Fiji: Sun, Sand, and Island Service with Rustic Pathways

I did the Sun, Sand, Service trip in 2013. I made great friends and had an awesome staff team to back it up! All the staff at the Eco Lodge make it feel like its your second home. I got sick one day and was taken care of really well! Activities were fun and we also got some relaxing time in the afternoons. Great trip!

Amazing program! We lived in a village and were basically part of the community. The project leaders are truly invested in their time and making a lasting impact for the village we worked on. An incredible eye-opening experience!

I was in the Marine Environmental monitoring group during summer 2013 and this was my first big overseas trip without my family. Let me tell ya, it was amazing. The staff were very welcoming and made me feel like I was right at home! Heck, when we arrived in the Somosomo village on Naviti island, the Fijian staff were all on the beach singing and waving us in! Everyday we did something exciting that we knew was going to leave an impact, whether it be doing reef checks or planting mangroves, we always had a blast! One of the best parts of the trip though was spending time in the village and making so many new friends. The people are amazing and they are so thankful for everything around them that it makes you just feel happy all the time! I know I will be staying in contact with the friends that I made there and I'm so glad that I chose this trip and I can't wait to go on another trip next year!
On a side note- the Marine and Green programs stayed on a remote island in a small base camp (less than 10 freaking steps from the beach!) and not at the Eco lodge. So, if you're expecting some 5 star hotel, with electricity and a pool and such things, I would recommend a trip that stays at the Eco lodge! (But the small island base camp is still my first choice!)

Be sure to think carefully on your program. Someone who signs up for a service project is going to be a different type of person than one who would sign up for a purely fun trip. Truly one of the most rewarding programs I have ever been on. Two years later and I still keep in touch with people from my trip!

This program was definately worth it! The staff were so helpful, and they really did their job really well!( like keeping 50 jet lagged grumpy teenagers relatively happy on a rainy first day) The villagers and the fijians really welcomed us into their villages, and seemed to enjoying working along side us to help complete projects. Over my two weeks I: painted a police station, built toilets, tiled a school, taught typing and arts and crafts, picked up trash, and had some fun! There is built in time for some relaxation on the trips out of the Eco lodge, like trips to mud baths and to caves. There was sometimes night time entertainment like fijian dancers and firethrowers. THis was an overall amazing summer.

My Rustic Pathways experience in Fiji last summer was beyond life changing. The staff is an incredible group of people that are always making sure that you are having the best experience possible. The other kids get super involved in their programs and take what they're there to do very seriously. Everyone was dedicated to their programs and went above and beyond to make sure that all the work got done on each site we visited. I absolutely loved my experience in Fiji and if I wasn't too old, I'd go back again in a heartbeat. This is a program that if you have the means to go on it, you should go. I've never had a more life changing experience and I know the things I learned about myself in Fiji will stay with me forever.

It's a difficult thing to feel like you've made an impact in a completely foreign community, but Rustic makes it work. I felt immersed in the Rustic Fiji community from the beginning--everyone was friendly, welcoming, and engaging.

I went on the two and a half week highlands service trip when I was in high school (2005 I think?). It was my first big international trip and an incredible experience. The staff were extremely friendly and competent at handling the group dynamic and travel logistics at the same time. There was a great balance of activities to stay busy and time to relax and enjoy the beautiful Fijian scenery. I would be extremely confident in recommending RP to students or to parents both in terms of the quality of the experience and the safety/professionalism of the staff.