Malibu’s Barry and Shauna Walker are opening the world’s first completely vegan resort in Vawa Island, Fiji. 

Malibuites Barry and Shauna Walker are opening Vawa Island, an exclusive vegan resort at the outermost fringes of the Pacific Ocean’s Yasawa Islands in Melanesia’s northwestern Fiji, an archipelago of twenty islands in the country’s western division, off the northwest side of Fiji’s main islands Viti Levu. 

Smack-dab on the 180-degree longitude line, Fiji is one of the first spots on the planet to see the sun rise every day, and at the Walker’s resort, every day is a good day.

“Vawa island is literally at the edge of the world and is 1,250 miles from New Zealand. “Vawa” means power in the indigenous people’s Yasawa i Rawa dialect and the name refers to the fact that the island was a volcano at one point,” Barry Walker said enthusiastically. 

“The island is as beautiful as you could imagine!” he added, explaining that the resort hosts 75 acres of Coco Palm forest and the now-dormant volcano’s ring of fire, beautiful coral sandy beaches, and a house reef that makes one’s jaw drop. 

The average daily temperature in Vawa and the rest of the Yasawa Islands is 80 degrees, which is one of the driest climates in Fiji, allowing for more glorious sunny excursions. Like Fiji’s other islands, Vawa’s geography is mostly volcanic and it was formed approximately 150 million years ago. 

A One-of-a-Kind Resort in One of the World’s Most Pristine Venues 

“We’re getting ready to share our dream with others,” Walker says. “On the island, we built a 6,000 square foot modern palace, offering 700-square feet rooms with special features, including our top-notch Raven spa and yoga classes.”

Building the exclusive Eco-resort property was a wonderful five-year journey for the Walkers, who painstakingly ensured that every feature in the venue was perfectly selected and positioned. 

“During the building process, we camped on the island for nine to ten days at a time, with all the construction materials looming behind us,” Walker said. “Those were some of the best experiences of our lives.”

They were also adventurous experiences, he noted. 

“We went through major lightning and wind storms.  Of course, Covid hit and the island was abandoned for two years, during which time, Cyclone Yasa, a Category 5,  hit and it destroyed some windows. Although we have hurricane-proof windows when coconuts hit them going 85 to 90 miles an hour, that did some damage.”

The venue’s aesthetics and furnishings are intriguing and beautiful, and to get them to the island, Walker says, the couple created some very complex supply chains.

“I bought a statue of Madame du Barry from Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris,” he said. “The madame was King Louis XV’s mistress before Marie Antoinette, and it was originally one of 185 statues that surrounded the Garden of Versailles.”

Madame du Barry’s statue went on a long journey to get to the retreat.

“First, we shipped her to Hungry, then she went on a container to LA, then she traveled on another container from LA to New  Zealand, and then the statue bounced over to Lautoka, Fiji, and finally, like much of our electrical, plumbing and other supplies, she traveled to our island on my 35-foot aluminum power cat dive boat,” Walker said. 

Now, Madame Dubarry sits ready to welcome visitors. “She’s a gorgeous terracotta statue and the resort is the perfect place for her to retire with her toes in the ocean, enjoying our beach in Fiji,” Walker says.  “The property is full of such special, gorgeous antiques.  It features Moroccan tiles and doors, French travertine.” 

Walker used to be in the antique world and his experience manifests in the resort.

“We went to Hungary and filled the place with 100-year-old furniture and beautiful chandeliers. It truly is stunning,” he said. “Indian artifacts and statues adorn the property.” 

Phase 2 of the resort is coming soon and will feature guest houses nestled along the tree line, he added, noting those accommodations will offer 360-degree views and provide guests with lovely, secluded stays.

The Walkers are opening what Barry characterizes as The World’s First Vegan Private Island Retreat.

“My wife, Shauna wrote How To Eat Vegan for 30 days, Bridge To a Vegan Lifestyle, and her food is famous in Malibu and beyond,” Walker says, noting that the cuisine at the resort is scrumptious. 

The island experience includes a private vegan chef, a yoga instructor, a butler, masseuses, and dive instructors to help guests investigate the magical underworld that surrounds the island. 

The Walkers personally curate visitors’ trips, ensuring they enjoy the experiences they most desire. From lifestyle retreats to small weddings, to honeymoons and family gatherings, everyone is welcome. 

Beach activities abound in this haven of warm tropical waters. There’s spectacular snorkeling right off the beach and excellent freediving. There are a multitude of Japanese lobsters, clams, and colorful tropical fish swimming around the coral, just waiting to mingle with visitors. 

Ask the staff at Vawa Island and they’ll take you sailing on the crystal clear water or you can try your hand at stand-up paddling, gaze down, and view an underwater universe flush with coral and sea life. 

The lucky visitors who arrive between May and October will enjoy manta ray season. Swimming or snorkeling with the huge, yet elegant fish is an enchanting experience and the staff at Vawa Island can arrange excursions with the majestic safeguarded species. 

The Fiji Islands’ clear waters host some amazing tropical fish and underwater wildlife. The five species of Vonu (Fijian for turtle) are colorful and intriguing.  Loggerhead, Leatherback, Pacific Ridley, Hawksbill and Green turtles swim leisurely.  Coral reefs host several various shark species and fifteen species of whales frequent the waters.  

When hiking you can pick bananas, coconuts, papaya, mangoes, breadfruit and cassava. All these wonderful attributes of island living intrigued the Walkers.  Lured by the island lifestyle, they began to assiduously build the resort. No small task when one is building on such a remote island.

“The pandemic nearly killed us,” Barry Walker shared. “But, we carried on and now, we’re ready to welcome our first guests.” 

Although Vawa is remote, it takes only a couple hours’ boat ride on the property’s 33-foot Power Cat to bring guests to famous surf sites like CloudBreak, a world-class, left reef break with waves as tall as 20 feet, and Nomotu, whose crystal clear water offers unforgettable experiences where guests can spend all day in, over and under the water. It’s an environment the whole family can enjoy. 

Return at night to enjoy some of the most amazing stargazing on the planet. Away from light pollution and the cacophony of our busy world, gaze up and enjoy the unmatched serenity. 

“On a clear night, one sees the full Milky Way and its band and the Moon watching is amazing,” Walker noted. 

The area is not just popular with those from Malibu and the U.S. Rather, tourists from France, Poland, Germany, and Italy grace the place.

The island is by Invite Only. Come to Vawa Island and enjoy the feeling of being immersed in your own piece of paradise. Let the Walkers curate your one-of-a-kind vacation experience. The adventure of your lifetime awaits. MM

Malibu Magazine is published by ES Media Services, LLC