High School Study Abroad in Fiji

I loved the service activities we did and learning about the fijian people, community and language. Connecting with the locals and helping the villages and womens shelter was one of my favorite parts

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewJanuary 15, 2025

Hi Julie! Thanks so much for traveling with us. The community in Fiji is wonderful! Thank you for everything you contributed to the villages there and the women's shelter. We hope you travel with us soon.

I enjoyed everything I did on the program with Rustic Pathways in Fiji. All the memories we made! and the kindness of the program leaders as well as just the people in Fiji general. I'll rememeber forever!

Once, when my team members and I were riding in a van, the music in the car played "baby". My team members and I liked this song very much, so we sang it together. Since then, the driver will play this song as soon as he sees us getting in the car. Also, I really like the atmosphere in momi bay where everyone is chatting together.

Does the pasing count as the most memorable thing during my stay? I thought the first day was the best day, and then the following day happened lol. Each day just kept getting better and better, so idk if I have an exact moment.

I purposely set my expectations low for the trip as it would allow what would occur to blow me away. Yet, I have never been so blown away as the trip exceeded my most perfect dreams. My greatest sense of accomplishment was seeing the villagers cry during the groups final goodbye. It felt so warming to know that the work we did and the friendships that we made would stick with them and they appreciated it. Personally, I was able to check off my dream and along the way I made friends, family, and left an everlasting mark on a community for one in return. The highlights of my experience was every single day in the village. There was not a moment where I second guessed my choice to attend the trip or felt down in the slightest manner. I felt like as if there was a perfect balance between time spent on projects, cultural activities, and adventure.

My expectations for my program was to have a lot of high school students in my group. I thought we would primarily focus more on service work while we were there. When I arrived at the airport there were only 9 students including me. We became a very tight nit group towards the end of the program. I really loved how small the group was because I got to make connections with every single person there. My program was for community service in Fiji and I really loved the work we did there. We would spend four to five hours a day working on the footpath. I thought that was the only thing we were doing, but instead we also focused two hours each day to experience the village life in Navakawau. I really appreciated that time to explore the culture of the villagers because I got to learn a lot about their lifestyle and On the second to last day before leaving the village, I helped build a wooden bench on top of the hill. The next day when I was walking around to say my goodbyes to the kids I saw a little kid crying because I told her I was leaving soon. I sat down with the kids on the bench that outlooks the whole island in silence. It was not awkward silence, but comfortable silence. It then hit me - where I was and what I was doing. I helped build a footpath up the hill for children to go to school. I built a bench for children to have a place to sit. It has been a privilege to have the opportunity through the Putney scholarship to experience what it feels like to have a role, a place, a duty in their village. I would have never had an opportunity like this if I did not have found this program. During my trip there were many highlights, but the moment that stood out to me the most was the first few days I was in the village. We were driving up the hill and children were running out of their houses to greet us. The children and adults did not know who we were but they were so happy to see us. Everyone welcomed us into their village with open arms during the welcoming ceremony. I was so happy to be able to interact with so many young children and adults who always put our safety and health before anything else. Villagers would always check up on us every hour to see if we were doing okay. Imagine tens of children coming up to you every hour to check up on you. I have never felt so important in my life. Living in the United States you never see such hospitality and happiness for each and every person. Hearing the word "Bula' every morning was the highlight of my experience. I wish we had more time adventuring the village. I felt that we should have walked around the village more to learn more about the structure of the village. We stayed in one specific spot when working on our service project and we went to certain houses to engage ourselves in cultural activities but did not have much time to learn about the basic function of the village. Besides that I thought everything we did was the perfect amount. I loved how we did service in the morning and cultural activities after lunch.

I was hoping for some sightseeing, water sports, interactions with the locals and we were able to do all of that very thoroughly, which I was very happy about. My greatest sense of accomplishment was being able to fit into, if only temporarily, not just one foreign culture, but two. Everyone in my group except me was from North America, and for the first week and a half, there was a huge cultural disconnect between us. I felt like I wasn't a part of the group for a long time. So, I'm incredibly proud of the fact that despite it getting very tough at times, I held on and grew from it. Similarly, I was also fitting into the Fijian culture, making friends with the locals, and just living in a completely new atmosphere. I think I gained a lot of self confidence in this trip, and I've learned about two new cultures in one go. Interacting with the locals was a huge part of my experience. Also the beauty of the Fijian islands. Coming from Delhi, where nature is practically nonexistent, it was really breathtaking to see the oceans and islands and beaches and waterfalls. Additionally, I think I got an amazing group and the best leaders one could ask for, which just enhanced my experience. I feel like due to some technical issues, we weren't able to spend as much time on community service as was specified, and so I wish we did more of that. AS for everything else., it was perfectly balanced. I do wish we got some more time for snorkeling.

