The sea-cooled eco-resort that's nearly mosquito-free
The Brando is one of the most luxurious eco-resorts on the planet, nestling on an atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It's the last place you might think to find pioneering technology. But you'd be surprised.
The Brando resort on Tetiaroa - a stunning atoll north of Tahiti - is the epitome of luxurious exclusivity. Two-room bungalows start from €3,700 (£3,200) a night.
Formerly owned by Hollywood legend Marlon Brando, who was keen that it should become an ecological haven, it has now developed in to a hideaway for the rich and famous seeking conscience-soothing holidays that do less harm to the planet.
"It is often felt that sustainability is not compatible with the luxury end of the hospitality market, but The Brando proves it is possible," says Prof Graham Miller, who holds a chair in sustainability in business at the University of Surrey.
But, of course, visitors to The Brando have to fly to Tahiti first then take another "20-minute flight to paradise", so their carbon footprint is still significant.
The well-heeled guests are unlikely to be bitten by mosquitoes either, due to a sterilisation programme that has slashed Tetiaroa's mosquito population by at least 95%.
Led by Dr Hervé Bossin of the Institut Louis Malardé, the programme breeds and releases non-biting male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria that makes wild females - who do bite - sterile.
By Jessica BownTechnology of Business reporter
