Wednesday newsletters at all times function a resort or flight evaluate.
I not too long ago loved an unbelievable vacation in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora). Read my journey experiences right here:
Today: Review of The Brando Resort (French Polynesia)
The Brando is the final word luxurious resort in French Polynesia and some of the unique resorts on the earth. The ultra-polished property is positioned within the magnificent atoll of Tetiaroa, which is comprised of a dozen idyllic islands surrounding a spectacular lagoon. With entry offered by non-public aircraft, the resort provides carefree luxurious within the midst of pristine nature and is a particular place of uncommon biodiversity and a pure sanctuary for birds and marine life. The all-inclusive resort options 35 deluxe villas every with its personal non-public seashore space and plunge pool, eating places showcasing Polynesian and French delicacies, an expensive Polynesian spa, a seashore bar & pool, natural backyard, library, boutique, water sports activities, and an environmental analysis station with visitor applications.
The Brando options in my prime 10 record of the world’s most unique non-public island resorts.
Have you ever stayed at The Brando? If so, what was your expertise? Leave a remark.
In this evaluate (extra information and images under my YouTube video):
PROS & THINGS I LIKE
- The Brando is positioned within the insanely stunning non-public atoll of Tetiaroa. Located about 50 km (30 mi) north of Tahiti, Tetiaroa is over 4 km (2.5 mi) extensive and comprised of twelve motus (coral islands or islets), one in all them – referred to as Motu Onetahi – being residence to The Brando. With its white sand seashores, swaying coconut palms, colourful birds, and glowing lagoon, Tetiaroa is a dream paradise. Beyond its breathtaking magnificence, Tetiaroa’s motus are a examine in uncommon biodiversity and a pure sanctuary for birds and marine life. Motu Honuea boasts very good white sand seashores; Tiaraunu, the biggest motu, wears a dense mantle of coconut timber. A nursery of lemon sharks makes its residence within the very north, the place the three motus Tauini, Tauroa and Hiraanae are separated solely by small hoa, or channels. On Oroatera you’ll discover paradisiacal seashores and a pure watering place within the form of a seahorse. The birds come to nest on Tahuna Iti and Tahuna Rahi, true sanctuaries. Aie is the smallest motu and Reiono is the one islet that has preserved its main forest. Finally, it’s on Rimatu’u that the primary Europeans settled, establishing a coconut plantation, a village and a touchdown stage.
- Tetiaroa has at all times been a spot of beautiful magnificence, tranquility and rejuvenation — first for Tahitian royalty, who selected this island above all others for his or her summer season retreat, and later for Hollywood actor Marlon Brando who fell in love with it in the course of the filming of “Mutiny on the Bounty”. Enthralled by the Polynesian lifestyle – and the main girl Tarita, the love of his life – Marlon Brando purchased this piece of paradise in 1967 and made it his private residence. Brando was captivated with preserving Tetiaroa’s pure magnificence, biodiversity and cultural richness and was decided to discover a manner through which it might be a middle for analysis and training, and a mannequin of sustainability. In 1999 he requested Richard Bailey, a long-time resident of Tahiti who shared Brando’s ardour for the atmosphere and who had created among the area’s best resorts, to assist him conceive a plan that might assist Brando obtain his dream. Together, Brando and Bailey pursued a imaginative and prescient of making the world’s in the beginning post-carbon resort—an island the place revolutionary new applied sciences would allow a self-sustaining luxurious atmosphere for resort visitors, residents and scientific analysis. The Brando – opened in 2014 – is the legacy of that shared imaginative and prescient.
