Hut (altitude of 3,700 meters), catching your first clear view of Killimanjaro.
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Day 4 In preparation for the remaining climb, the group will spend today acclimatizing to the elevation at Horombo. After a short hike to a nearby vista, return back to camp to spend another night at 3,700 meters. Day 5 Hiking between the two peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi, you will work your way through ten kilometers of broad desert before arriving at Kibo. Rest up for an early morning summit! Day 6 Depart Kibo Hut at midnight, chanting your newly learned Swahili songs, as you make your way towards the peak. Climb past Gilman’s Point to summit at Uhuru Peak in time for sunrise. You’ve made it! Snap a few celebratory photos and descend to Horombo Hut.
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UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Day 7 Hike out to Marangu Gate, where you will receive your certificate of accomplishment. Return to Arusha for some well-deserved rest and relaxation. Day 8 Recover from your climb with a casual morning resting and exploring the markets of Moshi. In the afternoon, take a drive down gravel roads to the Moshi hot springs, locally popular but largely off the beaten path for tourists. Day 9 No trip to Tanzania is complete without a view of its wildlife! Awake early for one last adventure in Arusha National Park, an oft-overlooked gem in Tanzania’s famed Northern Circuit, full of giraffes, zebras, flamingos, and buffaloes. Day 10 One more high five for summiting the highest peak in Africa! Now it’s time to pack up and head home.
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T H AIL AN D | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Ricefields Service Base
8 DAYS
FROM $1,375 + AIRFARE
30 SERVICE HOURS
Participate in ongoing service initiatives designed to address community needs related to education, nutrition, environmental conservation, health care access, and general quality of life improvements for village youth—all while living at the legendary Rustic Pathways Ricefields Service Base. Day 1 Land in Bangkok, meet your leaders, then hop on a quick flight to Udon Thani. Settle into the Ricefields Service Base, meet your new neighbors in Baan Chiang Yuen village, and enjoy a delicious dinner and a program orientation in the sala. Days 2 – 6 Work on service initiatives in Udon Thani’s outlying villages. Split your time between morning and afternoon service sessions, returning to the base in the middle of the day for lunch and a quick dip in the pool.
Choose from a variety of ongoing service initiatives designed and monitored by Rustic Pathways staff in cooperation with local community leaders. Your projects may include Youth Leadership Exchange (guide young Thai students in activities that develop teamwork and leadership skills); Meals on Flip-Flops (preparing and delivering food for elderly and under-privileged families in the region); Bobbing and Floating (teaching swimming to children in the neighboring village); Welcome Homes (building and improving houses in nearby communities); and more.
UP TO 90 STUDENTS
After wrapping up your projects each day, enjoy all the Ricefields Base has to offer. Swim; play pingpong, volleyball, or soccer; use the internet café; exercise in the gym; or just relax after your day of service. After dinner each day, meet with your leaders and the Ricefields staff to discuss your projects from the day, prepare for your work tomorrow, and gain insight into the intricacies of Thai culture. Day 7 Discover some of the many exciting activities that northeast Thailand has to offer. Explore markets, relax on the Mekong River, take a trip to the Laos border, or visit the region’s most impressive temples. Day 8 Fly back to Bangkok, then transfer to your connecting flight home.
Jared Kahan Ricefields Service Base Manager Jared has a degree in International Human Rights from Arizona State University and a background rooted in international travel, community service, and teenage leadership development. A former tour guide in Florence, Italy, and a lover of Southeast Asian cuisine, Jared manages the Ricefields Service Base.
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T H AIL AN D | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Thai Elephant Conservation
7 DAYS
FROM $2,285 + AIRFARE
12 SERVICE HOURS
Live and work with elephants and their mahouts at one of Thailand’s most respected elephant conservation centers. Learn to ride, guide, drive, bathe, and feed elephants as you help to ensure a bright future for these magnificent animals. Day 1 Land in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s "Emerald of the North." Get a relaxing foot massage, enjoy a delicious Thai dinner, and spend the evening soaking up the atmosphere of northern Thailand.
Day 3 After bathing your elephant, get ready to embark on an overnight trek into the jungle on the back of your elephant. Make camp and start preparing for the evening's Thai-style BBQ feast and campfire.
Day 2 Drive through the mountains to the Thai National Elephant Conservation Center to begin your three-day mahout training program. Meet your elephant and start bonding by learning the basic elephant commands from your mahout. In the afternoon, you'll give your elephant a refreshing bath before releasing it into the jungle for the night.
