Fiji holiday, explorer

country:	Fiji
departures:	2008: 6 Jul, 20 Jul, 3 Aug, 17 Aug, 31 Aug, 14 Sep, 28 Sep, 12 Oct, 26 Oct, 9 Nov, 23 Nov, 7 Dec 2009: 10 May, 24 May, 7 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul
price:	From £415 (8 days) excluding flights. Local payment US $100. We can arrange flights from the UK.

Fiji holidays

the amazing things you'll be doing

Welcome to a South Pacific adventure!

Fiji is the very heart of this idyllic region and this trip introduces the major highlights of the country. Visit the highlands of Viti Levu, explore the beautiful Coral Coast, discover the colonial and cosmopolitan capital of Suva, island hop through the spectacular Yasawa chain and mingle with some of the world's friendliest locals!

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Nadi. Surrounded by sugar cane fields and flanked by the Nadi River, the gateway to our Fijian adventure is also a religious centre for Hindus and Muslims, with the Sri Siva Subramaniya temple the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
Day 2-3:	Namatakula. A scenic drive traverses the fertile Sigatoka Valley on our way to Namatakula. A traditional welcome or 'sevu sevu' involves a 'kava' drink before we learn all about Fijian singing and dancing. Top off any explorations of the village with a traditional 'lovo' meal cooked in the ground, islander-style!
Day 4:	Suva. A fascinating blend of communities make up the diverse ethnic population of Suva, giving it a unique cosmopolitan flavour. Take a city tour, and visit the National Museum. For a dose of nature, the Colo i Suva Forest Park offers many trails with glimpses of waterfalls, indigenous flora and scenic vistas.
Day 5:	Nadi. Discover everyday Fijian life as we pass villages, farms and roadside stalls on our return to Nadi, where you can stock up on souvenirs and enjoy the local nightlife.
Day 6-8:	Yasawas. The archipelago of volcanic islands is where Pacific fantasies come to life on a platter of pristine white sands, clear waters and lazy palm trees. Swim, snorkel, visit a local village or simply relax in the knowledge that this is as close to paradise on earth as it can get.

small group adventure holiday

This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more)

highly commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

Fiji is most well known as a resort destination. This trip stays away from the resorts and uses some village stay accommodation at Namatakula and in the Yassawa Islands where the money from visits is used within the villages. The villages have set up community funds where a portion of the money is used to the benefit of the whole village in projects such as building paths and refurbishing the community centre.

During our trip, our group leaders take active steps to ensure our groups behave in an environmentally responsible manner, such as sticking to established trails, not leaving anything behind and not removing any plants. They are also always eager to share information about the country and culture in which they live.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.