Mountain Air and Village Service

Students will stay in a few different places throughout their time in the Dominican Republic. In Santo Domingo, students will stay at a hotel near the airport. In Jarabacoa, they will be staying in a base house located on an organic ranch. It will feel like summer camp, with bunk rooms and shared western-style bathrooms, electricity, but no A/C. Students will also stay at a small hotel in a cozy beach town on the country’s northern coast for one night during the program. The bathrooms are located at the facilities and will either be in the room shared with another student, or be communal bathrooms shared with other Rustic Pathways students of the same gender. Showers are rustic, so hot water may not be available.

Students will be eating traditional Dominican food prepared by a combination of local cooks and restaurants. Breakfast may include plantains or toast with eggs, fruits, and cereal. Lunch and dinner will be typical dishes, which consists of rice, beans, salad and a meat/seafood dish or veggie dishes.

Yes, this program can easily accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and other common dietary needs. Please make sure to include this in your medical forms so that our staff can prepare, and we always recommend bringing along some of your own favorite snacks!

Water from the tap is safe to use for brushing teeth etc, but, students will be provided as much bottled water as they can drink. Don’t forget to bring along your own reusable water bottle, so we can minimize our plastic usage.

Students should be prepared for hot, humid weather in the 80s and 90s (Fahrenheit) during the day with occasional rain showers. Since the base is located in the mountains, the temperature will go down into the 60s in the evenings. The weather does not vary much between June and August. Synthetic fiber clothing is recommended, because it dries quickly.

This program does not have any internal flights.

Students are allowed to bring phones on their Rustic Pathways program, but must abide by our cell phone policy. Students will not be allowed to use their phones during group activities, nor at any other time where it is disruptive to the group dynamic. If students are unable to abide by this policy, disciplinary action may be taken. We want to encourage students to disconnect in order to fully immerse themselves in the experience and get the most out of their program. Thus, students will not have access to wifi. Reception for international plans is spotty and we do not recommend purchasing one for this trip. Parents will have access to our 24/7 emergency number and will also receive updates from our staff once your student is in country.

All activities in this itinerary are included. Personal gifts, Laundry, phone calls, and snacks are not.

Students will have the chance to visit a market during this itinerary, in addition to small snack shops and purchasing handicrafts from the local community. We recommend $150 per week to cover souvenirs and incidentals.

It is important that we show respect at all times. The requirements are fairly straightforward and the same for any gender:

Shorts: Basketball-style only; no short running or soccer-style shorts. Rule of thumb is that the bottom of the shorts should be approaching the kneecap.
Leggings or yoga pants: Not recommended because they are too form-fitting. Only if paired with a long T-shirt.
Loose-fitting pants, capris, and long skirts: Acceptable and preferred!
Tops: Shoulders must be covered. No tank tops, spaghetti straps, crop tops, or transparent shirts.

If you arrive and your clothing is deemed unacceptable by your program leaders, you’ll have to purchase appropriate clothing before service work begins in the village.

While at the base, students are able to wear shorts and tank tops, but it can be buggy, so lightweight pants and long sleeves are preferred!

Laundry during the program is not guaranteed, so students should bring clothes that can be reworn and last through the program, but please pack reasonably. Students may use laundry machines at the Quality Hotel on the night of arrival (or last night of program if connecting to another DR program).

Rustic Pathways has partnered with local communities to help provide one of life’s most important necessities: water. Since 2012, we have built more than 14 aqueducts that have brought running water to small farming communities in the mountains of Jarabacoa and we are continuing this work each summer!

On this program, students will learn about one of life’s most important necessities. Students will live and work in the beautiful, friendly, and often-overlooked mountain communities of the Dominican Republic. They will learn about the various issues that these communities face. In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, there are 32 million people lacking access to water. Take some time to learn more about water access at water.org.

Outlets in the Dominican Republic are 110-volt, with standard USA two prong plugs (or three-prong if grounded). Students from Europe or Asia will need an adapter. In our packing list, there is a link to a website that will help you find the correct adapter based on your country of origin. Adapters are very difficult to find in the DR, so we recommend bringing one from home!