Day 4 Return to the Mahout Training Center for a one-of-a-kind graduation ceremony with your elephants, then it's time to pack up and head to Chiang Mai. Journey up to Wat Doi Suthep, northern Thailand's holiest shrine, for remarkable views of the city below. Have your fortune read, make merit, and marvel at the serenity of this mountaintop temple.
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UP TO 28 STUDENTS
Day 5 Hop in vans to begin an expedition north to the scenic valley of Chiang Dao. Explore tea plantations and forested mountains on your way to a scenic village—your home for the evening. Swim in the nearby creek or take a walk through the village. Day 6 Explore a sacred cave and meditation retreat at the foot of one of Thailand's most famous mountain peaks, and take a bicycle ride through the picturesque countryside. In the afternoon return to Chiang Mai and visit the Elephant Parade House, an organization that uses art to raise money for Asian Elephant Conservation. Create your own elephant-themed work of art while contributing to a worthy cause. Day 7 Depart for home—we hope to see you in Thailand again soon! Chock dee!
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T H AIL AN D | CU R R I CU LUM B A SE D
Medical Certification and Community Health
8 DAYS
FROM $1,795 + AIRFARE
14 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 30 STUDENTS
Earn a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR certification working on the front lines of community-based healthcare as you monitor and treat preventable diseases and injuries alongside our medical staff in rural northeast Thailand. Day 1 Land in Bangkok, meet your Program Leaders, and hop on the short connecting flight up to Udon Thani. Take a dip in the pool, then spend your evening getting settled into the Ricefields Service Base. Hang out with the villagers, sample your first local Thai dishes, and get to know the Rustic Pathways Ricefields staff. Day 2 Spend your morning exploring Baan Chiang Yuen village and joining monks at the local temple for morning meditation. In the afternoon, receive an introduction to Thai medical care from a local physician, then begin your service projects in neighboring villages. Days 3 – 6 Earn a WFA and CPR certification as you learn from our medical staff in the classroom, train in simulations, and apply the skills you’ve gained while volunteering in village health clinics. Work with staff at one of our four partner clinics each morning to practice the skills and concepts you are studying. Head into the surrounding villages with traveling
medical providers to set up temporary clinics for routine screenings of elderly and non-mobile patients. In the afternoon spend time in the classroom learning about, training for, and participating in simulations on how to assess medical concerns. Practice determining appropriate medical response in an emergency, providing basic first aid and CPR, and caring for wounds. In addition to earning a WFA and CPR certification on this program, you will become educated about international healthcare systems, and help to prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and bacterial infection in rural Thailand’s marginalized communities. Day 7 Your final day at the Ricefields Base will be spent exploring the region’s cultural attractions. Visit the Buddha Cave, swim at a local waterfall, tour temples, or partake in a Muay Thai boxing lesson. Day 8 Sadly, it’s now time to say goodbye to Thailand and begin your journey home.
Wilderness First Aid Rustic Pathways is proud to partner with Wilderness Medical Associates to offer a first-rate Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification program. Valid for three years, WFA certification serves as an introduction to general medical concepts with an emphasis on patient assessment and management in limited-resource and remote environments.
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T H AIL AN D | CU R R I CU LUM B A SE D
Environmental Exploration in the Andaman
9 DAYS
FROM $1,575 + AIRFARE
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Spend time in southern Thailand’s most pristine and leastvisited islands, learning about the history and development of the area. Discuss the impacts of development on the environment as you swim, snorkel, hike, and camp. Day 1 Welcome to southern Thailand. Grab a delicious Thai dinner and explore a local market before heading back to the hotel for the big day tomorrow when we depart for the Tarutao Archipelago! Day 2 Travel to the pier first thing in the morning and hop on a ferry to Koh Tarutao. This pristine archipelago is one of the only remaining areas of Thailand left (mostly) unscathed by development. As such, it is known for its beautiful beaches, forests and spectacular coral reefs. Days 3 – 4 Jump into kayaks to spend the day exploring the meandering inland estuaries. You will learn the importance of these ecosystems for supporting entire food chains, the threats mangrove forests face and ways to protect them as you paddle inland. The next day, hike along the beach and into the forest interior to explore Koh Tarutao’s pristine forests. Koh Tarutao has one of the best remaining primary forest in Thailand, hosting macaque monkeys and over 100 species of birds.
