1 00:00:02,590 --> 00:00:10,750 S1: From critical media. What is the world's best hotel? Today 2 00:00:10,750 --> 00:00:13,239 S1: we're going to introduce you to a private island paradise 3 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,380 S1: that could absolutely lay claim to that title. Stay tuned 4 00:00:17,710 --> 00:00:21,279 S1: because travel that matters Best Hotels and Resorts series kicks 5 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:36,409 S1: off right now. Hello, everybody, and welcome to travel, that matters. 6 00:00:36,430 --> 00:00:39,970 S1: I'm your host, Bruce Wallin, and this is the podcast 7 00:00:39,970 --> 00:00:45,580 S1: where we explore the world's most exceptional and meaningful travel experiences. Today, 8 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,010 S1: we are going to talk about a place that combines 9 00:00:48,010 --> 00:00:51,160 S1: those two elements of travel about, as well as any 10 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,610 S1: place on Earth. We're doing things a little differently today. 11 00:00:55,210 --> 00:00:58,090 S1: This episode kicks off a new mini series where we're 12 00:00:58,090 --> 00:01:02,590 S1: going to showcase the world's best hotels and resorts. Now 13 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,860 S1: I get asked all the time what my favorite hotel is, 14 00:01:05,860 --> 00:01:09,009 S1: and you know, that's a very difficult question to answer, 15 00:01:09,010 --> 00:01:12,699 S1: of course. But all of my potential answers really come 16 00:01:12,700 --> 00:01:16,540 S1: down to places that do things differently. You know, it's 17 00:01:16,630 --> 00:01:18,760 S1: a given that the best hotels and resorts are in 18 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,790 S1: a great setting. They have a warm and welcoming staff, 19 00:01:21,790 --> 00:01:24,640 S1: beautiful guest rooms. But the places that really stand out 20 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,490 S1: the most for me are the ones where the experience 21 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,170 S1: is something that you've never experienced before. Our focus today 22 00:01:32,170 --> 00:01:35,169 S1: is one such place, but it's one with a far 23 00:01:35,170 --> 00:01:39,340 S1: more interesting back story than most. I'm talking, of course, 24 00:01:39,340 --> 00:01:43,240 S1: about the Brando, the highly exclusive retreat on Teddy ROA, 25 00:01:43,510 --> 00:01:46,870 S1: the private atoll off of Tahiti that was once owned 26 00:01:46,870 --> 00:01:50,350 S1: by Marlon Brando, and today is popular with everyone from 27 00:01:50,350 --> 00:01:55,070 S1: celebrities to ex U.S. presidents. Now, when we talk about travel, 28 00:01:55,070 --> 00:01:58,210 S1: that matters. Of course, a big part of that is sustainability. 29 00:01:58,660 --> 00:02:03,550 S1: Whether it's environmental sustainability, cultural sustainability, all the ways that 30 00:02:03,550 --> 00:02:07,330 S1: travel can make a positive impact on environments and communities. 31 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,769 S1: But long before most people were talking about sustainability in travel. 32 00:02:12,220 --> 00:02:16,149 S1: Marlon Brando had a crazy idea about building a resort 33 00:02:16,150 --> 00:02:20,079 S1: that did more good than harm. Yes, The Godfather was, 34 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,070 S1: believe it or not, first and foremost, an environmentalist, and 35 00:02:24,070 --> 00:02:27,280 S1: his ideas laid the groundwork for what is now considered 36 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:32,530 S1: by many to be the world's finest and most sustainable resort. Today, 37 00:02:32,770 --> 00:02:34,929 S1: we're going to hear from the man responsible for taking 38 00:02:34,930 --> 00:02:39,820 S1: Brando's crazy ideas and actually turning them into an epic reality. 