Fiji Island Expedition
If you are a gap year student, a graduate or a young career breaker aged 17- 35, a Think Pacific volunteer expedition to Fiji could be the unique challenge you are looking for.
We are small and personal gap year organisation and we specialise in leading volunteer expeditions to Fiji. Every expedition is designed and guided with a passion and makes an incredible difference to Fiji's poor and rural communities. This is a tough but immensely rewarding adventure; living, volunteering and travelling through Fiji.
Whether you join us for five weeks or ten weeks, each expedition begins with a five-day briefing from a glorious castaway island and ends with our island safari as you relax at a selection of beautiful resorts, trek jungle rainforests and kayak paradise lagoons, but we guarantee it will be the time in-between which you will remember as your biggest highlight, as you immerse into life in a traditional Fijian village and work as a team to achieve combined volunteer projects, which are leaving a lasting legacy in Fiji's outer islands.
Each team works to achieve specific and combined building, youth and sports development aims, which are designed by the local communities and the Fijian Ministry. You will help to build vital local facilities, inspire Fijian children, teach English, establish kindergarten schools, organise youth clubs and put your passion for sports to the best possible use as you coach on the palm fringed beaches and develop training, games and island competitions.
Castaway briefing
Just an acre in size with a circumference of golden white sand and a few grass huts lining the beach, you will live on a tiny castaway island for your first week in Fiji. We always begin with our five day comprehensive Fijian orientation. Our overseas leaders and members from the Fijian Government, Provincial Council and local communities will explain the detailed project objectives as you prepare to acheive some remarkable development aims ahead. There is plenty of time during the week to soak up the sunshine and sink into the slow pace of South Pacific life as you get to know your team mates under the shade of a palm tree. Swim in the lagoon, swing in a hammock, play volleyball and enjoy guided snorkelling trips to the magnificent reefs and day trips to nearby islands and traditional villages.
Volunteer projects
Each expedition has combined community, youth and sports development aims and you can be actively involved in all of these initiatives as part of your project. Our building project is a major focus as we create school classrooms, clinics and install fresh water supplies to remote communities. These projects are directed by the Ministry of Health and are provide huge improvement to the health and well being of these remote villages. Each expedition has a set building objective, which is funded by your expedition fee and will be started and completed during your project timeframe. Inspiring children and providing a full and engaging programme of extra-curricular activities is a major focus of every project. Day-to-day initiatives include teaching primary school lessons, leading daily youth clubs for village children, establishing the first kindergarten schools in Fiji's outer islands, introducing art, drama and music lessons, organising plays and dance productions as well as coaching a huge range of sports each afternoon including rugby, netball, football, cricket and hockey. Each expedition team completes a very busy and diverse plan of initiatives, carefully structured for each village to make the most structured and sustainable impact.
Island Adventure & R&R
During your project there are lots of opportunities for adventure and exploration such as night spear fishing, climbing extinct volcanoes and waterfall treks. Your expedition includes planned activities, guided by our leaders as well as 'family' days to learn traditional island skills from your Fijian hosts. Learn how to drink kava with the chief, farm in the jungle plantations, weave palm leaves into mats and cook Fijian food in underground earth ovens. Each project ends with lots of rest and relaxation on our island safari as you explore some of Fiji's most breathtaking scenery, staying at a selection of handpicked resorts, castaway islands and jungle lodges and including a magnificent tall ship sailing safari through the stunning Mamanuca Islands during our ten week expeditions. We finish every project with a team de-brief and an end of project party in Fiji's tourist hot spot, Nadi, where you can end your experience with additional activities such as a scuba diving, jet skiing or a sky dive from 14 thousand feet over the islands!
Just an acre in size with a circumference of golden white sand and a few grass huts lining the beach, you will live on a tiny castaway island for your first week in Fiji. We always begin with our five day comprehensive Fijian orientation. Our overseas leaders and members from the Fijian Government, Provincial Council and local communities will explain the detailed project objectives as you prepare to acheive some remarkable development aims ahead. There is plenty of time during the week to soak up the sunshine and sink into the slow pace of South Pacific life as you get to know your team mates under the shade of a palm tree. Swim in the lagoon, swing in a hammock, play volleyball and enjoy guided snorkelling trips to the magnificent reefs and day trips to nearby islands and traditional villages.