I was astonished by how amazing and unknown Fiji is. I have never met such warm, loving, and genuinely kind people as Fijians are. The experiences in this country are like no other. Every day is an adventure whether it is snorkeling, kayaking, Island hopping, jumping off a waterfall, or skydiving. Felt safe every minute, guards even sleep outside your room. Food is great even for picky eaters.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewSeptember 12, 2017

Hey Molly! Thanks so much. We love hearing about our students’ experiences. Hope to see you again in the future on the Rustic program. If you have any questions and additional comments, reach out to me at [email protected]. Best, Rachel Levin | RP Alumni Association Director

I wanted to do something different the summer before my junior year. I was looking at teen service trips all around the world, but I was sold the moment I found ARCC's Australia/Fiji trip. It was specifically for teens, so it allowed me to make an impact while staying safe and protected. The ARCC office staff was communicative and had an answer to my many questions. They knew just what to bring, told us up front exactly how much it would cost, and had recommendations on health and medical concerns to ensure my safety. The trip leaders I had the honor of working with were AMAZING. They connected with us instantly and handled every challenge with ease and grace. They were organized, loving, adventurous, open, and qualified. I honestly cannot imagine more perfect people to lead a trip like this. My group had the opportunity to do our service work in Nawaisomo on the island of Beqa in Fiji before our adventure time in Australia and on the Great Barrier Reef (which is gorgeous, by the way), and so we grew close to each other as we learned more about ourselves. The service work, building a footpath and working with the kids, was so much fun, and it was nice to see our hard work visibly progress. We really felt like we were making a difference. When we stayed in the village, we got to stay (in pairs) with host families, and I got really close to my host siblings. I learned so much about Fijian culture by getting to fry fish, shave coconuts, and help unload fishing boats with them in my free time. Overall, The Australia/Fiji trip was a life changing experience that taught me so much about myself, the world, and the importance of loving and take care of your community and everyone in it. There is no better way that I could've spent my summer.

For the past few years I have slowly become more and more obsessed with sharks and their conservation. When my friend told me about the trip she took to Fiji, I just knew I had to check it out. As soon as I went to the Fiji Shark Studies page, I knew it was the program for me. As a student, the academic component was enticing for me because I know that Marine Biology is something that I want to pursue in college. Not only were the academics stimulating, but the environment, the diving, and the people were as well. Continuing to hone my diving skills was simple with the Broadreach instructors, and I know for a fact that I improved during my three week stay in Fiji. The most exciting part about receiving my Advanced certification was the fact that we could finally go on the Shark Dive!!! Diving at Shark Reef Marine Reserve was one of the best experiences of my life, and I will never forget the thrill I felt the first time I witnessed those bull sharks being hand fed tuna heads by the BAD guides. Diving multiple times a week helped us bond with the people that work for Beqa Adventure Divers and it really opened my eyes to the Fijian culture. Listening to their stories on the boat during surface intervals while munching on tea and cookies was never boring and I can easily say I made 20 something new family members. Fiji Shark Studies was the adventure of a lifetime and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the marine ecosystem, sharks, and those who care for the ocean so fondly. Thank you Broadbreach for the most amazing three weeks that I will surely never forget!

As usual, Global Works orchestrated an excellent experience! I learned about the native people of New Zealand, how to travel with others who are not like me, and life in a third world county. The people of both places were kind, but the love I was shown in Fiji was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The leaders were fantastic and diverse! The only unpleasant part of my trip were my peers. Although I was friends with some of them, most of them were suffering from acute cases of affluenza. Global Works is a fantastic company, but if you want to travel with a really dedicated group of people, take an immersion trip to somewhere that will only be appealing to real travelers, like the month long language immersion trips or any of true trips to developing countries.