39 00:02:40,270 --> 00:02:42,730 S1: His name is Richard Bailey, and he's the founder of 40 00:02:42,730 --> 00:02:46,000 S1: Pacific Beachcomber, which, in addition to the Brando, runs the 41 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,020 S1: luxury resorts throughout French Polynesia. He's also the founder of 42 00:02:50,020 --> 00:02:53,140 S1: the nonprofit Teddy Arua Society, and he has dedicated much 43 00:02:53,139 --> 00:02:56,080 S1: of his life to protecting the environments and cultures in 44 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,620 S1: the South Pacific. After hearing from Richard, stick around because 45 00:02:59,620 --> 00:03:01,780 S1: I want to hear your picks for the best resource 46 00:03:01,780 --> 00:03:04,030 S1: on the planet and share a few of my own. 47 00:03:04,570 --> 00:03:07,480 S1: But first, let's go to Richard, who one day more 48 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,140 S1: than 20 years ago got a call from French Polynesia's 49 00:03:11,139 --> 00:03:12,760 S1: most famous resident. 50 00:03:14,550 --> 00:03:19,140 S2: Arlen called me out of the blue in 1999 to 51 00:03:19,139 --> 00:03:22,200 S2: find out if possibly I could give him a hand 52 00:03:22,230 --> 00:03:24,960 S2: on his island. And I think what he had in 53 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,830 S2: mind was marketing or something. And so I took out 54 00:03:28,830 --> 00:03:32,100 S2: some engineering guy's food and beverage. We took a team 55 00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:35,610 S2: over to have a look, and it really wasn't a 56 00:03:35,610 --> 00:03:39,030 S2: pretty picture. He hadn't been back in a long time. 57 00:03:39,330 --> 00:03:42,750 S2: And so I sent him a long memo about how, 58 00:03:42,750 --> 00:03:44,520 S2: you know, we don't we take care of guests. We 59 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:46,740 S2: don't worry about if there's going to be power or 60 00:03:46,740 --> 00:03:50,610 S2: water or how to handle waste. And now really the 61 00:03:50,610 --> 00:03:52,770 S2: all of the things that you need to worry about 62 00:03:52,770 --> 00:03:56,370 S2: on a on a remote island like Pedro or I 63 00:03:56,370 --> 00:04:01,920 S2: became very upset and we didn't speak for a long time. Eventually, 64 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,130 S2: he called me again out of the blue and said, OK, 65 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,410 S2: what would you do? You're the smarty pants hotel guy. 66 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:12,750 S2: So tell me what you would do. So I said, Well, man, 67 00:04:12,780 --> 00:04:15,600 S2: we could talk about that, but I've some ideas. And 68 00:04:15,990 --> 00:04:19,140 S2: he said, No. Now, tell me right now you think 69 00:04:19,140 --> 00:04:21,540 S2: you know it all and the now? I don't know 70 00:04:21,540 --> 00:04:23,789 S2: it all. But where you're going right now on the 71 00:04:23,790 --> 00:04:26,729 S2: island is maybe not the right way. And eventually we 72 00:04:27,010 --> 00:04:30,630 S2: know that kicked off a series of meetings over five 73 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:34,650 S2: years where we tried to conceive a vision of what 74 00:04:34,650 --> 00:04:38,580 S2: would work from a tourism standpoint, but would also meet 75 00:04:38,580 --> 00:04:42,989 S2: his very high criteria. And the fact is, Marlon, he 76 00:04:42,990 --> 00:04:46,860 S2: was maybe the world's first Earth champion. I mean, we 77 00:04:46,860 --> 00:04:50,130 S2: were talking about issues that today we know in the 78 00:04:50,130 --> 00:04:55,770 S2: popular vernacular is sustainability and sustainable development. These words, we 79 00:04:55,770 --> 00:04:59,580 S2: didn't have these words back then, but he understood that 80 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:02,880 S2: he didn't have power, he didn't have water. He didn't 81 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,340 S2: know how to handle waste. He didn't know what to 82 00:05:05,339 --> 00:05:09,169 S2: do with trash and how to recycle and and are 83 00:05:09,180 --> 00:05:12,630 S2: really are our common vision was about really how to 84 00:05:12,630 --> 00:05:16,419 S2: harness science and technology to to solve some of these problems. 