- The solely strategy to get to The Brando is by non-public flight – both from Tahiti or Bora Bora – which underscores the exclusivity of the vacation spot. Air Tetiaroa – the unique supplier of passenger service to the island – operates a fleet of two 6-passenger Britten-Norman aircrafts and two 14-seater Twin Otters. Charter flights through Ecureuil bi-turbine helicopter are additionally accessible. For visitors departing from Bora Bora, the flight departs from Bora Bora’s small airport terminal. Travelers departing from Tahiti have the benefit that they will make use of Air Tetiaroa’s non-public airport terminal, which contains a check-in desk, safety checkpoint and a properly embellished lounge solely accessible to visitors of The Brando. The Air Tetiaroa non-public lounge opens one hour earlier than departure, and provide complimentary WiFi, snacks and drinks. Flight time to The Brando is one hour from Bora Bora and 20 minutes from Tahiti. The touchdown is spectacular because the aircraft flies over the beautiful lagoon on its strategy to The Brando’s non-public airstrip. Upon arrival in Tetiaroa, visitors are greeted on the runway by a Brando consultant, welcomed by a standard Polynesian dance, and whisked off to their villa in comfy electrical carts.
- The Brando provides 35 non-public villas, with one to 3 bedrooms, overlooking both Turtle Beach (sundown facet) or Mermaid Bay (dawn facet), and the non-public residence Teremoana on Prince Square. Conceived by architect Pierre-Jean Picard in collaboration with designer Gilles Leborgne, all villas have in widespread the area and references to Polynesian traditions. The wood partitions and roofs coated with pandanus leaves are impressed by conventional strategies and supplies. Large bay home windows provide a divine view of the luxurious backyard planted with coconut palms and «miki miki», in addition to the non-public swimming swimming pools and the azure blue lagoon. Nature gently insinuates herself into the sober and serene interiors, whereas studied consolation and purity of line replicate the refinement of the property. During my vacation, I stayed in a one bed room villa which comprised three rooms: a spacious bed room, a lounge, and a media room. The rest room was accessed through a dressing room and supplied an outside bathtub nestled within the coronary heart of a tropical backyard. The roomy wood terrace had lounge chairs, umbrellas and a freshwater bathe, a coated eating space and swimming pool, all main out onto the white sandy seashore.
- The Brando itself sits on Motu Onetahi, a reasonably massive islet of 78-hectares or 193-acres. For ease of navigation, visitors have bicycles to get across the resort, or will be pushed by a staff member in electrical carts to discover the islet. The resort itself solely occupies the decrease half of the islet, whereas the airstrip and workers village is positioned on the higher half. The complete islet is surrounded by a magnificent white sand seashore, backdropped by lush tropical vegetation and overlooking the ridiculously clear lagoon. On the southern tip of the islet, the place the seashore is at its widest, are the resort’s communal amenities, all conveniently inbuilt one spot. Here, on the entrance of the advanced, are two retailers: a Tahitian jewellery retailer (referred to as Hinerava) providing an unique jewellery line by the trendy younger designer Kelly Bailey, and a resort boutique providing a choice of sunscreen, toiletries, magnificence merchandise, residence and style equipment, swimwear, books, native crafts, music, souvenirs and postcards. From the retailers, a protracted wood walkway results in the concierge space, eating places & bars (extra on that under) and the infinity pool on the seashore. The latter is provided for leisure with deck chairs, tables and parasols (though most visitors choose the calm down at their non-public plunge pool).
- The Brando serves among the finest meals of any resort on the earth. There are three eating places and two bars:
- Les Mutinés, the gastronomic restaurant open just for dinner, hosts a most of 20 visitors in a chic venue whose form evokes the impression of an inverted canoe. Chef Pierre Lecorne and Pastry Chef Anthony Lestriez provide refined dishes and desserts with wonderful flavors. The restaurant additionally features a world-class wine cellar in a rigorously climate-controlled glass enclosure.
- The Beachcomber Café is The Brando’s all day eating restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a relaxed seashore environment and with a stunning view on the lagoon. The menu is impressed by Polynesian, French and worldwide delicacies.
