《島嶼獵人》第4季 P7 - Island Hunters S04E08_Big Time in Fiji.UMMU.NET

Fiji, located in the middle of the South Pacific, this nation features over 50 destination resorts and hotels. Native Fijian, Shiraz, has just returned to the islands, and he's brought along his friend and business partner, Mike, to help purchase an island for their new boutique resort startup. I'm originally from Fiji. Nothing would make me happier than to invest in my home country and being back in a place that I love, that I can call home. They've enlisted the help of island expert Chris Crollo of Private Islands, Inc., and together they'll tour some of the most beautiful properties that Fiji has to offer. But will Shiraz and Mike find an island that truly captures their imagination? The place needs a little work, but it's got authenticity and things I like about Fiji. Find out as Island Hunters explores Fiji. Shiraz and his business partner, Mike, have just arrived in Fiji. They want to open their own boutique resort to cater to the tourists that visit Fiji every year. They're meeting up with island expert Chris Crollo of Private Islands, Inc. to discuss what they're looking for in their potential purchase. Man, how's it going? Good, thanks for coming out. Mike, nice to meet you. My whole idea, Chris, is to start off small, maybe an island resort that is boutique and has 5 to 10 villas where folks can come and rent the entire island for their entire stay. And at the same token, be a place where we can bring family and friends. What do you think it needs to have in order to make this work? What I'd like, ultimately, Chris, is something that is in proximity to mainland, yet it feels remote. And I think these islands have to have access with helipad, deep channel access, and seaplane access. The island has to be big enough for us to be able to start with our boutique resort and to expand on top of that. I want big. Mm-hmm. How much money can you spend on this project? We're looking to put in maybe around 15 to 20 million. We've got a lot of islands to look at, guys. Fiji's a big place. There's 333 islands. Can we go see them? Let's head to the chopper. We are in one of the most remarkable countries in the South Pacific, Fiji. With a budget of 15 to 20 million dollars, the question is, what are they going to develop? Do they spend 10 million on the island, 5 million on the development? Do they buy a leasehold island for cheaper? A leasehold island means you don't actually own it. The government owns it. But it's pretty much the same if you're looking at it from a business standpoint. There's a lot of options. For their first tour, Chris is taking Shiraz and Mike to Wavi, which can be accessed from one of Fiji's most populous islands via a quarter-mile long bridge. Gentlemen, welcome to Wavi Island. Beautiful place. Love crossing the bridge. It's scenic. It's dramatic. You've got a 1,500-foot bridge from the mainland, 15 minutes from the airport. So accessibility, not a problem. And still, I feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere. There's a resort here, 90% done. You've got a swimming pool, your own marina. My next question, Chris, how much? I figured you'd ask that next. Okay, asking price, 15 million. Including all the stuff that we might still need to do, 15 million is kind of going a little bit above my budget. But you have the wow factor island, you have the accessibility. This takes years to build. You're saving five, six years of your life if you buy Wavi Island. Is it freehold, Chris? This is a freehold island. So far, I love the place. I'd love to see the rest. Let's go take a look. Let's go. Look at this, guys. So you've got the reef really close. It protects the island. It'd be nice if it were maybe a little bit further out. This has got to be the most accessible island on the market. You can drive here, you can walk here, and not only can you boat here, all your friends can boat here too. It has its own private marina. So far, marina access and freehold are definitely a plus on my list. What is the snorkeling and diving about here? Fiji is known for world-class diving and snorkeling. And think about it. Your guests are here. Do they really want to drive into town, take a boat charter out to see the dive sites, take them to different snorkel sites? Are you kidding me? You walk from your villa right to your own private marina and you're in the water. This could be the deal maker right here. Ready to see some more? I would love to see some more. I'm excited, man. Let's go. So you can see all the infrastructure's already here. You've got the entrances to the different lots. And look, you've even got the power connection already and the water as well. What do you mean power? Power's from the mainland, my friend. No solar here. Really? That is great. We're so close to the mainland, they're actually running power under the bridge right to