wanted: balanced views on tribewanted.com from people who've been!

Hi folks,

I've searched for info on tribewanted.com on this forum, on several other forums and on Google. Good grief, what a minefield. Needless to say I now know all about their dodgy viral marketing, forum spamming and the early accusations of it being a scam. I've also read both sides of the 'where does the money go' and 'is it really an ecotourism project' arguments.

What I'm really looking for, though, are balanced accounts on what Vorovoro is actually like to visit as a tourist by people who've actually been there. I can make up my own mind about all the other things and really don't want to read any more rants either for or against! So I ask politely - if you haven't been but don't think it's for you, or you're a forum regular and you hate their spamming, then fair play, but please keep your comments for the other threads as I really need some first hand reports in order to make my mind up as to whether or not to go! :-)

So...

• What age group / nationality is prevailent?
• Will I have a good time if my idea of fun isn't drinking beer all night?
• Is it comparable at all to Shiprwecked or similar reality TV shows?
• Whats the mentality of the tribe - hippy idealism, real people having time out, artists, gap year...?
• Is it a glorified backpacker resort?
• Is it worth the money simply for a week or two's island getaway? Its pretty cheap...

Any such thoughts or other insights into island life by people who have proper experiences there would be gratefully received. Basically I need to be sure I'm not going to feel out of place as a 30 year old who's not so bothered about getting drunk and swapping banter of an evening and wants a bit of natural beauty and to take part in a genuinely interesting project with some genuinely interesting, mature people.

Thanks in advance

Edited by: bedlam

Quote:

"I've searched for info on tribewanted.com on this forum, on several other forums and on Google. Good grief, what a minefield. Needless to say I now know all about their dodgy viral marketing, forum spamming and the early accusations of it being a scam"

Sounds like your question has already been answered then, doesn't it?

Quote:

"So I ask politely - if you haven't been but don't think it's for you, or you're a forum regular and you hate their spamming, then fair play, but please keep your comments for the other threads as I really need some first hand reports in order to make my mind up as to whether or not to go! "

And I am going to answer you politely... First, this is a free forum... Anyone is allowed to answer any question or are free to comment on any OP they wish. You don't have an "audience monopoly" here, sorry.

Secondly, this topic has been worked to death on here and you know it.

Why are these posts all so similar... like this one?

Sorry, my post yesterday was a bit full on wasnt it. Didnt mean to offend. It just came at the end of a loooong search for certain info on tribewanted that revealed a lot of ranting and argument, when all I really wanted to find out was what sort of people go there!

I know anyone can answer anything on this forum, what I was trying to avoid with my request was another thread turning into polemic soapboxing or bitching. Cos believe me, there's more of that out there than threads about the islands typical demographic!

Again, sorry if I annoyed you but seriously, I just haven't been able to find out what I want to find out about this island. Similar info exists for most other destinations in Fiji (I know, for instance, that the Mamanuca's aren't for me) so I didn't think my requests were peculiar (but accept now that they might have been a bit provocatively worded!!)

I haven't been there, but from what I've read---maybe you've read the same things?---it is mostly younger ---20's ---types, and it may be a bit more expensive than similar places.

But as you said, I think whoever had actually been there might also have a large bias one way or the other.

So, maybe once and for all we can get some unbiased info if you do make it.

Hi Raro,

Cheers for sharing what you've discovered. Its a funny one - in amongst all my research I found one article (in the Observer, I think) that made out Vorovoro was an early 20's gap year extravaganza. But the reporter also bemoaned the lack of freely available water for washing, the prevailent insect life and the seriousness with which the tribewanted bunch treated their interaction with the locals. So I ended up wondering what, exactly, that reporter was after. Conversely I also found a forum poster who valued Vorovoro as one of the most rewarding places he's been in 20 years of travelling.

Anyway, I've decided to go - that's the best way of finding out about a place, after all. And sure, once I'm back I will post a balanced report on the island that covers all the things I haven't been able to find info on.

I'm really looking forward to it actually!

Well, I've learned that it's always good to go with whatever flow you are feeling. So, do go there and see what it's like, and let us know.

The only suggestion I have is to make sure you know the boat schedules, etc., in case you are there for a day or two and want to get off fairly quickly. The connections from there to other places may not be too good, and being stranded for a couple of days in a place you really dislike is not a lot of fun. Be esp. careful about Sundays, very little in the way of public transit on Sundays.

That's a good point about having an escape plan in mind. The free boat from Vorovoro runs to the 'mainland' 3 times a week so if need be I can jump on one of those and see a bit of Vanua Levu if theres no further inter-island boats for a while. You have to pay upfront in blocks of a week for tribewanted, though, so it would suck to want to leave having paid for another week. But thats a risk you take anywhere requiring pre-booking.

From what I can tell the ferry schedules are best investigated once in Fiji - there doesn't seem to be much up to date info online or in guidebooks. Is this your experience too, Raro? Am I right in thinking, though, that public transport (be it bus or taxi) runs from Nadi to Suva on a Sunday?

Tbh I think I'll get on fine on Vorovoro. I've heard almost exclusively good things on other forums from people who've been there who seem to be of a similar mindset to me, so fingers crossed. I'll definitely write an account of my experiences on TT, though, and focus on the island as a travelling destination - there's enough out there about the project itself!

