FAQ
From Tribewanted
Contents |
Tribal membership
How do I join the tribe? You join the tribe by visiting the ‘join’ page on www.tribewanted.com. You decide which type of membership you would like and then you follow the secure payment instructions through Paypal or STA Travel, whichever you prefer. Your place will be confirmed by email once your payment has cleared. You can then book your island time through the online community. Currently there is availability every week of the project.
Please note you must use your island stay during your membership period – Nomads must use within 12 months of joining, otherwise they need to upgrade to Hunter/Warrior.
When does my membership begin? Your place is secured when you receive a confirmation email from Tribewanted and your membership begins from this date. All Warrior memberships end September 1st 2009 when the project finishes.
Can I renew my membership? Yes. Nomads (1 year membership) will be able to renew/upgrade to Hunter/Warrior membership. However, if you are unlikely to be able to visit Vorovoro in the first year it is best to sign-up for Warrior or Hunter membership so that you can reserve your time on Vorovoro in advance.
Can children join the tribe and visit Vorovoro? Yes, children’s (15 and under) memberships are half price. If you would like one of your children to join the tribe then please email admin (at) tribewanted.com
Under 2s are free!
What do I get for my membership fee? Included in the membership fee:
- 7, 14, 21 night stay on Vorovoro Island
- ALL meals on Vorovoro
- Local airport pick-up (Labasa) and boat transfer to Vorovoro
- Return boat transfer (members will need to get themselves from Labasa town back to Labasa airport $8 in a taxi)
- Online profile page
- Tribe pack in Fiji
Not included in membership fee
- International flights to Fiji
- Travel Insurance
- Local flights within Fiji (Nadi-Labasa)
- Extra boat journeys
- Equipment based Island Activities – Fishing ($20), Snorkelling ($20)
- Carbon offset
Playing a part in the online community
How do I take part in tribal discussions? Once you have joined you will be provide with access to the online community site. The community site is a meeting place for tribe members to chat, share ideas and to vote on key tribal issues.
How do I vote on tribal issues? Each tribal issue that requires a vote is emailed to every member of the tribe. Members will then have a certain length of time (normally 1-2 weeks) to vote on the issue. Once votes have been collected results are posted and the decisions are put into action!
How do I put myself forward for the position of Tribal Chiefs? All tribal members that are interested can send in a short film as to why they think they should be one of 12 Chiefs. The tribe will then vote on who they want to be elected. The more friends you have in the tribe at this point the more votes you are likely to get!
Reserving your stay on Vorovoro
How do I reserve my stay on Vorovoro? Tribe members are able to reserve their stay on Vorovoro through the Tribewanted online community. There is a simple reservation system where members select the day of arrival and the day of departure from the island. This will be dependent on two things:
1. Your length of membership:
- 7 nights within the 12 months of joining for Nomads
- 14 nights within 24 months of joining for Hunters
- 21 nights in between the date you join and 1/9/09 for Warriors.
2. Availability on Vorovoro.
Currently there is availability every week, but Vorovoro is likely to be much busier in 2008 and 2009, so the sooner you reserve your time the better, if you wait until next year, availability may start to fill up, and you may not get your first choice week. The island capacity was initially set at 100 but it is likely to be reduced – it is a tribal issue to decide.
How long can I stay? You can stay the number of nights your membership permits within your membership period. The tribe is currently discussing extra weeks and longer stays as an option for members – keep an eye on the newsletters.
Is it compulsory for all members to travel to Vorovoro? As a member of the tribe it is NOT compulsory to travel to and stay on Vorovoro. You can simply choose to play an active part in the tribewanted.com community influencing the development of the tribe and the island by joining the tribe.
Getting to Vorovoro
How do I get there? More and more round-the-world tickets and international flights are stopping off in Fiji, on their way to and from Australia and New Zealand. As a result, getting to Fiji is becoming cheaper all the time. Almost all international flights land in Nadi (pronounced ‘Nandee’) on the east coast of Vita Levu, Fiji’s main island. From here tribe members will need to catch a short and cheap domestic flight to the outer islands where they will be picked-up and taken to Vorovoro.
- Round the World tickets with STA Travel
- UK > 08701 662 660
Where and when can I book my flights to Fiji? Tribe Members can arrive into Fiji at anytime but they will not be allowed onto Vorovoro until their confirmed island reservation date. If you wish to change this you can at anytime through your profile page on the online community.
Please note if you change the date of your island stay less than 1 month before arrival you will be charged a £25 booking fee.
How do I offset my flights? Climate Care has online CO2 calculators to let you work how your key activities impact on the climate. Using the flights calculator Tribe members can simply enter their destinations and find out the CO2 emissions from that journey and the cost to offset it. A return trip from London to Fiji generates around 4.5 tonnes CO2 – equal to a years worth of energy use by an average UK home. This costs £34 to offset, and the money will finance sustainable energy projects to reduce emissions by the same amount, while helping communities in the developing world at the same time. To find out more or start offsetting your CO2 emissions visit Climate Care.
Where can I book my domestic flight in Fiji? Pacific Sun provide the Nadi to Labasa leg of your journey.
Do I need to arrange a visa before traveling to Fiji? No. When you arrive into Fiji you will be issued with a free four-month tourist visa.
What kind of travel insurance do I need? Information about recommended travel insurance can be found on the Tribewanted.com community. However, knowing the endless possibilities on Vorovoro we would encourage insurance that covers adventurous activities.
