ULTIMATE

eco-chic

NUKUBATI

Nukubati Private Island is rooted in the genuine traditions of Fijian hospitality, just as it was when it opened 30 years ago.

With their vision in developing Nukubati, local owners Jenny and Peter Bourke have become trendsetters in environmental sustainability, providing a top-class retreat in a location that remains natural and unspoiled.

Situated on the Great Sea Reef, off the north coast of Vanua Levu, the second largest island in Fiji, Nukubati is a small luxurious, private island, circled by white sand, lush rainforests and sparkling coral reefs. Locally known as Cakaulevu, the Great Sea Reef is the world’s third longest continuous barrier reef system.

Nukubati Private Island is one of only 16 hotels worldwide, and the only hotel in Fiji, the Pacific and Australasia to be inducted into the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame.

While notably an adults-only resort, the entire property can be chartered by a large group or extended family; children of all ages are then allowed.

Low-rise and environmentally discrete, Nukubati produces its own electricity from the sun with one of the first and largest solar power plants in the Fiji Islands. From an array of 300 solar panels and four wind generators, Nukubati can generate over 50 kilowatts of electricity from the sun and wind daily. The island harvests rain water for its water supply plus it grows and locally sources all its food. The resort is limited to a maximum of fourteen guests at any one time, preserving a sense of privacy and having a low impact on its pristine environment.

Ultimate eco-chic Nukubati is a natural extension of a gracious and simple style of South Pacific living, a getaway for a Fiji diving or snorkelling experience like no other, a unique wedding or a relaxing vacation.

The robust mangrove, coral reef system provide excellent opportunities for exploration including traditional fishing and octopus hunting, among the list of sustainable activities.

All Nukubati staff hail from traditional fishing clans and are highly knowledgeable of traditional

Octopus hunting.

Keeping traditional practices alive… low tide reef gleaning known as vivili.

and ancestral fishing practices which they happily share with guests.

Out on the vibrant reef flats at low tide, you can learn how to fish using a moto, a bamboo spear. An exhilarating experience that’s fun and will leave you with a sense of what it is like to hunt for your own food.

Guests can also try their luck with low tide reef gleaning known locally as vivili, and catching qari (mud crab) in the mangroves. These activities are true examples of sustainable fishing practices of a coastal hunter/gatherer society and are based on the traditional lunar cycle. Once a month, the best time to vivili is on a day with the longest low tide.

It is the resort’s women staff who lead guests on the vivili to collect kaikoso (mussels), yaga (spider shells), katavatu (small clams), cawaki (sea urchins), sici (trochus shell) and much more. Venturing into the mangroves, guests also get to watch the skillful women as they find crabs buried in the mud.

They say the perfect time to catch mud crabs is when there is little to no moonlight in the sky. Traditionally, it is believed the crabs have more flesh in them during the new moon, rather than during a full moon.

Octopus hunting is seasonal with two per year. On Nukubati, its octopus season when the leaves of the vuni dabi (mangrove cannon-ball tree / puzzle nut tree) change colour - from green to orange.

To finish off a truly traditional fishing experience, resort guests throw their freshly caught fish, sea muscles, octopus and crabs over a hot stone BBQ – tatavu. It is one of Nukubati’s signature dining experiences.

In sharing the practice of sustainable fishing and lifestyle, Nukubati offers a unique Fijian experience and at the same time helping to preserve the pristine environment.

This is the legacy of its owners.

Nukubati Private Island Vanua Levu Fiji Tel: 6030919 info@nukubati.com www.nukubati.com

Edited by EXPLORE Fiji with information & photos supplied by Nukubati Private Island.