Written by Kylie Barton

We are extremely excited here at Island Spirit that the International Civil Society meeting will be held here in Fiji, Suva to be exact, at the end of this year. This is the 14^th occurrence of the event, which provides a platform for key civil society…

Written by Kylie Barton

Here at IS when we read a headline about people dumping things in our beautiful oceans here in Fiji we can’t help but get a little emotional. Earlier this month, it was found that a Chinese tuna vessel has been caught in that very act. The…

Written by Laura Griffith

There are many shapes that responsible travel can take and the rich, long-lasting impact it has on us as travellers and the communities we visit.

If you’re not familiar with the term, ‘responsible travel’ means being socially and culturally…

Written by Kylie Barton

The creatures of the nation’s we work in are without a doubt one of the biggest draws (as well as our impeccable individualised service of course!). In Sri Lanka, the Sperm Whale is certainly up there in the must-see animals.

These creatures made the news in recent…

Written by Kylie Barton

Renewable electricity is something Island Spirit is incredibly passionate about, and we are ecstatic to hear that our new host nation Vanuatu has a renewable, rural electrification project underway that will see over 9000 resident’s homes installed with electricity. We welcome this drive supported by a number…

Written by Kylie Barton

We are very excited here at Island Spirit by the recent news that the Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji will be ramping up protection efforts for our beloved Rainbow Reef in Taveuni and the Waivunia marine reserve.

Work began on the gazetting of the Rainbow Reef in…

Written by Kylie Barton

Sri Lanka is one of our new locations here at Island Spirit, and so we thought we would take a little look at the way climate change is affecting this beautiful zen gem isle.

We hear a lot about climate change, and at Island Spirit we talk…

Written by Laura Griffith

Dishing up a fresh perspective for IS, our team member Laura talks about Island Spirit’s Wildcrafted Fijian headbands –  our latest product to launch in celebration of World Fair Trade Day on May the 13th.

“As a former Textile Designer, with background in designing contemporary garments & products for a Global Design…

Written by Kylie Barton

It has been all go here at IS! Island Spirit is the first company with WFTO (World Fair Trade Organisation) membership to trade with any Pacific Island Country. It is also the first WFTO to specialise in responsible travel.

At Island Spirit we work with the local…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

Updates and notes from our second recce trip to this remote, tribally rich and adventurous location – Vanuatu. 

Here you can read about our trip to get a feel for the forthcoming Escapes we are designing. They will be dedicated to eco tourism as all…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

So I landed once again in one piece, on this tiny island of ‪Taveuni‬ in Fiji‬.

Look at this place it’s insane! I spend a lot of time going up and down the rainforest coastline on a little track by rickety bus which hugs the…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

It’s time for us to spread our little wings! The Atlantic Ocean calls this time and so to Barbados I head.

This blog is a run down of the places and people I met as I uncover this wonderful coral limestone island.

My ambition is to meet local…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

Fiji celebrates World Tourism Day as a Democracy once more – rejoice!

Although this may seem a tenuous link; the fact that today the Fijian tourism industry is experiencing World Tourism Day as a democratic country once more is something to be very much celebrated. The focus…

Written by Kylie Barton

As the Coral Reef controversy surrounding dredging and the Great Barrier Reef continues, Island Spirit thought it would be a nice idea to look at some different coral reef management methods to see who is trying to protect what, how, and what is proving…

Written by Kylie Barton

Giant Clams are one of the biggest unsung heroes of the coral reef system. Here at IS we fully support the current work of the Ministry of Fisheries in Fiji who are working to repopulate the Taveuni reefs (along with others) with…

Written by Kylie Barton

The most important message to come out of the 5^th annual World Ecotourism Conference held in the Philippines last weekend was that for sustainable tourism to work it must focus on generating more opportunities for local communities that keep marine life thriving; not dying.

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Written by Kylie Barton

Fijians are well aware of the damaging effects extreme weather can bring, especially as an Island state like that of Tonga which was hit by a category five tropical cyclone with winds up to 300km per hour earlier this month where 70 per cent of buildings…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

“Hurrah Island Spirit have spotted Squids! .. Sometimes it all just makes sense! Today was the first day I’d been in the water at the coral gardening reef in more than four months. I’d saw an increase in algae and some of the coral planted on…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

Robyn, the owner and manager of Nakia Eco Resort, has kindly donated 40 young trees to Island Spirt for replanting in Vidawa village and along the farming section of their rainforest trek.

During the Taveuni Island Discovery trip in April with Kyle Waters from Toronto, Canada, we…

Written by Kirsty Barnby

Eco adventures with ‘Island Spirt’ ( in Fijian – ‘Yanuyanu Yasi’).

This has been one of  my best days on Taveuni. I have finally discovered the brilliance of the natural…