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Turtle Island, Fiji serves as an idyllic sanctuary for travellers seeking a premium and intimate private island experience with sustainability and conservation at its core. With just 14 beachfront villas, 500acres of serene forests and 12 pristine private beaches for guests to explore, this resort is the perfect destination for an eco-luxury vacation.
Minimizing waste and incorporating practices that offset energy and resource usage is part of Turtle Island’s ethos. It was one of the first resorts in the world to build an extensive solar power infrastructure to provide energy to its villas and facilities. Known as the “Field of Light,” the solar farm helps Turtle Island power itself only through the power of the sun. With clean solar energy to run Turtle Island, there are no fossil fuels being used when you turn on the lights or crank up the air conditioning. In addition, sustainable bamboo straws have replaced plastic here, so your cold refreshing cocktails never contribute to landfill waste.
The villas and their furnishings are all crafted by master Fijian artisans, using locally-sourced sustainable materials. The distinctly Fijian style of the villas and furnishings is crisp and natural, with carved wood and fine white linens. Thatch roofs and woven rope mosaics imbue the accommodations with distinctive island charm.
A five-acre organic garden with a hydroponic growing section provides the fresh farm-to-table produce used in their cuisine, with up to 80% of the fruits and vegetables served coming right from the onsite gardens. Helping to pollinate the gardens are bees, raised on Turtle Island’s bee farm where they produce fresh honey. The chefs source their seafood from the local fishermen and work together to fish conscientiously, being careful to protect smaller and reproductive fish.
What’s more, Turtle Island has planted up to a million trees. These new plantings help the indigenous forest growth thrive while promoting biodiversity of other local plant and animal species. You can hike, bike, or even ride on an electric powered golf cart across the island, all along trails flanked by these blended native and hand-planted forests.
The jungle of palms leads you to pristine private beaches, fern-lined mountaintops, patches of protected coastal mangroves, and tranquil aquamarine bays. Stumble upon a freshwater pond introduced to the island by the owners, and you’ll see some of the diverse indigenous bird species these habitats attract. At Turtle Island even the snorkeling helps protect the planet, with snorkeling guides trained to remove crown-of-thorns starfish. These fish eat away at coral, damaging ecosystems, and your guide can show you how you can help.
If you spot a turtle at one of these beaches, don’t be surprised: The island is rich with turtles, but that could change if turtle hunters have their way. To protect them, Turtle Island partnered with the World Wildlife Fund and local fishermen to protect these magnificent critters from hunters. Since beginning their campaign, the turtle population on Turtle Island and other local islands has shown a promising increase. Every guest who stays here becomes a part of the conservation effort.
This is a resort where you feel like family. And it only makes sense to take care of your home. Whether that means Turtle Island or the entire planet, they show that luxury travel can truly have the power to make the world a better place.
