Final Farewell from Fiji!
July 17, 2026
A final Bula from Fiji,
Our scuba adventure is officially underway! We kicked off the week by getting all of our gear organized and ready for the days ahead. The first group of students working toward their scuba certification began practicing their pool skills in the morning, while the second group headed to the pool after lunch. The rest of the group spent the day enjoying the beach, tanning, swimming, listening to music, and, of course, drinking plenty of chocolate milkshakes. We stayed at the resort all day and even enjoyed dinner there that evening. To top off the day, Louis came up with the idea to surprise William by having the entire group sing “Happy Birthday.” Before long, the whole restaurant, and even the guitar player, joined in to celebrate!
The next morning, we woke up to rainy weather, but our group decided to embrace it with a game of volleyball. Gibbes gave it her best shot by kicking the ball instead of using her hands, which turned out to be a surprisingly successful strategy at times. Between diving for the ball, celebrating every point with elaborate team dances, and laughing nonstop, everyone had a great time. After lunch, it was finally time for our first open water dives. When we surfaced after the first dive, we were greeted by an incredible double rainbow stretching across the sky over the boat. It was the perfect reward after such a successful first dive, and everyone did an amazing job. That evening, we headed to the local Arts Village for dinner, where we treated ourselves to pizza and ice cream. We relaxed in a café while waiting for the rain to pass before making the walk back home.
Today we woke up early for a longer boat ride out to one of the nearby islands, where our open water students completed the final skills needed for their scuba certifications. Throughout the day, we explored beautiful coral reefs, spotted colorful tropical fish, and gained even more confidence underwater with each dive. Watching everyone grow more comfortable and capable beneath the surface was exciting, and completing their certification was a huge accomplishment. After lunch, we traveled to Suva, the capital of Fiji, for the rest of the afternoon. We walked along the waterfront and somehow found ourselves at McDonald’s for a pre-dinner snack. The group then decided to buy matching T-shirts to wear to dinner, making for some great photos and plenty of laughs. Before dinner, we stopped at another store where everyone stocked up on candy. We wrapped up the evening with Moonup on the rugby field in town before making the drive back home.
Today we woke up hoping to dive, but unfortunately, the weather had other plans. Since conditions weren’t ideal, we packed up a little earlier than expected and headed to Nadi, our final destination. Once we arrived, we spent the afternoon relaxing by the hotel pool, swimming, and soaking up the sun. After getting cleaned up, we took plenty of photos, played hacky sack, and then headed out for our banquet dinner. We celebrated at a Mexican restaurant where Powell, Rebecca, Wesley, and Sally found sombreros and enthusiastically danced around in them, making for a memorable evening. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, finished it off with ice cream, and then returned to the hotel for our final Moonup together.
Today marked our final full day in Fiji. We woke up early and drove to the port, where we grabbed coffee and breakfast before boarding our catamaran for the day. We spent the ride listening to music, relaxing in the sun, and taking in the incredible views on our way to Malamala Island. Once we anchored down, we swam, snorkeled, explored the island, and enjoyed lunch together. Will, Stafford, and Ben entertained everyone with a wrestling match on the floating platform, while Hattie and Lila worked to capture the perfect diving photo on camera. Before heading back to the hotel, we made one last mandatory stop for ice cream. We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing by the pool before sharing one final dinner together and heading to the airport.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to spend the past two weeks getting to know and leading this amazing group of students. Watching each of them grow in confidence, encourage one another, and step outside of their comfort zones has been such a privilege. We are so proud of everything they have accomplished, and we can’t wait to see all they do in the future. We will miss them so much!
Making New Friends!
July 13, 2026
Bula from Fiji once again,
We have just returned from the village and have so much to share since the last time you all heard from us.
Day 6:
After our fun night filled with games, the crew had the opportunity to sleep in for a relaxing morning. We began our transfer upriver to Draiba Village, but first stopped for a delicious lunch of fried rice and stir-fry. Finally reaching Draiba Village in the afternoon, we were warmly welcomed by our hosts and settled into the community. Stafford and William dominated the rest of the boys in spikeball at the top of the hill overlooking the beautiful green mountains of Fiji. Many of the local kids joined in our games and braided Wesley and Rebecca’s hair. Finally, it was time for dinner as we experienced our first authentic Fijian meal.
