4 Eco Resorts in the Cook Islands and Fiji — Pacific Retreats for Conscious Travelers

4 Eco Resorts in Cook Islands & Fiji — Pacific Eco Resorts for Conscious Travelers

The Cook Islands and Fiji are two of the Pacific’s best-known holiday destinations. Keep these resorts in mind: each steadily pursues environmental care and sustainability. They are made for a trip, someday, when you can breathe freely and take in the unspoiled emerald sea.

Materials courtesy of South Pacific Tourism Organisation

Pacific Resort Aitutaki
Pacific Resort Aitutaki

Pacific Resort Aitutaki sits on Aitutaki, considered the most beautiful island in the Cook Islands. On a beach lined with clear water, dazzling white sand, and swaying palms, you can find complete relaxation. From the guest rooms, which reflect local Cook Islands culture, to the restaurant, the Aitutaki landscape fills your view.

Location
It takes about four hours by plane from Auckland, New Zealand, to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, and about 45 minutes more from Rarotonga to Aitutaki. Pacific Resort Aitutaki is on Amuri Beach, a 10-minute drive from the airport. The resort runs a dedicated reception for guests, so staff greet you at the airport and see you comfortably to your accommodations.

Room Types
Premium Beachfront Bungalow: A room for two, designed for couples, with a private patio and a private outdoor deck. For a room for three, choose the Premium Beachfront Bungalow Plus.
Ultimate Beachfront Villa: A room for two set over the lagoon, with a private terrace. Wooden furnishings and traditional Polynesian decor come together in a relaxing space.
Ultimate Beachfront Bungalow: A room with superb views. It has an outdoor shower, and from the daybed you can gaze at the turquoise lagoon and restore body and mind.

Dining
Rapae Bay Restaurant serves high-quality drinks along with fresh local produce and seafood. Black Rock Cafe, named for the volcanic rock on Amuri Beach, serves casual meals and a variety of drinks beside the beach and pool. Love Nest on Beach, where you dine right on the sand, promises a romantic meal.

Recommended Activities
After spending half a day swimming in the outdoor infinity pool, unwind at Tiare Spa. Its facial treatments are especially popular, using the Te Tika line of organic cosmetics made in Australia with ingredients produced in the Cook Islands.

Sustainability Programs
Pacific Resort Aitutaki’s Aquatic Eco Trail is an underwater trail where you can snorkel past five coral habitats. On a self-guided tour, participants encounter sea turtles, angelfish, butterflyfish, blue sea stars, shellfish, and other marine life. Along the way, they come to understand the ecosystem and the importance of protecting coral reefs.

Pacific Resort Aitutaki:    www.pacificaitutaki.com

Ikurangi Eco Retreat
Ikurangi Eco Retreat

Ikurangi Eco Retreat, on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, is built around eco-friendly glamping in a tropical garden. In the local language, Ikurangi means “tail of the sky.” The Cook Islands’ traditional values of sharing, conservation, respect, and hospitality are at the heart of how the resort is run.

Location
It takes about four hours by plane from Auckland, New Zealand, to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Ikurangi Eco Retreat sits in a tropical organic garden in Matavara, on the northeast side of Rarotonga. It is about 5 kilometers from Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands, and about 4 kilometers from world-famous Muri Beach.

Room Types
Ariki Safari Tent: Recommended for newlyweds. A luxury safari tent with everything you need for a romantic getaway, it has a super king bed, a spacious wooden deck with outdoor lounge furniture, and a private outdoor bathroom.
Luxury Safari Tent: Set on a private wooden deck overlooking the Ikurangi area. You can see Mount Takimutu from the room, and it has a private outdoor shower.
Tropical Are: Are means “home” in the local language. These studio rooms are decorated in Polynesian style, and each Are has a view of Mount Takimutu. A private deck overlooking the papaya farm adds to the atmosphere.

Dining
Every day of your stay, breakfast is made with tropical fruit and seasonal produce harvested from the resort’s organic garden. It is a way to begin a wellness trip with a healthy morning meal.

Recommended Activities
All guests can borrow bicycles free of charge. Ride around the resort and out to the neighboring villages. It is a chance to experience everyday life on Rarotonga and its beautiful beaches up close.