- Nami teppanyaki, headed by Chef Kaito Nakamura, provides a culinary voyage by way of the refined and refined flavors of Japan. Two menus, in addition to a choice of sake, can be found to take pleasure in an actual Japanese expertise. Dishes are ready in entrance of the visitors on a standard teppanyaki cooking desk.
- The Brando additionally provides an revolutionary and complicated vegan menu, incorporating contemporary greens handpicked from the resort’s personal natural backyard. The vegan menu is on the market at Les Mutinés high quality eating restaurant, the Beachcomber Café, and for in-room eating.
- Bob’s Bar, whose identify makes tribute to Marlon Brando’s longtime buddy, is a funky-chic seashore bar on the white sand seashore subsequent to the principle swimming pool. It serves gentle fare and drinks in the course of the day.
- Te Manu Bar, and its small lounges suspended above the seashore, provide a wide ranging view of the lagoon and the starry sky. Guests are seduced by its lounge environment, cozy and comfy, with sofas and intimate areas, some actually within the treetops. It is the right place to soak up the sundown or take pleasure in a sport of billiards.
- The Brando options some of the stunning and serene wellness facilities I’ve ever seen. Called The Varua Te Ora Polynesian Spa, the advanced is a vacation spot in its personal proper the place magnificence and well-being, deeply rooted in Polynesian tradition, are the important thing phrases. The therapy rooms are positioned on an island surrounded by a freshwater lake that’s coated with lotus flowers. In the center of this sanctuary of century-old pandanus can also be the Fare Manu (hen’s nest) therapy cabin; perched within the timber 6 m (20 ft) above the bottom, this cabin provides an attractive view and ensures unforgettable reminiscences. Couples can come right here to find the artwork of the normal therapeutic massage, «Taurumi». Therapeutic and non secular, it maintains and restores inner concord and balances relationships with others. Other spa amenities embrace areas for leisure, power (Fare Mana), a hammam, a contemporary water cascade and an natural tea room on the water’s edge.
- The Brando provides a extensive number of actions to make every keep a succession of sudden moments which is able to stay engraved within the reminiscences. A concierge service, positioned on the entrance of the resort, organizes personalised itineraries for every journey social gathering and informs them in regards to the actions of the atoll:
- With naturalist-guided boat excursions and excursions, visitors can uncover the totally different motus and observe the fauna and flora that inhabit the first forest and the lagoon.
- Various sports activities gear can be found. The lagoon will be explored by conventional outrigger canoe, kayak, paddleboard, or just with a masks and snorkel. Scuba diving outdoors the reef is an alternative choice the resort provides. On land, every visitor can jog within the lush vegetation or keep a exercise routine within the health room. It is open 24/7 and provides a large alternative of exercise gear. A tennis court docket and all the mandatory gear can be found to visitors, who also can request a companion.
- The Lagoon School provides younger visitors from 6 to 12 years previous a spot to satisfy and calm down. Children can take part in instructional actions on Polynesian life and extra by way of workshops, treasure hunts and mini-conferences ready by Tetiaroa Society. Younger will guests have enjoyable whereas studying about our environmental efforts and the biodiversity of Tetiaroa.
- The Explorer Center is each a spot for dialogue with the cultural exercise leaders and naturalist guides and a library that gives books on Polynesian tradition. Conferences are repeatedly organized right here.
- The Brando provides two varieties of room charges: the mattress & breakfast charge (which incorporates an American breakfast) and the all-inclusive charge. Although extraordinarily costly, I extremely advocate the latter because it contains a powerful vary of facilities & perks:
- All meals within the eating places and in-room eating
- A wide array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, with out amount restriction (e.g. beers, wines, spirits, Champagnes)
- A minibar replenished as soon as a day
- One tour or exercise per individual per day of your alternative from the record supplied by the concierge in shared excursions
- Treatments at Varua Te Ora Polynesian Spa: a spa therapy (50 min) for 1 individual per day per one-bedroom villa; a spa therapy (50 min) for two individuals per day per two-bedroom villa; and a spa therapy (50 min) for 3 individuals per day for the three-bedroom villa or the residence Teremoana.
