1. Could you begin by introducing Namotu Island Resort and its place within Fiji’s tourism sector?
I think the vision I’ve always had with Namotu is for us to be the leader in water sports experiences. We want to be at the forefront of the main water sports, whether that’s surfing, foiling, kite surfing, winging, para-wing, fishing or spearfishing.
The only thing we don’t do on the island in-house is scuba diving. We do a lot of freediving and snorkeling, but we work with some very good scuba diving operators as third-party partners. Everything else we do ourselves.
Our goal and our vision is to be the leader in these adventure sports, not only in Fiji but in the world.
What I think is really exciting, beyond the guest experience, is that we’re also bringing younger Fijians into these sports. We’re teaching many of these activities to Fijians and creating a pathway for them to become involved in sports that are still relatively new in Fiji.
We’re also very proactive with the local communities and the villages connected to the island. We have some amazing programs in place to support them.
For example, once a year, we have a group of dentists come from California. We support them in setting up a dental practice in the local village, and we’ve been doing that for more than 20 years. It has become an annual event that the village looks forward to, with people coming from across the area to have their teeth checked and treated, as well as receiving education.
Our guests are also a big part of that. Many of them have been coming for more than 25 years, so they develop strong relationships with our staff and want to give back to the community.
We also have an incredibly loyal team. Our longest-standing staff member has been with us for around 28 years, and we have many others who have worked here for more than 20 years.
Because we’re such a small island, you need to be good at your job, but you also need to fit into the family environment. We put a lot of effort into creating a positive workplace, looking after our employees and their families, and making sure they are well paid, well fed and well looked after.
That sense of connection is really important. Guests may come because of the incredible water sports, but the reason they keep coming back is because of our people.
The Fijians have an incredible gift. You can not see them for six years and they will still remember your name and welcome you back as though you were there yesterday.
That is what makes Namotu special. We offer an amazing experience on and off the water, with incredible activities and a very personalized approach, but the reason people return is our staff.
2. Namotu is world famous as a surfing and water sports destination, sitting close to legendary breaks such as Cloudbreak and Restaurants. What is the philosophy behind the resort and what makes the Namotu experience so distinctive?
We’re very small, with only 24 guests on the island, so it’s a boutique and bespoke experience.
We call it “No Rules Namotu.” You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and we’ll be there to facilitate it.
We also have some of the best people in the world when it comes to our coaches and activity support. They help guests figure out what the best thing to do is at any given moment.
You might be a complete beginner in one sport and an expert in another, but if you’re open-minded and want to experience different activities, you’re going to be in incredible hands. We focus on learning, safety and making the most of the conditions on any particular day.
Ultimately, that’s what we try to deliver every day: the opportunity to make the most of the perfect conditions for whatever activity you want to experience.
3. Namotu has a loyal following among surfers, divers and water sports enthusiasts. How do you create that sense of community and keep guests coming back year after year?
We deliver a really enjoyable and safe experience across all the water sports and activities.
I often describe Namotu as being like a boat, yacht or ship, except it doesn’t move. On a boat, you put yourself in the best possible location and then everything is at your fingertips.
That’s what Namotu is. We’re positioned in one of the best possible locations imaginable for all of these sports.
Within one to five minutes, you can be doing almost anything. You could be experiencing the best surf of your life at Cloudbreak, foiling in beautiful, clear and shallow water, learning to surf at Namotu Lefts, or going fishing or spearfishing.
It’s all there at your fingertips, from sunrise to sunset.
4. Running an intimate resort on a tiny private island brings unique rewards and challenges. What are the biggest opportunities and obstacles in delivering a world-class experience in such a compact, remote setting, from logistics to staffing and supply?
One of the great things about our business, both from a guest and employee perspective, is that it’s largely referral-based.
We have a massive waiting list and around 80% return clientele every year. After a guest has stayed with us, we thank them and give them the first option to book their spot for the following year. Around 80% take that opportunity.
For the remaining availability, before going to our waiting list, we contact people who have already travelled with us and ask whether they have friends or crew who might be interested.
Those rooms are usually taken by someone already within our network. That’s a really nice way of bringing new people into the island because our guests tend to invite people who they think will be a good fit.
It’s similar with our staffing. A lot of our staff come through referrals, because our existing team knows who is likely to fit into the culture of the island.
Logistically, we’re relatively close to Nadi, which makes it easier to bring supplies in. Because we’re fully booked throughout the year, provisioning is also quite predictable. We know what to expect each week.
The biggest challenge is maintenance. We’re operating in one of the toughest environments possible, with wind, salt and sun, so there is always something that needs attention.
We have around 10 boats and 10 jet skis, as well as the island’s generators, air conditioning and all the other facilities. Something is always breaking or requiring maintenance.
When you’re operating extreme water sports, safety is also critical. We have a doctor on the island every week, and our staff and coaches are very focused on creating a safe environment for guests.
5. Fiji is positioning itself as a leading destination for adventure, surf and experiential travel. What competitive advantages does Fiji offer in this space, and what improvements are still needed to fully realize this potential?
I think Fiji already has an incredible opportunity. Namotu is a good example because we’ve been operating this way for many years and have developed the structure and experience to do it successfully.
