Fiji
Community Building, Remote Islands, & Tropical Tides
Join us for three weeks in the South Pacific on this summer service program in Fiji. During your program, work alongside community members on a meaningful construction project, paint a welcome sign to our host village, rebuild cement sidewalks, garden, and assist in the preparation of delicious local meals. Experience this unique culture firsthand as you get to know our Fijian hosts and explore the mountains, coast, and coral reefs of this alluring island nation.
- Highlights
• Snorkel in Fiji’s Beqa Lagoon, the soft coral capital of the world
• Host an after-school sports or arts club for children
• Join in a traditional kava ceremony with local friends
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in Los Angeles and travel together to Nadi, Fiji. One day is lost while crossing the International Date Line. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Begin your journey in the town of Pacific Harbour, the adventure capital of Fiji, home to remote beaches and a lush inland rainforest. Settle into island life at your beachside ecolodge and get to know your group through an in-depth orientation. Snorkel or scuba dive the famous Beqa Lagoon and travel up the Navua River by longboat to visit a remote highland village. Float your way back by innertube, stopping to swim at a secluded waterfall. Learn about Fijian culture as you prepare to immerse yourself in village life.
Travel to the Sun Coast and arrive at your host village. Take part in a meke, or traditional dance, and a traditional sevu sevu ceremony with village leaders as your group is warmly welcomed into the community. Spend the first day settling into your new home, getting to know each other, and participating in an in-depth orientation to Fijian life. Meet with community members to review plans and goals for service work during your stay. Volunteer projects may include constructing a community center, creating a pathway between buildings, painting the village meeting hall, or planting in the community garden. During the day, work on service projects and immerse yourself in the community, and spend the afternoon and evening getting to know your new friends and the Fijian landscape.
Halfway through your time in the host village, take a weekend excursion to relax on isolated beaches and explore all that Fiji has to offer. The Fijian Archipelago is home to one of the most extensive ranges of coral reefs in the world. Head out to snorkel among the abundant marine life or travel inland to hike in Fiji’s lush mountain forests, stopping along the way for a swim in a waterfall or to sample fresh, native fruits. Take in the sunset from your ocean kayak, join in a game of volleyball, and go for a boat ride alongside leaping dolphins.
Wrap up your South Pacific service adventure at a tranquil beachfront resort just outside of Nadi, completing your circumnavigation of the island. Relax on white-sand beaches, explore the multicultural city of Nadi, visit a Hindu temple and artisan markets, hot springs, and mud baths. Contrast the bustling and urban way of life in Nadi with the slow-paced traditional life experienced in your host community. Use this time to reflect as a group on your time spent immersed in this incredible culture.
Fly with your group and leaders from Nadi, Fiji, to Los Angeles. Continue to your final destination on a connecting flight. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in Los Angeles and travel together to Nadi, Fiji. One day is lost while crossing the International Date Line. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Begin your journey in the town of Pacific Harbour, the adventure capital of Fiji, home to remote beaches and a lush inland rainforest. Settle into island life at your beachside ecolodge and get to know your group through an in-depth orientation. Snorkel or scuba dive the famous Beqa Lagoon and travel up the Navua River by longboat to visit a remote highland village. Float your way back by innertube, stopping to swim at a secluded waterfall. Learn about Fijian culture as you prepare to immerse yourself in village life.
Travel to the Sun Coast and arrive at your host village. Take part in a meke, or traditional dance, and a traditional sevu sevu ceremony with village leaders as your group is warmly welcomed into the community. Spend the first day settling into your new home, getting to know each other, and participating in an in-depth orientation to Fijian life. Meet with community members to review plans and goals for service work during your stay. Volunteer projects may include constructing a community center, creating a pathway between buildings, painting the village meeting hall, or planting in the community garden. During the day, work on service projects and immerse yourself in the community, and spend the afternoon and evening getting to know your new friends and the Fijian landscape.
