2 days ago
Looking for a luxury eco-getaway in Fiji? Try the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort: named after the famed oceanographer, its 25 secluded bura cottages and award-winning kids club have even made Pink a fan
'Bula!' The Fijian greeting is the first thing I hear as my car pulls up to the entrance of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort. A woven necklace is placed around my neck and a fruity drink pressed into my hand as a guitar serenade starts up. 'Welcome home.'
Check into enough resorts and it might be easy for such receptions to feel run-of-the-mill – but there's something in the wideness of my welcoming committee's smiles that has me smiling back at the genuine warmth.
'Bula' is the standard Fijian greeting, literally meaning 'life' or 'good health'. It's a word I hear hundreds of times during my stay. The phrase I hear almost as much? 'Fiji time' – referring to the laid-back, unhurried pace of island life.
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The resort boasts 25 bures, Fiji's traditional wood-and-straw cottages. Photo: Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort
And, indeed, as I'm shown to my accommodation for the week – one of 25 bures, or wood-and-straw cottages, sitting on the resort's seven hectares facing the South Pacific – I can already feel my worries melting away. It's simply impossible to get stressed out while surrounded by birdsong and the lapping of the waves, with my biggest decision of the day being whether I want to go on a snorkelling trip or lounge by the pool.
The island nation of Fiji is well-known for its richly diverse sea and reefs, lovely green islands and, of course, the way beaming smiles seem to be a national trait. Fiji's largest island is Viti Levu, where its capital and largest city Suva, its two international airports, and most of its residents – and tourists – are found. Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is located in the town of Savusavu on the second-largest island, Vanua Levu, which is lauded by The Lonely Planet for its diving and traditional villages.
Savusavu's population is just over 3,000, and its sleepy vibes are a far cry from the relatively hectic energy of the capital. The coastline is dotted with hotels as well as sprawling private villas.
Snorkelling sites are a quick speedboat ride away from the resort's pier. Photo: Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort
Only this hotel carries Jean-Michel Cousteau's name, though. There might be newer and fancier resorts in Fiji, but ocean lovers and scuba divers will recognise that you won't see a stronger diving pedigree than this, considering that Jean-Michel's father essentially single-handedly invented the pastime.
Jacques Cousteau, French naval officer and oceanographer, co-invented the Aqua-Lung breathing apparatus in the early 1940s, which revolutionised underwater diving. Jean-Michel himself is also a famed oceanographer, educator, film producer and environmentalist. Although it's a private equity firm that owns the resort, Jean-Michel and his long-term partner Nan Marr work in partnership with the owners through the Ocean Futures Society, the education and conservation organisation they co-founded in 1999.