What happens when I get to the local airport (Labasa) in Fiji? Once your travel details and reservation has been confirmed one of the Tribewanted team will meet you from the local airport where you will then be driven for 20 minutes to the jetty at the Grand Eastern in Labasa. From there an approximate 30 minute boat ride will take you to Vorovoro.
Where else can I go before or after my stay on Vorovoro? There are many other fantastic places to visit in a country as diverse as Fiji. Tribewanted is building a number of partnerships in different parts of the country and on more traditional tourist islands so that the tribe will have a wealth of information and options to travel and stay in other parts of Fiji.
Staying on Vorovoro
What costs will I need to budget for staying on Vorovoro? All food and accommodation is included in your membership fee. Extras include:
- Kava & Sulu ($30)
- Extra boat journeys ($6-$10)
- Snorkelling ($15)
- Fishing trips ($20)
What kind of accommodation will there be on Vorovoro? As of February 2007 there is the Great Bure, a bunk-house, and camping area. The further into the project the more accommodations will be built.
What kit will I need? To see what kit you will need, visit the Kit List community page.
What kind of food will there be on Vorovoro? Fresh seafood and island-grown fruits and vegetables provide the foundation for the tribal diet. Local Fijian cooks are employed by Tribewanted who, alongside willing tribal volunteers, keep the tribe well fed throughout their stay. We are currently in the process of developing our own garden and farm area.
What can I expect to do on Vorovoro? What can’t you expect to do? Build. Sleep. Swim. Trek. Dance. Fish. Snorkel. Read. Play. Teach. Sing. Farm. Blog. Cook. Pretty much anything really. It is up to each member how much they get involved with the project work. Use your time on Vorovoro to chill-out or sweat it out, its up to you. The only thing we ask is that everyone washes up their own plate. Fair enough?
Will I be mixing with people from the local Fijian communities? Yes. As well as Tui Mali and his family, Tribewanted employ local Fijians for all kinds of roles in the development of Vorovoro. Beyond the island itself, tribe members are able to visit the other Mali villages and spend time with the people that live there.
What happens if I get ill or injured? There is a private doctor in the local town – within an hours travel at anytime of day or night from Vorovoro. There is also a public hospital. The Tribewanted team are trained in first aid and crisis management.
What is the climate and wildlife like on Vorovoro? Hot! Tropical, actually. ‘Summer’ (when there is less rain) runs from April to November. December to March sees more heavy rains and the occasional storm and strong winds. Regardless of season, make sure you bring your high factor sun cream. The only other thing that takes some time to get used to are the few bites that you are likely to be given as a welcome ‘hello’ from the local mossies. These aren’t bad as the sea-breeze keeps the beach front area clear. Although Vorovoro has a ‘jungle’ covering, it does not come with all the dangerous jungle wildlife. The biggest danger on Vorovoro is the sun!
Will I be filmed on Vorovoro? Filming on Vorovoro – update from Shine (January 2007)
Many of you will be aware of this already, but for those who don’t know Shine productions are making an observational documentary series following the first year in the life of Tribewanted.
We have been filming with co-founders Ben & Mark since April 2006, following the process of making a project of this scale a reality. We are very keen for as many members as possible to take part in this documentary. This project is a life changing experience for many involved and we want to tell these stories, and see how people from around the world can come together online to make a difference in the real world.
For those of you who are worried about the TV involvement it’s worth highlighting that that this a BBC series, not a reality show. We are obviously interested in telling the personal journeys of those involved, but we are equally interested in the business challenges the project faces, showcasing Fijian culture and highlighting the logistical complexities of creating an eco village on a deserted Island. All these factors will make for a fascinating, entertaining and informative series. It’s a unique and incredibly exciting project that we are delighted to be following.
We will be filming on the Island off and on until September 2007 and would appreciate your involvement. We will operate as a small crew of two and we will try to make the filming as unobtrusive as possible, but we would like to hear the opinions and experiences of those on the Island. There is no obligation to take part in the documentary and if you don’t want to be featured you can inform the production team on Vorovoro.
Any of you not on the Island, but keen to put your opinions across and tell your stories please let us know. With your permission we hope to film at tribal gatherings and potentially talk to members before and after they head to Vorovoro. We also hope to obtain Video logs from those who are able and willing. Our email address is: Island.project (at) shinelimited (dot) com
What is Tribewanted’s environmental, community and eco-tourism position? We are keen to promote responsible tourism and actively engage in developing a sustainable eco-community on Vorovoro. In order to make this happen Tribewanted has committed to the following objectives:
- Off-setting carbon emissions on flights for the Tribewanted team to and within Fiji itself by making proportional donations to climate regeneration projects. It will encourage all tribe members to do the same.
- Off-setting all carbon emissions through the development and running of Vorovoro itself, again by making donations to climate projects. Tribewanted is aiming for Vorovoro to be a ‘climate neutral’ community.
- To work in partnership with Chief Tui Mali and local fishing villages, considering the impact of each and every one of the tribe’s actions on these communities.
- To support local community projects with both finance and volunteers under the guidance of development experts.
- To generate local employment.
- To consider with each decision the tribe make the impact on the island and sea environment. The Tribewanted team, the elected Chiefs and the tribe will be guided throughout the 3 years by environmental experts on all aspects of the island communities development.
- To promote and raise awareness for sustainable and eco-friendly living and travel as a real option for both tourists and communities around the world.
What happens to the island after three years? It will be up to the Island Chief, Tui Mali, to decide what happens to the island community after the first three years. (September 2009) The landowners will own all the infrastructure that is built on Vorovoro.
