Fascinating Fiji: Exploring Above and Below its Shores
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At a Glance
What You'll Learn
- Snorkel and learn from marine experts about the biodiversity of some of Fiji’s most beautiful ecosystems, including Bligh Waters, Vatu-i-Ra Seascape and Beqa Island.
- Learn how Fiji’s seascapes are vital to the livelihood of its residents as you enjoy field trips to local villages and schools.
- Participate in a kava ceremony where you’ll sample a pepper-root drink from a “bilo,” or coconut cup, and enjoy evenings of Fijian “meke,” music and dance.
General Notes
Activity note: A day is “lost” due to crossing the International Date Line.
Activity note: Early morning flight arrival at Nadi International Airport, Fiji. Bus transfer to Pacific Harbour - approximately 2.5 hours - followed by a 45 minute ferry ride to Beqa Island. Hotel check in from 11:00 a.m. Snorkeling refresher up to 1 hour swimming and snorkeling.
Morning: Upon arrival in Nadi, go through immigration, reclaim your luggage and go through customs. You will be met by your group leader after customs, then board a bus for a 2.5 hour drive along Viti Levu's southwest coast to Pacific Harbour. You'll then board a boat for the 45-minute ride across Beqa Lagoon to Beqa Island - a six square mile island with no roads. Upon arrival, you'll step out of the boat into shallow water and walk up the beach to the hotel. You'll relax in the resort's common areas while you wait for your room to become available, then check in to your home for the next four nights.
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Please note that the snorkeling and swimming sites described are representative examples. The selection of sites for each field trip is subject to change based on weather, tides, and other local conditions at the time. Safety is our first consideration. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities for you to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/ conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Our first class for the program will focus on identification of Fijian Fish, followed shortly thereafter by a snorkeling refresher in the pool or off the nearby shore.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 4-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 1-2 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: We will board a boat with marine experts to explore the treasures of the Beqa Lagoon. Please note that due to varying weather, tide, and other local conditions, we have not specified what snorkel sites we will visit each day. Varied snorkel sites will give you the opportunity to explore hard corals, soft corals (harder to see near the surface because they are more fragile), anemones, urchins, sea cucumbers, colorful sea stars, and numerous other species such as clown triggerfish, damselfish, angelfish, surgeon fish, pink and orange zanthias, silver-blue fusiliers, busy cleaner wrasse, lionfish, sea turtles, sharks, eels, rays, and maybe even camouflaged day octopus and a seahorse or two if you have a good eye.
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. You may wish to explore the "house reef" - located straight out from the resort, the reef boasts healthy hard corals, numerous juvenile reef fish, rays, and even elusive seahorses hiding in the shallow eel grass. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities for other alternatives, and of course your Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. We will have a late afternoon class on the Fijian marine ecosystem.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Kava Ceremony and Entertainment - experience a kava ceremony demonstration and share a bowl with the locals. Enjoy an evening of Fijian music.
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 4-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 1-2 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Enjoy a boat-based snorkel trip to explore the Beqa Lagoon. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free time. Afternoon lecture introducing the local community of Beqa Island.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Enjoy a face-paced, exciting, Polynesian-inspired fire show with dancers twirling their fire torches.
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 6-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 2-3 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Enjoy an all-day boat-based snorkel trip to explore the reefs of the Beqa Lagoon
Lunch: Lunch at the resort or picnic lunch to eat on-board the boat depending on the snorkel sites.
Afternoon: Continue all-day boat excursion. After the snorkel we will return to the resort for free time. You may consider signing up for an optional cooking demonstration to make kokoda - a popular Fijian dish made with raw fish, coconut milk, citrus, and other ingredients
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: We’ll observe traditional Fijian meke (dances) performed by local villagers. Meke are an expression of story-telling through dance and song. Prepare for check-out and transfer tomorrow afternoon.
Activity note: Getting in/out of buses and boats. 1 hour drive to Suva. Walk around the city, approximately1.5 miles on paved walkways. 3 hour drive from Suva to Rakiraki, portions of the road may be unpaved.
Breakfast: Hot breakfast at the resort.
