The Most Remote Private Island Resorts, Where Seclusion Is the Ultimate Luxury
- Arue 98702, French Polynesia
Marlon Brando was filming Mutiny on the Bounty in the early 1960s when he first came across Tetiaroa, a private island in French Polynesia. The actor was so enamored with the remote isle that he eventually persuaded the owners to sell it to him (well, it was actually a nearly 100-year lease), and used it as his own off-the-grid getaway for years. He eventually wanted to transform it into a genuine eco-resort—no greenwashing allowed—and a decade after his death, his dream came to fruition when The Brando opened. The private island resort is reachable via a 20-ish minute private flight on Air Tetiaroa (the exclusive service provider to the atoll) from Faa’a airport; guests land directly at the resort.
Brando said that when people visited the island, they shouldn’t be able to see the villas when walking on the beach, so the 35 private accommodations are built into the natural landscape—you really can’t see them when walking on the white sand beaches; it’s wild, beautiful and, perhaps most importantly, truly private. The villas align with the eco-focused ethos of the Brando; they were constructed to conserve resources and limit waste, while blending into—and not harming—the natural environment. From the outside, they appear as simple thatched huts off the main path, but once guests step inside, the one- to three-bedroom villas are surprisingly sleek and contemporary, with separate living and sleeping areas, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, upholstered seating and a neutral color palette of creams with light and dark woods. Every room has its own outdoor pool and various lounging areas, including a hammock, with direct lagoon access. You could easily stay in your villa for your entire stay if you really want to embrace that castaway-private-island feel, but even the public spaces are designed with privacy in mind—the main pool, for example, never feels crowded, with thoughtful landscaping and hedges that separate chairs into private nooks and enclaves. There are three main restaurants and a couple of bars, plus a spa. It’s no surprise that it’s an A-list favorite—Barack Obama famously stayed at the Brando when writing his memoirs; Pippa Middleton honeymooned here, and Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio have all stayed here.
