Tribewanted
"A totally unique experience"
What is Tribewanted?
Tribewanted is a unique community tourism project that is simultaneously based on Vorovoro Island, Fiji and online.

On-island
Starting in September 2006 and running for 3 years, Tribewanted is living alongside the small indigenous Mali community on Vorovoro to build a simple, sustainable village. Visiting tribe members participate in island life during their one to twelve week stay. At the end of the project it will be the Fijian chief and landowner, Tui Mali’s, decision as to the future of Vorovoro.
On-line
Starting in April 2006, over 1400 members from 35 countries have now joined Tribewanted.com. Members have debated and voted on how the on-line and on-island communities should be structured. Each month a tribe member is elected to be the online tribe’s chief on Vorovoro. The chief works alongside the team on Vorovoro to make sure the project progresses.
Tribewanted: The Project

Tribewanted is a social experiment, an adventure holiday, and an educational journey with three main aims:
Community Building. On Vorovoro this means embracing and celebrating the local Fijian culture and traditions and becoming a unique focal point for responsible tourism in the region. On-line this means giving a social network a purpose – a real-space and project in the South Pacific.
Sustainable Living. Build local (in Northern Fiji) and global awareness (on Tribewanted.com) of our impact on the planet through the realisation that even on a tropical island every action has an environmental consequence well beyond the beach. Use Vorovoro as a ‘test-bed’ for small-scale sustainable projects that visiting tribe members and local Fijians can contribute to and be part of. Inspire local community and tribe members to take their Vorovoro experience home with them.
The Coconut Evolution: Read about our sustainability goals on Vorovoro and how the tribe measure up so far.
Adventurous Experience. To bring like-minded people together online and in a magical place for an unforgettable journey.
Tribewanted: The People

Founders
Tribewanted was founded by Ben Keene and Mark Bowness in April 2006. Mark was a 26 year old serial social networker in search of the next level of the internet revolution. Ben was a 26 year old serial ‘gapper’ in search of the next level of adventurous travel. Mark emailed Ben with his idea of finding an internet tribe and building a unique on-line-on-island community. Ben said ‘ok, let’s do it’. Mark has since moved on from Tribewanted to pursue his next online dream while Ben continues to run the tribe today.
Indigenous Tribe
Tui Mali is the landowner and chief of Vorovoro and the neighbouring island of Mali. After a prophecy from a friend he decided his 200 acre bisland home where only his family lived should be opened up to the world. A few years later Ben and Mark landed on his beach. 15 members of the local community now work full-time on Vorovoro and over 150 of the Mali community have worked during the project so far.
Internet Tribe
The elected chiefs, Tribewanted team and visiting members have all met on-line before beginning their journey to Vorovoro. As of January 2008 four hundred members aged 4 to 67, had visited Vorovoro. Tribe members spend an average of two weeks on the island (although some end up staying a lot longer) and live, work and play alongside the permanent Tribewanted team.
What do Tribe members do on Vorovoro
Tribe members can do as much or as little as they like on Vorovoro. The only thing we ask is that you respect the local culture and community and wash up your plate. Vinaka!
- Work: Participate in the sustainability projects – plant and tend the island gardens, feed the pigs and chickens, collect firewood and help the local ladies in the kitchen, get a sweat on with the Fiji boys with village construction and maintenance projects, follow the green footprints, and blog from the beach.
- Rest: Swing in hammocks and read from the tribe’s library (each member donates a book), shower in the waterfall (during rainy season) or bath in the sea, sunset watch around the beach-side campfires, eat fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, and sleep soundly in the bure’s (thatched Fijian huts) or vale’s (tribe dorms).
- Play: Snorkel & spearfish on the world’s third largest barrier reef, teach in the local primary school, take part in traditional kava ceremonies, and learn the language, songs and meke’s (dances), take on the 4-peaks challenge, swim the island, compete in the coconut olympics, play footy in Tanoa Park and volleyball.

What do Tribe members do off Vorovoro?
- Debate & Decide: Discuss island related issues, elect monthly chiefs and other key issues.
- Gather: Meet other tribe members at various gatherings around the world organised by the community.
- Network/Get it on: The Vorovoro Tribe seem to have an uncanny ability to couple off. So far half a dozen pairs have become engaged through the project with weddings taking place on Vorovoro’s beach.
Tribewanted: The story so far...
Tribewanted: The Future
People from all over the world have traveled to Vorovoro to play a part in this groundbreaking project. So …
What part will you play?