OFF THE MAP - High School Summer Programs (800) 321-4353

Adventurers and photographers seeking really Rustic Pathways, please apply for this exotic trip exploring rural Thailand and Laos. Make some new friends and share adventures in rural villages far off the beaten path. Designed primarily for keen adventurers, returning students and graduating seniors, and guided by Rustic Pathways’ founder, Off The Map time-warps you to undiscovered Asia.

Thailand: Remote Tribal Villages and the Salween River Area
The Thailand portion of your adventure centers on the remote Hill Tribe areas along the Burmese border in the west and northwest of the country. You’ll delve deep into Mae Sariang, Tak, Mae Hong Son, and Chiang Rai provinces – the wild frontier of Thailand, and home to more than two million indigenous Hill Tribe people. You’ll be traveling and visiting with locals in Akha, Lisu, Shan, and Karen tribal villages. Visiting these places with Rustic Pathways is a special experience as we have many full-time Hill Tribe staff and students are welcomed into their villages not as visitors but as family members. Expect to get especially close to these folks and share in their daily life while capturing spectacular photographs. Watch the sun set over the Salween River on the Thai-Burmese border, as you chat with your new Thai, Shan, Karen friends and hear their amazing stories of growing up in Burma. The tiny villages we visit are generally wary of outsiders, but we are welcomed as friends when we enter their villages.

Laos: Rolling Rivers and Bumpy Roads
Laos is spectacular, interesting, and strikingly different. A small, land-locked state, Laos is the least populated nation in Southeast Asia. Nearly all of the land is still covered by mature forest – its striking topography, meandering rivers, and natural resources protected by the lack of infrastructure and development here. Traveling through Laos is like visiting the past – bicycles and buffaloes set the speed of traffic, and the occasional two-wheeled tractor chugs past as farmers make their way through town. Getting used to the pace of life here is an experience in itself – you’ll quickly find yourself noticing the smaller things here, taking time to exchange smiles with the local people, and enjoying the bumpy dirty roads.

Cruise the Mekong to Luang Prabang
From the Thai border, you’ll embark on an overnight slowboat voyage that will showcase river life in this peaceful nook of Asia. Merchants float up and down the river trading their goods, children chase butterflies on the shore nearby, and fishermen cast their nets in search of dinner. We’ll head straight north from Luang Prabang to some of the most remote places of the country, many of which are accessible by boat only. Travel in this region affords countless opportunities for incredible photos, and the chance to see true traditional life in Southeast Asia. This region is strikingly beautiful, and as we continue Off the Map you’ll quickly find yourself in places seldom seen by outsiders. Even villages lucky enough to have electricity only have it for a few hours, and most people here have never taken a hot shower.

Your journey is certainly one of the most dramatic road trips in Southeast Asia, and it is common to stumble upon all sorts of unusual situations as we travel down this remote path through the jungle. Expect bamboo houses hanging from the sides of mountains, brilliantly dressed tribal women, ox carts piled high with fruit, and men fishing and hunting wild boar with hand made spears. This is a rustic, rugged and inspiring trip, and you should expect basic accommodation, exotic settings, dirt roads, unexpected detours, and a heartfelt welcome by our friends living on the edge of civilization.

Adventurers Seeking Rustic Pathways
This trip is more rugged than most other Rustic Pathways programs, and travel is in very remote areas. It is designed primarily for returning students, although graduating seniors and experienced adventurers may apply. The dayto- day itinerary for this trip is not available and will not be published. Most of the places we visit are rarely explored, and we are often going by personal invitation. Travel in many of these areas is often slow and unpredictable, and this should be clearly understood and should appeal to anyone applying for this trip. Students not comfortable with rustic living conditions, and students not prepared to be humble ambassadors should not apply.

For those who are able to join us – welcome to some of the very special, hidden corners of the world. While the journey is sometimes rough, true adventurers will find this the most rewarding travel possible – introducing you to fascinating people, rich cultures, and compelling, challenging life stories. This is definitely not a trip for inexperienced travelers.
For more information, please e-mail David Venning at david@rusticpathways.com, or Sean McGann at sean@ rusticpathways.com.

• Any type of camera is fine, just plan on getting better!

• Staff carry computers and portable hard drives to edit and back up your photos.

• I do recommend rechargeable batteries and extra memory cards.

• Film can also be purchased in larger cities. However you may have to wait to get home to process it.

• Southeast Asia is a wet environment so please have a good case that keeps your camera safe from elements like rain and dirt. Keep a couple of small plastic grocery bags in your camera bag just in case.