Volunteer projects
Each expedition has combined community, youth and sports development aims and you can be actively involved in all of these initiatives as part of your project. Our building project is a major focus as we create school classrooms, clinics and install fresh water supplies to remote communities. These projects are directed by the Ministry of Health and are provide huge improvement to the health and well being of these remote villages. Each expedition has a set building objective, which is funded by your expedition fee and will be started and completed during your project timeframe. Inspiring children and providing a full and engaging programme of extra-curricular activities is a major focus of every project. Day-to-day initiatives include teaching primary school lessons, leading daily youth clubs for village children, establishing the first kindergarten schools in Fiji's outer islands, introducing art, drama and music lessons, organising plays and dance productions as well as coaching a huge range of sports each afternoon including rugby, netball, football, cricket and hockey. Each expedition team completes a very busy and diverse plan of initiatives, carefully structured for each village to make the most structured and sustainable impact.
Island Adventure & R&R
During your project there are lots of opportunities for adventure and exploration such as night spear fishing, climbing extinct volcanoes and waterfall treks. Your expedition includes planned activities, guided by our leaders as well as 'family' days to learn traditional island skills from your Fijian hosts. Learn how to drink kava with the chief, farm in the jungle plantations, weave palm leaves into mats and cook Fijian food in underground earth ovens. Each project ends with lots of rest and relaxation on our island safari as you explore some of Fiji's most breathtaking scenery, staying at a selection of handpicked resorts, castaway islands and jungle lodges and including a magnificent tall ship sailing safari through the stunning Mamanuca Islands during our ten week expeditions. We finish every project with a team de-brief and an end of project party in Fiji's tourist hot spot, Nadi, where you can end your experience with additional activities such as a scuba diving, jet skiing or a sky dive from 14 thousand feet over the islands!
Who else is going?
You will live, work and travel in a team of young, enthusiastic, slightly nervous, fresh thinking and likeminded people. We aim for a fair mix of male and female volunteers aged 17 -35. All our volunteers have the same things in common – a sense of adventure, a passion for making a positive contribution, and a desire to experience the real Fiji!
Guiding your expedition from start to finish, you will have the support of our fabulous team of expedition leaders, local Fijian guides and specialist support staff. Our staff teams are fun, dynamic, and incredibly passionate about what we do and how we do it. We believe they are the best, and the reason why our expeditions are so unique. Our leaders live alongside each team in the village; assessing the aims, updating risk assessments, guiding adventure activities and supporting your whole experience.
Teaching and youth development
Youth projects
Our teaching and youth projects form a huge element of every expedition. Our volunteers support local primary schools, establish the first kindergarten schools in Fiji and lead a hugely fulfilling and creative extra curricular programme of drama, art, music and games, which are lighting up children's lives in the outer islands.
You will teach English and provide key assistance to the local teachers within primary schools, help to create a long standing nursary education project each morning and establish after school youth groups within the community to offer children the chance to express themseleves through art, drama, dance, music and games. This is the opportunity for you to inspire Fijian children and offer your time to organise meaningful and fun activities. You will work in the village homes, the community halls, the jungle, the beach and the ocean!
Our aim is for our youth projects to be varied and inclusive, offering support for all children within the community and we rely on your imagination and creativity. If you have a specific skill, from teaching english to leading dance, an interest in art or a natural flair for directing a drama production, then let us know and we’ll ensure that your skills are matched to the local objectives and the equipment and resources you need, from paint brushes to guitars, will be waiting for you in the village so you can get started!
Why are youth projects important?
Fijian children are gentle, playful and bursting with energy. They also have absolutely nothing. The attention you provide through teaching and organising simple activities could really make a difference. Introducing a basic selection of books or musical instruments can light up young people’s lives, and helping to mentor in the schools and offering English lessons in the village provides an opportunity for children and teenagers to improve their skills.
School and kindergarten projects
Our school and kindergarten projects are achieving incredibly rewarding and long term educational development for Fijian children aged 3 - 13. Under the direction of local teachers, you will work with primary aged children who are struggling in certain subjects and offer specific and dedicated one-to-one support to assist. At the request of local schools, you will lead individual lessons in the poor and rural school classrooms and introduce additional lessons such as current affairs, debating societies, poetry competitions and health and environmental awareness projects.
The school curriculum in Fiji is taught in English, and children must have an excellent grasp of English reading and writing to enable them to progress through all of their subjects. Organising a specific programme of one-to-one English lessons with village chidren can therefore make such an immense difference to the quality of a child's long term education.
Working in the local kindergarten takes place each morning and looking after pre-school children is an especially demanding but fulfilling task! Think Pacific has established four kindergarten schools in Fiji and our volunteers are pioneering these growing and exciting initiatives. Working alongside Fijian women, who run the kindergartens long term, the objective is to engage the Fijian under five's and provide their vital first English and Maths lessons as well as endless games, songs, nursary rhymes, outdoor activities!
Drama, art and music
Every team develops drama, art and music lessons within the primary schools and during our village youth clubs, which take place after school. We look to our volunteers to bring new ideas and to add creatively and inspiringly to these projects. This is really your time to shine if this is your area of expertise!
During the past year alone, our volunteers have organised drama productions for Fijian children such as Jospeh the Musical and the Lion King, developed Fiji's Got Talent competitions, the Fiji X-Factor, ballet classes, ballroom and zumba dance lessons and introduced recorder, guitar, piano and sax lessons, art and crafts lessons and big events, festivals and island shows. Our volunteers play a key role in the organisation of each and every activity and you can start your art, drama, music and dance rehersals with the village kids from the day you arrive in the village!
Fijian children are gentle, playful and bursting with energy. They also have absolutely nothing. The attention you provide through teaching and organising simple activities could really make a difference. Introducing a basic selection of books or musical instruments can light up young people’s lives, and helping to mentor in the schools and offering English lessons in the village provides an opportunity for children and teenagers to improve their skills.
School and kindergarten projects
Our school and kindergarten projects are achieving incredibly rewarding and long term educational development for Fijian children aged 3 - 13. Under the direction of local teachers, you will work with primary aged children who are struggling in certain subjects and offer specific and dedicated one-to-one support to assist. At the request of local schools, you will lead individual lessons in the poor and rural school classrooms and introduce additional lessons such as current affairs, debating societies, poetry competitions and health and environmental awareness projects.
The school curriculum in Fiji is taught in English, and children must have an excellent grasp of English reading and writing to enable them to progress through all of their subjects. Organising a specific programme of one-to-one English lessons with village chidren can therefore make such an immense difference to the quality of a child's long term education.
Working in the local kindergarten takes place each morning and looking after pre-school children is an especially demanding but fulfilling task! Think Pacific has established four kindergarten schools in Fiji and our volunteers are pioneering these growing and exciting initiatives. Working alongside Fijian women, who run the kindergartens long term, the objective is to engage the Fijian under five's and provide their vital first English and Maths lessons as well as endless games, songs, nursary rhymes, outdoor activities!
Drama, art and music
Every team develops drama, art and music lessons within the primary schools and during our village youth clubs, which take place after school. We look to our volunteers to bring new ideas and to add creatively and inspiringly to these projects. This is really your time to shine if this is your area of expertise!
During the past year alone, our volunteers have organised drama productions for Fijian children such as Jospeh the Musical and the Lion King, developed Fiji's Got Talent competitions, the Fiji X-Factor, ballet classes, ballroom and zumba dance lessons and introduced recorder, guitar, piano and sax lessons, art and crafts lessons and big events, festivals and island shows. Our volunteers play a key role in the organisation of each and every activity and you can start your art, drama, music and dance rehersals with the village kids from the day you arrive in the village!
Long Term Impact
In the rural villages, children have a real lack of any form of books, toys, games, educational resources or sports equipment. Think Pacific purchase these neccessary resources for local schools. For all youth projects, our aim is that the skills and enthusiasm that you offer, combined with the initiative, enthusiasm and commitment of the local teachers and adults in the community, allows the youth clubs to be sustainable and continued by the village members themselves long after the project is complete.Your expedition fee also allows Think Pacific to improve the quality of school facilities and you may be involved in projects such as the renovation of school buildings, the creation of kindergartens and the improvement of sanitation and cooking facilities for the schools. This improvement in the quality of the school infrastructure has clear benefits in increasing the quality of education for the Fijian children.
Fiji expedition itinerary
Your journey
1. Bula Fiji!
As you step off the plane to the heat of the tropics, Think Pacific's Overseas Leaders will be there to meet you with a warm welcome at Nadi International airport. It's time to begin the first stage of your Fijian expedition! For the first leg of our journey, our private mini bus will transport the team on a four hour drive across Viti Levu; winding through the dramatic tropical scenery, passing small villages dotted along the coast and jungle hills rising steeply to our north. At a little known river port on the far eastern side of Viti Levu, we board small motor boats for a forty minute transfer to the tiny castaway island of Caqalai. You can spend your first afternoon in Fiji swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean and relaxing on the beautiful beach as the local staff cook up a fabulous welcome meal.2. Castaway Island Briefing
Living on a tiny castaway island you will sink into ‘Fiji time’ and learn all about your project objectives under the shade of a palm tree. There is plenty of time to sunbathe, take a stroll around the island (which takes just 15 minutes) or play sports on the white sandy beaches. The lagoon is beautiful with crystal clear water, and dolphins and turtles can often be spotted just off shore. We take a day trip to Levuka, Fiji’s picturesque and historic old capital, time for you to explore the centuries old charm of this one street town, once a haven for pirates, beachcombers, traders and missionaries.
3. Village Life & Community Development in Rural Fiji
We travel by motor boat to our project island, and on the first day in the village it is Fijian custom for you to present a sevu sevu to the Chief, whereby a bundle of Yaqona (kava) is presented as a gift and a ceremony will take place to welcome our team into the community.
You will live with your own Fijian family in the village, sleeping on the floor of a simple wooden and tin house. Your fellow team mates and the Think Pacific staff team live close by. Your accommodation will be basic, and it is not unusual to feel some culture shock in your first week or so, however the warmth and generosity of the local people is profound. You will be fully welcomed into the community, treated as family and be supported by the community and our overseas expedition team throughout.
Life in a third world Fijian village is tough and challenging and the projects are vital in making a difference to poverty in the area. You will certainly have days when you feel homesick or feel that the project is a struggle. However, by the end of your time, you will have a feeling of immense accomplishment and achievement, so keep this in mind through the challenging moments! The warmth and generosity of the local people is simply profound. Despite the simple lifestyle, your time in the village will be the highlight of your whole experience. The people in your village will become like close friends and family. The local communities are so excited for the arrival of each team and you will gain a real connection to this tiny community. Our volunteers forever feel like they have a second home in Fiji.
We need our volunteers to be enthusiastic and committed to achieving the volunteer projects, and have a real desire to experience Fiji's fascinating customs, culture and subsistence life. If this is just the challenge you are looking for then you will have an incredible experience and make a real and long lasting impact to local development issues.
For the next amazing weeks you will play a key role in a range of locally directed community development projects. These local development aims, designed and assessed by the village elders, Fijian Council and Fijian government have been stuctured and developed over many years with Think Pacific. Projects offer you the chance to make a difference to a number of key areas, which are making a long term difference to the Fijian communities who we support.
Each day your expedition leader will call a team meeting to discuss the day’s activities. You will then rotate between building, teaching, kindergarten and sports projects - working on the building site or teaching and leading kindergarten lessons in the morning and pioneering youth clubs, childrens' sports coaching and the developing extra-curricular activities in the afternoon.
Your daily team briefings are an opportunity for you to bring forward any new ideas, and to state your preference for working on a particular project and developing your specific role. During your castaway orientation, our leaders and members of the local councils and communities will run through the specific project objectives with you in detail. Each project culminates with an island youth and sports festival, where we tie the work you have made with the Fijian children together with sports competitions, drama productions, workshops and performances and of course, the completition of our building project.
Building projects
Each expedition has a building project as we work to fulfil the local aims of the National Health Promotion Council. Projects include building schools, clinics and installing fresh water supplies. The building projects are supervised by our qualified team, but ultimately is is up to the commitment of our volunteers and the local community to work together to complete the project in the set timeframe.