- Permanent entry to the health room and the tennis court docket.
- Beach gear: stand-up paddle, kayak, outrigger canoe, snorkeling gear.
- One bicycle per individual within the villa or the residence (kids’s bikes can be found).
- Unlimited entry to a choice of newspapers and worldwide magazines on the in-room pill.
- Wishing to protect the atoll in its unique state and desirous to set an instance to the remainder of the world when it comes to luxurious, The Brando has taken a centered method to the whole thing of design, supplies and companies. The property has carried out quite a few revolutionary applications and use state-of-the-art applied sciences to realize its goals of carbon neutrality, whereas guaranteeing optimum consolation. Here are some examples:
- The SWAC (Sea Water Air Conditioning) attracts deep sea water (930 m or 3,000 ft under sea stage) to chill the air and supply thermal consolation in all of the resort’s buildings. It leads to the discount of power consumption by nearly 90%.
- The Brando ensures reasoned use of its freshwater sources. Rainwater feeds swimming swimming pools and laundries ; desalinated sea water is used within the loos ; and an ingenious wastewater recycling system is used to irrigate gardens and the vegetable backyard. Along with its water conservation coverage, the resort has additionally carried out a significant waste recycling and composting program.
- Solar power, produced by 4,000 photovoltaic panels positioned alongside the island’s runway, covers 75% of the resort’s power wants. These panels display how productive an unused area will be. Solar water heaters, in the meantime, fulfill nearly all sizzling water wants from the resort. Rechargable batteries of photo voltaic power are produced utilizing recyclable supplies and are capable of present 1000’s of full cost cycles.
- The resort has a vegetable backyard and a natural orchard, utilizing ancestral strategies to supply exceptionally high-quality vegetables and fruit regardless of a coral soil. Thus, the resort’s eating places provide a beautiful number of vegetables and fruit, all grown simply footsteps away: papayas, bananas, lemons, tomatoes, beans, edible flowers, lettuce, uru (breadfruit), vanilla, eggplant, zucchini, inexperienced onions, radish, and basil.
- The Brando proudly produces among the best honeys from around the globe, comprised of coconut blossoms and different species endemic to the atoll. 70 beehives are unfold over three motus and produce 1,200 kilos (2,600 lbs.) of honey per 12 months on common. Tetiaroa honey is harvested repeatedly by the beekeeper and used to reinforce the resort’s cocktails, dishes and pastries.
- Tetiaroa is fringed with coconut palms, paradisiacal seashores and islets with main forest. Populated by native species (eagle rays, parrot fish, lemon sharks, turtles and lots of others) and an distinctive coral reef, Tetiaroa is a pure paradise that’s taken care of by the Tetiaroa Society, a non-profit affiliation devoted to the safety and conservation of the atoll, in addition to to the understanding and administration of marine ecosystems, is concerned in numerous conservation and analysis applications:
- To make Marlon Brando’s dream of a working ocean laboratory come true, the resort hosts an ecostation devoted to analysis and managed by Tetiaroa Society. The ecostation, which may accommodate a dozen researchers from around the globe, contains aquariums, bookstores and, above all, a laboratory the place scientists conduct analysis so as to shield and safeguard tropical atolls and their wildlife.
- Carried out in collaboration with the affiliation Te Mana o te Moana, the Tetiaroa Society screens and protects inexperienced sea turtles, who come to nest on Motu Onetahi. During the egg-laying season, the visitors can get up within the wee hours of the morning (if they need) to observe nesting exercise.
- Conducted with specialists in invasive species from around the globe, the Tetiaroa Society has succeeded in eradicating rats from the atoll to guard endemic species.
- An revolutionary challenge carried out with the Louis Mallardé Institute of Tahiti, which consists in releasing sterilized males on the atoll, has succeeded in controlling the mosquito inhabitants on the island.