the island. Really? That sounds like some savings for me. Look at this place. This is my lifestyle right here, brother. What a beautiful pool, Chris. What a beautiful sight. This villa is absolutely stunning. I have not seen anything like this in Fiji before. It is a showpiece. This is exactly what I was looking for. A Fijian flavor with a more modern feel. What would it cost to build something like this on one of the other sites? You're looking at about $800,000 to $1.2 million for a completed villa like this depending on the number of bedrooms for the other lots. This place is ready to go. That's great, Chris. Let's go inside. Look at this place. Have you ever seen anything like this in Fiji before, Shiraz? Seriously. This is absolutely beautiful. Three bedrooms. You have an awesome, amazing master suite. Two smaller bedrooms. And then, of course, you've got the kitchen, the living room and the main brewery. You've got the whole outdoor living space. And now you can see right out through the pool, right out to the water. First and foremost, for the family, this is ideal for us. So this would be your private villa? This would be ours. I would take over this. From the kitchen all the way to the living area, you've got a full view of the entire ocean. And it's absolutely scenic. So now that we have our drinks and you're a little bit more relaxed, what do you think? Wabi Island, it's paradise, isn't it? Beautiful place. You've got this beautiful setup. You've got the beautiful villa here. The place is already ready to go. Just needing some infrastructure. I'd probably pay $3 million for the villa. $15 million for the whole place. I'm not sure I'm prepared to take that kind of project on today. Even though it's maybe a little bit more than you wanted to take on, it's still within your budget. $15 million, another $5 million to finish off another three villas and the rest of the infrastructure, and you have a world-class resort. Mike, you're the money guy, you're the budget guy, but to go build something like this in an island like this is going to cost a lot of money. That's a good point, Shiraz. We're just going to have to sit down and just review all of our options. Look at this. Chris, this is absolutely stunning. Why are we here? Shiraz and Mike are looking to start their own private resort on one of the many islands in the South Pacific Republic of Fiji. They have a budget of up to $20 million and the assistance of island expert Chris Crollo. So far, they've already explored Wabi, a partially completed resort that offered plenty of opportunities for Shiraz and Mike to get their new business started quickly. This has got to be the most accessible island on the market. It has its own private marina. Now, for their next tour, the trio have traveled to Tovu, a sprawling island ripe for renovation. Welcome to Tovu Island. Pretty spectacular. 120 acres. It doesn't get any bigger than this. And it's completely freehold. The possibilities are endless. I like the fact that it's freehold and it's so large. I love the entrance to the jetty. I love the locations of the villas. I can't wait to see more. Two existing structures. Needs a little bit of work, but at least there's a place for you guys to stay and start enjoying the island right away. What's the price for an island like this? So the asking price is 9.5 million for the whole island. I like it so far, Chris. Let's go check it out. Let's go. So you've got the villa here. It needs a little bit of tender loving care, but with your budget, I don't think we've got a problem. Hey, it's pretty nice. You actually have glass. You have proper windows. What do you think? I love it. It's got beachfront access. It's got a full jetty. The place needs a little work, but it's got authenticity and things I like about Fiji. And it's a place you guys could stay while you're overseeing construction. This is not a cookie-cutter situation. It looks like a place that we could put our own thoughts and ideas into. At least there's a bit of a staircase. Yeah. Don't worry. We don't have to walk up the entire 330 feet. But I wanted to bring you up at least so you could see some of the views. I love it. More expensive to build up here, but wait till you see the views. Well worth it. Gentlemen, look at this. This is absolutely stunning. Why are we here? There's a little bit of a hike to get up here, but I think it's well worth it. What do you think of your villa right here to take all this in? 180-degree views with elevation, good breeze. I could see myself living here comfortably. This is the best of Fiji. You've got the mountains, you've got some islands in front of you, and you've got the open water view. 120 acres of paradise. I love the place. I'm free to go build as I wish and still stay within my budget. With 120 acres, your big concern should be where are you going to build the villas? There's just