In your first week in the village you will work closely with our Fijian building managers, carpenters and architects, learning the basic carpentry skills needed to achieve the building aims. No prior experience of building is required as our team will fully brief you and also the local Fijian men and women who are also on site every day and keen to assist where they can.
Teaching & Youth projects
Working with the children in the community and schools, you will establish active youth groups to offer the local children the chance to express themselves through art, dance, drama and music as examples. You will lead health awareness and environmental initiatives and introduce the first extra-curricular activities for the island children.
During week one of the project, the team will split into committees, each committee has a dedicated focus to achieve aims such as drama, sports or health workshops. Homework lessons are massively appreciated by the children, who gain so much from one-one support and relish the opportunity to improve their English language skills - this is one country where the kids love homework!
Teaching takes place within the local primary schools, which, depending on our village location, can be a twenty minutes trek through the rainforest. Class sizes range from 16 to 60 and lessons are all taught in English. You will work with small groups of children or lead classes in pairs with another volunteer and under the supervision of local teachers. Teaching usually takes place on a two week rota basis directed by the local Fijian teaching staff. Schools in Fiji are underfunded and desperately lacking basic educational resources. We support schools throughout the year. Our volunteers fulfill a vital role as teachers and teaching assistants and Think Pacific also funds the development of classrooms, desks, chairs, water supplies, electricity and the purchase of materials such as books, pens and teaching aids.
During the past year, Think Pacific volunteers have established three kindergarten schools on the island of Moturiki. These schools are for children aged 2-6 years old. For a village to establish a kindergarten, they must first prove that they have enough local Fijian volunteers to lead the lessons on a daily basis once our team has departed. Therefore, once established, these schools are a lasting legacy in the village facilitating the improvement of pre-school and primary level education.
You will introduce nursery rhymes, teach children their first words in English and develop basic numeracy alongside fun games, songs, stories, dancing, role plays and outdoor activities. There is never a dull moment in Kindi! The language barrier is tough at first, but working side-by-side with the local Fijian women and having patience with the kindergarten children, you will soon see the huge impact of all your efforts!
Sports Coaching
With sports initiatives we are working very closely with the Ministry of Sport in Fiji to bring the resources and basic training to the remotest and poorest villages, and we will look to you to offer coaching advice and the organisation of sports days and grass roots childrens' leagues.
Every afternoon there is the opportunity to coach sports to village children, leading PE lessons and after school clubs. Rugby, football, cricket, hockey, netball, rounders, kick boxing and volleyball are all successfully underway and we constantly need volunteers who have skills in these sports to continue structured coaching practises.
You will be involved in organising sports tournaments and games against other villages and island teams. Most days end with a game of sports on the beach, be this volleyball or a game of Fiji v's TP football. For rugby fans especially, you will be in your element in Fiji!
Kaiviti Life
Aside from the projects, you will play an active part in traditional ‘Kaiviti life’ by helping to farm in the jungle plantations and fish ‘Fiji-style’ on the reefs. Spear fishing usually takes place out on the reefs by starlight and the villages 'gardens' can be a good half an hour trek through dense jungle. We will expect you to help around the village, to wash your own clothes in the stream and fetch water from the well.
You can learn how to husk coconuts, pound yaqona, weave palm leaves into mats and cook traditional Fijian foods. Fijian people are passionate about their culture, customs and traditional skills and they will delight in teaching you about their way of life. You will learn to dance a meke and speak the Fijian language. At weekends you will be invited to experience the wonderful Fijian singing from the local church or visit other villages for feasts, lovos (food cooked under burning stones in an earth oven) and kava ceremonies.
4. Fiji island adventure, rest and relaxation!
During the volunteer project, we schedule adventure days, where you will trek deep into the Fiji rainforest, climb extinct volanoes and snorkle the stunning reefs.
Your last days on the project (six days for our five-week expeditions / ten days for our ten-week expeditions) is an adventure safari through Fiji. We stay at a selection of beautiful island resorts and enjoy unwinding by the beautiful beaches.
After an evening to relax back on our castaway island following your emotional goodbye to the village, the team travel by motor boat and bus, stopping to explore Fiji's capital, Suva, before winding along the coast to a lovely little resort on the edge of the Fijian rainforest and close to Pacific Harbour, Fiji's self proclaimed adventure capital. Here you have optional activities to enjoy including white water rafting, zip lining or a cage shark dive!
