Turtle Island in Fiji's Yasawa chain welcomed the author and her husband for their 15th anniversary. The 500-acre private island accepts only 14 couples at a time and serves couples exclusively, except for two family weeks annually in December and June. The island originated as accommodation for the cast and crew of "The Blue Lagoon" film. American Richard Evanson purchased the island in 1972 and opened it to guests in 1980, converting those original cottages into guest suites.
The island operates with a strong local foundation. Staff are Fijian, primarily from surrounding Yasawa villages. About 80 percent of produce comes from a five-acre vegetable garden with roughly 150 beds. The island makes its own salt, butter, and juice. Fish comes from waters nearby. During the pandemic, when supply boats stopped, the island ran a floating grocery store to support neighboring villages.
Each couple receives a dedicated staff member called a bure mama who plans days, arranges lunches, handles laundry, and checks in several times daily. The author's bure mama, Mama Watti, surprised them with decorated accommodations, a cake, and music for their anniversary.
All meals are communal and eaten with other guests multiple times per day. Private beach lunches and dinners offer exceptions. The author experienced a private dinner on a floating dock lit by lanterns, with food delivered by boat. About 60 percent of guests return. One returning couple, Brooke and Chris Kyle from Eugene, Oregon, came back for their 28th anniversary after a decade away and found a decorated stone they had placed on the beach a decade earlier still in the sand.