85 00:05:16,470 --> 00:05:21,570 S2: And the vision that we ultimately realized was just tackling 86 00:05:21,570 --> 00:05:24,570 S2: each one of these issues one by one and saying 87 00:05:24,570 --> 00:05:25,710 S2: how we could do it better. 88 00:05:27,300 --> 00:05:30,330 S1: When the brand of finally opened in 2014, it became 89 00:05:30,330 --> 00:05:34,230 S1: clear pretty quickly that Richard and Marlon had done it better. 90 00:05:34,860 --> 00:05:37,020 S1: I was the editorial director at Robb Report back then, 91 00:05:37,290 --> 00:05:39,930 S1: and I'd commissioned a writer named Lawrence Strobel to go 92 00:05:39,930 --> 00:05:42,719 S1: to this brand new resort and cover it for our magazine. 93 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,280 S1: Global had actually been the TED era before it was 1978. 94 00:05:47,490 --> 00:05:50,099 S1: And he was visiting Marlon Brando to interview him for 95 00:05:50,100 --> 00:05:53,490 S1: a story for Playboy magazine. It was right before Apocalypse 96 00:05:53,490 --> 00:05:56,340 S1: Now is coming out. And Brando hadn't granted a personal 97 00:05:56,339 --> 00:05:59,609 S1: interview in years more than a decade, but Cromwell spent 98 00:05:59,610 --> 00:06:01,950 S1: 10 days with him on this at all. And one 99 00:06:01,950 --> 00:06:04,529 S1: of the things he wrote about was how Brando didn't 100 00:06:04,529 --> 00:06:06,810 S1: want to talk about Apocalypse Now. He didn't want to 101 00:06:06,810 --> 00:06:09,420 S1: talk about Hollywood. He certainly didn't want to talk about 102 00:06:09,420 --> 00:06:12,030 S1: his love, life or anything like that. All he wanted 103 00:06:12,029 --> 00:06:15,450 S1: to talk about was Teddy Arrgh, its natural beauty, the 104 00:06:15,450 --> 00:06:18,599 S1: people of French Polynesia. He also wanted to talk about 105 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:23,339 S1: his plans for developing it into a resort. So incredible 106 00:06:23,339 --> 00:06:27,690 S1: went back in 2014. He was highly skeptical that the 107 00:06:27,690 --> 00:06:30,690 S1: Brando would measure up to its namesake dreams. 108 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,990 S2: Yeah, I remember Larry's visit. In fact, Larry and I 109 00:06:35,990 --> 00:06:38,330 S2: spoke on the phone and he said, I'm coming down. 110 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,390 S2: Bruce is asking me to come down and see your place, 111 00:06:41,390 --> 00:06:44,030 S2: but I got to tell you I know what Marlon wanted. 112 00:06:44,540 --> 00:06:47,060 S2: I was a little bit defensive. I said, Yeah, Larry, 113 00:06:47,060 --> 00:06:49,370 S2: I think I know what he wanted to sell. Come 114 00:06:49,370 --> 00:06:53,450 S2: on down or compare notes Marlon. Had he had an 115 00:06:53,450 --> 00:06:57,530 S2: idea not just for technology and a vision for his island, 116 00:06:57,529 --> 00:06:59,719 S2: but he had a he had an idea of what 117 00:06:59,870 --> 00:07:04,990 S2: experience visitors should have on his island. And he imagined 118 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,760 S2: a kind of a symbiosis where the beauty and the 119 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,920 S2: and the highly preserved nature of the place attracts people. 120 00:07:13,100 --> 00:07:17,000 S2: But in visiting, you not only don't have a negative 121 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,530 S2: impact on that beauty or on that cultural authenticity of 122 00:07:21,530 --> 00:07:25,970 S2: the Polynesian people, you actually have a positive impact and 123 00:07:26,210 --> 00:07:29,510 S2: you create a positive feedback loop for sort of a 124 00:07:29,510 --> 00:07:34,730 S2: virtuous cycle where just by being here, you're contributing to 125 00:07:34,730 --> 00:07:38,450 S2: the preservation of the site to the preservation of Polynesian 126 00:07:38,450 --> 00:07:43,580 S2: culture and to maintaining the beauty of the place. So 127 00:07:43,580 --> 00:07:47,240 S2: the idea of tourism being not only not a neutral 128 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:51,950 S2: or negative factor, but being actually a positive factor. For example, 129 00:07:51,950 --> 00:07:55,250 S2: when we first sat down, we talked about energy and 130 00:07:55,250 --> 00:07:57,920 S2: he said, I don't want to have any fossil fuel 131 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,160 S2: on the island. And so I said, Well, Marlon, that's great. 