Morning: This morning you'll check out, bid farewell to Beqa Island, and board a boat for the 45 ride back to Pacific Harbour. You'll then board a bus for the one hour drive along Viti Levu's south coast to Suva, the capital of Fiji and the largest city in the South Pacific outside Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. We'll drive by the Fijian Parliament building and the Presidential Palace on our way to the Fiji Museum, where you'll learn about Fijian history through archaeological artifacts and displays. Time permitting, we'll make a quick stop to explore the Suva Municipal Market before heading off to lunch.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: After lunch, we'll re-board the bus and drive for three hours up to Viti Levu's north side from Suva to Rakiraki, passing through the countryside and small villages along the way. Arrive and check into the resort in the late afternoon.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: At leisure to relax in your new surroundings.
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 4-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 1-2 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Morning Snorkeling Expedition – This morning we’ll venture into the famous “Bligh Waters” to begin exploring the reefs of this area. The Bligh Waters are so named because Captain Bligh sailed through the area in 1789 after the famous “Mutiny on the Bounty” during which Fletcher Christian and others seized his ship, the HMS Bounty. We can expect to see beautiful hard coral reefs teeming with tropical fish while larger pelagic fish swim by. The Bligh Waters are also well-known for its soft corals, but again – as these are fragile they tend to be in deeper waters, so keep your eyes out for them in channels, gaps in the reef, and other places where they may be protected from surf and stormy conditions (Please note that there are 80 different dive/snorkel sites in this area and as with Beqa, due to varying weather, tide, and other local conditions, we have not specified which snorkel sites we will visit each day.)
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free time to explore your new surroundings. In the late afternoon we will have a lecture about marine sustainability.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: We’ll enjoy live music by a local band during dinner.
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 6-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 2-3 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Led by a local expert, we’ll set out on a boat-based snorkeling fieldtrip and explore the nearby off-shore islands of Nananu-I-Cake, Yanuca and Nananu-I-Ra, stopping at Lomanisue Bay and another location for snorkeling and a walk along a beautiful beach.
Lunch: Lunch at the resort or picnic lunch to eat on-board the boat depending on the snorkel sites.
Afternoon: Continue all-day boat excursion. After the snorkel we will return to the resort for free time. Just before sunset, reboard a boat for a sunset cruise.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Free evening
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 4-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 1-2 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Today you'll board a boat and go deeper into the "Vatu-i-Ra Seascape" which stretches across the channel between the islands of Viti Levu (where you are staying) and Vanua Levu (the other "large" Fijian island). The Seascape's waters encompass numerous reefs which house 300+ reef-building coral species, 1,000+ fish species, dolphins, whales (seasonally), sharks, sea turtles, and a vast array of other sealife.
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Free time. Afternoon lecture about the environment and culture of the north side of Viti Levu.
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: Free Evening
Activity note: Getting in/out of small boats. Approximately 4-hour boat-based excursion with snorkeling and swimming for approximately 1-2 hours; non-snorkelers can observe from boat. Walking up to 1 mile. The selection of sites for each field trip, subject to change, will be based on weather, tide, and other local conditions at the time. Walking approximately 2 miles on uneven terrain during village visit.
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Enjoy one final boat-based snorkel before heading back home
Lunch: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon: Fiji is still largely a village-based country in which 82% of the land is owned collectively by traditional village-based families and clans. This afternoon you will visit a nearby village and start to explore village life in Fiji. Late Afternoon Final Wrap-Up Class by your Group Leader
Dinner: At the resort with a non-alcoholic beverage; other beverages available for purchase. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening: Experience a Farewell Meke (dance performance). Finalize your preparations for tomorrow morning's check-out.
Activity note: 2 hour and 45 minute drive to Nadi. Fly to continental US Regain “lost day" when re-crossing the International Date Line
Breakfast: At the resort.
Morning: Board bus and drive 3 hours along Viti Levu's western coast to Nadi town.
Lunch: At a local restaurant.
Afternoon: Free afternoon to explore Nadi's sites of interest or rest before the overnight flight back home.
Dinner: Farewell dinner at a local Nadi restaurant close to the airport.
Evening: Transferring back to the airport concludes our program. Flights from Fiji to the Continental US typically leave late evening. Crossing the International Dateline in the opposite direction, we will have gained the back the day we “lost” at the beginning and it will be the afternoon of the same day we left! If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!