CONS & THINGS TO KNOW
- The Brando’s non-public islet is surrounded by a pristine white sand seashore, however there are plenty of seashells on the seashore and the standard of the seashore depends upon the placement. The most stunning seashore is the one on the dawn facet of the island. Called Mermaid Bay, it options softer sand, appears to be like out of over the ridiculously blue lagoon, and the waters are shallow (good for wading & swimming). Nonetheless, it may be extraordinarily windy right here in the course of the drier and cooler winter months (June to September). For sundown views, nice snorkeling and fewer wind, Turtle Beach on the island’s different facet is finest, although it options extra rocky coral and wading sneakers are really helpful. Regardless of those minor variations, The Brando is gorgeous and breathtaking in both location, and the island will not be that massive, so you may simply stroll from Mermaid Bay to Turlte Beach or vice versa.
- Whilst The Brando has completed an excellent job at eradicating mosquitos from the island, bear in mind that there is perhaps some flies round, which tend to hover across the dishes throughout breakfast and lunch (the flies miraculously disappear after sundown). I hope that The Brando may discover a strategy to management these flies within the close to future since they are often fairly annoying.
- Traveling to The Brando generally is a lengthy journey relying on the place you’re coming from. And there’s just one provider – Air Tetiaroa – that flies into and out of the Tetiaroa Atoll, both from Bora Bora (as soon as per week; a one hour flight) or Tahiti (two instances a day; a 20 min flight). The flight schedule of Air Tetiaria (throughout day gentle hours solely) will not be at all times in tune with the arrival and departures instances of worldwide flights, so most stays at The Brando will contain a layover of some hours or a full day, both previous to or after your vacation. For a greater expertise throughout a layover in Tahiti, the resort provides a ‘Transit Package’ on the InterContinental Tahiti Resort (topic to availability) together with lodging & shared floor transfers between airport & resort.
MY VERDICT
- Location: 10/10
- Design: 9/10
- Pool: 9/10
- Rooms: 9/10
- Food: 9/10
- Breakfast: 9/10
- Spa: 10/10
- Service: 9/10
- Value for cash: 9/10
- Overall expertise: distinctive 9,2/10
TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY
- Save cash: get complimentary VIP perks at The Brando when reserving through Virtuoso (e.g. improve, day by day breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 Euro meals & beverage credit score).
- Save cash: learn right here my ideas for getting the perfect deal at a luxurious resort like The Brando (and/or obtain many free perks).
- Room tip: For sundown views and nice snorkeling, although with extra rocky corals, the villas on Turtle Beach are the perfect. If you like a smooth sandy seashore and calm shallow waters, the villas at Mermaid Bay are significantly better.
- Read my ideas for getting ready your journey in time.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
French Polynesia is finest visited between June and September when the local weather is at its driest and the climate is balmy (however windy). However, that is excessive season, so will probably be busy and the resort charges are skyrocketing. The months on both facet of this era (May & October) are generally known as the shoulder season and provide comfy climate too, however with decrease costs and fewer wind. Although French Polynesia will be visited year-round, the months of November to April deliver extra humidity and cloudy days, with tropical showers passing at higher frequency than different instances of the 12 months. However, they’re usually interspersed with durations of sunshine. This is a damp time of 12 months, although, which will be uncomfortable and I like to recommend selecting a resort with A/C if visiting throughout these months. The islands not often undergo from tropical storms besides throughout years when El Niño impacts ocean currents.
HOW TO GET THERE
Airlines from around the globe provide direct flights to Faa’a International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti. From Tahiti it’s a brief however spectacular 20 minute flight to Tetiaroa onboard Air Tetiaroa; the flight from Bora Bora takes one hour. The resort’s reservation brokers will organize this portion of the journey with you.
PHOTOS
Below is a choice of my images of The Brando. To view extra images (together with breakfast and dinner), click on right here.
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