132 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,400 S2: But forget about air conditioning because that takes way too 133 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,400 S2: much energy. And he said, no. Now go see this 134 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:11,150 S2: guy in Hawaii, Dr John Craven at the National Energy 135 00:08:11,150 --> 00:08:13,790 S2: Lab in Kona, and he'll show you how we're going 136 00:08:13,790 --> 00:08:17,060 S2: to do that. So we built the world's first seawater 137 00:08:17,090 --> 00:08:21,830 S2: air conditioning system and then for electricity, we have solar, 138 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,070 S2: which is our main source of electricity. And we have 139 00:08:25,070 --> 00:08:29,120 S2: battery storage. So we're able to go about 20 hours 140 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:33,020 S2: a day without using any kind of thermal production. For 141 00:08:33,020 --> 00:08:36,770 S2: thermal production, we use coconut oil, which is a perfectly 142 00:08:36,770 --> 00:08:41,420 S2: legitimate fuel. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and 143 00:08:41,420 --> 00:08:45,110 S2: their growth cycle, and that CO2 is released during combustion, 144 00:08:45,110 --> 00:08:49,190 S2: so it's a carbon neutral fuel. So basically, when you 145 00:08:49,190 --> 00:08:52,910 S2: come to the Brando, your carbon footprint during your stay 146 00:08:52,910 --> 00:08:55,429 S2: from an energy standpoint is zero. 147 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,550 S1: Instead of being disappointed, Greubel called the resort a masterpiece, 148 00:09:02,179 --> 00:09:05,870 S1: and of course, it has been receiving a similarly effusive 149 00:09:05,870 --> 00:09:10,219 S1: accolades ever since. So what is it about the Brando 150 00:09:10,370 --> 00:09:14,689 S1: that makes it so special? It starts with the arrival. 151 00:09:16,300 --> 00:09:20,290 S2: We run a little airline called air to air, and 152 00:09:20,290 --> 00:09:25,540 S2: we have twin turbo prop aircraft that hold 15 passengers. 153 00:09:25,990 --> 00:09:28,780 S2: And we have our little private lounge and so you're 154 00:09:28,780 --> 00:09:32,140 S2: whisked away from the busyness of the international airport to 155 00:09:32,140 --> 00:09:35,050 S2: our little lounge and actually you're your brand of experience 156 00:09:35,050 --> 00:09:38,530 S2: starts in our lounge because there we have information, we 157 00:09:38,530 --> 00:09:42,340 S2: have videos and we have a nice, calm, quiet place 158 00:09:42,340 --> 00:09:46,150 S2: to gather yourself for the experience that it's about to come. 159 00:09:46,780 --> 00:09:50,740 S2: The flight itself is 15 minutes. So as soon as 160 00:09:50,740 --> 00:09:54,460 S2: you take off from Tahiti, you can basically see kitchen 161 00:09:54,460 --> 00:09:59,020 S2: roll on the horizon. The reef barrier is pretty effective 162 00:09:59,020 --> 00:10:02,020 S2: for ocean craft, and so the only way to get 163 00:10:02,020 --> 00:10:06,250 S2: here is by air. So you disembark and you're greeted 164 00:10:06,250 --> 00:10:09,820 S2: by some musicians and dancers, and you're going to go 165 00:10:09,820 --> 00:10:13,930 S2: directly to your villa. And within 25 minutes from having 166 00:10:13,929 --> 00:10:18,280 S2: left the lounge in Papic, you're on the beach ready 167 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,250 S2: to ship your first flight time. 168 00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:26,020 S1: We're going to take a quick break, and we'll be 169 00:10:26,020 --> 00:10:29,260 S1: right back to talk more about the Brando. 170 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:38,309 S3: On medicine, we're still practicing joined Dr. Stephen Takeback and 171 00:10:38,309 --> 00:10:41,880 S3: Bill Kurtis for real conversations with the medical professionals who 172 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,040 S3: have their finger on the pulse of health care in 173 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,179 S3: the modern world. Available on all your favorite podcasting platforms. 