ARCC Gap: Pacific Islands - Fiji, Sumatra & Bali

My gosh!! I cannot say this loudly enough... BEST GUIDES, BEST PLACES, BEST ACCOMMODATIONS, BEST EVERYTHING!! After first hearing that I had been selected to go on this trip, I had to pinch myself. Now being almost a year later, I pinch myself thinking "that did really did happen!" I cannot express enough through words how much this trip made me see the world through different eyes, believe in myself and learn that everything happens for a reason. I, 100% believe that from seeing wild orangutans 3 feet in front of you in Sumatra, to hiking to the most unbelievable waterfalls in Bali, and finally rafting through the most beautiful Fijian rivers, you will pinch yourself after your 90 days too!

When I decided to take a gap year, I had no idea what I was going to do. After some research and meeting some great ARCC employees, I knew this was perfect for me. While I was going through the ARCC catalogs and website, I knew I wanted to do the Pacific Islands trip. Thank goodness I did.
During this trip I did things that most people my age have never done. While in Fiji we stayed in an orphanage and played with the most amazing children. We also got to plant coral on the most beautiful private island! That was easily one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The Fijian people are the nicest, most caring people you will ever meet.
After 45 days in Fiji, we migrated to Sumatra, Indonesia. This was the highlight of the trip for me. We spent time planting rice on local rice farms, painting elementary schools, making coffee, and so much more. One of the most exciting things we did was tracking orangutans. We saw about ten in total. At lunch one day during the tracking, an orangutan came so close to us. There was a mama and a baby swinging on vines about five feet away from us!! The baby was so cute and tiny. He was even sticking his tongue out. It was incredible.
Once we were done in Sumatra, we traveled to another Indonesian island, Bali. This island had the most beautiful beaches. We started this trip off with a Student Planned Module which couldn’t have gone better. We spent weeks researching all the cool things in Bali that we wanted to do. Our group managed to do almost everything that we wanted. Once that was over, we spent two weeks in an East Bali Immersion program. It was amazing. Here we spent time working in a local cashew factory, while also working in a Preschool. Those kids were the sweetest. After that, we had the chance to explore the city of Ubud. Once we were done spending all our money, we spent our last few days surfing in Uluwatu.
During this trip I got pushed out of my comfort zone and got to experience more than most people my age. I don’t know one other person that could say they got to trek through the highlands of Fiji or scuba dive with sting rays in Bali.
In the beginning I was very hesitant. I have never been away from my parents for more than 2 weeks. I have also never been camping before, or even on a hike! As out of shape and unexperienced I was, I loved every second of it.
Thank you ARCC for giving me some of the best months of my life.

I think a large part of how much I enjoyed this program was because of the people. Not only were my trip leaders incredible human beings who I am fortunate enough to look up to and even call friends, but ARCC also does an excellent job selecting local leaders and families for home stays. Every house I lived in, I felt so loved and welcome. I have done travel programs in the summer with different companies, but I did not feel nearly as immersed in the community then as I did on this trip. It was the first time this trip ran as a Gap Semester, so there were still some kinks being worked out while we were on the trip. Even though things did not always go exactly as planned, I would not change how I spent my semester nor would I hesitate to recommend this program to anyone interested in a truly life changing experience filled with immersion, adventure, and service learning.