Fun and Final Moments in Fiji
June 19, 2026
Bula Moondance Families!
We have had an amazing end to our session! On our first day in our new spot, we woke up bright and early and started our scuba lessons! The group broke off into two groups to learn how to set up their gear, get familiar with it, and get into the pool. They learned the basics of breathing underwater, buddy checks, and hand signals. While our open water divers were learning their skills, the advanced group played lots of rainy spikeball, frisbee, and soccer. After everyone was done with their scuba for the day, we decided to explore the new area we were in. We walked down to the local arts village to explore, and we stopped for a snack at the local café. We went back to our hostel and played more games in the rain until we took them back out for a nice burger dinner. After dinner, we ended the night with Moonup led by James and Harper, where we talked about our death row meals and things that people don’t see about us at first glance. The next day, we woke up early to another rainy day for our open water divers to hit the pool again. They learned and practiced their surface skills. After lunch, we took a bus to the capital of Fiji! We took the kids to the famous Museum of Fiji to learn all about the country we were staying in. After that, we went to have a break for brownies and ice cream, tiramisu, and lemon cheesecake! We then walked around the town for a little while to explore the city, and stopped on a rugby field in the middle of town for a little game of hacky sack! When we returned home, it was pouring, and a few of the boys braved the rain and went into town to pick up dinner for the rest of the group. While the boys were out, we played lots of card games and Ahna taught James, Shelby, and Springer how to play Gin Rummy. We ended the night with Moonup led by Will and London where we talked about things that help calm us down. To end the Moonup we did a group “moo off” and Will took the victory. The next day we all got to sleep in and had a slow morning since we were unfortunately not able to dive again. We were pleasantly awoken to the sun peaking out of the clouds and no rain! After breakfast we headed over to the resort across the street. We spent the whole day swimming in the ocean, taking walks down the beach, throwing the frisbee and also enjoyed a nice lunch there as well. That night we went back to the local café in to enjoy a pizza dinner picnic. We ended the night with Moonup led by Jack and Emily where we talked about what food we thought everyone would be and also about a piece of advice that has changed our perspectives on life. The next day we were finally able to scuba! The sun was out and everyone was so excited. The open water group hopped on a boat with Peter and the advanced group went with Springer! The open water group had a great time on the first two dives and Jack and Will even saw a shark. Springer’s group had a lot of fun as well and Knox was playing tricks on everyone underwater. After we returned back from scuba, we packed up our things and drove to a new place for our final night in Fiji. We had a delicious Mexican dinner and Tucker led the group in some card games. We even had fun coloring and playing games on the kids menu! After dinner we all got some ice cream and then headed back for our final Moonup where we reminisced on our last two weeks together. The next day we woke up for the last time in Fiji. We had breakfast with lots of fruit and pancakes and then hopped on a bus for our final activity. We reached the marina and set sail for our day at sea. We sailed to an island where we got to snorkel, swim, and eat lunch. Lucy and Sammy finally got to fulfil their dream of tanning and Andrew had a blast jumping off the boat. The boys even had a wrestling match on a floating mat against Peter. After we were done swimming we sailed back to the marina and got some more ice cream before heading back to the hotel. We cleaned up and then had our last dinner together before we headed to the airport to say goodbye. We have had the best time over the best two weeks and made memories that will last a lifetime! Until next time!
Springer and Peter
Fun in Fiji
June 14, 2026
Hello Moondance Families!
Our time amongst the indigenous Fijian people in two different villages was an experience that the kids and we leaders will cherish for many years to come. Seeing how welcoming and community-oriented the villagers were was truly awe-inspiring and left us all feeling quite somber having to depart our newfound family that the elders so warmly welcomed us into.
Our journey first started by meeting our driver along with our guides and interpreters as they picked us up from Fiji Beachouse to go to a place with the nickname “Rugby Town”, for an easy lunch of chicken and rice. At lunch, we were lucky enough to run into two of the world-renowned rugby national team members who were more than happy to take photos with us and answer our questions. After that, we stocked up on snacks and some Fiji rugby merch, having been inspired by our celebrity run-in, and hit the road to the safari headquarters to transfer to an off-road van that could make the journey deep into the interior of the island. After a bumpy ride and some great tunes, we arrived and walked the rest of the way to our host, whose family lived among four huts and a communal dining hut. To pass time before dinner, we were shown a traditional Fijian board game similar to pool called Korona board. After showing us the ropes, he challenged us to a game. He promised $100 to anyone who could beat him, which the kids took to heart and immediately began practicing for. Since it was a four-person game, Shelby paired up with one of the guides. The pair went on a hot streak, winning five games in a row before Springer and Maria finally dethroned them after dinner. Just before dinner, the kids arrived back from school, and we had a great time playing with the soccer balls. Tucker and Will thoroughly showed off their skills and had us excited for the World Cup as they effortlessly avoided the kids in a game of keep-away where the two of them were successfully able to dribble and pass the ball without being intercepted by the dozens of chasing children. During the game, Emily and Harper got their hair braided in the traditional Fijian styles, and we slowly but surely started adapting to a slower and more peaceful life that these villagers enjoy daily. After the feast, James stunned us all with his amazing guitar skills, playing “Upside Down” and “Everlong” for the family and us, in which we all joined in a great sing-along. The voices of the Fijians are truly unforgettable, and the chorus of the elders and children in perfect harmony will stay with us for a lifetime. After this group sang, our guide used James’s guitar to show us how to sing one of the most popular songs in Fiji, Bula Malaya. After some trial and error, we got the hang of the pronunciation; Jack, on the other hand, was a natural, and the interpreter had a hard time believing this was his first time in Fiji with how fluently he spoke their native language. After this lovely conclusion to the day, we hit the hay for a chilly sleep in the highlands of Fiji.