• We do a good deal of exploring on foot. So however much or equipment you choose to bring make sure you have a comfortable way of carrying it around.

• If you are traveling with expensive equipment, I’d strongly suggest you have it insured. We do our best to stay in safe areas, but theft and accidental damage are always possible. Ask your parents for help! If equipment isn’t already covered by an existing insurance policy, Personal Articles Policies are a great inexpensive way to protect your gear against just about anything.

You will need all of the items on the general Thailand Packing List, plus… a camera!
Students are joining this program from a wide variety of backgrounds and with a wide variety of photo experience. This course is geared towards helping every student improve their ability to get great photos in real life conditions, regardless of their experience level. The program is much more about getting you and your camera into exciting settings (where great pictures live!), and then using your equipment to get the best shots possible. Our instruction as you travel includes all of the basics of good photography, but our hands-on time in the field is the real focus of the program.

Some students joining this program will be bringing film cameras, while others will be bringing digital equipment. The balance seems to be split 50/50 this year. Some students - maybe most students - will be bringing with them a camera that has been with them or their family for a while. Others will be bringing newer cameras that they have not yet mastered. You are welcome to bring either digital equipment or film equipment, or both if you wish! We would ask that you bring equipment that you want to use and that you are willing to carry. Do not go out and buy gear that is way above your skill level and way beyond what you need if you are only a casual photographer. Whatever you bring, make sure you bring the owner's manual for the camera with you.

Almost all students on the program will bring cameras that allow manual operation - in other words, cameras where you can turn off the automatic settings and manually select shutter speeds and aperture settings. While this is not required, it is a good idea if you want to learn how the camera actually captures images, and how to better control what you "catch" while you take pictures.
Some students - usually a bit less than half - will bring an extra lens, or in a few cases a couple of extra lenses. This is limited to those people that are into photography and want to use and carry this extra equipment. Don't go out and buy lenses that you are not going to use, but feel free to bring lenses (filters, attachments, flashes, etc) that you have and like to use. It's up to you….

Don't bring something that you are not willing to carry and take responsibility for. If you lose or damage your camera during the trip, this is your responsibility. Whatever camera and equipment you bring along, prepare to be responsible for it while you are here.

If you are shooting with a traditional film camera, you will need film. Carry this in your carry-on bag and NOT IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE. The new security x-ray machines that have come into use over the last year will ruin your film if it is in your checked bag. Carry your film in your carry-on bag, and ask the screeners at the airport to walk your film around the machine whenever possible so the film does not get clouded or exposed by accident.

In terms of the type of film to bring, we suggest that relatively new photographers stick to color film if they want to see their results as they travel (it is quite hard to get black and white film developed while we are on the road). We also strongly suggest that you shoot primarily (or all) print film and not slide film, unless you really, really want to shoot slides. If you do not have a preference of films or you are a new photographer, bring good quality 100, 200 and/or 400 asa film. You can also buy this in Thailand if you are not nit-picky about films as many very experienced photographers become. We avoid the long, boring conversations about brands of film on this trip - so you can bring what you like to shoot with, or try a mix of brands if you would like to see the benefits of Agfa vs. Fuji vs. Kodak vs. Ilford, etc. For the real beginner, buy a mix good quality 100 and 400 ASA color print film and come on over! How many rolls? Well, the average student shoots between 2 and 5 rolls per day on this trip, or about 30-60 rolls over the course of the whole program. You will almost always shoot two rolls per day. We suggest 36-exposure rolls so you avoid opening and closing your camera too often while on assignment. Dust and dirt are the enemy of every camera, and opening the camera puts it at risk each time you change film.

If you are shooting with a 35mm camera - or a digital camera that uses changeable lenses - consider buying a skylight filter to protect you lens. We also suggest that students buy a polarizing lens (available at any photo shop) as you will be around strong light, water, and clouds where a polarizer can dramatically enhance your shots. These two filters are not expensive, they help to protect your camera, and they give you the ability to get some new light control you may not have experienced before.

You should also have something to carry your camera, film, lens cleaning tissues, lenses, flash, and whatever else you are bringing. A good photo bag is a worthwhile investment and it keeps all of your stuff together. It is also helpful to throw in a few 1-gallon zip lock bags (they do everything!) and 2 fine point permanent markers (to mark film and rolls and also decorate your fellow photographers). You don't need a zillion dollar photo bag. If you don't already have one, pack up all of your gear and take it to the photo store and see what best fits you. It should be comfortable, not over-sized or under-sized, and affordable for your budget. We are not about style here in Thailand - we are about getting the camera out in to the world and learning to grab great things with it. If you are only bringing your camera without a lot of attachments, you may just want to bring your camera with it's over-the-shoulder carrying case which will let you store a few rolls of film and carry your camera in a compact, safe way while you shoot and travel.