The challenge is that many of Fiji’s incredible locations for kite surfing, foiling, surfing and other activities are away from the mainland, on the islands.
The question is how you manage those locations, how you get the right teams there and how you build the infrastructure around them.
I think it also needs to come from the leadership and the vision of each resort. Does the property want to be somewhere where people come to relax, read a book, enjoy fine dining and the beautiful waters? Or does it want to combine that with more hardcore activities?
Managing those activities is difficult.
We’re fortunate to have some great surf breaks around Namotu, but not every island has the same conditions. There are also some good spots on the Coral Coast and elsewhere on the main island, but getting to the breaks can be challenging.
There is significant room for Fiji to develop its adventure and action-sports offering in the future.
6. The resort’s entire appeal rests on the health of the surrounding ocean and reefs. What steps is Namotu taking to protect its marine environment and operate sustainably?
There are already some really good initiatives happening in Fiji, including coral garden projects.
For Namotu, our long-term goal is to become fully self-sufficient through solar power, batteries and reduced fuel consumption, while doing everything we can to protect the environment around us.
We would also love to see the area become a marine park.
We work with our neighboring island, Tavarua, which runs a very good clam farm. They grow small clam seedlings and then we plant them around our reefs. That’s an important part of the ecosystem.
Another major area where I’d like to see progress is fisheries management.
I’m from Australia, and Australia and New Zealand do a very good job of managing fisheries. They understand when fish reproduce and have closures, protected areas and other measures in place.
That’s something we would love to help develop in Fiji, particularly around these islands.
This year, Fiji introduced some closures for certain fish species, which was very encouraging. You couldn’t catch them during particular months.
We’re also working with the local village on projects involving desalination and solar energy. Over the last couple of years, we’ve helped install around 25 solar systems for village homes and supported education around their use.
There are a lot of small projects happening, and hopefully they will eventually come together into something much bigger.
7. Traveler expectations continue to evolve, with growing demand for active, authentic and experience-led holidays. How is Namotu adapting its offerings across surfing, diving, fishing and family experiences to meet what today’s travelers are looking for?
That is exactly who we are. Our clients come for an active holiday.
When you book with us, you book for a week. We have Sunday check-in and check-out, and guests can stay for multiple weeks.
Food is also very important to us. We focus on a healthy food experience because our clients are active and spend their days in the water.
People don’t come to Namotu to sit around and sleep the day away. They don’t want to waste the day. They are incredibly active, and our holidays are active holidays.
Of course, we still have fun afternoons and parties depending on the conditions, but the focus is very much on making the most of every day.
8. North America is a significant source market, with around 70% of Namotu’s guests coming from the United States, particularly for surf and adventure travel. What opportunities do you see for attracting more travelers from the U.S., especially from the West Coast and California with its deep surf culture? How is the resort positioned for that audience?
I don’t want this to sound egotistical, but we’re already full annually, and around 70% of our guests are already from the United States.
So we’re not actively marketing or trying to position ourselves in a particular market at the moment.
However, I’m not complacent about that either. What we do really well is share our content socially through Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms.
We create our own content every week and always have a photographer on the island photographing our guests, so they can take those images home with them.
For us, it’s about creating a social experience that captivates the audience and shows them who we are and what we do.
Rather than spending our resources on traditional advertising in specific markets, we believe our energy is best invested in creating and sharing authentic content about the Namotu experience.
9. Looking ahead, what’s your vision for Namotu Island Resort over the next five to 10 years?
We want to maintain the guest experience we have today while continuing to get better and more efficient.
From a resort perspective, we want to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly at every level, so we can make sure we protect what we have here.
We also want to continue improving Namotu as a place for our staff to work, making sure they are looked after medically and that their families are supported.
Supporting the local community is another important part of that vision.
Ultimately, all of those things come together.
10. Finally, what message would you like to share with Los Angeles Times readers about Fiji? What sets Namotu apart for travelers looking to discover it?
If I were explaining who we are and what we do, I would say the reason you should travel to Namotu is because you’re going to have an amazing water sports experience, whether you’re a complete beginner, intermediate or an expert.
You’re going to be looked after, it’s going to be safe, and you’ll experience some of the best waves, foiling, kite surfing and other activities you’ve ever experienced anywhere in the world.
But the reason you’re going to come back is because of the people and who we are.
And I don’t think that’s unique to us. I think it extends to Fiji as a whole.
Come and enjoy all the incredible activities Fiji has to offer, and you’re going to have a larger-than-life experience. But what will really captivate you is the people.
That’s Fiji. That’s what Fiji is.
When our guests first arrive, we tell them that as soon as they can tap into the Fijian way of life, that frequency where everything slows down and becomes a little more carefree and stress-free, they’ll understand what makes Fiji so special.
For people coming from a high-pressure environment, that can take some adjustment. But once you experience that Fijian way of life, where people don’t stress about the little things and simply believe that everything is going to be okay, it’s incredibly beautiful.
If you could bottle up that Fijian way of life and hand it to people, it would be an incredible gift.
And that is why anyone should come to Fiji, not just Namotu Island, but Fiji in general. You’re going to have a beautiful experience.
I learn so much every day from Fijians, from their way of life and the way they approach things.