174 00:10:48,570 --> 00:10:49,770 S3: Produced by Kurt Commedia. 175 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,280 S1: Welcome back to travel that matters where Richard Bailey is 176 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,400 S1: telling us all about the guest experience at the Brando. 177 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:05,960 S2: So we have obviously we have snorkelling galore. We have 178 00:11:05,990 --> 00:11:09,800 S2: the whales, we have the sea turtles. If you've never 179 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,460 S2: been during the hatching season, we have sea turtles that 180 00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:16,970 S2: are actually hatching. The hatchlings are crawling out of their 181 00:11:16,970 --> 00:11:20,210 S2: nests right in front of you, villa. And this is 182 00:11:20,210 --> 00:11:24,800 S2: for many of our guests, especially those with children. This 183 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,780 S2: is a transformative experience. This is something that they'll remember forever. 184 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,430 S2: We have kayak tours on the lagoon. We have picnics. 185 00:11:34,429 --> 00:11:38,240 S2: I mean, this this this entire atoll, except for the 186 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,449 S2: built environment that we have here on this one module, 187 00:11:41,450 --> 00:11:45,380 S2: this one islet. The Ayatollah is composed of 12 islets, 188 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,950 S2: which we call motors' anti-Asian, and only one of them 189 00:11:48,950 --> 00:11:52,790 S2: has any construction. All of the others are a sanctuary. 190 00:11:53,179 --> 00:11:56,390 S2: We have jungle walks basically on the other most used 191 00:11:56,390 --> 00:12:00,230 S2: to look at the giant coconut crabs and flora and 192 00:12:00,230 --> 00:12:03,440 S2: fauna of these islands. We have visits to some of 193 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:08,600 S2: the archeological sites. We have picnics on remote motors' where 194 00:12:08,750 --> 00:12:13,010 S2: there's just nothing. I mean, today getting to a place 195 00:12:13,010 --> 00:12:17,270 S2: where there's nothing where you don't see anybody is a luxury. 196 00:12:17,690 --> 00:12:21,559 S2: We have green tours. We have an amazing spa. We 197 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,959 S2: have these treatment rooms that are up in the tree 198 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:26,450 S2: canopy and there's a lot to do. 199 00:12:27,910 --> 00:12:32,800 S1: One thing you won't find at the Brando overwater bungalows, guests, 200 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,280 S1: the guest rooms on stilts that sit over turquoise lagoons 201 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,460 S1: that are pretty much synonymous with Tahiti and Bora Bora 202 00:12:39,850 --> 00:12:45,190 S1: do not exist at the Brando. Why? Well, that's the 203 00:12:45,190 --> 00:12:46,210 S1: way Marlon wanted it. 204 00:12:47,650 --> 00:12:51,610 S2: Another issue that Marlon and I discussed very early on. 205 00:12:51,610 --> 00:12:54,790 S2: I mean, I I built resorts, and if you do 206 00:12:54,790 --> 00:12:57,250 S2: what I do, you dream of having a place like 207 00:12:57,250 --> 00:13:01,449 S2: tequila as a canvas to express yourself on. I told 208 00:13:01,450 --> 00:13:03,640 S2: my island the first time we sat down that we 209 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,250 S2: have to build overwater bungalows. We're going to build overwater 210 00:13:06,250 --> 00:13:09,219 S2: bungalows over here. We're going to build them over there. 211 00:13:09,730 --> 00:13:12,310 S2: You've got this amazing the gun we're going to build, 212 00:13:12,309 --> 00:13:16,600 S2: lavorato or gunners everywhere. And he said, No, we are not. 213 00:13:16,870 --> 00:13:20,770 S2: That's wrong. We're actually not going to build any guests 214 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,640 S2: at our resort should be able to walk around this 215 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:30,550 S2: island without encountering any obstruction, physical or visual. And we 216 00:13:30,550 --> 00:13:33,040 S2: don't want him to have to cross any kind of 217 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,689 S2: walkway or have their view obstructed by these bungalows out 218 00:13:37,690 --> 00:13:41,319 S2: on the horizon. And he said, anyway, they're not that private. 219 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,830 S2: When you're in your overwater bungalow, that's not so private. 220 00:13:45,070 --> 00:13:47,469 S2: You can wave to the guy that's on the overwater 221 00:13:47,470 --> 00:13:51,490 S2: bungalow right next to you. His point was that everything 222 00:13:51,490 --> 00:13:55,570 S2: should be blended into the landscaping, into the nature. We 223 00:13:55,570 --> 00:13:59,080 S2: set everything back more than 35 metres from the beach. 224 00:13:59,350 --> 00:14:02,410 S2: So when you're on your terrace in your villa, somebody 225 00:14:02,410 --> 00:14:05,650 S2: walking along the beach, they don't see you. They don't 226 00:14:05,650 --> 00:14:07,120 S2: invade your privacy. 227 00:14:08,980 --> 00:14:11,800 S1: Guess at the Brando stay in one of 35 villas, 228 00:14:12,250 --> 00:14:15,460 S1: each with its own private beach area and plunge pool, 229 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,250 S1: which is one of the many reasons the Brando has 230 00:14:18,250 --> 00:14:21,880 S1: become so popular, with guests eager for an escape from 231 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:26,320 S1: prying eyes. But privacy has long been paramount on Teddy Iroa, 232 00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:30,570 S1: which was a private retreat for two Haitian royalty for centuries. Today, 233 00:14:30,850 --> 00:14:32,950 S1: in addition to the Brando, the toll is home to 234 00:14:32,950 --> 00:14:35,920 S1: a local community that is core to the resort experience 235 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,820 S1: and is yet another example of how Richard and Marlon 236 00:14:39,910 --> 00:14:40,810 S1: thought differently 237 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,480 S2: just by being here. We have finally finished surveying most 238 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,960 S2: of the island, and we've uncovered over 100 points of 239 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,040 S2: sites of archaeological interest on the atoll. The atoll of 240 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,910 S2: pitcher oil was the exclusive retreat for teachers and kings 241 00:14:58,030 --> 00:15:02,500 S2: for hundreds of years. And we know this by studying 242 00:15:02,810 --> 00:15:06,700 S2: the archaeology that we found and the logbooks of the 243 00:15:06,790 --> 00:15:11,050 S2: early explorers like Captain Cook and Captain Bougainville are are 244 00:15:11,250 --> 00:15:16,030 S2: replete with references to pitaro. And in fact, in Captain Cook, 245 00:15:16,030 --> 00:15:19,239 S2: Second Voyage had to wait at Anchor in Tahiti for 246 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,270 S2: three months for the King to come back from zero 247 00:15:22,350 --> 00:15:25,270 S2: before he could designate the place where the Marines would 248 00:15:25,270 --> 00:15:28,870 S2: go ashore and set up their fort. The community on 249 00:15:28,870 --> 00:15:33,400 S2: Pedro is the one that we built, which is perhaps 250 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,000 S2: the greatest challenge of our project. And not only did 251 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,020 S2: we had to build a greenfield development on a remote 252 00:15:41,050 --> 00:15:45,630 S2: off the grid resort with neutral carbon impact and a 253 00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:48,609 S2: laboratory and so forth and so