The next morning we rose early to view the sunrise over the mountains and helped prepare breakfast for us all. Lucy helped form the dough for donuts and dusted them with some of the freshest powder sugar any of us have ever tasted. Ahna helped tend the wood fuel fire for the oats and tea and stirred the ingredients into the perfect levels of emulsification. After this hefty feast to start the day, we headed out to visit the local primary school down the road, where about 350 village children attend from ages 6-12. We played with the children during recess before meeting the headmaster. The students then performed a song for us. Their voices in perfect harmony was genuinely one of the most beautiful songs we had ever heard. After we introduced ourselves to the class and Sammy got the whole class to laugh by breaking the language barrier with the universal “6,7” meme, which really broke the awkward tension and showed us how kids no matter where they are in the world are deep down all the same. After our time in the school we were taken to a nearby rugby tournament where local villages were playing each other in a round robin style matchup, we even got to see one of our guides home village beat their rivals from down the river which was amazing to see him jumping in joy as he used to play for the team. After the game Andrew and Knox talked strategy with some of the players who were more than happy to show them some tricks and techniques for passing and kicking the ball. This was followed by our welcoming ceremony by the chief and elders before we headed back to for another delicious home cooked feast where we once again helped out in the kitchen. London tended to the open flamed grill flipping freshly butchered sausages to perfection and impressing everyone with her seemingly supernatural instinct on when the pork was done cooking. We went to sleep early this night to rest for our busy day of kayaking to in the morning.
We once again arose early to watch the sun climb over the mountains and the morning mist creep back into the forest as breakfast was prepared for us. We headed off around nine for the river and were thankful for the sunny condition as we paddled down the longest and largest river in Fiji, supplying many of the farms with their water on the island. The views of the jungle and mountains followed us the whole way until we were all welcomed by another amazing ceremony of song and clapping. We all received flower and palm leafed necklaces and white powder on our face as signs of our everlasting invitation to the village. That night we all slept in the communal hut which they graciously converted for us to use on our last night in the villages. It was a bittersweet day as we said goodbye to all the kids and new friends we made but we once again hit the river to paddle to an ancient cave down the river that was the hideout of a tribe in Fiji when the British and missionaries were converting the rest of the island to Christianity. The cave was spooky but beautiful with walls towering into the unseeable dark and deep ravines leading to mile long caverns. After this we packed our kayaks into the offroad buggy and hit the dirt roads one last time before reaching the river safari office. From there we were reunited with our belongings and hit the road to our new home to start our final part of this incredible journey, Scuba diving!
Here are some thank yous:
Emily- Hii I miss yall love yall tysm for Trip I am having so much fun I love my group I just got a cheeseburger :D❤️
Harper- hiiii I miss yall sm and ilyall and I can’t wait to come home and see yall and I’m sharing a cheeseburger with Debra my new best friend but ya I’m having sooooo much fun 😋😋😋😋
Shelby- hii mom and dad thank you so much for taking me on this trip so sad for to leave 🍍😍🤪🥳
London- hi yall!! I miss you guys and wanted to say thank you for sending me on the trip!! I’m having so much fun and can’t wait to tell yall about it!
Jack- Hey mom and dad! Will and I are having so much fun but I miss yall so much! I hope Colga has been good. We are about to scuba dive this week and then I will get to see yall!! Miss and love yall so much!
Will- hey mom and dad! Im having a great time and can’t wait to see yall! We’re going scuba diving this week and I cant wait to tell yall all abt it! Tell everyone I said hey. Love you guys!
Andrew – hello mom and dad I’m having a great time and can’t wait to see u both. Scuba diving is cool. Miss you both.
Tucker- dear family, the trip is going really well. Thank you so much for sending me. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.
Knox- hey guys, I’m having so much fun and am excited to see yall when I get back. It’s so much fun being in Fiji and will be very sad to leave.
James- hey mom and dad, I’ve had a really great time on this trip and I’m so thankful for all the time you put in to put me on this trip. Love you guys so much and can’t wait to see everyone when I get back.
Lucy- hi mom and dad!! I miss yall so so much and can’t wait to see yall!! thank you for sending me I’m having so much fun! Love yall!
