In the heart of French Polynesia, this luxurious resort features 35 villas.
Located on the island of Marlon Brando, The Brando resort is a luxurious resort with 35 villas situated in French Polynesia. It has previously been a getaway destination for celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and former president Barack Obama; offering a relaxed lifestyle amongst natural splendor, it is only accessible by a private plane from Papeete
“The only people on the island are the people that belong there – it’s a great place if you want to get away and be discreet,” explains Richard Bailey, CEO and chairman of Pacific Beachcomber (the company that runs the Brando). Idyllic and exclusive, The Brando is the epitome of “hedonistic luxury,” says Bailey, with “everything that you could want [from] a resort, [including] sumptuous accommodations and a spa.”
It is not only for this reason that The Brando should be on any traveler’s radar if they seek privacy, but also because they are committed to environmental sustainability and sensitivity. According to Bailey, “We have always tried to break the old mold of more luxury equals less environment. We tried to imagine a paradigm where more luxury and more environment are both possible at the same time.”
Tetiaroa (a ring of islands with a deep lagoon in the middle) is where the Brando is located. A total of 12 islets make up the Tetiaroa atoll; the resort is on one of these 12 islands, but there is another Motu that the company has the right to claim.
“The rest of the atoll is a private sanctuary,” Bailey explains. “There won’t be any construction or improvements on [any of the other islands]. Our guests have the entire atoll at their disposal for leisure activities – we offer kayaking, paddle boarding… We have excursions that we run on our own boats – we can drop our guests off on a private beach for the day where they won’t see another human being.”
“There are lots of indigenous species of plants and animals [on the atoll], from sea turtles and coconut crabs to lagoon sharks and fish,” he continues. “There’s lots of snorkeling on our fantastic coral gardens. It’s an extremely diverse place – it’s really very well preserved.”
