0:00:02 > 0:00:05All the over world there are remarkable hotels
0:00:05 > 0:00:08born of bold vision and daring endeavour.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Wow!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11This is how I ought to live.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Whether it's one of the remotest hotels on earth,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16hidden on a Pacific island...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17..or a sumptuous resort
0:00:17 > 0:00:20on one of the highest mountains in the Middle East...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24What an incredible view!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26..the people running these hotels
0:00:26 > 0:00:28strive to create the perfect sanctuary.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33But what does it take to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences
0:00:33 > 0:00:35in stunning locations?
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Construction was a logistical nightmare.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42No water, no source of power.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44I'm a restaurant writer, newspaper columnist and critic.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I have opinions on just about everything.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48He's not a very good driver, is he?
0:00:48 > 0:00:50- Majnoon!- Majnoon!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Crazy!
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Majnoon!
0:00:54 > 0:00:58And I'm a chef who's worked for the top end of the hospitality industry
0:00:58 > 0:00:59for well over 20 years.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01This is awesome. Whoo!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08We'll travel to amazing hotels in every corner of the world...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Enjoy.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14..to spend time getting to know the people
0:01:14 > 0:01:16working away behind the scenes.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I polished Elton John's fruits.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22You polished Elton John's fruits?!
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Do you recall life under apartheid, has it changed for you?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Nelson Mandela was the first black president.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Given me more inspiration to achieve what I want in life.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Join us as we venture inside...
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..the world's most extraordinary hotels.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49This private plane is approaching an island retreat
0:01:49 > 0:01:52in one of the remotest places on the planet.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Lying in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean
0:01:55 > 0:01:57is the atoll of Tetiaroa.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02A necklace of 12 small islets
0:02:02 > 0:02:05surrounding a ludicrously turquoise lagoon
0:02:05 > 0:02:09is sheltered from the deep ocean waves
0:02:09 > 0:02:11by an uninterrupted coral reef.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Tetiaroa lies 30 miles north of Tahiti in French Polynesia.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Three flights and well over 24 hours travel away from the UK.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26It's pretty much as far away from any landmass as you can be.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30This Eden also attracts the kind of marine life
0:02:30 > 0:02:33that would have made Darwin's jaw drop.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40And hidden in the shade of the atoll's whispering palm fronds
0:02:40 > 0:02:41is a breathtaking resort.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48We're not on our way to any old hotel.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We are on our way to the Brando.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01This place is considered to be one of the most exclusive,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03eco-conscious hotels in the world.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16It's very difficult for somewhere to live up
0:03:16 > 0:03:18to the sort of expectations I have about this,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21because this is the furthest I've ever been anywhere in the world -
0:03:21 > 0:03:23and I've been reading about Captain Cook on the way here.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25The Bounty, and the whole history of it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The beauty - people have gone on for 300 years about how beautiful it is.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's possible you could fly over in a plane and go, "Eh",
0:03:31 > 0:03:34but I didn't - it was absolutely amazing.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It's not like it's always been my dream to come here,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38but now that I've seen it, I realise it should have been.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40When the plane was coming down, I just was, "Where is it?"
0:03:40 > 0:03:42You know, "Where is this resort?"
0:03:42 > 0:03:45It's so beautiful, lush, green, blue.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I was born in Samoa, so I want to see the similarities.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52It's a bit like coming home -
0:03:52 > 0:03:55in the culture, as well as the surroundings to what I'm used to.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58So, it is special being here.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59THEY SING
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Thank you. See you later.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Time to go our separate ways and immerse into hotel life.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The Brando's 35 villas, restaurant and spa
0:04:13 > 0:04:17are all spread out across the atoll's only inhabited island,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Onetahi.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23This eco-resort is open all year round.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29The most expensive room here costs a gob smacking £11,000 a night.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Staff work around the clock to run the 5-star beach-side restaurant...
0:04:35 > 0:04:38..offering French and Polynesian cuisine
0:04:38 > 0:04:42that uses ingredients from the organic garden...
0:04:42 > 0:04:44..A state-of-the-art spa
0:04:44 > 0:04:47using locally sourced extra virgin coconut oil...
0:04:49 > 0:04:53..and provide water sports in the crystal clear lagoon
0:04:53 > 0:04:56alongside the chance to swim with stunning marine life...
0:04:58 > 0:05:00..but, perhaps most impressive of all,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02each villa has its own secluded beach.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Privacy is prized so highly that there is no reception.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10A chauffeur whisks guests off to their villas,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12feet barely touching the ground.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Seclusion is the ultimate luxury for the rich and famous...
0:05:19 > 0:05:21..and since the resort is hidden behind the tree line,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25celebrities and US presidents alike can't get enough of the place.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Before we get to work there is just time to check out our rooms.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34So, Monica, welcome home.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36This here is the magic key.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40After you.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Rumour has it this is megastar Leonardo DiCaprio's favourite villa.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Well, it's been whispered that Barack Obama prefers mine.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Look at that!
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I don't think I want to go anywhere else.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I've got the perfect spot.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02All the villas are made with environmentally friendly materials.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Inside is a blend of old and new,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07as the roof is thatched with local pandanus leaves.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Yet the bespoke emperor sized beds, sexy outdoor bathrooms,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and 24-hour hi-tech butlering
0:06:14 > 0:06:17show an attempt to deliver the utmost contemporary luxury -
0:06:17 > 0:06:19and despite its remoteness,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22it's a super air-conditioned, super comfortable, super high spec room
0:06:22 > 0:06:26that's simply bigger and more comfortable than my actual house.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I'd almost say it's too high spec -
0:06:34 > 0:06:36it protects you a bit from the place -
0:06:36 > 0:06:40but the fact is that people who can afford to come here are so rich
0:06:40 > 0:06:42that they inevitably expect it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45That's got to be the nature of the tourism here.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48There's such an emphasis on personalised service here
0:06:48 > 0:06:49that my chauffeur has returned
0:06:49 > 0:06:51with a nostalgic gift.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Amazing.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59I was telling Ludo on the ride over that as a child I used to eat this,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and he said "I'll find you one", and he's got me one here.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03Merci.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05Mm.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12There are just so many enormous, and beautiful,
0:07:12 > 0:07:13and probably delicious fish -
0:07:13 > 0:07:15and I've only been here ten minutes.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I just want to strip off and go and harpoon something...
