Director's Program - The Far Reaches of Fiji

2010 TRIP ITINERARY
Director’s Program- Far Reaches of Fiji

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 Fijians 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!  

You will be greeted by our Rustic Pathways staff upon arrival at nadi airport this morning and immediately start your exciting two week adventure.  Fiji is known around the world for its white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters. You will begin your epic journey to the island of Taveuni. This island is known for its soft coral dives, pristine wilderness and spectacular waterfalls.  The flight to Taveuni is an hour and a half and it is filled with stunning ocean and island views.  From the plane you will be able to see the magnificent coral reefs that are teeming with life below the ocean surface.

Once you arrive at Taveuni airport, it will be a short ride to your new home for the next few nights.  

Days 04 to 07  – Friday to Monday
Island Heaven

Over the next three days you will spend your time exploring the beautiful island of Taveuni.  There are some fantastic areas of natural beauty including Lavena and Bouma Falls. These glorious waterfalls are a composed of two beautiful and very different hikes through the native wilderness of Taveuni.  Each waterfall varies in size, but you are able to swim beneath both of them.  

Taveuni is also home to a fun natural waterside and the international date-line.  To welcome the new millennium, over 2000 people came to Taveuni.  Spend some time in the future and in the past as you jump from one side of the date line to the other.  It is not every day that you can spend one second in today and another second in yesterday.  

Another day you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful world below us by participating in an optional scuba dive.  Taveuni is known for The Great Wall of coral and the plethora of marine species that make this reef home.  Don’t be surprised if you end up face to face with a gorgeous sea turtle.  This island is full of beautiful hikes and beaches and you will be sure to visit many of them.  After your days of hiking, swimming, snorkeling and diving there are plenty of activities to do right at the hotel, including kayaking, snorkeling, beach volleyball or relaxing on a hammock to read.

Days 08 and 09– Tuesday and Wednesday
Village Visit

Today you will journey to the village of Nakuku to experience the real life of Fijians.  During your two day stay at the village you will be introduced to the local traditions including Sevusevu (welcoming ceremony), a huge lovo (traditional feast cooked in an underground oven) and of course kava.  Fijians are some of the friendliest people in the world and you will feel like you have made some new family members before you know it!

Days 10 to 13 – Thursday to Sunday
Fiji’s Adventure Capital

Get ready for some beautiful sights and heart pounding adventure over the next two days.  After a short drive from Suva you will arrive at your next point of call – Pacific Harbour.  Enjoy your beachfront accommodation for the next few days and get pumped for some awesome adventures in the bargain!

First stop will be to have some fun above the trees. Welcome to Zip Fiji, the only set of zip lines in Fiji. Zoom sixty feet above the ground at over forty miles per hour on eight connecting zip lines.

After lunch by the river you will be off to rappel over the highest waterfall rappel in the world!  While participating in the Cascade Rappel, you will step off the top of a cliff - an amazing 800 meters above sea level - and rappel into pure vertical space.  You will be surrounded by awesome views and the deep Pacific below.  This is a thrilling experience and at the end you will be able to say you mastered a 112 meter controlled descent off Waiadoi’s awesome waterfall.  Your heart will be pumping by the end of today, but don’t worry, there is more adventure to come!

You will also spend an exciting day rafting on the Upper Navua River.  In the remote highlands of Viti Levu lies one of the most unique river trips on earth. Slicing a deep chasm through the island's tropical interior, the Upper Navua River is a hidden pathway to a pristine tropical wilderness. Shrouded in lush rainforest, fed by countless waterfalls and protected by challenging rapids, your exploration of this amazing gorge is perhaps one of the most unique journeys in all of Fiji if not the South Pacific and the world. This excursion will take you through some of the country's most formidable and phenomenally beautiful terrain in the relative comfort of inflatable rafts. This is a place where black volcanic walls are at points barely seven meters apart and over forty meters high and fringed by emerald rainforest. This is a place where man has been merely an intermittent visitor at best, where some of the wildest and most beautiful Fiji can still be found. Students consistently rate this day as one of the absolute highlights of their time in Fiji.

If you are scuba certified then it is time for a real adventure as you will also spend a day swimming with the sharks.  Since Pacific Harbor is known as the adventure capital of Fiji, you can’t leave without a dive with the sharks.  See lemon head, reef and maybe even hammerheads as they swim near you on an amazing dive.  Don’t worry if you are not certified you still get to experience the underwater world on an introductory dive.  Look at some beautiful fish and coral up close as you dive down to 12 meters.

Each night you will enjoy amazing meals at yet another beach side hotel.  When you get back from your activities each day you can relax on the beach or by the pool.  If you still have energy you can go horse boarding along the beach.  

Days 14 to 16 – Monday to Wednesday
Malakati Village and the Beautiful Yasawas

Today you will board a boat for a four hour ride through the breathtaking Yasawa Islands.  Pass by some of the most beautiful islands in the world while enjoying a nice cold ice-cream bar and talking with your fellow travellers.  The last stop in the Yasawa Islands is Nacula island which is home to Malakati Village and that is where you will call home during your stay. Toba Totoka, meaning “Beautiful Bay” is the name of our Nacula Island Base where you will be partaking in your exciting activities.

By the time you reach Nacula Island there will be a village ready to welcome you with open arms.  Lunch will be waiting for you after you unpack all your belongings.  Once you have finished lunch throw on your swimsuit, snorkel, fins and head out to see some of the beautiful marine life that the South Pacific has to offer.  There is a beautiful reef right outside Toba Totoka and you can usually spot a multitude of fish, squid and rays.  If you are not up to snorkeling, spend time relaxing in the sun or pull out a kayak and explore the bay

Malakati village has a population of approximately 200 people. It is located on the north eastern side of Nacula Island.  The village still maintains strong cultural traditions and this becomes very evident within a short period of time at Malakati. Students will be able to gain a great impression of the Fijian way of life and contribute their energies and time towards some very worthwhile projects. They will also have the chance to see some wonderful areas of Fiji, including the beaches, islands and mountains that Fiji is famous for.

Day 17 – Thursday
Departure Day

Well your two weeks have flown by and now you should now be well and truly entrenched in Fiji and much of what this easy-going island nation is all about.  Today will board the boat back to the main island and get ready to depart.  

In the evening, you will be treated to a fantastic final meal to conclude your wonderful experience in Fiji.  This will give you some time to reminisce about your adventures, exchange contact information with friends and staff and prepare for your journey home.

You will be escorted to the airport by staff where you can take some time to say good-bye and will fly back to LAX with a Rustic Pathways flight leader.


Extending your experience in Fiji.
Weeks Three, Four and beyond….

If you’re staying longer 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 greater the amount of time you spend here.  You can continue your adventure by adding on the Fiji Leadership Challenge or Growing Within programs and participate in some great community service.  If you would like to add on an additional country, programs in Australia and New Zealand can be added easily. Trips are easy to add on so get creative when you design the summer of your dreams.
   

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.