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Days 5 – 7 The next three nights will be spent camping on the beautiful beach of Koh Adang. This was once a lookout point for pirates who would raid shipping in the nearby Strait of Malacca, but for your group it will be a good place to examine the perils of rampant development on nearby Koh Lipe. Koh Lipe is the one island in the archipelago that was allowed to be developed and as a result is dealing with many issues including lack of freshwater and conflicts over land rights between the indigenous Sea Gypsy communities and resort owners. Day 8 On our final full day in the Tarutao National Park head out on a day-long snorkeling trip. Explore the shoals, reefs, and inlets; and see firsthand the amazing coral ecosystems. This area boasts some of the best diving and snorkeling in Asia and on your expedition we will learn about this unique and delicate ecosystem. Day 9 Say goodbye to the Tarutao Archipelago! Take the ferry back to the mainland and make your way to your flight home.
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T H AIL AN D | LOCA L I MME R SI ON
Rustic Pathways Children’s Home
8 DAYS
FROM $1,325 + AIRFARE
24 SERVICE HOURS
Live, teach, and learn alongside over 30 Karen students sponsored by the Rustic Pathways Foundation at our Children’s Home. Teach classes, tutor students, help out on the organic farm, and immerse yourself in the welcoming Karen culture. Day 1 Land in Chiang Mai, meet your Program Leaders, and drive up to the Children's Home in Mae Sariang. Spend the evening settling into your new surroundings. Day 2 Learn traditional weaving from local village women, have a Muay Thai lesson, and spend time tutoring the students at the base. Meet after dinner to prepare your service projects for the coming week. Day 3 Spend today at the village primary school,
where you will teach English, play games, and lead arts and sports activities. Days 4 – 5 Rise early and depart for your village homestay. Drive into the jungle where you will contribute to Rustic’s Rural Outreach and Development service initiative, established to address development issues in the community. Enjoy a Thai barbecue dinner and meet with community leaders in the village. Continue with your service projects on the second day, working hard to complete construction. Return to the Children’s Home in the evening to reflect
UP TO 45 STUDENTS
on your homestay experiences and lesson plan in preparation for tomorrow. Day 6 Return to the village school for another day of teaching, then spend your afternoon enjoying the landscape around you with a waterfall hike, village market visit, river float, or bike ride along the terraced rice fields. Reflect on the lasting bonds you built with the people and culture of this region. Day 7 Drive back to Chiang Mai. Walk the ancient city wall, visit the area’s cultural and historic sites, and watch the sun set from Doi Suthep. In the evening, wander through Chiang Mai’s famous night bazaar. Day 8 Say goodbye to the "Land of Smiles."
Yutthana Saengthin-Ngam RPCH Director Born in Mae Sariang, Yutthana has been part of the Rustic family for more than a decade. A native Karen speaker with a kind-hearted nature, Yutthana manages day-to-day operations at the RPCH. He enjoys his time most when he is mentoring the children at the RPCH, and loves sharing this place with people from around the world.
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Machu Picchu, the majestic "Lost City of the Incas," impresses after sunrise Peru | Sacred Valley Service
UN IT E D S TATE S | B E Y ON D SE RVI CE
Rebuilding New Orleans
8 DAYS
FROM $1,545 + AIRFARE
30 SERVICE HOURS
UP TO 24 STUDENTS
Take part in the recovery process of New Orleans as you help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and assist the city and surrounding parishes to become greener through grassroots initiatives. When not working on service projects, enjoy the charm of this amazing city. Day 1 Settle into our comfortable base house in the heart of the city and learn about the lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina. Then have an orientation and discussion of the week’s activities and service projects, and enjoy jambalaya for dinner. Day 2 Volunteer at a local grassroots organization. Learn how non-profits are revitalizing New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Spend your evening in the French Quarter enjoying beignets. Day 3 Aid in erosion-halting efforts by removing invasive species and planting grasses along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, or care for an urban garden that focuses on fostering community in the Tremé. Days 4 – 6 Work with the St. Bernard Project, a local NGO dedicated to rebuilding homes de-
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stroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Safety and guidance will be provided, as well as lessons in construction for those new to the field. Learn how to put up drywall, hang trim, set floors, and paint walls— everything that needs to happen to get families back into their homes. Spend evenings hearing live music, exploring new neighborhoods, checking out cultural museums, and trying local cuisine. Day 7 Explore New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Haggle over souvenir prices at the outdoor market, check out the local art in Jackson Square, relax with live music on Royal Street, and enjoy the sights and sounds all around you. After dinner, cap off your week by heading down to the bayou for an airboat tour. Day 8 Leave New Orleans with an appreciation for a resilient city that celebrates its rich culture while enduring hardship.
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UN IT E D S TATE S | CULTU R AL E XPLORATION
Discover California
8 DAYS
FROM $2,295 + AIRFARE
9 SERVICE HOURS
Explore the beautiful, diverse landscape of California. From stunning mountains to incredible coast lines, the Golden State is home to endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, scenic camping, and environmental service. Day 1 Welcome to California! Your Program Leaders will welcome you upon arrival at the airport. Then you’ll head to the hostel where your group will receive an orientation to the program. Day 2 Start the morning volunteering with a local environmental organization in San Francisco. Then, head across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Woods, home of the famous redwood trees that reach up to 300 feet tall, to hike amongst the giants. Day 3 Today, you and your group will experience
UP TO 20 STUDENTS
amusement park along the water as you watch the sun set!
the historic Alcatraz Island. Take a walk around the island and learn the history and stories about the prison. When you get back to land, visit the piers and check out the Exploratorium, which is an interactive science museum covering a variety of topics. Spend the afternoon shopping along Haight Street and then enjoy dinner in the vibrant Mission district.
Day 5 – 7 The next three days will be spent exploring Big Sur and Monterey County. Continue down Highway 1 as you make your way along the coastline with stops for hikes, swims, and picturesque views. After two days in Big Sur, head north towards Monterey, which is a town known for its beautiful beaches and dedication to marine life. Spend the afternoon at the aquarium, learning about the Pacific ecosystem and how it is being preserved.
Day 4 Start the day by heading south towards Santa Cruz where you’ll spend the day at the beach. Take part in a surf lesson and try your hand at catching a few waves with your group. After dinner, take a stroll on the boardwalk and check out the
Day 8 Start the day with a big breakfast and finish packing your bags for the trip home. On your way to the airport, reflect on time well spent out in nature and the bonds you made with your group throughout this incredible California adventure.
Bryan Elbert USA Program Manager Bryan’s passion for outdoor education, adventure, and service learning has led him from the redwoods of California, to the mountains of Peru, to the neighborhoods of New Orleans. He earned his degree from California State University of Monterey Bay. He loves getting to know new cultures, and is always looking forward to his next adventure!
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VI E T N AM | LOCA L I MME R SI ON
Northern Vietnam Service Adventure
8 DAYS
FROM $1,635 + AIRFARE
18 SERVICE HOURS
Trek through northern Vietnam, where you will live in a Muong village homestay and contribute to a service initiative. Then, return to the coast to sail around Halong Bay, stopping to explore caves, karsts, and islands as you go. Day 1 Land in Hanoi and hit the streets for an introduction to Vietnam. Learn about the country's 54 unique ethnic groups at the Museum of Ethnology, then take a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake. Day 2 Rise early and head to Noc Son Ngo Luong Nature Preserve, home to incredible landscapes and Muong villages. Trek to your homestay village and get to know the culture of your village hosts.
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Days 3 – 5 Get started on your service initiative working on basic infrastructure projects which benefit the nearby Muong communities. You will also spend time working on agricultural projects, teaching English, making handicrafts, and playing sports. End your time in the village with a community celebration showcasing traditional Muong culture through song and dance, then return to Hanoi for a show at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.
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UP TO 20 STUDENTS
Day 6 Drive to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and climb aboard a chartered traditional "junk" boat for an overnight cruise among the jagged limestone karsts. Explore Sung Sot cave and swim at Titop Beach, then settle in for a night at sea. Day 7 Continue your loop around Halong Bay, kayaking in Luon cave and stopping by Bai Tu Long Bay and Fire Island to see the exotic birds, monkeys, and antelope. Return to Hanoi in time for dinner. Day 8 Enjoy one last steaming bowl of pho and pick up souvenirs in the Old Quarter before heading to the airport.
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Next Steps Booking a trip with Rustic Pathways Group Travel is fast and easy. Now that you’ve explored our programs, follow the simple steps detailed below: 1. Talk With Our Staff Pick up the phone, send us an email, or submit a contact request on our website. Whichever method you choose, we are ready to help!
2. Customize Your Itinerary Whether you want to replicate an existing itinerary or prefer something completely new, your personal Program Coordinator at Rustic Pathways will help you create a program that perfectly matches your needs.