so many building spots. This one right here is a prime spot. Don't you think this would be expensive to build right over here on top of this mountain? Well, notice how they built a villa right by the beach area? They didn't have a $10 million budget like you do on top of the price of the island, so with that kind of money, you can build up here. Tobu Island. What do you think? I love the feel. I love the vibe. I love the views. I love everything about it, and it's fixable, and it's within my budget, and it's freehold. I don't think there's any other islands in this part of Fiji that are this big that are freehold. It's already got accessibility via the jetty. The proximity to the mainland is so close, yet it's still remote, and it's only 2.5 hours from the airport. What is already here in terms of infrastructure? Is there power? Is there water? The mainland is right there. I can actually see the power lines. It wouldn't cost a fortune to bring the power over, and that's going to save you a huge headache, especially if you're talking six, seven villas. You guys ready to see some more islands? Let's do it. Let's go. So as you can see, the beach is on the southern side of the island, and it's pristine. Look at the quality of the water. Look at the quality of the reef. Look at this, man. Sharaz and Mike have been touring the private islands of Fiji on the hunt for the perfect place to start a boutique resort for no more than $20 million. One of the islands they've toured, Wavi, comes with a stunning master villa that could be used as a template to build up to 15 suites. From the kitchen all the way to the living area, you've got a full view of the entire ocean. They also toured Tovu, where Sharaz and Mike could build out a completely custom resort. But the villa that's currently standing could use a little updating. The place needs a little work, but it's got authenticity. Now, island expert Chris Crowlow is leading the hunt to Yandua, a completely undeveloped island in a well-traveled area of Fiji. Welcome to Yandua Island. We are right smack dab in the middle of the Mamunusa chain. So this is where all the resorts are. This is the most popular area in all of Fiji. I mean, did you see the size of this island when we flew over it? It's pretty big, Chris. 27 acres. It has an amazing beach on the southern side. You actually have your own house reef that goes around the entire island. And the elevation, I mean, there's actually a volcanic crater at the top of the island. What do you think, Mike? It's amazing. How much does something like this cost? $3.95 million for the whole island. It's a leasehold island, so technically the government owns the island. You get to use it. But the majority of islands, especially in the Mamunusa chain, are all leasehold. And there's no infrastructure here today? There's nothing here now and that's why we have a lower price because it's going to cost a pretty penny to make this place a true paradise. Ready to see the beach? Let's go see the beach. Let's go check it out. So you've got huge elevations on this island. This is pretty much the only flat part. But luckily, this is where the beach is. So I'm thinking, you know, you could put like a restaurant down on this side. I mean, you wouldn't want to clear it all out, that's for sure. So as you can see, the beach is on the southern side of the island. It goes all the way around and it's pristine. Look at the quality of the water. Look at the quality of the reef. Look at this, man. Chris, this is absolutely beautiful. I love the beach front, the depth of the beach, the sports activities that we could do out here, fishing, scuba diving, the reef. It's absolutely gorgeous. Snorkeling right off the island. This reef is pristine and the shape of the beach, you've got complete privacy on this side and you could have another group on the other side. We found the island. The question now is where would we build and what would we build? Obviously with 200 feet of elevation, you want to build up so you can take it all in. I want something rustic, Fijian, thatch roofing, bamboo. I want it to be a flavor of Fiji. I want something modern that nobody has over here. Mike, I like the way you're thinking. What about up there, right on the cliff, something like this? I like that, Chris. Absolutely beautiful. How many of these could we fit on an island like this? Well, it's a 27-acre island. You could easily put 14, 15 villas scattered all the way around the island and they'd all have privacy. This is pretty, Chris. It looks more like a residence to me than the resort. Showing an undeveloped island could sometimes be tricky. So I think when you can actually kind of take it and put it up and sort of see the sand in the background, it gives you an idea of the value of this island. So, what do you think? It's definitely a contender. We've got some serious talking to