on. We have a 254 00:15:48,610 --> 00:15:52,000 S2: tremendous social experiment because we have a hundred and eighty 255 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,510 S2: workers living here, and you know, what did they do 256 00:15:55,510 --> 00:15:58,630 S2: in their off time? They need to have a life here. 257 00:15:58,630 --> 00:16:01,630 S2: And it's like when I first sat down with Marlon, 258 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,240 S2: he said, we're going to build a beautiful resort. And 259 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,400 S2: he said, No, don't think that way. We have to 260 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,220 S2: build a community. If we don't build a community, we 261 00:16:09,220 --> 00:16:12,490 S2: will fail. And probably the thing that I'm most proud 262 00:16:12,490 --> 00:16:16,600 S2: of today is the shared values of all of our staff, 263 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,180 S2: all of our employees, your manager. You can talk to 264 00:16:19,180 --> 00:16:22,180 S2: anybody on this island and they will have something to 265 00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:25,390 S2: tell you about how special it is and and their 266 00:16:25,390 --> 00:16:27,850 S2: role in helping to protect it. 267 00:16:29,140 --> 00:16:32,020 S1: Protecting the atoll and the environment at large is a 268 00:16:32,020 --> 00:16:35,830 S1: primary focus of the teddy iroa society. Guests at the 269 00:16:35,830 --> 00:16:39,910 S1: Brando had the opportunity to interact with the organization's scientists 270 00:16:40,180 --> 00:16:45,100 S1: and experience the research firsthand. And for Richard, his wish 271 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:49,180 S1: is that the Teddy Arua society's research has implications far 272 00:16:49,180 --> 00:16:50,500 S1: beyond the Brando. 273 00:16:52,460 --> 00:16:57,770 S2: We established Ted Hero Society, which is a platform, it's 274 00:16:57,770 --> 00:17:02,600 S2: a laboratory, you know, with sleeping accommodations for visiting scientists. 275 00:17:03,050 --> 00:17:07,520 S2: We don't do research ourselves, but we invite scientists who 276 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,179 S2: come from all over the world studying a wide variety 277 00:17:11,180 --> 00:17:15,110 S2: of of subjects from things involving climate change, such as 278 00:17:15,109 --> 00:17:21,170 S2: ocean acidity to species, populations and coral and fish and 279 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:25,820 S2: coconut crabs and sharks and you name it. So guests 280 00:17:25,820 --> 00:17:29,300 S2: are able to wander over and see what the scientists 281 00:17:29,300 --> 00:17:32,179 S2: are working on. They can go out and actually gather 282 00:17:32,180 --> 00:17:36,680 S2: data with the scientists if they want and learn something. 283 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,179 S2: And at the same time, by staying at the Brando, 284 00:17:40,190 --> 00:17:45,140 S2: the Brando is financially sponsors the laboratory. And so we 285 00:17:45,140 --> 00:17:49,970 S2: have this tight relationship between tourism and science to help 286 00:17:49,970 --> 00:17:55,429 S2: perpetuate the beauty of the of the place and Asian culture. Obviously, 287 00:17:55,430 --> 00:17:58,250 S2: we need to protect the oceans if we're going to 288 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:02,030 S2: have any impact on climate change. And conversely, we have 289 00:18:02,030 --> 00:18:05,300 S2: to correct climate change if we want to protect the oceans. 290 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:09,290 S2: So it's a systemic problem. And out here in the 291 00:18:09,290 --> 00:18:13,730 S2: middle of the Pacific, I mean, Titian's didn't cause climate change, 292 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,580 S2: but they're going to pay the price. And out in 293 00:18:16,580 --> 00:18:19,550 S2: the big oceans where we are as opposed to a 294 00:18:19,550 --> 00:18:24,230 S2: long continental coastlines, this is the real canary in the mine. 295 00:18:24,380 --> 00:18:27,649 S2: This is where when things start happening here, then we 296 00:18:27,650 --> 00:18:31,010 S2: really do have to worry as to how to Brando. 