How Marlon Brando became the owner of the island and created a true paradise on earth

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

1960 was a turning point for Marlon Brando - it was then that the film "Mutiny on the Bounty" was filmed, during which he met his third (and last) wife Tarita Teriipia, and also saw the Tetiaroa atoll for the first time. Later, five years later, the actor bought this atoll from French Polynesia for 99 years and did everything to preserve its magnificent nature and turn it into a paradise on earth.

Tetiaroa Atoll is located in the possession of French Polynesia, 53 kilometers from Tahiti. It consists of 12 small sandy islands that form a lagoon nearly 7 kilometers long. On the largest of the islands, Onetahi, Brando built 12 simple huts out of local material: coconut fiber, palm fronds, and even for his bathroom sinks, he used real ocean sinks. … It was here that the actor often took a break from the bustle of Hollywood, it was here that he invited his friends, including his good friend Michael Jackson, to whom the actor presented one of the islands of the atoll for life.

At the same time, Marlon Brando made it his goal to preserve the wonderful nature of this magical place. Instead of placing houses near the water, he, on the contrary, ordered them to be installed further from the shore, so as not to interfere with the local turtles from leaving their offspring on the beach. Brando actively invited zoologists, archaeologists and ecologists here so that they had the opportunity to explore the area, to find out how best to preserve this beauty.

For more than 50 years, the actor has carefully looked after his possessions, trying to reduce the influence of a person's presence on the island to a minimum. “I always calm down when I imagine myself sitting at night on my island in the South Sea. If only I could, I would forever preserve the pristine nature of Tetiaroa so that it would remind the Tahitians of who they are and who they were several centuries ago,”said Marlon Brando.

After Brando's death in 2004, the atoll passed to the heirs of the actor, and the following year it was sold to Richard Bailey, who decided to continue Brando's work to preserve the nature of the islands, but at the same time turn the huts into a luxury eco-hotel. The hotel buildings, like Brando's huts, were built inland. To get to the atoll, guests have to fly by private jet from the nearest airport in Tahiti - to avoid ocean pollution, movement on the water around the atoll is minimized.

The energy that the spa hotel on the island uses is exclusively ecological energy - solar panels and biofuels. Even the batteries that store energy from solar panels are made from recyclable materials. All movements or movements of objects on the island are carried out either by electric transport or by people. The new owners of the island are trying to treat nature as carefully as Marlon Brando himself did. Is it any surprise that the new eco-spa hotel that opened on the island in 2014 is called The Brando?

This one of the most environmentally friendly resorts in the world costs at least 2,900 euros per person per night during the off-season. The maximum price to stay on the island will cost 12,300 euros per night, excluding taxes and flights from Tahiti. For that kind of money, visitors get a whole house, full board, various leisure activities and daily spa treatments at their disposal.

You can find out why Marlon Brando turned down the Oscar and fled Hollywood to Tahiti from our article. "The other side of glory".

Based on materials from thisislandlife.com