0:07:18 > 0:07:20..within the parameters that are acceptable
0:07:20 > 0:07:23to the conservation project in this area, of course.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25I mean, like, not a turtle.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33The whole resort exists due to the efforts of passionate visionaries
0:07:33 > 0:07:36including lawyer-turned-hotelier Stan Rowland.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Tetiaroa is really a natural marvel.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44It's one of the most spectacular places I've ever been in the world,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47and one of the most spectacular places in the world.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It's got a combination of not only natural beauty,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53but it's got a rich cultural history.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56The charms of the region
0:07:56 > 0:07:59inspired the crew of the 18th century ship HMS Bounty
0:07:59 > 0:08:01to mutiny against their captain and go native.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Two centuries later,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09the island mesmerised the superstar Marlon Brando
0:08:09 > 0:08:12when he arrived to film a Hollywood version of the story.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16He fell in love with both the island of Tetiaroa and the leading lady,
0:08:16 > 0:08:17and he ended up with both of them.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Marlon Brando bought the atoll in 1967 for £200,000,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26and he soon began building a primitive hotel
0:08:26 > 0:08:28in the shape of a few wooden huts,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30calling it Tetiaroa Village.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35I'm meeting up with Stan to find out more
0:08:35 > 0:08:37about Marlon's fascination with this place.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Actually, his hotel, the Tetiaroa Village,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42was on the far side of the island -
0:08:42 > 0:08:43but he loved this place,
0:08:43 > 0:08:45the whole concept of the hotel was actually conceived
0:08:45 > 0:08:47in the early meetings with Marlon Brando.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50He provided a lot of the ideas behind what we're doing today.
0:08:50 > 0:08:51Some of them a little bit fanciful -
0:08:51 > 0:08:54the idea of generating electricity with electric eels,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57which we have... which we have not followed up on!
0:08:57 > 0:09:01- Um...- How was he planning for that to work?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04A series of tanks and, I guess, some sort of extraction,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06I'm not sure if it really came and...
0:09:06 > 0:09:10..but he had ideas like that, but he was a great idea man.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12He wanted to bring tourists to the island
0:09:12 > 0:09:14to raise money to conserve it. Was that the vision?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Yeah, I think he wanted to bring tourists in -
0:09:16 > 0:09:18but, yeah, he also had this vision of a university of the sea,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21where he wanted people, the great minds of his time
0:09:21 > 0:09:24to come together and talk about major issues of his time.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28The hotel has come a long way since Marlon's day.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Back then the place was very basic,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33lacking in infrastructure and infested with mosquitoes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37In the late '90s, Brando brought in hoteliers
0:09:37 > 0:09:38to plan an upgrade of the resort
0:09:38 > 0:09:41in keeping with his environmental ethos.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Construction of the new Brando hotel began in 2007,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49involving hundreds of people.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51The project was fraught with difficulties...
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Construction, to be frank with you, was a logistical nightmare.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58No water,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01no source of power, no electricity.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04We had to start from scratch.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07..but Marlon Brando's influence on the new project was immense.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12He was insistent on building a resort that was carbon neutral.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Every decision made here was driven by a desire to be eco-sensitive,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20such as using only sustainable timber in construction -
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and the carbon footprint was so light
0:10:22 > 0:10:26that the hotel has been given a top environmental award.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The new resort eventually opened in 2014...
0:10:31 > 0:10:34..but sadly Marlon Brando died before ever seeing it finished.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's 5:30 in the morning and I'm off to start work.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Over 250 French and Polynesian staff run this resort...
0:10:51 > 0:10:55..but every job here depends on this faraway island being fully stocked.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03The man in charge of all deliveries is French logistics manager Nicolas.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05He's been working here for six years.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I'm going to be Nicolas' first mate
0:11:15 > 0:11:17as we travel to the hotel's reef dock
0:11:17 > 0:11:20to meet a ship and collect crucial supplies.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23There are two literally six foot blacktip sharks there.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Just fish, they eat fish only.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29He's seen me. He's obviously tasted Englishman before.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33These sharks are, in fact, only young
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and are protected by the surrounding coral reef.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The lagoon inside acts as a watery creche
0:11:39 > 0:11:41as the reef keeps out the bigger predators.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45If it were cut wide open allowing big boats in to deliver supplies,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49the delicate ecosystem would be destroyed.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- So, is that the boat coming to meet us?- Yeah.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55So the hotel has come up with an eco-friendly way
0:11:55 > 0:11:56to receive deliveries.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- Is our breakfast on there?- Yeah.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03The clever solution is a crane on a platform constructed over the reef.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06This crane not only lifts cargo coming to the hotel,
0:12:06 > 0:12:09but also anything returning to the mainland.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Giant, massive bags with Brando written on them.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Shaped much as he was in later years.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Big boats moor up on the outside to unload
0:12:22 > 0:12:24while Nicolas' small barge stays on the inside.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29This way, the reef remains intact,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and the lagoon ecosystem is protected.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37This one has less impact on the environment inside
0:12:37 > 0:12:41because if you dig a pass, there is a new current inside,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43there's a lot of new species going inside -
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and you change all the things inside the lagoon.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Your life would be much easier
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- if the boat could sail in and moor up at the hotel.- Yep.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07It's just wonderfully incongruous,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10because they're basically dockers in paradise.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13In fact, that's a good idea for a documentary series.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16It also makes you aware that it's all very well
0:13:16 > 0:13:18to fly here to come on holiday,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19but someone has to do an awful lot of work.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21And that someone is now me.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25I'm putting a hard hat on, I have to wear one.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I'm very relieved, because this apparently weighs five tonnes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33If it fell on my head, I'd want to have a plastic hat on.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Geezer's got two hats on, he's taking no chances.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40YMCA.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Don't think he knows what I'm on about.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45- I should ask him.- I need your help!
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Oh, sorry. He needs my help.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50The team shifts nearly 2,500 tonnes of goods a year.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Today we're collecting, amongst other things,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57tanks of coconut oil biofuel to run the resort's eco generators...
0:13:59 > 0:14:00Like that?
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Be careful with your hand. OK, dude.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07..as well as materials for villa repairs
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and resupplies of quality meat from Tahiti and beyond.
0:14:13 > 0:14:14We're even picking up bikes
0:14:14 > 0:14:16to be used by guests to explore the island.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24By 7:30am the housekeepers are also well into their working day.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29If I see it, somebody else can see it.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30You can definitely see that is not...
0:14:30 > 0:14:34That's not really clean. You want to see perfection.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35I'm a bit crazy with that.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38In charge is executive housekeeper Stephanie...
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Look, this is great. That's nice.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44..who learned her trade at the Ritz in Paris
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and has been at the Brando for three years.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49That's the difference between four-star and five-star.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52It's OK?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I'm joining Stephanie and her crew
0:14:55 > 0:14:58to learn how they try to deliver the highest standards
0:14:58 > 0:15:01to the most exclusive guests in the world.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Happy birthday, cherie!- Oh, merci!
0:15:04 > 0:15:06You get the best out of your team when they're happy.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09All the time, what I say to them, "If you have any problem,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11"anything you want, just come and tell me,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13"and we arrange something."
0:15:13 > 0:15:15We try to organise whatever they want.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Stephanie's 34 eco cleaners
0:15:28 > 0:15:31use only natural products and no damaging chemicals.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Right, so, into the room we go?
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- Yes.- Yes.- Let's go, OK.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Every morning the pressure is on
0:15:40 > 0:15:44to make all 35 villas spotless in just a few hours -
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and we're doing it barefooted so we don't drag in sand.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50We just want... I just want to move it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Got nice decoration.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54- Look at that.- And this is really shiny and that's perfect.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56That's beautiful. So beautiful.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58This is amazing.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00This room that we're preparing,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03this is going to be for some Hollywood VIP?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Come on, Steph, give me something to go on!- No. Look.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- It's so professional. - No, no. It's not really...
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Yeah, that's maybe professional, but it's just normal.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17You know, they come here to be part of our life.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Just sharing with us this paradise -
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and we definitely... we can't tell you the names.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28To work at this hotel, staff must sign a confidentiality agreement.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Monica, we need to work now. - OK. OK.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36This is so ridiculous.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Asking for help to fold a towel.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41This... I feel hopeless.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- There we go.- It's nice.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Why, yes, of course, I do all my towels like this at home.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46And does that go to the back?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Exactly. It's even better than me!
0:16:50 > 0:16:52You make it perfect.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- OK, you start tomorrow, Monica.- Oh!
0:16:54 > 0:16:57We have a problem with something now.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Something happened, a customer can say "Oh, something's wrong with it."
0:17:00 > 0:17:02So, always like this. Yeah, just make sure.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Because, like this, look, what I find.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12- A fly.- But you see everything.- Yeah.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- I wouldn't be happy if my room... - Yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20For housekeeping, it's one villa down, 34 to go.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25On the hotel's reef dock,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I've been such a help getting the deliveries off the ship
0:17:28 > 0:17:30that Nicolas has promoted me.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34I can't really believe that I'm operating a crane -
0:17:34 > 0:17:35on my own, for the moment -
0:17:35 > 0:17:39on a reef surrounded by literally shark-infested waters.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Now we move really slowly.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I want to go that way a bit, don't I?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48So, this one to go left, yeah?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50It's like some hideous game show.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Is it not swinging too much?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Would you normally have somebody there to help...?
0:17:54 > 0:17:59- Yeah.- Do you want me to do that? - Yes, if you want to.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02The last container needs to be dropped onto the barge,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04and with the ship having left,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06it falls to me to guide it into position.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I'm just going to help him manoeuvre the crate into space.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Because it was either him do it and me lower it
0:18:13 > 0:18:14and squash him and kill him,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17or vice versa, without the squashing and killing.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Big gust of wind and it's early lunch for the sharks.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- C'est bon? - Yeah, good. Good worker.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Job's a mighty fine one.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36This is man's work.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It's very, really, quite embarrassingly thrilling.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45The thing is if you're some geezer spending £4,000 a night on this hotel
0:18:45 > 0:18:47you'd still be in bed having your croissant
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and flicking through Instagram or something instead
0:18:49 > 0:18:52of out here working, seeing amazing sunrises.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Amazing views that normal people simply don't get.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01I'm back in time to deliver supplies
0:19:01 > 0:19:04to the hotel's kitchen before breakfast.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Here you go.- Thank you very much.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08You're welcome.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Thank you. See you later.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13It's fast approaching check-in time.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16This is the best job ever.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I'm helping the housekeepers with some artistic final touches.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28So, it's a VVVIP
0:19:28 > 0:19:30having a first wedding anniversary.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31There's a clue.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Adornment with native flowers such as the tiare
0:19:39 > 0:19:41signifies welcome in Polynesian culture,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and it's learned from a young age.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Oh!
0:19:50 > 0:19:52There we go.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58She's got me paranoid, like, picking up every little thing now!
0:19:58 > 0:19:59PHONE RINGS
0:20:00 > 0:20:01Oui?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- You have to go?- Yes. - OK, I'll see you after.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- OK, I'll see you later. - Thank you. Bye.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16OK, she's gone. Shall we have a drink at the minibar before...?
0:20:21 > 0:20:22It's a joke.
0:20:24 > 0:20:2928-year-old Heitiare, whose Tahitian name means bouquet of flowers,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31has been cleaning villas for three years.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33She works eight-hour shifts
0:20:33 > 0:20:35and lives on the island in staff quarters
0:20:35 > 0:20:37away from the guests' private beaches.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57The villa is ready with five minutes to spare,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00so I persuade Heitiare to join me for a paddle.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Ah, look at that. Hello.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14It's like a sea cucumber...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And you don't touch?
0:21:19 > 0:21:20Argh!
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Guests say they are lured here
0:21:36 > 0:21:40not only by the remoteness and luxury of the resort,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but also by the nature that surrounds it.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52After a busy shift I suddenly spy something extraordinary
0:21:52 > 0:21:56from the breakfast terrace that highlights exactly why.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58What did you see?