Sustainability Programs
The resort’s safari tents have modern composting toilets. The rooms have no air conditioning, and the lighting uses low-energy bulbs. Guests’ toiletries and cleaning supplies are chemical-free and plant-based. Wastewater is reused to tend the organic garden. Through the resort, guests can also volunteer with local nonprofit organizations. At checkout, guests are invited to join the Mana Tiaki program, which contributes financially to the local environment and community. All donations go to the Te Ipukarea Society.

Ikurangi Eco Retreat:    www.ikurangi.com

Palmlea Farm Lodge & Bures
Palmlea Farm Lodge & Bures

Palmlea Farm Lodge & Bures stands on the north coast of Vanua Levu in Fiji. Small in scale, it is an ideal place for a relaxed holiday in nature. It runs entirely on solar power and is known for its farm-to-table dining, with vegetables grown on its own organic farm.

Location
The lodge is about a 20-minute drive from Labasa Airport on Fiji’s Vanua Levu. Many domestic flights operate daily to Labasa from Suva and Nadi in Fiji.

Room Types
Ocean View Villa: Every room is designed with an ocean view, and from the veranda you can look down on graceful palms and the blue sea. One- and two-bedroom villas are available, suiting everyone from couples to families.
Bure: In rooms built in the bure style, the traditional Fijian dwelling, you can immerse yourself in local culture. Make special memories in a bure with its rustic, unpretentious charm.

Dining
Herbs, spices, fruit, and vegetables are grown on the resort’s own organic farm. Each morning, the table offers produce from that farm, such as eggs laid by the farm’s hens and organic honey from its own beekeeping. The farm-to-table restaurant at Palmlea Farm Lodge & Bures serves healthy, original dishes, aiming for wholesome food that brings out the full flavor of Fiji.

Recommended Activities
Relax in the 25-meter pool with its ocean view, or stroll through the organic garden and goat farm. You can also read in the library and unwind in a hammock. On the north side of Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island, activities include mountain biking, surfing, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, and exploring the mangrove forest.

Sustainability Programs
Visit local villages and help support the local tourism economy. Take part in a kava ceremony, the traditional welcoming ritual, or join a traditional cooking or weaving class. Continuing sustainable tourism in this way will make the trip all the more meaningful.

Palmlea Farm Lodge & Bures:    www.palmleafarms.com

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji
Jean–Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji has been ranked the world’s No. 1 eco resort on Tripadvisor. Created by the legendary diver Jean-Michel Cousteau, who put his own name behind it, the resort lets guests experience a sustainable getaway through its activity programs, including diving, and its facilities.

Location
The resort sits on Savusavu in Fiji, about 1 hour and 10 minutes by small plane from the main island. The grounds were once a coconut plantation, and the roughly 7-hectare property is filled with lush green trees.

Room Types
Garden View Bure: A traditional-style dwelling that feels like staying in the middle of the forest, accommodating up to a family of four.
Oceanfront Bure: A room with beach views. There are also Oceanfront 2-Bedroom Bures and Deluxe Oceanfront 2-Bedroom Bures for families.
Point Reef Bure: A beachfront room with its own lounge. Couples may want to consider the Honeymoon Point Reef Bure.
Presidential Villa: A top-of-the-line standalone villa with a private pool, garden, Jacuzzi, and its own lounge.

Dining
Using locally caught seafood and organic produce grown on the resort’s own farm, the kitchen serves traditional Fijian dishes as well as a variety of international cuisines, including South Pacific and Asian fare.

Recommended Activities
A wide range of facilities awaits, including four swimming pools, a volleyball court, a table tennis table, and a trampoline, along with a rich activity program that runs from paddleboarding to snorkeling, hiking, and island exploration. For families, there is also a well-organized kids’ program divided by age group. The resort is especially a paradise for scuba divers: Cousteau’s staff, made up of seasoned experts, offer an unforgettable dive experience at some of the best dive sites in the world.

Sustainability Programs
At the heart of the sustainability that Jean-Michel Cousteau pursues is marine conservation. The resort has a marine biologist on staff and runs a reef protection program and a giant clam breeding project. Be sure to join the resort’s eco tour along Fiji’s magnificent mangrove forests. With local marine biologist Johnny Sigh, you can discover the secrets of this unique coastal ecosystem and even plant your own mangrove seedling.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji:    www.fijiresort.com