Our next stop is an absolutely stunning beach-side resort. Here we have four nights of rest and relaxation, where you can alternative between the bar, the beach and the lagoon. As well as enjoying the sunshine and swimming, there are afternoon volleyball matches, fishing trips to the reefs, an optional trekking excursion deep into the rainforest to a waterfall, magnificent snorkelling and kayaks line the beach ready for you to explore the Pacific Ocean. In the evenings we light a barbeque and relax under the stars.
Winding our way further towards the western side of Fiji's main island, we stay at a popular and bustling little backpacker hotel on Nadi Beach for our final days. As the last excursion of the ten days, the team board a tall ship and set sail for the glorious Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands. This is a full day cruise through these paradise beach resorts and castaway atolls, which are home to the Blue Lagoon, the island where Tom Hanks filmed castaway, the site of the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty and once home to the fierce cannibals who chased the mutineered Captain Bligh to Timor in a canoe..this is an incredible location for the last major stop on our voyage. The day includes a delicious lunch and a chance to jump overboard for some of the most amazing reef snorkelling in Fiji!
Beach side de-brief
Leaving our paradise beach retreat, your expedition will end as we make our way to picturesque Nadi Bay. Here we ask for your all important feedback during an informal pool side debrief and we host an award ceremony and party to honour your project achievements. As an optional extra, you can book a sky dive for a unique view 14,000 feet above the islands, to go with the unforgettable memories that you will take away with you of Fiji!
What's included in your expedition fee?
We work hard to ensure that the cost of our expeditions reflects our high quality of service, personal planning and the long term commitment we make to fund vital development for the Fijian communities who we support. Once in Fiji, you will only need additional spending money for telephone calls home, souvenirs and a few lunches at the resorts at the end. We guarantee that you will see with your own eyes the financial support that Think Pacific makes to the communities in Fiji, and the lasting legacy that this achieves. Over 70% of your expedition fee is spent within Fiji.
Here is a step by step breakdown of how your expedition fee is allocated:
Castaway Islands, beach resorts, jungle treks, day trips and activities as part of each expedition
Project Donation
Accommodation and food
In-country briefing
Combined Volunteer projects so you can play a key role in building, teaching and sports initiatives
Pre-departure preparation
Expedition staff and Support
We work hard to ensure that the cost of our expeditions reflects our high quality of service, personal planning and the long term commitment we make to fund vital development for the Fijian communities who we support. Once in Fiji, you will only need additional spending money for telephone calls home, souvenirs and a few lunches at the resorts at the end. We guarantee that you will see with your own eyes the financial support that Think Pacific makes to the communities in Fiji, and the lasting legacy that this achieves. Over 70% of your expedition fee is spent within Fiji.
Here is a step by step breakdown of how your expedition fee is allocated:
Castaway Islands, beach resorts, jungle treks, day trips and activities as part of each expedition
- Five days to sink into 'Fiji time' as you relax on your own tiny castaway island resort and our leaders and our local government partners brief you on the project objectives and prepare you for life in the rural villages. This week includes a day trip to a traditional Fijian village, a boat trip to visit the old capital of Fiji, snorkelling excursions to the beautiful coral reefs, volleyball tournaments and afternoon beach activities and evening entertainment.
- A ten day (six days on our five-week expedition) end of project resort and relaxation phase. This is time to hop through some of Fiji's most dramatic scenery; exploring the bustling markets of suva, staying in a river lodge by the Namosi Rainforest, relaxing by the pristine beaches of the Coral Coast and finishing with a beach party in Nadi Bay. This is time for the group to relax and enjoy ten days of fun in the sunshine as a team, with optional treks, snorkelling trips and kayaking or for the more adventurous, additional activities such as sky diving, river rafting and scuba diving are available.
- During the volunteer project iteself we organise weekly activities alongside your volunteering so you will be fully immersed as possible into Fijian life. This includes guided visits to different villages, jungle treks, fishing trips, farming in the jungle plantations, lovo feasts, kava ceromonies, beach bonfires and evening entertainment, Fijian cooking, palm weaving, bilo making, coconut husking and Fijian language lessons. All of these activities are included, providing jobs to local guides and Fijian staff.