Sammy- hiii mom and dad!! Thank you so much for sending me on Moondance I’m having so much fun!!!! Miss you so much and can’t wait to see you in la!!!!🩷🩷
Ahna- hi mom and dad!!! I miss yall so so much!!! Thank yall sooo much for sending me here!!! I can’t wait to see yall soon!!💟😊
Bula from Fiji!
June 10, 2026
Bula from Fiji!
We have been having an amazing time in Fiji with the kids. We started off our journey after the airport with a nice buffet breakfast and then hit the road for our first stop! After we arrived at our lodging we immediately went for a waterfall hike. Our guide took us through his village and through a local school to get to the start of our hike. The hike was muddy but we embraced it and had a blast. The hike ended with a beautiful waterfall where we all got to get out and swim around for a little before heading back home! We then enjoyed our first Fijian dinner all together and ended the night with Moonup talking about what we are most excited to gain from this experience!
The next day we woke up bright and early to go hop on a boat for an island adventure. We had a beautiful ride on the edge of the South Pacific to another island where we set up camp for the day! We played some volleyball in the rain and Harper was carrying her team with some killer serves! We also got to sit around and talk with our local guide about Fijian culture. He then taught us how to shuck coconuts and he opened them up for us to drink and eat. He also showed us how to make coconut powder and Jack made the group some coconut cream. London also collected a lot of cool seashells for the group to enjoy. We then got to enjoy a local Fijian BBQ with fish, chicken, sausage, eggs, fruit, potatoes, and vegetables! This was Lucy’s first time trying eggs and potatoes which she loved. After lunch we rode to the other side of the island where we got to do some snorkeling. We got to see tons of beautiful tropical fish and coral at these protected reefs. We had a chilly boat ride back but Peter boosted morale by belting out sea shanties. After we got back, we played a lot of card games and Tucker had a lot of riddles that kept everyone entertained for hours! After dinner, our first LODs of the trip, Jack and Lucy, led us in Moonup. We all shared our favorite animal noises and talked about our red and green flags.
The next day we got after it and hopped on a bus to ride to the Navua River for white water rafting. We had some amazing guides who took us down the beautiful river. They taught us lots of Fijian words as well to help us out with our time in the country. James and Knox got to take over and steer the rafts for a little bit and Springer’s raft sang some Lady GaGa to keep everyone going! We had a lot of fun splash wars on the river which Ahna and Sammy really enjoyed. We stopped for a nice lunch on the river bank with sandwiches, fruit, and vegetables! Afterwards, we got back in the rafts and Will finally got to jump in and float down the river! We enjoyed some cookies and soft drinks after we finished and then had a very scenic bus ride back home. After we got back, we enjoyed coffee and tea time with some scones from the resort. It fueled us up for our volleyball game against the staff! We had a blast playing against them and Shelby was dominating with slams against the locals! After the game Andrew showed off his strength by doing some pull ups and teaching everyone how to do a proper push up! We played a game of Empire before dinner which Emily won multiple times! After dinner, we played on the sand bar and went star gazing. We were able to see the Milky Way! We ended the night with Moonup where Shelby and Andrew led us to share traits we liked about one another that we would like to embody more! We are now off to the village and cannot wait to tell y’all all about it!
Moce,
Springer and Peter
Shoutouts:
Knox – Hey guys, having a lot of fun in Fiji and it’s definitely the best Moondance I have been on. Thank yall for sending me here, having a good time!
Ahna- Hi guys!! I miss yall so much! I’ve been having so much fun here in Fiji. Thank you guys so so much for letting me come! Love yall!!
Sammy- Hi mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun here. Thank you for sending me!! Love and miss yall so much!!!!
Lucy- Hi mom and dad!! Love and miss yall SO much and I’m having so much fun!
Shelby- Hello mom and dad! I’m having lots of fun here!! Thank you so much for sending me here! Love yall!
Tucker- I’m doing great. Trip has been so fun! Everyone is nice, and the counselors are awesome.
James- Hi mom and dad! Fiji is really cool and I’m having lots of fun. Tell Lucy I miss her and give her a celery stick for me. Love you!
Andrew- Hello parents I have had a so wonderful time and I am blessed to be here and have this experience. The prominence of this trip is so calm. Miss you both. Watermelon bicycle…
Jack- Hi mom and dad. I have had so much fun so far and we are about to go to a village and play rugby with little kids. I miss and love y’all so much!
Harper- Hi mom and dad I’m having so much fun and I miss yall so much. So far we’ve done white water rafting and went on a long hike and right now we’re in a van to go to the village and learn how to play rugby with little kids and stuff. I can’t wait to see y’all I love yall so much!
Emily- Hi Mom and Dad I am having so much fun I have made so many friends and I love my group and we are on a van rn otw to the village to do cultural immersion, I miss yall love yall!💞
London- Hi y’all! I’m having a lot of fun in Fiji!! So far we’ve hiked and white water rafted, and now we’re heading to a village for a few days!! I love and miss you guys and can’t wait to see you soon <3
Will- Hi guys, im having such an amazing time and it has been a very eye opening experience so far. I miss you all and can’t wait to tell yall all abt it. Love you guys.
Safe Arrival!
June 6, 2026
Hello Fiji Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
