TRIP ITINERARY FIJI LEADERSHIP CHALLANGE
Creating positive leadership in Fijian youth
Day 01 - Monday
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 Fijians and their legendary hospitality.
Day 02 – Tuesday
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-Wednesday
Bula! Welcome to Fiji!
You will immediately be greeted by our Rustic Pathways staff and transported to your new home at our beautiful Rustic Pathways Eco Lodge. Here you can enjoy a tropical breakfast with your new staff and friends. You will receive an orientation about the next two weeks, while overlooking sugarcane fields that stretch out to the horizon. 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.
However, there is no time to waste. By mid-afternoon you will be off to the Saweni Beach where you will complete some outdoor orientation. Your leader will explain what the next two weeks hold in store for you and the students in your group. After orientation you will spend the afternoon getting to know the students in your group and participating in some fun leadership activities. If you have never heard of leadership activities before, senga na lenga (no worries) for you will be briefed by your trip leader.
Once you are back from your first day at the beach it will be time to unwind and get to know your peers that will also be living at the base house. During the evening, you can unwind from your busy day with a dip in the pool, a friendly soccer match or simply watching the sunset from our huge deck overlooking the breathtaking Pacific Ocean. You can be guaranteed a good night sleep tonight!
Day 04 to 06 – Thursday to Saturday
Learning the Basics
Over the next few days you will learn some of the basic leadership skills that are used all over the world to teach students and adults how to work together as a team. Some of the skills that you will learn include how to use low ropes elements, critical thinking games, spotting, icebreakers and problem solving activities. If you have ever seen MTV’s Real World vs. Road Rules or Survivor then you have seen the various competitions that go one between teams and individuals. These challenges are based off of various leadership games. During you time in Fiji, your days will start out learning some of the basic skills and then putting them to use as you work through some of the low ropes activities that are at the Eco Lodge.
After you have mastered a few of the essential skills involved in low ropes activities and critical thinking games then you will be off to a local school. During your time with Fijian students you will teach them various games that you learned at the Eco Lodge. These games help students learn to work together and solve problems.
Each night once you return to the Eco Lodge there will be various night activities planned after dinner. One night might involve a show with traditional Fijian dances. Another night you might find yourself back in time at an 80’s dance party. The possibilities of fun are endless, and the staff at the Eco Lodge are always coming up with new and exciting forms of entertainment. You will be sure to return home with many new stories about the exciting nights.
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 by each group at the site where they are most appropriately needed. This will greatly expand the resources these schools, hospitals, villEdad and homeless shelters need to operate effectively.
Day 07 - Sunday
Optional Activity Day!
Within the Fijian culture, Sundays 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 Sunday is up to you. You can go swimming, snorkeling or surfing at our beautiful Natadola beach, explore paradise on Beach Comber Island, participate in exciting, adrenaline water sports, discover the world below us while scuba diving or discover the world above while you sky dive. Get ready for a day you will never forget!
Day 08- 12 Monday to Friday
Bringing Leadership to the Schools
Get ready for five days of excitement with your group and Fijian students. Over the next few days you will take all of the skills that you learned over the past week and head into the Fijian schools. Each day is designed entirely by your group and you have the ability to play games, work on critical thinking projects or use the portable low ropes course. Play various ice breaker games with the students or challenge their trust with the notorious Trust Fall. Every activity that you pick to do with the students will be received with a smile.
Fijian students do not have the same emphasis on leadership like we do in America. By working with students in their schools, they will be given a unique opportunity to learn how to stand out in their classes and become a leader in their school and society.
Day 13 - Saturday
Designing Your Camp
Over the past week you were able to see Fijians in at their schools but this week you have the opportunity to offer them something fun and exciting; a field trip to a day camp. Today is your day to design that camp. Working with the other students in your group, you will design fun activities for the students when they come to the Leadership Day Camp at the Eco Lodge. It will take some time to create the design, but by the end of the day you will have the whole camp planned and you will not be able to wait to see some excited Fijian students on Monday.
Day 14 – Sunday
Optional Activity Day!
Since you will be at the Eco Lodge for two weeks, this means that you get to experience two optional activity days. Take this day to do any activity that you were not able to participate in last week. If you went island hopping the week before then maybe this week its time to take an underwater adventure while scuba diving or conquer your fears while sky diving! This Sunday is up to you, so take the bull by the horns and enjoy this day of relaxation.
Day 15 to 16 – Monday and Tuesday
Leadership Camp
All of your hard work over the last week and a half has come to these two days. Now it is time for you run the Leadership Day Camp that you and the other students in your program designed. The Fijian students will all arrive with smiling faces and a lot of energy. You will be working in small groups so you will get to know every student in your camp very well as they will you. Each day you will teach the Fijian students new skills and watch as they being to solve more complex problems on their own.
During these two days you will run a low ropes course with the Fijian students. Experience the excitement of leading a team of students through challenging elements like a large Spider Web or Trust Fall.
Day 17 – Thursday
Something to take home with you!
Well your two weeks in Fiji have 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 handy craft 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, depending on the trip you are continuing on to, you will commence your next program this morning, or stay overnight at the Eco Lodge and commence your new program the following morning.
Extending your adventures in the South Pacific.
Rustic Pathways programs connect easily and if you would like a week of relaxation after two weeks of service, then there are a plethora of programs to choose from. If you would like to add a bit of a thrill factor to your trip then add on a week of scuba diving with Learn to Dive in Fiji (non certified divers) or Diver’s Dream (certified divers). Not sick of service yet? Then head up to the highlands and work on a micro-financing program with a Fijian village during the Growing Within program. The possibilities of summer excitement are endless.
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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Servicio comunitario 
Habilidades para la vida 
Esta es una hermosa vida 