- Our ten week expedtions end with a magnificent tall ship sailing safari through the paradise Mamanuca Islands.
Project Donation
- Each expedition fee includes a donation to fund all of the development projects in the rural Fijian villages. Think Pacific's donation to local community projects is the highest proportonal amount that we are aware of in the gap year industry today, which demonstrates our local commitment to third world communties. This funding is key to acheiving the long term development aims. Your expedition fee funds local development in two ways;
- A) By purchasing and transporting all of the building materials, sports equipment and school resources to achieve the aims of the project you will be working on in Fiji. Our building projects are a key focus of each expedition and we will start and complete the entire building structure within your project timeframe.
- B) By providing scholarships which fund long term project aims, investing in youth initiatives, and supporting vocational, sporting and university training courses for local people.
Accommodation and food
- Accommodation throughout your time in Fiji, including village homestays, backpacker lodges, locally owned resorts, jungle lodges, tents (where required) and our tall ship.
- All meals are funded during your volunteer phase. Think Pacific supports each village family to ensure that your presence is in no way a burden upon local resources or to the host village. Meals often involve the whole community coming together to prepare, cook and enjoy a variety of fantastic Fijian dishes including lovo feasts and fish as fresh as it can possible be!
- Three great meals a day during your briefing and all breakfasts and evening meals during the island safari. Volunteers need only bring money to pay for the occassional lunch during excursions and adventure activities.
In-country briefing
- We ensure you are fully briefed in Fiji and ready to experience life in the Fijian village. Our comprehensive briefing programme takes place over five days from a castaway island in Fiji's Lomaiviti Province. This week includes Project presentations by the Fijian Ministry, Fijian language lessons, health and safety briefings, village protocol, guidance in local culture and customs by our Fijian guides, snorkeling, barbeques and beach bonfires.
Combined Volunteer projects so you can play a key role in building, teaching and sports initiatives
- Structure and organisation of a range of key projects including building, teaching, kindergarten, sports coaching and youth initiatives on a daily or weekly rota basis.
- Daily project briefing and de-brief and leader support to ensure your role is matched to your skills and passions.
- Training in building skills and techniques by our skilled carpenters.
- Weekly individual one-to-one project planning meeting with your assigned expedition leader to develop your volunteering role and maximise your impact.
- Organisation of sports competitions, health awareness projects, environmental initiaitves, youth festivals and village fun days.
- Bus and boat transfers to nearby islands to participate in sports tournaments or youth events when applicable.
Pre-departure preparation
- Pre-booking informal interview, advice and assessment to match your personal skills to the project objectives in Fiji.
- Comprehensive project information pack and personal UK pre-departure team briefing at Leeds University.
- Flight and Insurance advice and constant email and telephone communication as you prepare for departure.
- Airport welcome by Think Pacific expedition leaders upon arrival in Fiji.
Expedition staff and Support
- We are incredibly proud of our leaders who guide each expedition from start to finish with care, attention to detail, unfaltering enthusiam and a passion for what we do. At least two leaders live alongside you and guide each expedition from start to finish, co-ordinating daily activities and providing constant support.
- Fijian mata ni vanua guides are appointed for each project, to teach you about Fijian culture, customs, history, legends and village etiquette during your time in the rural community.
- Fijian building managers guide our building projects each day, teaching you how to use specific equipment as well as guiding each project to clear timeframes and successful completion.
- Specialist support staff, including Fijian architects, carpenters, electricians and plumbers for our building projects who are all hired by Think Pacific to acheive the aims. In addition we hire local Fijian guides for our treks and excursions, boat captains, bus drivers and tall ship sailing staff.
- Comprehensive medical first aid kits, specialist liability insurance cover by Campbell Irvine, detailed risk assessments and crises management plans and invaluable local support networks including private hospitals, foreign office, Fijian government and local business support.
- 24 hour back up support whilst you are in Fiji from our Project Managers who oversee all Fijian operations and by our UK office.
What's not included?
The following items are not included but we will be happy to advise you on them.- International flights.
- Personal travel insurance.
- Personal spending money (for souvenirs, telephone calls, and any extra activities).
