16-Day Expedition
Our 16-Day volunteer expedition is designed to provide you with a once in a lifetime experience, whilst supporting sustainable development within rural communities in Fiji. This expedition is ideal for those who are looking for something so much more than your standard 2-week holiday.
Joining a 16-day team of volunteers means you will spend 2-nights in a beach resort briefing, 2-weeks at the heart of a traditional village living with a Fijian family, and a couple of days in a beautiful beach resort for some down time before departing home. With such an intense itinerary, this project is perfect for those who love to throw themselves into new experiences (rather than just lay on the beach for two weeks).
Safe to say that…if you welcome a challenge, like to be busy, are curious to learn and are passionate about making a difference – then there’s a place in a team for you.
- Largest Volunteer Project to the South Pacific.
- Meaningful 16-Day Program in the Fiji Islands.
- In Partnership with Fijian Government.
- Complete cultural immersion. Homestay – Live with a Traditional Fijian family.
- Work with children of your village and local youth group.
- Achieve personal growth, develop soft skills and challenge your expectations.
- Project Fees include; food, accommodation, 24/7 in-country support, weekend adventures, domestic travel, charity donation (flights not included).
- Expedition Costs; £1,345 / $2,895 AUD / $1,950 USD / $2,550 CAD / €1,750 EUR for 16-Days in Fiji (see Dates & Costs below).
Whether you’re taking a gap year, a break from work or looking to enhance your studies, on a 1-month project you could expect to achieve;
- Contribution; Make a real difference by supporting government aims in Fiji.
- Challenge; Leave your comfort zone and throw yourself into a “back-to-basics” lifestyle.
- Growth; Develop greater global awareness and learn about a unique culture.
- Experience; Gain hands on experience across a range of project activities.
- Skills; Develop teamwork, leadership and communication skills.
- Memories; Create memories and friendships that will last a life time.
Real Challenge + Cultural Understanding + Contribution = Huge Personal Growth
Work with Fijians of similar age to yourself and create unique and life-changing friendships. Work on projects together, which help empower young Fijians to build their confidence, knowledge and self-esteem, so they can learn skills for the future. In return, you’ll gain a unique global perspective.
Support children living in the rural areas of Fiji by providing invaluable opportunities to try new activities. Follow your passion and introduce sports, games, creative activities and home tuition. The aim is to develop the self-belief & confidence of each child and open them to new and fun activities.
Forget about the day job or the stress of work or exams by arriving in the exotic South Seas. You will land at Nadi Airport and be met by your Expedition Leaders for the first time.
Every expedition starts with an all inclusive 3 day briefing at a beautiful tropical beach resort. This is time for you to get to know your team mates, get curious and learn about Fijian culture.
Leaving your briefing paradise, we travel to your remote traditional Fijian community. Depending on your village, this could be a truck to deep jungle or ferry to an outer island.
Arriving into your Fijian village is an exciting and nervous moment! Every door is open in a Fijian community and the generosity and genuine excitement of the local people is profound. By the end of the project our volunteers feel as though they are leaving a second home in the South Pacific.
Some of your greatest experiences will be the simple activities of daily Fijian life; learning how to weave palm leaves, cooking Fijian food in underground earth ovens, drinking ceremonial Kava with the chief, husking coconuts or fishing ‘Fiji-style’.
We focus on workshops with the local youth groups to tackle relevant social issues, plus exciting and fun extra-curricular activities for children, to assist their development. The days are rewarding and incredibly busy!
Live at the heart of some of the most rural communities and immerse yourself into local village life, where everyday is an adventure. If you’re looking for the ultimate adventure then Fiji is waiting to be explored…
Leaving your Fijian village is an emotional experience; such are the close bonds that are formed between our volunteers and the local community. Farewell dinners, tearful goodbyes and the pride in your achievements will sum up your final days.
We finish the project by enjoying our final couple of days relaxing at a beautiful beach resort. We ask for your all-important feedback as we reflect on the project and celebrate your achievements with a farewell dinner.
Each morning, you, your team and your local youth group will work together on a range of activities to discuss areas of mental health, public health, sports development, personal development and enterprise as examples. The aim is to improve the knowledge, confidence and aspiration of Fijian youths.
Plan, prepare and deliver engaging, fun and educational after-school clubs in your host village. This is your chance to coach children sports, create an art competition, host dance classes or improve children’s reading and writing through small group tuition. The aims is for the children to have 2 hours of exciting extra-curricular activities.
Enjoy a traditional dinner with your Fijian family. Then take part in Fijian cultural activities hosted by your village, such as basket weaving, mat weaving & kava ceremonies with the Chief. The evenings are filled with opportunities to experience and learn all there is to know about the rich Fijian cultures and customs that make the country so fascinating.
We make the most of Fiji’s beautiful scenery and head outdoors for the day, for team adventures, activities or challenges alongside Fijian youth groups.
We plan huge kids’ clubs for the children on Saturdays, this is your chance to coach additional sports, plan a dance, arts or photography competition or throw a huge fun day for the children with face paints and fun games.
To Fijian people, the Sabbath day is an integral part of local life. It is their day of rest, and time of worship. Attending Fijian church is a wonderful experience; not least for showcasing local people’s amazing singing voices! It’s a great day to kick back and rest and look forward to the hard work of the week to come.
16-Day Project Costs
This secures your place in the team. It also provides personal support from your project coordinator, full access to our pre-departure resources, live online preparation webinars and your expedition t-shirt. Your registration fee is additional to your project fee.
Many of our volunteers fundraise this entire amount, it’s up to you whether you fundraise or not but your project fee is due 60 days before project begins. Over 1/3 of your fee supports the long term charity aims in Fiji and ensures the sustainability of the initiatives we implement.
Since 2009, volunteers have been joining our expeditions from around the globe, supported by our offices in Fiji and the UK. Here’s our prices in some commonly requested currencies;
| Currency | £ GBP | $ AUD | $ USD | $ CAD | € EUR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee | 195 | 395 | 250 | 350 | 250 |
| Project Fee | 1150 | 2500 | 1700 | 2200 | 1500 |
Our philosophy is to provide a high quality and exceptionally well structured volunteer project. Our expeditions are packed full of adventure and cultural insight, whilst having safety and support at their core. We also ensure that through our charity, the communities you support receive long-term financial and physical assistance year-round. Think Pacific is not the cheapest volunteer organisation around, but this is for all the right reasons.
All our expeditions include:
- Airport welcome by Think Pacific Expedition leaders (or resort meet and greet if you arrive early).
- All in-country expedition travel
- All project accommodation
- All-inclusive briefing and orientation from a beautiful beach resort.
- All meals during your briefing, all meals for 2 weeks staying with your Fijian village family and breakfast and evening meals during your final days of R&R at glorious beach resorts.
- Guided weekend activities which means you can explore your remote location and attend community events.
- Organised evening Fijian activities including kava ceremonies, lovo feasts, mat weaving,
- Think Pacific Leaders and Fijian Matanivanua guides living with you 24/7.
- In-country Director, Fiji based Project Managers and UK team providing planning, risk assessment and 24-hour back up support.
- Comprehensive pre-departure information & personal volunteer project planning.
- Fiji expedition de-brief at a beach resort or castaway islands.
- Your project donation towards the youth development goals in Fiji (which is used to purchase educational and sports equipment, fund scholarships and training for local people and build village facilities and school classrooms).
- International flights
- Personal travel insurance
- Visa
16-Day Project Dates
Click the button below to see our 16-Day expedition dates (limited spaces)