Day 7:
Today was full of unique experiences. After the group tried taking down all 50 homemade donuts for breakfast, we set out on a nature walk where we learned about the surrounding trees and plants and how the locals use them in their daily lives. This walk conveniently led us to the school, where the principal welcomed us with an introduction before giving us a tour while the kids played rugby in the courtyard. Following our school visit, we walked down the road to the Draiba Village rugby field, where they were hosting a full day of club rugby matches, with each team representing a different village. During the matches, we had the unique opportunity to take part in a kava ceremony, where the village chief and other senior members formally welcomed us and we became members of the Draiba family. After a long day at the rugby field, we walked back upriver to where we were staying and wrapped up the day with more games and time spent with the village kids, where Louis taught them the trendy scuba dance move as the sun set behind them.
Day 8:
Today the group was challenged with a long day of kayaking down the Sigatoka River. Will was the fastest kayak on the river, despite passenger princess Hattie dismissing herself from paddle duties and soaking up the sun. Meanwhile, Ben and Lila brought up the rear, unable to learn how to paddle in unison. An hour and a half into the journey, we pulled onto the bank of a neighboring village, where they treated us to a lovo lunch, a traditional Fijian underground cooking method. After food and time in the sun playing with the village kids, we hopped back into our kayaks and continued downriver until we reached Tuvu Village, our final destination, where Ben kindly flipped Powell and Gibbes’ kayak as they pulled into shore. We quickly settled into our new home for the night, with tea time prepared for us, before playing with the kids until the kava ceremony, where we were once again welcomed into the village. We ended the night playing cards and riddles, where Sally and Will were left stumped by Black Magic.
Day 9:
Final day in the village! The group woke up to another lovely carb-heavy breakfast with all sorts of fried dough, fruit, and cereal. We then packed up and set off down the river for the second and final day of kayaking. The route was shorter, but the crew was exhausted nonetheless and was happy to reach shore for lunch with grilled sausages and fresh fruit. Before lunch, we also had the opportunity to take a cave tour, where we crawled through the water and into tunnels to witness the large cavernous space once inhabited by cannibals in the late 1800s during a period of conflict between coastal and highland tribes. This capped off our village section of the trip as we headed back to the coast and now look forward to scuba.
Here are some Thank You’s from our kids:
Sally – Hi mom and dad and lb!!!!! Thank you guys SO much for letting me go on this trip! Fiji is so fun and actually so pretty. We just left the village where we got to play with the kids and now we are going scuba diving tomorrow and I’m so excited. Love yall sooo much and I can’t wait to see yall
Hattie- Hi mom and dad! Thank you guys for sending me here. I’m having so much fun and miss yall lots! Also hi Sloan and Lauren I love and miss yall soooo much❤️❤️
Louis – Hey Mom and Dad, I am having a great time. My favorite activity so far has been surfing. I hope Jed and the ranch are doing well, see you soon.
Gibbes- Hey everyone!!! I miss yall ALL sooo much!! Thank you so much for sending me on this trip mom and dad!! It’s so amazing and I never want to come home!! I have meet so many amazing people and done so many cool things! I can’t wait to see all y’all so soon! Also hey Molly and Cade! I miss and love all of y’all
Lila – Hey mom and dad I miss yall so much and can’t wait to see yall and our dogs! I have had the best time on this trip and have such a good group! Thank you guys so much for letting me go on this trip! Love and miss yall so much
Wesley- hey everyone!! I miss yall so so so much and I am so excited to see everybody to tell y’all allllll about this amazing trip!! Thank yall so much for this trip I have met the most awesome people ever!!! Love yall and thanks!❣️❣️PS look at Rebecca’s and Powell’s ps because these flip flops have been through it..
Powell- Hey mom, dad, and SYDDD!!!! I miss you guys so so so much and I can’t wait to see you guys! I am having the best time and we have been having a really fun time together! I can’t wait to hear about Maui and how everyone is at home! Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip! I love all you guys so much! 💛💛💛 WAIT P.S. Look at Rebecca’s PS because I need some new flops too… 😳😬
Rebecca- Hey Mom, Dad, Family, Owen, and May! I miss yall so so much and I’m so excited to see yall so soon and talk to y’all! But I am having the best time and I’m so sad to leave all my friends I love them so much! I can’t wait to hear what y’all have been up too while I was gone! Thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip I am very thankful! I love all of y’all so much!! P.S. I need new flip flops mom I’m rlly sorry they are so disgusting 😕
Will- Hey birthgiver and master. Thank you so much for sending me here. I’m having so much fun and it’s been a blast. Fiji is pretty chill fr maybe we should come here. Also can we throw a snapper collar in the playbook for when I come back. Love yall see yall soon.
