Glenn Wysman has been coming to Fiji for the past 40 years.

Sometimes he comes with his family for holidays; he came for his honeymoon and also for some mission work.

The Northern Beaches, Sydney native’s experience of the Fijian culture came, not through five-star resorts, but connecting with the people on the land.

This inspired him to want to provide that same authentic experience for others.

He founded Selah FIJI, a privately owned eco-resort development that sits on five acres of land in Sonaisali, Nadi.

The property has 99 coconut trees, mango trees, guava trees and lemon trees.

“It’s a beautiful paradise,” Mr Wysman said.

There is a homestead on the property which will be joined soon by sustainable container accommodation units; the first one arriving in December this year, he said.

“We’ll be able to have guests come and stay on the property which is nestled amongst this amazing thriving ecosystem of trees and fruits.

“It’s a place that will offer a real authentic experience.”

The container units will be solar-powered and weather-proof and will cater to guests who want to holiday or run camps, meetings, and conferences.

The property will also feature a botanical garden.

“Everything we’re doing is focused on experiences, sustainability, reducing carbon footprint, and providing the comfort that people still expect to have while experiencing the Fiji way,” Mr Wysman said.

“People are looking for a different experience and we want the person who’s coming to stay here to feel more connected.”

Stage 1 is selling quickly. Every Selah FIJI’s eco-container style bure will be solar powered and will contain air-conditioning bedrooms or studio, a living area, bathroom and more. Photo: Tim Pascoe

Opportunity to invest 

Selah FIJI is being developed in stages.

Bookings to stay at the resort will be opened by the end of the year, Mr Wysman told SunBiz, adding that it will be operating as a boutique facility in February next year when two more fitted containers will arrive.

This is stage one.

He said it would take another year or two to work through the next few stages, depending on the timeline and other factors.

For those who want to secure a piece of the development, Selah FIJI is allowing investors to purchase stage one initial offering that includes three boutique eco-container style accommodation bures from AU$175,000 (roughly FJ$257,000) each.

Investors would own the container bure after the initial purchase and then Selah FIJI takes care of water, electricity, maintenance and body corporate for a monthly service fee, and accommodation bookings.

Selah FIJI said 70 per cent of the income would go to the investor while the remaining 30 per cent would go to the resort.

A word from Brent Hill, Tourism Fiji CEO 

Selah FIJI is a fantastic project, with guests having a unique and comfortable experience by living in a way that’s good for the environment, said Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Brent Hill.

They plan to use things like solar power and a system that’s friendly to the Earth – which we advocate in all new tourism builds, he said.

Selah FIJI’s focus on embracing the local environment, renewable energy and organic food, is an attractive selling point for the head of the country’s tourism office.

Mr Hill said Tourism Fiji has been in discussions to support Selah FIJI as it works to bring “much-needed accommodation in a sustainable setting” and what he described as a style of accommodation that fits the experiential tourism and accommodation trend worldwide.

“It matches with our focus on showing real and authentic experiences, taking care of nature, going on exciting adventures, connecting with the local community, finding time to relax and reconnect, and enjoying delicious food and drinks,” Mr Hill said.

“We believe in sharing these values with travellers and promoting responsible and eco-friendly travel.

“Tourism Fiji is committed to showcasing what Fiji has to offer as well as adding more offerings to the deck – as we have our destination development team dedicated towards these efforts and we want to diversity tourism, bringing more economic benefit to Fiji.”

Feedback: jernese.macanawai@fijisun.com.fj