Big Fiji Explorer

The Big Fiji Explorer trip was a lot of fun. It is great for someone who is interested in culture and exploring the island of Fiji. We had lots of activities packed into each day which I really enjoyed. I was never bored. I learned so much from the people of Fiji. They were all so excited to see us whether we were walking through their village or just driving by them, they always greeted us with a loud Bula!! We spent a good amount of time in villages and drinking Kava which is a celebratory drink of Fiji.
However, I will say the itinerary for the trip was completely off. The trip is rustic and the itinerary really tries to jazz it up to make it seem like more of a vacation. We did lots of hiking, swimming/snorkeling, and some zip lining and high ropes courses. Warning in advance: there are no hot showers. I didn't really have a problem with that because it is warm in Fiji and most of the time a cold shower felt refreshing. My biggest disappointment however was on the last day we could not go skydiving because it was too windy outside. I really think the program leaders of this trip should move the optional skydiving activity to another day in the trip that way if weather cancels it can be rescheduled. Everyone in my group was very disappointed that we couldn't skydive and it made everyone leave in a bad mood.
Overall I am still glad I went on the trip. I have always dreamed off traveling to Fiji and I think a rustic program or another student program is the best way to do it because you get the most out of your trip. I really did travel all over the island, spend time in local villages, and I think I did every activity available (besides skydive). I don't think this could have been possible on just a family vacation.