Stafford- Hello Madre y Padre, I am having a great time and Fiji is awesome. I am in the middle of getting certified. Our group is great and the counselors are awesome too! Thank you so much for letting me go, I have met so many great people and made great memories and I have you guys to thank for that. I miss y’all so much and can’t wait to see you guys including the sisters! Love you guys!
Ben- Well hello ma ma and da da! Thank you so much for sending me here! I really love this group as they have accepted me for who I am. I need new flip flops one broke. Reef ones with a bottle opener, size 12 pretty please. Love yall having a great time. Peaceeeeeee✌️
Fun in the Sun!
July 8, 2026
Bula Fiji Fam!
We are having a great time with this group in Fiji so far. After meeting the kids at the airport, we walked to the hotel across the street for breakfast before heading to our first stop. Once we arrived at the resort, the rain started coming down, but the group stayed busy under cover playing card games, ping pong, and hacky sack whenever there was a break in the weather. We had a short nap time before coming back together for the resort’s daily tea and biscuit time. William taught us his favorite game, Dutch Cup, and Rebecca was the first to dethrone William at his own game. We played a few more games, had dinner, enjoyed our first Moon Up, and then headed to bed early.
The next day, we woke up early for surfing. The weather was perfect, the waves were great, and Wesley caught the longest wave of the day. After surfing, we all jumped in the pool before boarding the boat for our island adventure. Once we arrived, the boys went snorkeling while the girls relaxed and tanned on the beach. We played volleyball with the locals, and Will kept everyone laughing with his unorthodox ball-striking skills. For lunch, the locals grilled us a huge feast of chicken, sausage, eggs, potatoes, and pasta salad. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the ocean, relaxing on the beach, while Springer and William kept the group entertained with games and riddles. On the boat ride back to the resort, the boys’ boat pulled alongside the girls’ boat and splashed everyone, with Hattie and Lila getting completely soaked from sitting in the front. After showering, we spent the rest of the evening playing countless rounds of the group’s new favorite game, Empire. Louis is currently the reigning champion after winning three games in a row.
The following morning, we had an early start as we headed to the Navua River for white water rafting. Powell was the first person to fall victim to the rapids, but certainly not the last. In the same raft, Ben made it his mission to drag his raft mates into the river, with Gibbes surviving the longest before ultimately meeting the same fate. Stafford, Sally, and Lila’s raft paddled hard to avoid getting splashed. For the next couple of hours, the trip went smoothly as the rafts sang songs, played games, and occasionally launched splashes at one another before we stopped along the riverbank for lunch. After lunch, however, raft wars officially commenced. Nobody was safe as we jumped from raft to raft, trying to overtake one another and toss our friends into the river. We were welcomed back to shore with cookies and soft drinks before heading back to the resort. Somehow, the group still had plenty of energy after raft wars, so the rest of the afternoon and evening were spent playing many rounds of Birdie on a Perch and Calabria.
We have had the best time so far and are so excited to embark on our next adventure to the village!
Springer and William
Here are some shoutouts from our kids!
Stafford- I miss yall so much and I’m having such a a good time. Our group is awesome!
Will – Hey Mom and Dad I’m doing great. I’m having so much fun and I can actually surf better than I thought. Miss yall.
Sally – mom and dad and lb!!! I’m having so much fun and our group is sooo good. Happy late birthday dad and love yall so much!
Ben- Hey mommy and daddy! Chilling rn and having a good time. love yallllllll😘😘💕
Louis – Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having a great time. Can’t wait to see you soon.
Rebecca- Hey mom and dad and Owen and may, I’m having the best time and met so many friends! I love and miss yall!
Powell- Hey mom and dad, I miss you guys SO much but I’m having such a fun time. My group is so so good! I’m so excited for scuba diving! I love you guys! Ps I lost a finger nail
Gibbes- Hey mom and dad and Cade and Molly!! I’m having SO much fun and I miss yall so much! I hope the beach is good!! I love yall!!
Wesley- hey mom dad and everyone!! I miss yall so much. But this has literally the been the best week of my life and I have the BEST group EVERRR!
Lila- Hey mom and dad! I miss yall so much! I am so happy to be here and I have such a good group! We have had the best time so far! love yall
Hattie- Hi mom dad Sloan and Lauren!! I miss yall!! Love you guys
Safe Arrival!
July 3, 2026
Hello Fiji Families!
We heard from our leaders 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
