An initiative in Fiji invites visitors to leave behind more than footprints. Photo / Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji
Frankie Adkins gets his hands dirty during an unconventional ‘happy hour’ and discovers a delight that outlasts the kind you get from a mojito.
In Fiji, loloma means to act with generosity, guided by love. During my trip to Savusavu, Fiji’s lush “hidden paradise”, I slipped into leisurely holiday mode – lounging by the pool, swimming at sundown and sipping coconut cocktails. But the happiest, most rewarding part of my stay turned out to be an hour I spent giving back to nature.
Once I understood loloma, it was hard not to notice it everywhere. A girl who shyly offered me her last biscuit; a boy clambering up a narrow palm tree to bring his family coconuts; or a man who saw my mosquito-bitten legs and offered me the “ultimate shield” – his trousers. Loloma, I soon realised, is a way of life, reflecting the deep care that Fijians have for their land, the ocean and each other.
On Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island, I met Ofaine Sivoki Vinaisi Morell, the resident marine biologist at Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort. She explained loloma can also mean “to laugh” or “to take care of something”. Morell is leading the resort’s contribution to Loloma Hour, a Tourism Fiji initiative that asks visitors to spend a “happy hour” replenishing nature.
Climate change looms over the archipelago, with sea-level rise, bleaching reefs and tropical cyclones impacting Fiji’s 333 islands. The Loloma Hour initiative hopes to channel 5000 hours of visitor time into conservation, with 40 different activities to choose from at 20 participating hotels. This could be anything, from planting a mangrove tree, wading into a beach clean, or learning about sea turtle conservation.
At Jean-Michel Cousteau Hotel, an eco-resort along a palm-fringed road from Savusavu, loloma is woven into the rhythm of each day.
Founded by the son of famous scuba diver and explorer Jacques Cousteau, it’s no surprise the hotel is a beacon of ocean conservation and Fijian culture. Inspired by a traditional Fijian village, Cousteau has a collection of 25 bures – traditional huts built from timber and thatched with palm fronds.
Every evening I return to my room to find a piece of parchment on the bed, which reveals the activity for tomorrow. Take Monday, the Day of Coral, with dives scheduled in the kaleidoscopic reef, or beach cleans along the hotel’s shoreline. Or Thursday, the Day of the Rainforest, where guests can plant trees, and receive a progress picture every three months. These environmental activities are interspersed with Fijian fun and games – hermit crab racing, heritage basket weaving or listening to the harmonies of a local church choir.
One morning Morell shows me a scattering of scrubby mangroves hugging the beach. Every Wednesday, she leads a Loloma Hour activity where guests can plant mangrove seedlings. Found in tropical areas, mangroves prevent erosion and are a nursery grounds for a medley of sea creatures. “By planting mangroves, you’re showing your love to the sea,” she says. Morell, who is from Vanua Levu and has worked at Cousteau since 2017, helps introduce children to the underwater world. Cohorts of mini marine biologists attend the resort’s “School Under the Sea” – receiving a graduation certificate at the end. “It’s important to educate the kids as they’re the future generations of tomorrow,” she says.
Several evenings a week, Morell holds a marine biology presentation in the resort’s restaurant. She flicks through slides of electric blue fish, graceful manta rays, geometric turtles – familiarising guests to some of the 37 species endemic to Fiji. “Most of the guests come here on vacation but it’s really important for them to learn what’s happening over the world and stay connected,” she says.
Just like nature itself, Lolama Hour looks different depending on where in Fiji you are. At Six Senses Fiji on Malolo Island, guests can contribute to the conservation of critically endangered Fijian crested iguanas. While Seventh Heaven, Fiji’s floating bar in the Mamanuca Islands, offers a coral planting experience in the nearby reef.
For Morell, she hopes more people will give back to Fiji. “I’d love them to leave something behind – a seedling, a tree, a coral, that will have a positive impact on the environment,” she says.
The journalist stayed courtesy of Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort.