Brando Island in French Polynesia first self-sustaining luxury resort.

Consisting of a few islands surrounded by a large lagoon, the atoll is an amazing wonder of nature, a paradise of white sand beaches, azure water, palm forests, exotic birds, sea turtles and beautiful coral gardens full of life in the oceans.

Brando Island biodiversity and cultural richness of Tahiti. The development of the resort is well beyond the typical hotel facilities.  The station also aims for energy independence, the requirements of electricity at least to some extent met by a combination of solar panels and generators fueled by oil coconut.

20 minutes by private plane from Tahiti, takes visitors to a paradise island in the middle of a preserve nature. The resort has 35 villas, designed to reflect the lifestyle and Polynesian culture. Set in the shade of coconut trees and with direct access to the private beach villas have dining room and outdoor pool. Guests can enjoy spa treatments, in pavilions set around a tranquil pond covered with lilies. Both restaurants serve Polynesian-inspired dishes as well as fusion East / West and classic French cuisine.

Swimming with whale sharks in Seychelles

Seychelles Travel Guide

Everybody knows you go to Seychelles Islands to swim with whale sharks. Well at least everybody who loves the ocean loves diving and has the complete box set of Jacques Cousteau.

Situated eight kilometers northwest of Mahe, Shark Bank is considered to be the best diving spot in the Seychelles. A granite plateau interweaved with massive granite boulders set the scene with never ending amazement of a rich marine life. The underwater ballet of the whales’ shark teeming with a large variety of tropical reef fish will make you think about Jules vernes novels Twenty Thousand leagues under the sea.

The waters surrounding Mahe are crystal clear, along the Indian Ocean but the reward is an island paradise where your biggest worry of the day is whether to walk to the end of the island for bird watching, hang out in a hammock or cruise out with your buddies for a day of whale watching. Lucky for you, it is easy enough to fit all of these into a couple of days on the island.

A day with whale sharks is unlike anything you will have ever experienced. A couple of thousand of these big boys come to feed off the plankton-rich seas. Once you are in the water, face to face with a 15-ton, 15m-long giant, the rest of the world seems to fade away. Their grace, colorful spots and unworldly bulk take you back to the time of dinosaurs and leviathans.

And while such close interaction with wildlife is definitely a delicate topic, local tour operators have teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to create some best practices for the tours. Visitors are required to wear a life jacket or wetsuit, you cannot feed the fish or submerge yourself beneath them, only three people (plus a guide) are allowed in the water at one time, and, no, you cannot catch a ride on their fin.

On your way back to the island, ask your guide if you can stop for a snorkel. If you are lucky, you may spot a manta ray soaring through the depths of the clear water.