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It's a definite whale, definite whale.
0:22:00 > 0:22:01Definite...
0:22:04 > 0:22:06There. There.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Definitely a whale.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14My God, just leapt out.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17there are binoculars knocking around on tables in case you see whales.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18It's not just like they're put there
0:22:18 > 0:22:21in case you're disappointed with the small portions.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I'm very glad that they had them there.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25I'm not very good with binoculars.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26There again. Look at that.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Proper sort of Captain Ahab moment.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33The white whale...
0:22:33 > 0:22:36..and all that "thar she blows" stuff.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I've never seen a whale before. Did anybody pick up my phone?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44So exciting was it that I dropped my phone and didn't go back to get it.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So... You can tell it was a whale.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Wouldn't do that for no cormorant.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Listen to the ocean, that reminds me of home.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04It's 6pm, before service starts,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06and I'm keen to know more about the inner workings
0:23:06 > 0:23:08of the open air restaurant here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Setting the table.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14The maitre d' in charge is Adrian,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17who's lived in French Polynesia nearly all his life.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20We are way more than just waiters here.
0:23:20 > 0:23:21People want to speak with us.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23They want to understand why we are in a place like that.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25They are going to ask questions to us.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27It's not only about food and wine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29To see how the hotel strives
0:23:29 > 0:23:31to create a luxurious dining experience...
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- I'm in training.- Yeah, you are in training.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35..Adrian has made me his apprentice for the evening.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38All right, this doesn't happen often.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Honestly, you better hope you keep me away from your guests.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I'm normally better in the back of house.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Yeah, yeah. I've been told that.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- Yeah. But it's fine.- Is that the right way for this plate?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52And how long have you worked here?
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Almost two years now.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56I came with my father here 25 years ago.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59We actually came many times.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02There is a species, it's called coconut crab,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and my dad loved that so much.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05He actually used me as a decoy.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08So, he was taking me in the forest, putting me in the middle,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and was like, "Tap with your foot," and the crabs were just coming out
0:24:11 > 0:24:14to see what was coming from the tree...
0:24:14 > 0:24:16- No!- ..and so he was just grabbing the crab -
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and that's why I came.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Marlon was there from time to time, but he didn't...
0:24:21 > 0:24:22Marlon Brando was here and then...
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Yeah. Any take on a traditional food on this menu?
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- Yes.- Adapted for this.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30The tuna, which is the most common dish
0:24:30 > 0:24:32that we do in French Polynesia.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Crab meat with mayonnaise,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39fried served with curry and coconut foam.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And the majority of the fruit and veg that's on here -
0:24:41 > 0:24:43are you importing a lot into the island?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Everything is mostly coming from French Polynesia.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- OK.- For many reasons. We want to make things right,
0:24:48 > 0:24:49and to make things right,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51we have to think also about the place where we are living.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Not only on the ecology part,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56but also in the service, in the food, in the drinks.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It's the whole thing.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We are a new generation of resort, and that's what we want to be.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02It's so pretty.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05The silhouette of that boat is just beautiful, isn't it?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I'd never get any work done out here.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I would constantly be taking this wine glass
0:25:10 > 0:25:12and just sitting down here with it.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14More, please!
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Well, that's what we do on the day off.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28With plenty of covers this evening,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31the kitchen will be serving East-West fusion -
0:25:31 > 0:25:35classic French and Polynesian inspired dishes.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39- So this is your main kitchen here. - Yes.- Hey, guys.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41One of which is very familiar to me.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45It's so funny. I had this on my lunch menu about three weeks ago,
0:25:45 > 0:25:46back in London.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53This traditional dish is called poisson cru, made with raw fish,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56like tuna diced vegetables from the hotel's garden,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58a squirt of lime juice...
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Oh, c'est magnifique.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03And all mixed together with the magic ingredient -
0:26:03 > 0:26:05freshly squeezed coconut milk.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12This dish embodies the Polynesian culture and what we are about.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Oh, wow!
0:26:24 > 0:26:25I like the way it's been served.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29The orders are coming in thick and fast,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32and the popular dish of the night is...
0:26:32 > 0:26:34..the poisson cru.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35- Hello.- Hello.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- Hello.- Hi. This is for you.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40Thank you.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Enjoy.- Thank you very much.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57However much diners may like the food, there are always leftovers...
0:26:58 > 0:27:01..and every morning, the waste from the restaurant
0:27:01 > 0:27:04is taken to be processed in a digester for 24 hours...
0:27:06 > 0:27:09..turning it into compost
0:27:09 > 0:27:13to enrich the soil of the hotel's organic garden.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17A host of fruit and veg and even vanilla pods are grown here,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21with the aim of making the kitchen 80% self-sufficient
0:27:21 > 0:27:22within the next few years.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26One delicious but potentially hazardous ingredient
0:27:26 > 0:27:28found everywhere on the island is coconut.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33The man tasked with making the island safe
0:27:33 > 0:27:36by trimming coconuts for the kitchen is eagle-eyed John.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47This morning, I'm going to be John's assistant.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51A troublesome tree in this villa's garden needs a trim.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55The hotel prohibits heavy machinery that could damage the beach,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57so John uses an old school technique.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It's dangerous even putting on your workwear!
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I mean, that could go horribly wrong
0:28:04 > 0:28:07if you were running for a bus in a pair of them.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12May not stand under it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14With the aid of his medieval crampons,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17John's attempting to summit a 60-footer.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Technology that looks like it comes from the 15th century -
0:28:22 > 0:28:25but he's defied gravity!
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Apparently, John's the only person on the island
0:28:27 > 0:28:28brave enough to do this.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30They tested, like, ten people,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32and he was the only one brave enough to go to the top.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35We are in the presence of some serious courage.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37It does look quite precarious, doesn't it?
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Oh, my God.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51That thud when those things hit the ground. Hey!
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Cluster bomb!
0:28:55 > 0:28:57That's like a rugby ball full of concrete,
0:28:57 > 0:28:58and if that fell on your head,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00it really, really, really wouldn't be funny.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Even though everybody would laugh.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Of course, we know what's going to happen next.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10Don't we?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18My name's Forrest. Forrest Gump.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Do you remember, with the shackles, and they come off.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23You know what I mean?