Halfway through your time in the host village, take a weekend excursion to relax on isolated beaches and explore all that Fiji has to offer. The Fijian Archipelago is home to one of the most extensive ranges of coral reefs in the world. Head out to snorkel among the abundant marine life or travel inland to hike in Fiji’s lush mountain forests, stopping along the way for a swim in a waterfall or to sample fresh, native fruits. Take in the sunset from your ocean kayak, join in a game of volleyball, and go for a boat ride alongside leaping dolphins.
Wrap up your South Pacific service adventure at a tranquil beachfront resort just outside of Nadi, completing your circumnavigation of the island. Relax on white-sand beaches, explore the multicultural city of Nadi, visit a Hindu temple and artisan markets, hot springs, and mud baths. Contrast the bustling and urban way of life in Nadi with the slow-paced traditional life experienced in your host community. Use this time to reflect as a group on your time spent immersed in this incredible culture.
Fly with your group and leaders from Nadi, Fiji, to Los Angeles. Continue to your final destination on a connecting flight. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
During your travel in Fiji, you can expect to participate in several different service experiences—constructing a community center in our host village, building cement pathways, painting the village meeting hall, planting in the community garden, or painting classrooms at the elementary school. This summer service program in Fiji is designed to provide the opportunity to learn about another culture by forming meaningful relationships with local people and undertaking a shared community service experience together. You should come to the summer with an open mind, eager to participate in new experiences and interested in exploring another culture and way of life. All students participate in each of the group’s projects on a rotating basis, and everyone lends a hand in meal preparation and cleanup. To learn more about our Service programs click here.
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—start an afterschool arts or sports club for students, shadow a fisherman to learn about sustainable fishing practices, or learn a traditional Fijian dance and song.
This is a physically active summer travel program. Aside from working on volunteer projects, you can expect to go swimming, kayaking, and hiking during your time in Fiji. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
In our host village in Fiji, the group lives in a community building or house at the center of town. Accommodations are basic—we use sleeping bags and sleeping pads on the floor. There are simple bathrooms and running water. There is limited electricity. Outside of the host community, we stay in beds at comfortable beachfront bungalows. Rooms are separated by gender and are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Many Fijian dishes incorporate seafood, tubers, and hearty vegetables. In our host village, we eat delicious home-cooked meals prepared by local women. Each day, a few students help to cook meals. Students may also have the opportunity to shop for food at the local market with our cooks. During excursions, the group eats most meals in restaurants.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
During your travel in Fiji, you can expect to participate in several different service experiences—constructing a community center in our host village, building cement pathways, painting the village meeting hall, planting in the community garden, or painting classrooms at the elementary school. This summer service program in Fiji is designed to provide the opportunity to learn about another culture by forming meaningful relationships with local people and undertaking a shared community service experience together. You should come to the summer with an open mind, eager to participate in new experiences and interested in exploring another culture and way of life. All students participate in each of the group’s projects on a rotating basis, and everyone lends a hand in meal preparation and cleanup. To learn more about our Service programs click here.
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—start an afterschool arts or sports club for students, shadow a fisherman to learn about sustainable fishing practices, or learn a traditional Fijian dance and song.
This is a physically active summer travel program. Aside from working on volunteer projects, you can expect to go swimming, kayaking, and hiking during your time in Fiji. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
In our host village in Fiji, the group lives in a community building or house at the center of town. Accommodations are basic—we use sleeping bags and sleeping pads on the floor. There are simple bathrooms and running water. There is limited electricity. Outside of the host community, we stay in beds at comfortable beachfront bungalows. Rooms are separated by gender and are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Many Fijian dishes incorporate seafood, tubers, and hearty vegetables. In our host village, we eat delicious home-cooked meals prepared by local women. Each day, a few students help to cook meals. Students may also have the opportunity to shop for food at the local market with our cooks. During excursions, the group eats most meals in restaurants.
A Day in the Life: Host Village
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
A Day in the Life:
Host Village
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Evening
This Program is Directed by
Mackenzie Grapes
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
This Program is Directed by
Mackenzie Grapes
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!