Following years of secrecy as a celebrity getaway, Laucala Island, the idyllic South Pacific resort east of Taveuni, Fiji, has been unveiled to the public.
Just 5km (3 miles) long, the island was owned by the family of publishing magnate, Malcolm Forbes until 2003. Its’ current owner, Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, selected designer firm Lynne Hunt London to transform the island into his own private resort.
Initially Laucala was Mateschitz's personal private retreat where celebrities could visit to escape the paparazzi - until now as it has been opened up to the public.
The island’s spa is at the centre of the Laucala experience, which comprises traditional Fijian therapies, organic amenities and serene settings.
Four treatment villas – each with an outdoor tub, relaxation room and changing room – and two wet rooms with Vichy showers and steam facilities sit amid water features and tall palm trees. The spa also features a beauty salon, pedicure and manicure rooms and a spa garden.
In the spa garden herbs, spices, flowers and fruits are picked to create Laucala’s four signature scents: Molikaro (native citrus), Wainimate (medicinal herbs), Senikau (tropical blooms) and Qele (indigenous roots, woods and spices). Each scent is incorporated into the spa’s amenities, including lotions and the massage oils used in spa rituals.
Treatments begin in a relaxation lounge fitted with day beds and an open fireplace, followed by a footbath incorporating a hibiscus, honey and sugar-crystal polish and a gentle massage. Signature experiences range from Fijian hot-and-cold stone therapy to body scrubs using volcanic soil from the island and mineral crystal therapy.
Guests are encouraged to become involved in the spa experience through the spa garden, where an interactive display informs about Fiji’s tropical bounty. Guests can pick their own spices, herbs flowers and fruits – vanilla, lemongrass, cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee, ylang ylang, pepper, ginger – and create a signature essential oil, soap or lotion in the Spa Kitchen, where a coconut press produces oil in small batches.
Working in partnership with architect WATG, landscape architect Scape Design Associates and the local architect and project coordinator Architects Pacific, the team designed the destination with environmental sensitivity; for example, the masterplan and individual buildings have been oriented so that ancient trees did not need to be uprooted and would create natural privacy screens between villas.
The island houses 25 villas, which feature large outdoor bathing areas with oversized carved stone bathtubs in addition to Indonesian slate and pebble-lined showers in the gardens. Many of these residences have direct beach access, private pools and yoga decks with views of the Pacific ocean or the coconut groves.
Other features include five restaurants and bars, an 18-hole championship golf course, a chapel, a culture and leisure centre and several beach areas.