0:29:26 > 0:29:27No.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Like this... Sort of...
0:29:38 > 0:29:40This is dangerous, you know. Anyway...
0:29:46 > 0:29:48This is...
0:29:48 > 0:29:50..freaking dangerous!
0:29:50 > 0:29:51All my weight on my heel.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I've got to try and pull that one out. OK.
0:30:01 > 0:30:02OK. We're cooking with gas here.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10This is amazing!
0:30:10 > 0:30:13You get over the fear, you conquer the fear, and you get up here,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15and then you're just the king of the tropics.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18I want to spend the rest of my life just living in the trees.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Look out belo-o-ow!
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Come on! You didn't really think I was right up at the top, did you?
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Guest safety is taken very seriously by all members of staff.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Pool boys must equip visitors with a life-saving device.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47This is very important.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51A GPS. When you press here, this sets you on the computer.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Anyone needing help in the lagoon won't be waiting for long.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02The care and attention doesn't stop there.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04The hotel even employs landscapers
0:31:04 > 0:31:07to literally beachcomb and remove sharp coral
0:31:07 > 0:31:09for the benefit of guests' soft soles.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18I love bees. They are my family.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Another job that you just don't see at any ordinary hotel is beekeeping.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29I'm going to help veteran beekeeper Stephane
0:31:29 > 0:31:32harvest the month's quota of honey for the kitchen.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Before we head off to see the hotel's hives,
0:31:36 > 0:31:38he wants to show me just how influential
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Marlon Brando was around here...
0:31:41 > 0:31:43..even when it came to apiculture.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Marlon ultimately failed to produce regular honey,
0:32:00 > 0:32:02but Stephane has been far more successful.
0:32:02 > 0:32:08This is definitely one of the most surreal things I've done!
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Stephane's tasked me with an important job.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Smoking the bees.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Which makes them more docile and less likely to sting.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Around 2.5 million bees are at work here,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26producing more than a tonne of honey a year for the hotel.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Wow. Isn't nature amazing?
0:32:34 > 0:32:36This organic honey is renowned for its taste,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39as these bees live in a pollution-free,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41flower filled rainforest.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Very special and quite unique.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49We are collecting around ten kilos of honey
0:32:49 > 0:32:52that the kitchen desperately needs to keep up with guest demand.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56This guy's a legend. Those stings in your hand.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Stephane processes the honey by hand,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20giving me the chance for my first taste.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Oh, my goodness. That's the taste of paradise, it really is.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Oh, my goodness. Bring me some toast.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31After the wax has been scraped off,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34the frames are slotted into an extractor for ten minutes...
0:33:35 > 0:33:38..after which, liquid honey can then be poured.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46I feel like sticking my mouth underneath it.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Look at that!
0:33:52 > 0:33:53That's for me.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55That's liquid gold.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58It really is. You guys are very lucky, yeah?
0:33:58 > 0:34:01People love it. Once they have had it at breakfast,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04they're going to ask for it at lunch and at dinner, just with some bread,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and just going to dip the bread in here and eat all day long.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08Absolutely delicious.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Hotel guests of today may revel in the natural produce found here,
0:34:21 > 0:34:22but for Marlon Brando,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26the atoll's history and people were the most important thing.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28He once wrote, "If I have my way,
0:34:28 > 0:34:33"Tetiaroa will remain forever a place that reminds Tahitians
0:34:33 > 0:34:35"of what they are and what they were centuries ago."
0:34:40 > 0:34:43I'm about to meet up with someone from the Brando family.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Granddaughter Tumi Brando was a hotel guide here,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49but recently stepped down to have a baby.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52She's travelled over from Tahiti
0:34:52 > 0:34:54to share her memories of her grandfather
0:34:54 > 0:34:56and his love of this part of the world.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Do you remember him?- Yes.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I was 16 when he died.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05He had this thing - my grandma kept telling me that he has this...
0:35:05 > 0:35:07He...
0:35:07 > 0:35:10He was bonding with people quickly,
0:35:10 > 0:35:16and he really liked this authenticity in Polynesian people.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Because Polynesians, they are free people.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21They are free spirits, and he liked it.
0:35:21 > 0:35:28Even if he was Marlon Brando, known all over the world,
0:35:28 > 0:35:29people wouldn't...
0:35:29 > 0:35:32He couldn't get them to do things? They wouldn't bend to his wishes...
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- Voila.- ..and he liked that.- Oui.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38And Marlon was also adamant that his island
0:35:38 > 0:35:40should preserve all aspects of Polynesian culture.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47He was a visionary in terms of building a cultural centre here
0:35:47 > 0:35:50and making all these customs,
0:35:50 > 0:35:55Polynesian customs, traditional customs, alive again.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57It was really important for him.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03The last time I went to LA, and he was really sick, and he said,
0:36:03 > 0:36:08"You know what, you won't come back again if you don't speak Tahitian."
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- Really?- Because he was speaking Tahitian a little.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Really?- Yeah. I remember him speaking Tahitian.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28As one of the hotel's driving ambitions,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32staff are taught all aspects of Polynesian heritage
0:36:32 > 0:36:34by the resort's own cultural director.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42So, we'll go in the forest down here and look at the plants.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46I'm joining her to forage for traditional plants
0:36:46 > 0:36:50to be used in an upcoming meal involving the staff.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54We have so many different plants here that we use.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58The forests around the hotel are a treasure trove of ancient wisdom.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02If you look in here, we have to collect this little plant here.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Oh, what do you call it?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Oh! I love that.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15That's sweet, and now it's peppery hot.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Yes. Yes.- Oh, that would be great in a salad.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19We call it noh.
0:37:19 > 0:37:25Is that because when people first ate it, they were like, no, no, no?
0:37:25 > 0:37:26They said, no!
0:37:26 > 0:37:27No!
0:37:28 > 0:37:31This is one plant we have to collect, also,
0:37:31 > 0:37:36and we collect the leaves because we wrap our food,
0:37:36 > 0:37:42and when we cook meat, we used to wrap it that way, with those leaves.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44The traditional practice of wrapping food...