do. Let's go see some more of the island. Okay. This is a beautiful island, guys. A lot of potential. This is all reef. And you feel that? Hardly any wind at all. Here, you could do the overwater bungalow concept where it's shallow and protected from the elements. The building costs would be lower. We've got to make sure that we don't go over our budget just investing and just rebuilding something. Gentlemen, Yandua Island, come on. This is perfect for what you're trying to do. Chris, it was absolutely amazing flying over here and taking that helicopter ride and looking at the crystal clear waters and the surrounding reefs. One of the things that does concern me, Chris, it is leasehold. However, it is in the Mamanuta Group. It's one of the most sought-after places to build a resort, and that's one of the things that's attracted me so far. This is definitely an amazing place. It's gorgeous. I've never seen anything more probably gorgeous than this location. I mean, I love every single one of them. Which one is going to fit for our families and our business? This is crazy, Mike. Sharaz and Mike are looking to start their own resort deep in the heart of Fiji. They have a budget of up to $20 million to spend on purchase and construction and have toured several options. Wavi was priced at $15 million. It included bridge access, connections to mainland power, one completed villa, and room for up to 15 more. Tobu was priced at $9.5 million, substantially below Sharaz and Mike's budget. While there's plenty of room to build a custom resort on the island's 120 acres, the added costs of constructing their resort may prove to be prohibitive. And finally, the currently undeveloped Yundua was priced at only $3.95 million. Although that price would allow Sharaz and Mike to design and build a resort to their exact specifications, the island's price only covers a 99-year lease from the Fijian government, and Sharaz wanted to own an island outright. What did you think about Wavi? At $15 million, one villa complete, freehold, the marina and the docking of jetties and boats, but it's a cookie-cutter design. I'm still on the fence about the bridge. I want something that's remote yet close to the land, but not that close. It's at the low end of our budget? Which concerns me because we're going to have to build out and outfit X amount of lots. I hear you. What about Tobu? That was a different feeling that I got there, man. Tobu Island at $9.5 million, 120-plus acres, freehold, although undeveloped, but that's what we're here for. How do we get power there? That might cost us a lot of money. Mike, I think we have three options. One would be submersible cable, one would be solar, one would be generators. So we have to look out and see what's most efficient for us. We still have to build it, clean it up, make it presentable? Although a little rundown, needs a little work, it's still within our budget. Absolutely. Yandua presents a great opportunity being in the Mamunuta Group. A beautiful island, proximity to the mainland, yet it's so remote. It's got a beautiful beachfront. We could do so much on that beach. That beach with that beautiful sand that I've never seen anywhere in the world. It is a great opportunity for us. I completely agree. It is leasehold, which concerns me quite a bit. The opportunity to build on 27 acres doesn't really present itself because it seems like we'd have to build up on elevation. But the 3.95 million doesn't sound that bad. At that price point, we could do anything we want. Charles,listen, at the end of the day, we're going to have to pick an island. Which one is really off of your list right now? Just throw it out there,man. Yandua Island. Yandua Island is a beautiful island,Mike, but it's leasehold. First and foremost. I'm with you 100%. We're down 2 islands now. With Wavi Island, beautiful location. I don't want no bridge going through there. That thing is just still there. I feel like we're so connected to the world. That's the only killer for me. Towvoo presents a great opportunity for us. Being freehold, it's already got 2 villas. It's got an authenticity that I love. We still have to build no matter which island we pick, but at least I want to have that feeling that I'm away from the world. Am I getting a feeling you're leaning towards Towvoo? It's 120 acres. It's freehold, and the growth opportunity is something I really like. I couldn't agree more. Let's go talk to Chris. We bought Towvoo Island at $9.5 million. It fits right within what I wanted. Freehold, accessibility to the mainland is absolutely right up my alley. What we've been doing so far is fishing, swimming, snorkeling. Pretty much what we've been doing is just really enjoying this place. Just getting a whole idea how it feels to live in a place like this. It's been phenomenal, man. I'm getting the goosebumps as I speak. This place is absolutely amazing.