Since we are talking about Vorovoro as a travel destination you shouldn't discount that reporters bemoaning the lack of freely available water for washing or the prevailent insect life. There are water issues on some islands in the Pacific and I've run into plenty of mozzies in French Polynesia, the Cooks, Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga so I would imagine that they are there also.

yeah I've read that too. Bugs go with the territory I guess, but I suppose I'd better prepare to rough it a bit. I've survived long treks with little washing and other island experiences with just salt water to wash with so I'm semi-prepared!

The ferries usually run a decently-close schedule to what is published, but may be several hours late, etc. A lot may depend on bad weather as well. I'd have the phone numbers of the ferry companies handy so you can check the latest while there.

Not really sure about what public transit is available on Sundays. I think the air-con "tourist" bus from Nadi to Suva may run on Sundays. Do an internet search, the main bus companies should have some kind of schedulelisted, or at least an e-mail address.

As Silvano says, bugs etc are everywhere. for a week I'd make sure you bring enough insect repellent, and probably a tiny one-person mozzie net for your bed. They are maybe US$20-30 if you can find them at camping stores, etc. before you leave home. Bring your own medicine chest for diarrhea etc. A flexible plastic water container would be good as well, so when there is decent water you can fill up a gallon or so for your own use. I'd bring some energy bars and similar stuff in case the food lapses we have read about occur.

Well, too bad it's a week or nothing. Bring a few good books to read if you find it distasteful to interact with the leaders. Oh, you might consider bringing a pair of cheap reef shoes, lots of coral around those little islands.

And if it's really bad, then if you leave a few days early you've only lost about US$40/day (I think??). When you factor in the cost of your air transport etc., that's not much too lose on a vacation, so it may be worth leaving if you really hate it after 2 or 4 days, and then you can head to Ovalau or another island.

Thanks Raro. All good advice. I already have the mossie repellant and net and the medicine kit is on the list to sort. A water container is a very good idea as is extra food. Reef shoes - rubbery jelly type things, like crocs, right? Oh, and I think most of my pack will be filled with books already! :-) Any suggestions as to a decent read are always welcome though... The Happy Isles of Oceania by Paul Theroux is on my wish list for my trip. Seems appropriate!

You're right about not losing much money if I absolutely have to leave, and theres plenty of cool places to see if that is the case. I doubt it will come to that, though.

(Off topic rant: why does only the OP show when you reply? Never used to work that way! Its silly)

Reef shoes---not sure what crocs are. But reef shoes are slip-ons, with rubber bottoms, and usually nylon tops. Very light, squish flat, etc. Maybe US$5-15 or so for the cheap ones, which are fine.

I'd skip Paul Theroux's Happy Isles of Oceania. He is not really knowledgeable about Fiji (or the Cooks, or Tonga, or Polynesian history). His sections on Fiji are laughable. They'll make you fear for your life whenever you see a garbage fire on an island. And anyone with a machete (maybe 50% of people in rural areas and islands), well, you'll think they are out to have you for dinner as part of some weird ritual. He really lost it in that book. Well, you can read it instead of bringing comic books.

You'd be better off with David Stanley's or Rob Kay's Fiji guides, they have a lot of culture etc in them as well.

Definately not crocs, you want something light that you can swim in. Bring a snorkel. If you've never snorkeled you've got to try it, it'll change your life.

Paul Theroux, only if you want encouragement to cancel your trip.

Crocs

Vancouver and Crocs... They just seem made for each other.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_CSXwjXekHhI/SA47ODoWVBI/AAAAAAAABKM/gCmnwsJn2nQ/s1600-h/red<i>shoes_canada</i>trip_small.jpg

Crocs---yeah, thanks hardnose, that's what I thought they were. Definitely not worth taking.

"Definitely not worth taking."

I beg your pardon-few shoes are better for tropical wear-not for reef walking-the comfort and breeziness are unsurpassed.

It's always fun to see a first time Crocs wearer bemoaning the onset of some exotic tropical affliction when those odd red spots appear on their feet!

Well, they're not worth taking instead of reef shoes. The latter are much better suited to lagoon use, and fold flatter, etc.

As to how they are for general use in the tropics, they do look inviting.

Well, I said that I'd return and post my thoughts about Tribewanted once I'd been there, so here I am! I'm basically just going to answer my initial questions from my OP in the hope that it might be useful to people in the future.

First off, I certainly didn't feel out of place as a 30 year old with a 'been there, done that' attitude when it comes to getting drunk every evening. While there were several people my age or older the majority of people on the island were younger: late teens - mid twenties on average, with many gap yearers making their way there, but by no means did Vorovoro have a 'party island' atmosphere. The people I met were lovely - they made the experience all the more special for me, infact. Obviously the crowd on the island changes regularly and there have been times when it's been a bit more boozey apparently, but for the 2.5 weeks I was there the focus was more on the kava and culture, with many warm singalongs and campfire discussions.

Vovovoro certainly doesn't have a 'Survivor' or 'Shipwrecked' style reality TV vibe. The vast majority of visitors are English, with a few peeps from Ireland, Scotland, the States and Canada while I was there. I think this is probably due to the exposure the project has received in Britain.

I asked if it was worth a visit as a holiday style island getaway as it's good value - the answer is categorically, yes. It's an incredible way of seeing a corner of Fiji that not many people make it to, meeting the most wonderful local people and really getting involved in the culture (if you choose to).

In summary my initial concerns were thankfully unfounded and I'm very glad I decided to go to Vorovoro, it was the highlight of my 6 weeks in Fiji. My personal opinion is that it's a hugely worthwhile project and a great experience.