0:37:44 > 0:37:45One more.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49..keeps it tender while acting as a natural seasoning.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51That's plenty. That would be great.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Yeah? OK.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57It's this kind of traditional wisdom that she teaches
0:37:57 > 0:37:59to hotel staff, guests,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02and even schoolchildren invited to the island.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05It's all about traditional knowledge,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07and if that is not passed on,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11we will lose all this knowledge and all the traditional practices.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15If they do know why this plant is important,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17then they will look at it differently.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21- To preserve your culture... - To preserve the culture,
0:38:21 > 0:38:22and also to preserve the environment.
0:38:22 > 0:38:28To Hinano, the forest is not only a larder, but an incredible pharmacy.
0:38:28 > 0:38:33This is a scaevola, and this is a great medicine for...
0:38:33 > 0:38:35- Put it in your...- Eye drops?
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Yes, they are eye drops.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38Natural eye drops.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Natural eye drops - and it really helps, with one in each eye.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- That's excellent!- Yeah.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Look at that. Natural eye drops,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50when you've got dry, itchy, irritable eyes.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53That's fabulous knowledge.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54That's so interesting.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58There we go. Quite a few plants.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03- Yeah.- It's all about love and giving and caring about someone.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07It's throughout the Pacific Islands, isn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11Our cultures are all so interlinked in that way.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Hinano leads me to a poignant example
0:39:13 > 0:39:17of how easy it is for the traditions of the past to be lost.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22These fragile ruins are all that's left here
0:39:22 > 0:39:23of an ancient fishing temple.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Missionaries have gathered all the old priest.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32They gave the order to destroy all these sites,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36and so the Polynesians would never go back.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- To worship?- Yes, to their practice.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44This is our culture.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46It's really sad, because, today,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51we ought to be able to say, "OK, the religion has done that."
0:39:51 > 0:39:54This is what we are trying to give to the children.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57This is not a place where you find the devil,
0:39:57 > 0:40:04or this is a place where our beautiful and very smart ancestors
0:40:04 > 0:40:08would travel this big ocean, went everywhere,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and this is why we should...
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Missionaries. They did the same in Samoa.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17You can almost feel the desperation in her,
0:40:17 > 0:40:19that this knowledge is passed on
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and it's carried on for future generations,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and that passion is in her eyes, it's in her voice...
0:40:27 > 0:40:29..and you can't help but be touched by it.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35I think Marlon Brando dreamt about teaching Polynesian kids
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and teaching the world, also,
0:40:38 > 0:40:43having an island like this as an example of sustainable development.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46I think we are on a path.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53And it's a path that embraces not only the preservation of culture,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55but also of the environment.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00I go to a lot of hotels that claim to be eco-friendly, carbon neutral,
0:41:00 > 0:41:01environmentally sustainable.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03This place is different.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06They are implementing some seriously innovative sustainable technology
0:41:06 > 0:41:10to deal with their own special, local problems and wider issues.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13This is a place that is genuinely as concerned with preserving itself
0:41:13 > 0:41:16for the future, and its environment's future,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19as it is with giving people a jolly nice holiday.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21As part of this philosophy,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25the hotel has installed 3,700 solar panels
0:41:25 > 0:41:27to help meet its energy needs,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29and more than 75% of the resort's energy
0:41:29 > 0:41:31comes from renewable sources...
0:41:32 > 0:41:35..but by far the most ingenious eco-innovation
0:41:35 > 0:41:38is the resort's seawater air conditioning,
0:41:38 > 0:41:39or SWAC as it is called.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44It was Marlon Brando's idea to install it.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48It's carbon neutral, and Eddie the engineer couldn't be prouder.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52So this is the famous Marlon Brando air conditioning system?
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Yes, the SWAC.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16This system reduces the Brando's energy waste by 90%.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20To create such eco-efficiency,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23a single pipe was carefully laid to the edge of the reef
0:42:23 > 0:42:25and lowered to the deep ocean floor.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31This, here, is literally where the 2,000 metre pipe,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34which goes 900 metres down to the bottom of the sea,
0:42:34 > 0:42:37deeper than a person can dream of scuba-diving,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39comes in right there,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41to cool the whole place, and with that alone, you can just...
0:42:41 > 0:42:45I could just turn it off, no more air conditioning.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50I'm helping Eddie with the daily checks of the pipe system.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58OK, I'm going to go and close the other end of the pipe,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00because otherwise, having taken off this one,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02the water will go around and come in this way and go everywhere,
0:43:02 > 0:43:07and getting a plumber out at this time of night here is impossible.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10The cold sea water is passed through a heat exchanger,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14which cools fresh water, which is then pumped around the hotel,
0:43:14 > 0:43:15keeping it at 20 degrees.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18The three huge filters need regular cleaning,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21as they can get clogged up with debris sucked up from the deep.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25A major blockage could damage the system.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Blimey, that's cold!
0:43:46 > 0:43:49Aie! He was alive!
0:43:49 > 0:43:51- No!- Yes!
0:43:51 > 0:43:53It was alive! And my arm is frozen!
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Aargh!
0:44:01 > 0:44:05I told you. He's not VERY alive, but he's certainly alive.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07It's very, very, very cold water,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09so I can well sort of grasp just by touching it
0:44:09 > 0:44:12what an excellent way it must be of cooling down a hotel...
0:44:12 > 0:44:16..but the world's least effective shrimping system.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25The hotel has such belief in scientific innovation
0:44:25 > 0:44:26that it has even channelled profits
0:44:26 > 0:44:29into building a world-renowned research station.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It's Marlon Brando's university of the sea,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36right here within the resort,
0:44:36 > 0:44:38and it's a project close to Stan's heart.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42It's a million-dollar research facility with wet labs, dry labs,
0:44:42 > 0:44:44and a dormitory for visiting scientists,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47so this is a fundamental part of what we're all about.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53Guests at this hotel pay not only for a luxurious holiday,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56but also fund the work of scientists researching the atoll's ecosystem,
0:44:56 > 0:44:59and the state of the world's oceans...
0:44:59 > 0:45:01..and their cutting-edge work
0:45:01 > 0:45:03has even attracted the attention of presidents.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07These guys hide in the rocks.
0:45:07 > 0:45:08They hide into the rocks?
