Fiji

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Animal health and welfare project in Fiji.\
Everyone, volunteers and locals alike, were highly friendly and many locals would attempt to stop on the street to chat with you.

The accomodation was basic but suitable. Everyone had their own bed and the food each night was delicious! The tap water was suitable to drink, which meant that hardly any money was spent on drinks at all!
The project itself was enlightening, and very worthwhile. Sometimes the work could be hard, as you would see issues that would be very unlikely to arise in the UK, but the people and animals made everything worthwhile.

The weekends were packed full of tourist-like trips, and it was very interesting to see the difference between "Locals-Fiji" and "Tourist-Fiji".

The project was an amazing and rewarding time of my life, and I made friends with people whom I hope I stay in touch with.

One of the best decisions I ever made was to volunteer abroad in the beautiful country of Fiji! I looked at several different volunteer programs before deciding on Projects Abroad. Right away from looking at their website I could tell that Projects Abroad was professional, honest, and really valued their volunteers. I was drawn to Fiji in particular because they offered a unique program for a speech therapist. This specialization was key to ensuring I maximized my impact as a volunteer. I was able to use my skills and knowledge to impact the lives of so many precious children.

Projects Abroad's office was one of my favorite places to go to in Fiji. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. I always felt valued, safe, and supported. I knew that if I ever had any trouble I could always come to them. But one of the best parts about my experience was my incredible host family. They exceeded every expectation in hospitality. My house was clean, comfortable, and safe. I had a lot of variety in my meals, got to experience traditional dishes, and had amazing chats with my host parents. I'm even Facebook friends with them now! Overall I highly recommend going to Fiji with Projects Abroad! (Especially if you are a speech therapist because there is great need there in Fiji!)

Global Leadership Adventures changed my life. Words can't describe how special this program is. You get to swim with manta rays, see islands stretch for miles, laugh and play games with some of the greatest kids you'll meet, and make such amazing friends. I thought this was the perfect amount of freedom mixed with 100% adult assistance for high schoolers. I also loved that this wasn't just a vacation, it was a chance to make a difference. There was the perfect balance between sightseeing and volunteering. GLA understood that we were teenagers who were visiting a country we had probably never been to before and wanted to see what life was like there. The staff that worked with us and our mentors were awesome. I would not change this trip for anything and I will remember it for the rest of my life. I would highly recommend a trip through Global Leadership Adventures to any teenager.

Last summer my seventeen year old daughter went with Global Leadership Adventures to Fiji. I was not very thrilled about the idea of my daughter going halfway across the world. After researching the program and speaking with a member of GLA I was more open to the idea. Immediately upon her arrival she was able to call and check in and GLA was very good about keeping parents updated with the well being of their children. Everyday there was a post about what the kids did and how they were doing. It really is like the Peace Corps for teenagers. When I picked my daughter up from the airport I realized that my little girl had grown up from this program. Her brother is very excited to jump into the program as soon as he can. I am much more relaxed about him going on the trip now knowing what an incredible and safe program it is. I am extremely proud of my daughter and all the hard work that she did in Fiji. She will take this incredible experience with her for the rest of her life.

The first few days of camp were about meeting the people who ran the camp everyone was very welcoming we played lots of games before starting on our conservation project.

I most enjoy the conservation work it was really good it was such incredible experience everybody was very friendly and welcoming. I believe the project could be improved by providing more funding towards the research of conservation, the equipment that is used and towards the local government in the country

I recommend that future volunteers google camping and learn more about camping before they come out on the project also make sure you bring lots of sun cream and a quick drying towel.

Enjoyed the project and felt especially welcomed by the staff. I learnt a lot from them and thoroughly enjoyed their company. A brilliant team made an amazing experience. Diving sites were the best I have visited and saw some of the most amazing sights of my life. I won't forget this unbelievable experience.

At the end of 2015 I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Natalau Village in Fiji, and stay with a local host family as part of the care and community high school project. As soon as I arrived at the airport, one of the Projects Abroad staff from my project met me and took me to Natalau village where I was introduced to my host family. My host family where incredibly welcoming and made sure I had everything I needed. This, combined with the constant support provided by the Projects Abroad staff helped me settle into my new environment extremely quickly.
Throughout my placement I was able to participate in amazing activities including running a holiday school for the local children, painting houses in the village, visiting the mud pools, and taking multiple group trips to Nadi. Even with all of the incredible things I was able to do, my favourite part of my placement has to be the time spent with my host family and the village children. Throughout the whole project I was able to immerse myself in the local culture. The Fijian staff employed by Projects Abroad know a lot about the area and people, and knew exactly how to best show us Fiji's amazing culture.
Overall, this trip has provided me with the best experience of my life. The staff at Projects Abroad truly cared about me and made sure I was enjoying myself throughout my two week placement. They made sure we were involved in the local community, but also gave us plenty of time to rest and unwind at the end of each day. I would definitely recommend this project to anyone willing to leave their comfort zone and give back to those in need.

Overall the experience was amazing - great to learn from the science officer about the science aspect of the project, and the dive officers were awesome too. Learnt loads while here and am planning already to continue my marine conservation career and education.