DIVE INTO LUXURY WITH FIJI’S CORAL GARDENER EXPERIENCE

Six Senses Fiji is adding a new dimension to its luxury escape on Malolo Island, inviting guests to swap poolside cocktails for coral planting with the launch of its ‘Become a Coral Gardener’ program.

Created in partnership with the global NGO Coral Gardeners, the initiative lets travellers take part in reef restoration alongside marine biologists, without compromising the resort’s signature barefoot elegance.

Since joining forces with Coral Gardeners in late 2023, the resort has planted over 20,000 coral fragments in its surrounding waters. Now, visitors can take part in every stage of the process, from collecting fragments on nearby reefs during the cooler season to tending nurseries in the summer months.

This immersive approach balances science with island charm. Guests might spend the morning snorkelling thriving reefs before gently cleaning ropes in the underwater nursery, or watch hand-woven coconut leaf canopies shading fragile corals as they sip sunset cocktails later in the day.

A custom-built monitoring app tracks coral health in real time, ensuring that only the strongest specimens are returned to the reef – where they attract turtles and a rainbow of marine life.

“Our partnership with Coral Gardeners reflects a shared commitment to regeneration,” said Mark Kitchen, General Manager of Six Senses Fiji. “Through Become a Coral Gardener, guests aren’t just learning about reef resilience – they’re becoming an essential part of it”.

As the first international base for Coral Gardeners, Six Senses Fiji offers something rare: the chance to pair world-class villas, private pools and fine dining with the unforgettable experience of helping the South Pacific’s reefs bounce back.

Pure Amazon, an A&K Sanctuary, has officially launched its voyages into the 21,000-square-kilometre Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.

Designed for just 22 guests, the new vessel positions itself at the high end of wilderness travel, offering quiet, immersive, and attentive experiences with a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. The focus is on proximity to wildlife and landscape, without the crowds that have made parts of the Amazon feel like tourism has arrived before the welcome mat.

Where Architecture Meets the River

The design direction comes from Milan-based architect Adriana Granato, who has reimagined the boat’s interiors as part gallery, part observatory. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame rainforest scenes that shift hour to hour, and every space holds commissioned artworks by Peruvian artists.

The dining room’s centrepiece, Manto de Escamas de Paiche by Silvana Pestana, uses bronze and clay formations that mirror the scale patterns of the Amazon’s giant fish. Pestana’s works throughout the vessel reference environmental fragility, especially the scars left by illegal gold mining.

In each suite, hand-painted kené textiles by Shipibo-Konibo master artist Deysi Ramírez depict sacred geometry in natural dyes. Cushions by the BENEAI Collective feature 20 unique embroidered compositions, supporting Indigenous women artists and keeping traditional techniques alive in a meaningful, non-performative way.

Wildlife Without the Tame Script

Days on board are structured around early and late river expeditions led by naturalist guides. Guests may encounter pink river dolphins cutting through morning mist, three-toed sloths moving like they’re part of the slow cinema movement, and black caimans appearing at night like something from your childhood nightmares.

The prehistoric hoatzin appears along riverbanks, giant river otters hunt in packs, and scarlet macaws behave like the sky belongs to them. The arapaima — the same fish inspiring Pestana’s artwork — occasionally surfaces like an apparition.

A Regional Culinary Lens

The culinary program is led by a team from Iquitos with deep knowledge of Amazonian produce.

Nightly five-course tasting menus lean into local ingredients rather than performing them. Expect dishes like caramelised plantain with river prawns, hearts of palm with passionfruit, and Peruvian chocolate paired with fruits that would be unpronounceable if you encountered them in a supermarket aisle.

A pisco-led bar menu incorporates regional botanicals, including coca leaf and dragon’s blood resin.

A Model of Conservation-First Tourism

Pure Amazon’s conservation approach goes beyond the familiar “offset and walk away” playbook. Through A&K Philanthropy, the vessel’s operations support Indigenous community-led economic initiatives, including sustainable fibre harvesting and honey production in partnership with Amanatari.

Guests also visit FORMABIAP, a bilingual teacher training program supporting cultural and language preservation across several Indigenous communities. Notably, the program enables young women to continue their education while remaining with their families — a rarity in remote regions.

Low-intensity lighting, heat pump technology, and automated systems reduce disturbance to the reserve’s nocturnal wildlife.

The Experience Itself

Itineraries span three, four, or seven nights. Mornings often begin with quiet exploration along mirrorlike tributaries; afternoons allow for spa treatments or time on the open-air deck. Evenings shift into long dinners and soft-lit river watching as the rainforest begins its nightly soundtrack.

Granato describes the vessel as “a mysterious presence on the water,” its light calibrated to resemble fire glow rather than a foreign object imposing itself on the dark.

It is, in other words, slow travel done with precision.

DIVE INTO LUXURY WITH FIJI’S CORAL GARDENER EXPERIENCE

Guests can now blend barefoot indulgence with hands-on reef restoration on Malolo Island.

Pure Amazon has begun journeys deep into Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, combining contemporary design, Indigenous craftsmanship and intimate wildlife encounters in one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.