0:45:08 > 0:45:11This morning, we're joining Hinano's husband Frank,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14who is the executive director of the Tetiaroa Society,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18the hotel's so-called university of the sea.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20You just want to have something for the guests to see
0:45:20 > 0:45:22when they come around.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25We are collecting reef creatures to show guests the type of sealife
0:45:25 > 0:45:27that is under threat from global warming.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29That's a big oyster.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Put that in the aquarium, and he'll open up.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35These are all related to starfish.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37And how's it managed to get itself done by Burberry?
0:45:39 > 0:45:43Coral reefs are considered to be the rainforests of the sea.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44They're vital ecosystems
0:45:44 > 0:45:48that support a myriad of different marine species.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Oh, beautiful. Oh, both eyes are coming out now.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Hello!
0:45:56 > 0:46:00- It's mine!- I can't believe it's being held by the octopus.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03- Yeah!- Yeah!
0:46:03 > 0:46:05OK, well, a successful search.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08The work that Frank and the researchers are doing
0:46:08 > 0:46:10is focused on trying to preserve this coral,
0:46:10 > 0:46:12and the marine life dependent on it...
0:46:14 > 0:46:16..and it couldn't be more urgent.
0:46:18 > 0:46:19Rising sea temperatures
0:46:19 > 0:46:23are causing coral reefs all over the world to turn white and die...
0:46:27 > 0:46:31..but this phenomenon has not yet reached the waters around Tetiaroa.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Who wants to grab the cucumber?
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Yeah. He doesn't have a mouth or anything, does he?
0:46:35 > 0:46:36No, there's nothing going to hurt you.
0:46:36 > 0:46:41This experiment models the effects of higher CO2 levels in the ocean,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44to try to find ways to protect the coral reefs.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47So tell me, the incredibly wealthy people who come to stay -
0:46:47 > 0:46:49do they care about all of this?
0:46:49 > 0:46:50Do they talk about it,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52or do they just want to flop and have a pina colada
0:46:52 > 0:46:54by the pool and read a book?
0:46:54 > 0:46:58We get a lot of sponsorship from guests,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00you know, that join us and try and work with us
0:47:00 > 0:47:02in terms of what we're doing,
0:47:02 > 0:47:05not just for Tetiaroa, but the larger picture globally.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10If Tetiaroa's coral were to bleach white and die,
0:47:10 > 0:47:14this breathtaking reef that surrounds the hotel and its guests
0:47:14 > 0:47:15would become a graveyard.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21Coral and the fish and the sea urchins and the sea cucumbers
0:47:21 > 0:47:24and all that are living all in one system,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27so there's a serious problem if you're...
0:47:27 > 0:47:28In terms of losing coral,
0:47:28 > 0:47:31and then affecting everything else it cascades down on.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33There's a huge abundance of marine life here,
0:47:33 > 0:47:35and it's all dependent on the coral reef,
0:47:35 > 0:47:38which is why the research that's done here
0:47:38 > 0:47:40in league with the hotel is so important,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43because if it all goes, the consequences,
0:47:43 > 0:47:44well, they are unthinkable.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50To comprehend what's at stake here,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Frank's taking us outside the reef
0:47:52 > 0:47:54in the hope we'll be able to experience
0:47:54 > 0:47:56something extraordinary.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59There! Look!
0:48:03 > 0:48:07- Whoa!- Look at that!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10We're helping Frank identify any new humpback whales,
0:48:10 > 0:48:13to get an overall sense of how their numbers are doing in this area.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15It's sort of like seeing a submarine come up.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18I was looking through binoculars, and I realised,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20why am I looking at it through binoculars?
0:48:20 > 0:48:21I'm right next to it!
0:48:23 > 0:48:25These whales have migrated thousands of miles
0:48:25 > 0:48:28from their Antarctic feeding ground to these waters
0:48:28 > 0:48:31to mate, give birth and nurture their young.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36And although we are meant to be helping,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40it's hard not to just sit and marvel at these incredible creatures.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45I've got goose bumps.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49And these giants are so calm, Frank gives the OK...
0:48:50 > 0:48:53..for us to witness them in their world.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05It's only when you see the whole creature up close
0:49:05 > 0:49:07that you understand the scale.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12This mother, nurturing her calf, weighs nearly 36 tonnes,
0:49:12 > 0:49:14and is almost 15 metres long.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Oh, my God!
0:49:29 > 0:49:30That really...
0:49:30 > 0:49:34That is almost a life-changing experience. In fact, it is.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- If my life was not all right already...- I just can't compare...
0:49:37 > 0:49:38You're watching it from here,
0:49:38 > 0:49:40you think you're excited watching it from a boat,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42- but to be in the water... - All three of them right there -
0:49:42 > 0:49:43and no David Attenborough!
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- No! No, no.- I mean...
0:49:45 > 0:49:46It was better than that.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54In Polynesian culture,
0:49:54 > 0:49:56large marine creatures like whales
0:49:56 > 0:50:00are believed by some to be the spirit of people's ancestors.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05For many, Tetiaroa itself is a very sacred place.
0:50:07 > 0:50:08In celebration of this,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11tonight the hotel is holding a rare ceremony
0:50:11 > 0:50:13involving the guests and all the staff.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24For maitre d' Adrian, who first came to the island as a child,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27it holds great significance.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30It's a very important celebration for the spirits
0:50:30 > 0:50:34to make sure that everything we need, from the sea or from the land,
0:50:34 > 0:50:37that we need them to bless what we're doing here.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44For centuries it has been believed in this part of Polynesia
0:50:44 > 0:50:46that this walk of faith appeases the spirit world...
0:50:48 > 0:50:51..which rewards them with bountiful food from the land and sea.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59All staff and hotel guests are invited to cross the hot stones -
0:50:59 > 0:51:01but it must be done via foot.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08For Adrian, the occasion embodies the hotel's commitment
0:51:08 > 0:51:10to keeping island traditions alive.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Yeah. It's fine.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22It's not even burned.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25It's hot. But not that hot.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31Nearly 300 staff and guests walk the stones,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34as the ritual carries on well into the night.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43So, you're going to take that back...
0:51:43 > 0:51:44You want me to take it off?
