Many of us have become aware of the ever-growing issue of coral bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise. Most coral cannot survive a bleaching event, and those that do are still damaged. This causes detrimental effects to reef systems, and, as a result, leads to decreased biodiversity due to loss of habitat. This phenomenon is occReal Fiji. Real change. Authenticity is what Open Island is all about. Fewer than 40 lucky people per night will experience Vorovoro Island as no one else ever has. Best of all? It’s really affordable, too. Learn more. While visiting Vorovoro, you will have the option to go on several different excursions. Bridge the Gap has partnered with several Fijians and Fijian farms to offer experiences that really highlight the Fijian culture.
One experience is a homestay on Mali Island with a Fijian family. During the homestay, you will get to live with a Fijian family and experience daily life in a Fijian village. You could spend your day cooking, hanging out with the locals, having kava, visiting the local school, harvesting local produce, etc. The homestay is such an amazing way to push yourself to be fully immersed in the Fijian culture.
Another excursion offered immerses you in life on a sugarcane farm. Sugarcane is a traditional crop in Fiji and is one of the Fijian’s main sources of revenue. One of our friends on Team Fiji, Nemani, recently got a sugarcane farm on the mainland. By staying on his farm, you can see how sugarcane is traditionally harvested in Fiji and help out. Nemani has begun to implement permaculture practices on his farm, so he also has other crops you can harvest.
Cegu Valley farm is one of our partners you can stay with and they provide such an amazing look into Fijian crops! Cegu Valley Farm is a permaculture farm on the mainland in Labasa. It is owned by an awesome Australian family. They bought an old sugarcane farm and fully transformed it into a permaculture farm with a variety of traditional Fijian crops and livestock. They provide an authentic, homey experience and are very well educated on the crops they harvest. You can spend your time there harvesting coconuts, harvesting honey, planting trees, feeding chickens, milking cows, harvesting pineapples and so much more.
Which of these excursions interest you the most? We hope to see you on the island soon.
Moce,
The Bridge the Gap Team
