When In Fiji, Do As The Billionaires Do At This $100 Million Private Island Resort – Forbes

From Nadi, jump in the Kokomo Private Island seaplane and make the 45-minute flight over to the ... [+] island.

Incredible seaplane arrival courtesy of a barefoot (and very good looking) pilot? Check.

Enchanting welcome complete with beautiful Fijian singing, a cold towel and a fresh coconut? Check.

A stunning private one-bedroom beachfront villa complete with an infinity pool, butler, outdoor shower, and dream worthy bathtub? Check. Check. And check again.

This is just the beginning of what you can expect when you step off the seaplane and into Kokomo Island Private Resort, the $100 million project from Australian billionaire Lang Walker.

Because Walker knows how to build a resort.

Spread across 140 acres, the resort, which soft opened back in 2017, is complete with 21 beautifully decorated thatched roof bure villas, five private residences, three restaurants, a stunning nine treatment room spa complete with a resident health practitioner, a 5.5 acre farm, an on-site team of marine biologists, a full-service dive shop, an impressive fleet of boats, and a resident fishing expert who also happens to be one of the most celebrated in the South Pacific.

Inside one of five private residences on the island.

And with pretty much everything included, from all your meals (including in-room dining) to laundry services, a personal butler, one spa treatment and an introductory dive course its all too easy to get used to this sort of private island billionaire lifestyle.

But even with all the exploring that you can do on the island the resort has standup paddle boards, kayaks and fins and snorkels ready to go when you are its when you get off the island that you really start to see (and appreciate) the level of attention the Kokomo staff pays to its guests.

Whether you choose to do the waterfall hike over on the neighboring island of Kadavu with Male, a local who grew up there who does the entire hike barefoot (an almost spiritual and very beautiful thing to experience) and whose infectious laugh and heartwarming stories make the time pass as you hike to the incredible natural wonder, to diving with the resorts marine biologist Cliona OFlaherty, its the attention they pay to the details during these excursions that really connect you to the islands and show you what Fijian hospitality (and pride) is all about. (And it doesnt hurt that they have delicious post-hike and dive meal boxes available and also go above and beyond, offering to do incredibly thoughtful things such as have your post-hike muddy shoes cleaned and delivered to your bure or jump in the water back at the resort to personally show you the coral garden thats a part of the Coral Restoration Project you talked about on the boat ride back from your dive.)

Coral being grown for the Coral Restoration Project.

But its not just these things that make Kokomo so special. Because when you actually have a chance to peak behind the scenes (as I did), you realize that Walker is just as committed to ensuring that the resort has a minimum carbon footprint (which is no small or cheap task), as it is to delivering an impeccable guest experience.

From a water purification station in its final stages of testing, something that will drastically reduce the number of plastic bottles of water consumed on the island (Fiji water is somewhat of a national symbol here, as you might imagine, and is served just about everywhere on the airplane, at the airport, restaurants), to an on-premise organic garden where the chefs pick vegetables, herbs, sprouts, edible flowers and exotic fruits to feature on the daily-changing menus at all three restaurants, to the 16 beehives that produce honey for the resort and the 170 free range chickens that supply the resort with its daily dose of eggs, to the Dock to Dish sustainable fishing program, if theres a way to bottle/grow/produce something on the island, Kokomo is doing it.

The 5.5 acre on-premise organic garden supplies the chefs with vegetables, herbs, sprouts, edible ... [+] flowers and exotic fruits to feature on the daily-changing menus at all three restaurants.

With villas starting at $2,250 a night and with Fiji Airways launching a brand new A350 aircraft in January an aircraft that will include 33 fully lie-flat Business Class beds now is the time to experience Fiji like a billionaire, but without the need to buy your own private island. Because Thankfully Walker did that for you.

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When In Fiji, Do As The Billionaires Do At This $100 Million Private Island Resort - Forbes