Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji

The resort takes its name seriously. Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, became involved in 1995, when the resort opened on a former coconut plantation beside Savusavu Bay, and marine conservation has shaped it ever since. The resident marine biologists, Ofa and Johnny, lead snorkelling trips to reefs where turtles and manta rays pass, give evening talks, manage coral and mangrove restoration and monitor the reef in the protected stretch of water the resort calls its Tabu.

There are only 25 bures on 17 acres, thatched in the Fijian manner, most of them facing the bay, and a renovation before the reopening in April 2026 turned five one-bedroom bures into two-bedroom lodgings. Families are the reason many guests come. The Bula Club is free: children up to five get nanny care, with up to two nannies per bure at set times, six to twelve year olds are paired with a Fijian buddy who looks after no more than six children, and teenagers have their own programme of waterfall hikes, Hobie Cat sailing, night snorkelling and coral planting.

Savusavu lies on Vanua Levu, about an hour's flight from Nadi, and a resort driver meets the plane for the 15 to 20 minute drive along the peninsula. Meals, soft drinks, daily snorkelling boat trips and most activities are included; alcohol is charged separately. A good part of the produce comes from the resort's own organic garden.