Review / 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. 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. 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. The man himself arrived at the resort just days before I did, together with Marr, marking his 87th birthday with a blowout party that several guests and staff were quick to inform me I’d missed out on. “[I came] to celebrate 80 years of scuba-diving,” Cousteau tells me. “My father co-invented [the Aqua-Lung] and I was seven when he put a tank on my back. “As a [trained] architect, I fell in love with the Fijian culture of building things. The culture, the ocean and what’s in the ocean [here] fascinated me. This is a treasured place that we need to share and present to people.” Several snorkelling sites are just a quick speedboat ride away, with two resident marine biologists on hand to ID critters and tell stories about life on the reef during guided trips. I booked a trip on a glass-bottomed boat, available every Thursday – a quick jaunt that took us to Split Rock. Getting to admire soft coral, moorish idols (think Gill from Finding Nemo) and other tropical species took no more effort than simply drifting in the gentle, sun-kissed water. I quickly found myself paddling along surrounded by a school of striped sergeant major fish, clearly accustomed to humans swimming among them. Qualified divers can explore the famously rich reefs of the Namena Marine Reserve, while other water sports, from kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding to Hobie Cat sailing, are available too. Considering how much the resort values marine conservation and education, sustainable practices are employed throughout too: the bures’ wood is sourced from certified sustainable forests, while many of the restaurant’s ingredients – from eggs to pineapples to bananas – are gathered directly on the property. Of course, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort doesn’t skimp on luxury: consider splurging on the resort’s villa, booked by the likes of singers Pink and Jen Foster – a two-bedroom that comes complete with a private deck, infinity pool and dedicated spa areas. But the resort stands out most for being so authentically Fijian. I can definitely recall checking into properties which, however beautifully appointed, were pretty indistinguishable from others I’ve stayed at elsewhere, leaving me feeling as though I wasn’t really seeing much of the country in question. At the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, however, you’ll never forget that you’re in Fiji. The bures are designed after traditional homes and, every evening at 6pm, the resort’s “warrior” beats the lali drum, an old method of long-distance communication, while another staff member dons a traditional grass skirt and armbands to light the tiki torches surrounding the property. Guests can also join a host of cultural programmes, with every day of the week having a different theme. Tuesday, the Day of Fijian Culture, features a trip to the nearby Nukubalavu village. Then, for dinner, a lovo feast is prepared, which sees meats, fish and vegetables wrapped in taro leaves and barbecued underground. Then the dishes are unearthed and unwrapped, to be enjoyed buffet-style. There’s an urata meke dance performance given by villagers before the meal, as well as a kava ceremony demonstration. Kava, a plant with a root used to brew a bitter, psychoactive drink, plays a key role in Fijian society – family and friends socialise while quaffing the drink, and the root is offered to chiefs upon visits to their villages. On nights when the demonstration doesn’t take place, guests can also try the drink at the hotel bar. Most of the resort’s 200 staff members come from neighbouring villages; a sales manager I meet during my stay explains that her parents both work at the resort, and that when she was younger she joined the property’s Polynesian dance performances from when she was just eight. During the shoulder seasons, the hotel periodically sponsors the stays of environmental scientists and medical doctors, who visit the area on projects to update the equipment at local hospitals or provide services to residents. The hotel maintains close ties with local chiefs too, from time to time presenting them with kava root in traditional sevusevu welcoming ceremonies on behalf of hotel guests. Back in the day, the resort sought their permission to maintain the property within their territory. It’s thanks to this relationship that the waters around the resort are protected as a national marine reserve. Families will be all over the Bula Club, which goes beyond your typical kids’ club by offering little ones a crash course in marine biology and other environmental issues. For instance, some of the mangroves around the property, which protect the coast from turbulent waves, are planted by the kids – the hotel later emails the family photos of the plants to show their growth. After children complete the club’s programme, they receive a passport signed by Cousteau himself to acknowledge their efforts. The club also offers two swimming pools for kids (and parents, if desired), a garden, play areas and a dining area with snacks served twice a day. Movie nights are divvied up by younger and older age groups. Each bure also gets assigned an all-day nanny. The resort caters to both families and adult-only groups or couples: the Bula Club is positioned some way from other facilities, minimising distraction, the restaurant is divided into family and adults-only zones, and the Serenity Pool fronting the restaurant is always adults-only, except for Sundays. If you’d rather simply do nothing during your holiday but relax by the pool or indulge in a spa treatment, there’s ample opportunity for that, too – but with so much else to explore, why would you? The author stayed as a guest of Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort.