Day 01 - Tuesday
Depart the USA
All of Rustic Pathways scheduled group flights to Fiji depart from Los Angeles. Our carrier is Air Pacific – Fiji’s national airline. The flight each week is non-stop to Nadi International Airport and is escorted by a Rustic Pathways Flight Leader. The flight departs LAX in the evening and takes about 10 hours. During your flight, take the time to get to know other students, get some sleep in preparation for your arrival in the South Pacific, relax with a movie or two and start to settle into the easy-going and friendly nature of the Fijian’s and their legendary hospitality.
Day 02 – Wednesday
In transit
Today is “lost” as you cross the international dateline, but don’t worry too much… you will get it back on your way home!
Day 03 - Thursday
Bula! Welcome to Fiji!
Upon clearing customs and immigration, you will be greeted by a Rustic Pathways staff member and transported to your new home at our beautiful Rustic Pathways Momi Bay Base. Here you will enjoy a tropical breakfast with your new staff and new friends. You will receive an orientation about the week ahead of you while you overlook sugarcane fields that seem to fall into the ocean. The staff will help you settle into your new home and answer any questions you might have. You will be given enough time to relax and unwind while getting to know your new friends.
After lunch there is no time to waste. By mid-afternoon you will be participating in one of our 8 community service opportunities for a half day of service. This is a great opportunity to start exploring your new neighborhood while getting to know your local community. You will be surprised how welcoming and excited the Fijians are to see you! There’s not a better way to say hello than with community service! In addition, you might be singing songs and creating crafts at local kindergartens or orphanages while playing an impromptu game of soccer. But be warned, even these young kids have some amazing soccer skills!
During the evening tonight you can unwind from your busy day with a swim in the pool or a friendly soccer match or simply watching the sunset from our huge deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean with some new friends. You can be guaranteed a good night sleep tonight!
Day 04 - Friday
The Fijian People and Your Projects
Today will be your first full day of service work! Rustic Pathways has developed a wonderful relationship with the local people of Momi Bay and the larger Nadi area. Project work during the course of your program may involve participation in a variety of initiatives. You can expect to spend time within the local schools, tutoring students in English, getting involved with afternoon sporting events and facilitating much needed art and music classes. In addition, you might be singing songs and creating crafts at local kindergartens or orphanages while learning new games that the Fijian children love to play. Our services extend beyond the children; we teach computer literacy classes to people of all ages that would not have access to this information otherwise. Other projects involve repairs and maintenance to school buildings, construction of new amenities or upgrading of present facilities. You can also expect to spend a day at the local hospital or one of the rural nursing stations to help disperse medical donations, teach the locals about hygiene, dental care and general medical issues. If you love the outdoors you will be able to help preserve the marine life and coral coast through environmental projects with local Fijians. Your week of service will be varied, interesting, challenging and extremely rewarding and worthwhile.
You can expect to spend time within the local schools, tutoring students in English, getting involved with afternoon sporting events and coaching some soccer classes.
In the evening you will be formally welcomed to Fiji with a kava ceremony (sevusevu) by the local Fijian’s. This will be your opportunity to learn a lot about Fijian culture and the beauty and history behind kava. This is an experience you can only get in Fiji!
Rustic Pathways is also seeking to directly help the communities we serve with donations of items that are too expensive to be purchased by Fijian organizations or unavailable in Fiji. The donation lists have been created by Fijians for Fijians. We would like to encourage all students who participate in this program to bring with them some of the items on the donation list. These items will be donated at the site where they are most appropriately needed. This will greatly expand the resources these schools, hospitals, villages and homeless shelters need to operate effectively.
Day 05 – Saturday
Full day of work with a little time to wander!
This morning you will participate in a large group community service work project. Generally, work on a Saturday morning will involve projects that enable us to complete tasks at schools while students are not in their classrooms or larger projects that involve a whole village or community. Many of the adults are able to participate and get involved after meeting their job obligations during the course of a normal working week.
You will have a whole day of service with the late afternoon offering the opportunity for an official game of soccer with a local Fijian school or village. This game can take place either at the Rustic Momi Base soccer field, a local village or school! It is an exciting game for both sides and wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange after the game!
Day 06 - Sunday
Optional Activity Day!
Within the Fijian culture, Sunday’s are generally observed as a day to rest, relax and enjoy the company of family and friends. Your Sunday will be spent enjoying the wonders that Fiji has to offer in whatever way that fits your mood! How you spend your day on Sunday is up to you. You can go swimming, snorkeling or surfing at our beautiful Natadola beach, explore paradise on an off-shore island, participate in amazing, adrenaline water sports, discover the world below us while scuba diving or discover the world above us while you sky dive! Your Sunday will be spent enjoying the wonders that Fiji has to offer in whatever way that fits your mood! Get ready for a day you will never forget!
Days 07 to 09 – Monday to Wednesday
More Exciting Projects and Wonderful Cross-Cultural Participation!
During the next three days your focus will be on a variety of projects your group is undertaking for the week. Each morning you will break into smaller groups and concentrate on a new project for the day.
At the conclusion of each afternoon’s work you will either participate in the outdoor adventures or culture Fiji has to offer or a fun, organized match of soccer with a local high school. Often all of the Rustic Pathway participants rush to these soccer matches to cheer on their friends. It is a great event for all students in Fiji! After the game there is time for refreshments with both teams. This is a perfect opportunity to get to know other Fijians your age interested in the same things you are.
In the evening, you will return to our Momi Base to socialize, swim, play soccer, go for a run or walk with our staff or just chill out. There will be night activities from astronomy classes, movie nights an games, as well as the chance to watch a Meke dance performance!
Day 10 – Thursday
Something to take home with you!
Well your first week has flown by like a dream and you should now be well and truly entrenched in Fiji and much of what this easy-going island nation is all about. Today is a chance to do some much desired shopping for souvenirs. You will get the chance to explore town and the local handicraft market for gifts and reminders of your time in Fiji. If you are departing to the USA tonight, after a final meal with your group, you travel to the airport and bid Fiji farewell (until next year perhaps). You will be escorted to LAX with a Rustic Pathways Flight leader. For those students who are continuing to another Rustic Pathways program in Fiji or overseas, you will commence your next program this morning.
Extending your Sun, Sand and Service Week.
Weeks Two, Three, Four and beyond….
If you’re staying longer on our Sun, Sand and Service program your additional weeks will remain much the same as your first week although no day is exactly the same in Fiji so there will be new opportunities of service and adventure. Your understanding of Fijian culture will be better, the depth of the friendships you’ve made will be stronger and your ability to communicate, participate and contribute will be enhanced the longer you spend here. Fiji has a way of seducing you and these islands have captivated many a visitor. To find a place with the degree of friendliness that the locals possess, the natural beauty that this country exudes, melded with the easy-going and peaceful pace of life that the locals adhere to can be wonderfully refreshing and incredibly enticing. Your staff will encourage you to enjoy all that this program has to offer and we hope that the quality and range of projects, personalities and activities you experience only make you want to stay longer!
An Important Note about Schedule Changes:
Rustic Pathways reserves the right to change, alter, or amend the daily itinerary for this trip at any time. Changes can be made for various reasons including changes in flight or program schedules, changes in the schedules of various external tours incorporated in our trips, the addition of new activities into a trip, or the substitution of an old activity for a new activity. The itinerary shown here provides a good outline of the anticipated daily schedule for this program. As with any travel program, some changes may occur.
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COMMUNITY SERVICE 
Welcome to the Base House
Who Should Come