3. Recruit Your Students Your Program Coordinator will provide exciting and interactive materials to further educate your students about your program. We will also host an orientation night at your school for interested families.
4. Take Off Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Take off!
Important Information Program Payments
General
All program prices are in US dollars. Payments will be organized with
This catalog provides a brief summary of some of the 2017 Group Travel
your group's teacher chaperones to consider your unique schedule. Our
programs (“the programs”) offered by Rustic Pathways Australia (USA),
typical payment plan has an initial deposit due at the point of student
Inc. (“Rustic Pathways”), a tour promoter based in the state of Ohio. Each
enrollment, with the balance split between two subsequent payments,
itinerary contained herein is a sample of a Rustic Pathways Group Travel
and due in full no later than 60 days prior to the program start date.
program. Each program itinerary, group size, dates, service or instruction
Rustic Pathways Waivers and Medical Forms
hours, and price will be customized to fit each unique group.
As a contingency of enrollment on a Rustic Pathways program, all partic-
All program participants and their parents and/or legal guardians (collec-
ipants must complete all required waivers and forms. These documents
tively “the participants”) are required to read, sign, comply with, and abide
will be due no later than 60 days prior to the program start date.
by a comprehensive Statement of Terms and Conditions and various waivers and liability limitations that govern and regulate participation in
Immigration Costs
the programs. Rustic Pathways will furnish these various materials.
The participant will be responsible for any immigration costs, including but not limited to airline, airport, arrival, and departure taxes or fees;
All travel can be dangerous, and adventure travel to the more remote
passport costs; and visa costs unless clearly stated on the invoice.
areas of the world poses unique risks. Rustic Pathways insists that all participants and potential participants seriously consider the dangers
Taxes, Airline Fees, and Surcharges
of any program undertaken. Participants should not apply for or partici-
Quoted flight costs are subject to change without notice pending fare,
pate in any Rustic Pathways program if they are unwilling to accept any
tax, and surcharge fluctuation until tickets have been purchased. Partic-
and all of the potential risks and dangers such a program could pose.
ipants will bear responsibility for any increased costs, including those resulting from inaccurate information provided during enrollment.
The number of days listed in each itinerary reflects time on the ground, not including travel time to and from the program.
International Exchange Rates The majority of Rustic Pathways’ programs operate outside the United
We reserve the right to alter program itineraries before and during the
States and are paid for in local currency. Should the value of the US dol-
trip, with no notice and at the sole discretion of Rustic Pathways em-
lar change, we reserve the right to increase our program price in propor-
ployees, if the environmental, social, political, or economic situation in
tion with the US dollar value change.
the country of travel dictates such action.
Refunds and Cancellation Penalties
International travel to and domestic travel within overseas destinations
We reserve the right to cancel, alter, reschedule, or amend all programs
will be on several airlines (“the airlines”). No airline by virtue of its endorse-
offered at any time. If a trip is canceled by Rustic Pathways, all or a por-
ment in this brochure represents itself as contracting with any purchaser
tion of the participant’s payment will be refunded, pending the can-
of the programs. The airlines are not responsible for any act, omission, or
cellation date. If the participant cancels, it may result in a penalty of up
events during the time passengers are not on board their planes or con-
to the full program tuition, depending on date of cancellation. Verbal
veyance. The passage contract in use by the airlines, when issued, shall
notice will not serve as valid cancellation notification.
constitute the sole contract between the airlines and the participant.
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TEACHER APPRECIATION PROGRAM
FLIGHT LEADING
EMPLOYMENT
Educators form the cornerstone of a successful society. We applaud your work and your dedication to youth. As thanks, Rustic Pathways offers discounts of up to 50% for children of educators on almost all of our summer programs. For more information, please visit rusticpathways.com/tap.
Don’t have a class to travel with, but still hoping to get out and see the world next summer? Consider flight leading for a Rustic Pathways summer program, and escort students to and from their international trip. Keep an eye out for this volunteer position at rusticpathways.com/careers.
Every summer, Rustic Pathways hires hundred of seasonal Program Leaders to help us run our trips. If you are passionate about travel, love working with high school students, believe in experiential education, and need something to do next summer, apply at rusticpathways.com/careers.
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+1 800.321.4353 +1 440.975.9691 groups@rusticpathways.com groups.rusticpathways.com PRINTED IN THAILAND
Rustic Pathways
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