297 00:18:31,010 --> 00:18:35,900 S2: Marlin Sun once said, Save Tetreault, save the world. If 298 00:18:35,900 --> 00:18:38,840 S2: we can't save one island, how are we ever going 299 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,640 S2: to save the world? So our approach is actually microcosmic. 300 00:18:44,180 --> 00:18:47,690 S2: Our approach is to start with our society. If we 301 00:18:47,690 --> 00:18:51,470 S2: can make teterboro a model of how to do things 302 00:18:51,470 --> 00:18:55,250 S2: to effect change, then perhaps and that's a baby step 303 00:18:55,250 --> 00:18:58,050 S2: toward solving the larger, bigger problems. 304 00:18:59,660 --> 00:19:03,889 S1: Solving the world's problems at one of the world's best resorts. 305 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,310 S1: It does not get much better than that. And that's 306 00:19:07,490 --> 00:19:09,980 S1: what travel that matters is all about. 307 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,630 S3: And now for the wall and wrap up. 308 00:19:15,290 --> 00:19:18,470 S1: Wow, what a way to kick off our new miniseries 309 00:19:18,470 --> 00:19:23,359 S1: about the world's best hotels and resorts, the Brando Richard Bailey. 310 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,420 S1: So great having him on the show. Now I have 311 00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:28,850 S1: to admit I've never been to the Brando, but I 312 00:19:28,850 --> 00:19:30,560 S1: have been to a lot of great places that I 313 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,900 S1: would put in that category one of the world's best 314 00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:36,230 S1: hotels and resorts. I'm thinking about, you know, safari lodges 315 00:19:36,230 --> 00:19:40,520 S1: in Africa, Duba Plains or cylinder camp adventure lodges in 316 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:44,090 S1: South America, like the Explorer camps or Tierra. Of course, 317 00:19:44,090 --> 00:19:46,790 S1: I'm also a sucker for wonderful beach resorts, just like 318 00:19:46,790 --> 00:19:49,820 S1: everybody else lost salamanders, which is just down the road 319 00:19:49,820 --> 00:19:53,149 S1: from me here and on Mexico's Pacific coast. But I 320 00:19:53,150 --> 00:19:55,340 S1: don't want to just hear about my choices. I want 321 00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:58,070 S1: to hear yours. What are the places that you love? 322 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,950 S1: What are your favorite hotels resorts that can be a 323 00:20:01,190 --> 00:20:05,510 S1: classic city property? Private island resort. Whatever it is, I 324 00:20:05,510 --> 00:20:08,000 S1: want to know what do you love? What type of 325 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,280 S1: resort do you seek out and what do you think 326 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,669 S1: we should feature on future episodes of travel that matters? 327 00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:18,230 S1: Shoot me an email at Bruce. At Kirk Kokum, you 328 00:20:18,230 --> 00:20:20,960 S1: can send an audio file. You can send text, whatever 329 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:22,820 S1: it is, I want to hear from you and hear 330 00:20:22,910 --> 00:20:30,950 S1: what places you love most. We'd like to thank Mr 331 00:20:30,950 --> 00:20:34,460 S1: Bailey for joining us today on travel that matters. For 332 00:20:34,460 --> 00:20:37,850 S1: more information about the Brando, the Teddy Arua society and 333 00:20:37,850 --> 00:20:40,820 S1: his other projects, please check out our show notes or 334 00:20:40,820 --> 00:20:45,379 S1: visit Kurt Kokum. The show was produced for Kurt Commedia 335 00:20:45,650 --> 00:20:50,860 S1: by A.J. Moseley and Doris Stone, Music by Joey Salvia I, 336 00:20:50,869 --> 00:20:53,270 S1: Bruce Wallen, and we'll see you down the road. 337 00:20:59,830 --> 00:21:03,340 S3: Kurt Commedia. Media for your mind.