0:51:44 > 0:51:47Yes. It's just going to be wrapped around.
0:51:47 > 0:51:48In the cold light of day,
0:51:48 > 0:51:50I'm helping Adrian close the ceremony.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55We are carrying the firewalking wreath
0:51:55 > 0:51:59to another of the island's temple ruins.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Would you mind taking off your shoes, please?
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Shoes off, yes.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06It became a temple more than 1,000 years ago.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09This one was meant for the biggest ceremony,
0:52:09 > 0:52:10mostly for kings and queens.
0:52:10 > 0:52:13People still go there to respect the ancestors,
0:52:13 > 0:52:17to show them that we still know that they are there.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20The wreath is a sign of gratitude for the wisdom of the ancestors.
0:52:24 > 0:52:25- To the front?- Yes.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28And just grab it.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Then you have to walk backwards?
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Careful.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35Then, we make another step.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41- You're OK?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:52:41 > 0:52:42As an islander myself,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45it's both moving and inspiring to see such respect
0:52:45 > 0:52:48in this young generation of hotel staff.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51- It's really meaningful.- It is.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53I realise how special it is to you.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57We have to give back, and never forget what we know.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02It's fine.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Thank you very much to be a part of that.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Thank you for letting me be a part of it.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13The knowledge about this fragile culture is clearly being passed down
0:53:13 > 0:53:15from people like Hinano and taking root.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23Before we leave the island, we have one more job to do.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Hinano's teaching the hotel staff
0:53:27 > 0:53:29how to throw a traditional Polynesian banquet -
0:53:29 > 0:53:33and she's asked us along to help.
0:53:33 > 0:53:34OK, that's it.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37The oven is a sandpit filled with dead coral
0:53:37 > 0:53:39that needs to be smoking hot.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42Here what they do is about heating the stones,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45getting a certain amount of heat into the stones.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Again, really squeeze it.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Meanwhile, I'm making a fruit pudding
0:53:49 > 0:53:51of plantain and papaya called Po'e.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54Are these the vanillas from the hotel garden?
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Yes - and you're doing a great job.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59And it's started.
0:53:59 > 0:54:00Good job!
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Thank you very much.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Hinano now offers us the privilege of handling one of the main dishes.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09We have some parrotfish down the beach over there,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11so if you and Giles could open it...
0:54:11 > 0:54:12Gut it? Into the water?
0:54:12 > 0:54:15So we're going to wash it up in the seawater.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Isn't that great? It sort of seasons the fish at the same time.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21We're entering the shallows for a time-honoured tradition
0:54:21 > 0:54:24of preparing fish amongst sharks.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30It's like something out of Jaws!
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Oh, there's a big one!
0:54:37 > 0:54:38- Hello!- Hello!
0:54:42 > 0:54:43As with whales,
0:54:43 > 0:54:48some Polynesians also believe sharks to be reincarnated ancestors,
0:54:48 > 0:54:52so rather than be scared, it's only right to look after them.
0:54:52 > 0:54:53Oi!
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Just like feeding the ducks at Regent's Park!
0:54:55 > 0:54:58It's got a little bit... Got a little bit more of something.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Although those ducks can be pretty ferocious.
0:55:02 > 0:55:03Oh, this is exciting.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08These baby reef sharks are only interested in the leftovers
0:55:08 > 0:55:11and any smaller fish. Once they're old enough,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14they leave the coral lagoon for life in the outer reef.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20- It's like a waste disposal unit, but...- This is fab.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24- I've never done anything like it. - No, no, no.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30How many do you want to get in, then? You want me to sort of...?
0:55:30 > 0:55:32That's enough here? And then tie them up.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35The food is wrapped in leaves collected from the forest,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38then sealed in bags woven from palm fronds.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Look at that!
0:55:40 > 0:55:41That is just amazing.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Rammed in like sardines, you might say.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45In the middle, in the middle.
0:55:45 > 0:55:49Meat in the middle because it's hottest, yeah?
0:55:49 > 0:55:51- There?- Yeah.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54Our feast is strategically laid out across the oven,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56and covered with an intricate blanket of hibiscus leaves.
0:55:58 > 0:55:59It does look amazing.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04This is to protect it from the sand while it slow cooks.
0:56:04 > 0:56:05- To weigh it down here?- Yeah.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09You're doing a great job. I'm going to hire you!
0:56:11 > 0:56:12Can't wait to get in there.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16This is the moment of truth.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Wow, smells amazing.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22It's no wonder the sharks are hanging around.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25Cooking has taken three hours, and as well as our parrotfish,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29we can't wait to get stuck in to all the other delicious offerings.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30Oh, my gosh!
0:56:30 > 0:56:33This is what I used to eat as a child!
0:56:33 > 0:56:36There's roasted sweet potato, coconut bread
0:56:36 > 0:56:38and mouthwatering pork ribs.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40So tender. Oh!
0:56:40 > 0:56:43So fresh and so tasty.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45That is very, very delicious.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Really, really good.
0:56:52 > 0:56:57In our honour, Adrian performs his Polynesian send-off.
0:56:57 > 0:56:58I mean, the thing that is most impressive is,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01he's juggling surrounded by sharks.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03I know!
0:57:09 > 0:57:11That was fabulous.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14Wonderful! The people here have really moved me.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18Their desire to celebrate the culture here is truly inspiring.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26It's a pleasure to have all of us here,
0:57:26 > 0:57:30and we share some great moments together with Monica and Giles,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34to welcome you, and of course, for the Brando.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43I've actually been caught a little bit by surprise
0:57:43 > 0:57:46how sort of personal this journey has been for me here.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49The people are soulful.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51They are gentle.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54They are warm and inviting.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56It's been an absolute journey for me
0:57:56 > 0:58:00to discover this little treasure in the Pacific.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Everyone here, from Stan and Frank to Hinano and Adrian...
0:58:08 > 0:58:10..they're all living with the truth
0:58:10 > 0:58:12that Marlon Brando realised 50 years ago,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15that, yes, we're living in paradise, but, yes, it's very fragile...
0:58:15 > 0:58:19..but what's most important is that they're fighting to keep it safe,
0:58:19 > 0:58:22and the whole world is richer for it.