If you are using digital gear, make sure you have adequate memory with you, or that you have a provision for clearing your memory along the way. If you are bringing a laptop for downloading, make sure you remember to bring the power cord and a carry case for the laptop.

For those of you who are real technical photographers, I have a couple of rules and disclosures:
1.	Don't bring a Hasselblad or a Mamiya or other wide format camera without checking with me first. Having a $ 12,000 camera in the middle of a ricefield is way too unnerving for the staff;
2.	You are welcome to bring sixteen lenses if you want to carry them and take responsibility for their safe keeping while you are here - but try to limit yourself to a more reasonable number;
3.	It is nearly impossible to get Black and White film developed as we move around Thailand, and we move a lot on this trip! If you are shooting black and white, plan on getting it developed at home;
4.	We do not have refrigeration facilities for film - so don't even think about bringing ultra-heat-sensitive films on this trip!
5.	If you are really into it and you want to bring a photo vest to carry all of your stuff, that's fine. Just remember the Thai people think we are unusual enough as westerners traveling the back roads of the Kingdom, and we look really funny with all of our cameras on. When you add vests and big gear bags in strange colors, you might as well put an outer-space Looney-Tunes label on us. A good photographer is unobtrusive and blends into the setting he/she is shooting. Plan on blending folks, not on posing for a fashion shoot!

For those of you who really don't know much about photography: WELCOME! You are in the majority and you won't feel out of place here. We just have to write this other information for people who sleep and eat with their cameras attached.

For all of you - this is a fun, easy-going, happy trip. We all help each other and work as a team to improve the skill levels of everyone in the group. Every photo student will have the opportunity to visit one of Bangkok's finest tailors. If you'd like to get some custom threads made while overseas, plan accordingly with allowance money or credit card. More experienced photographers will often be paired off with less experienced beginners as teaching what you know is one of the best ways of improving your skills. All of you should make sure that you bring the manuals for the equipment you use, as well protective packaging for items you will carry around. Get your name onto all of your equipment wherever possible as well. We will be developing film every one or two days as we travel so that we can share results and watch our progress. Make sure you have adequate allowance money in your account for developing along the way - usually about US $ 7-8 per roll for good quality prints, or $ 9-11 for doubles. Many students shoot doubles and swap them, give them away, and also leave them for our catalog and web site.
Beyond everything else - bring your sense of adventure, your smile, and your love of life along with you this summer. We are out on the hunt for wonderful people, places, events and sights, and we'll be wandering to and fro around amazing Thailand to get them on film. Expect to have a wonderful trip and come home with improved photographic skills and a great life experience.

1 - How long is the flight to this country?
Flights to Thailand generally depart from Los Angeles International Airport via Singapore. The total flight time LAX-Singapore-Bangkok is about 21 hours.

2 - Will there be a flight leader to this country?
Yes. All flights between the USA and Bangkok, and the return, will have a flight leader.

3 - Do we need to get visas for this program?
Students from the United States will be issued tourist visas upon arrival to Thailand and Laos. Students from other countries should check with their consulate.

4 - What immunizations do we need to get for this trip?
Please contact your family physician or see the CDC or WHO websites.

5 – What countries will we be visiting on this program?
Thailand and Laos.

6 - How does this program connect to other programs?
Students will begin and end this program in Bangkok International Airport. Staff members from their next trip will meet any student transferring to another program in Thailand, Vietnam, or Cambodia, at the Bangkok international Airport. Students transferring to China, Australia, Fiji, or New Zealand will transfer out from BIA. Their flights leaders for the trip home will meet students returning to the United States.

9 - What costs are not included on this trip?
Everything is included in the cost of the trip excluding airfare and spending money.

10 - What kind of food will we be eating? Where?
Typically we will be eating Thai and Laotian food. We may eat meals at guesthouses or restaurants. There may be the occasional chance to have a break with western food.

11 - Will the kids be drinking bottled water?
Yes.

12 - What will the accommodation on this trip be like?
We will be staying in small guesthouses with western style accommodations.

13 - How many girls and boys are usually on this trip?
There will be a maximum number of 15 students on this program. Demographics tend to vary.

14 - How often (if at all) will students be able to do laundry on this program and what will it cost?
Most guesthouses offer laundry services for a couple of dollars per kilo.