Nukutepipi
A whole atoll in the Tuamotus, its lagoon included, let to one party at a time.
Nukutepipi is a private atoll in the Tuamotu archipelago, about two hours by chartered aircraft from Tahiti and roughly a square mile of land around an enclosed lagoon. The register records it as an atoll rather than an island because that is what is let: the whole ring, with no other party present. It was bought and rebuilt by Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil, over a decade, and the island had to be cleared twice after a swell washed out the first attempt.
A master residence, two junior villas and thirteen beach bungalows hold twenty-one bedrooms and up to about fifty guests. The atoll is let whole, with staff, chef, boats, dive equipment and a spa. Twenty-five kinds of fruit tree and thirty-seven vegetables are grown on it, with bees, chickens, rainwater collection and solar power, against a stated aim of running carbon-neutral four hundred and fifty miles from the nearest port.
Twenty-one bedrooms, not sixteen. The register had carried sixteen, which is the number of buildings. Sixteen villas and bungalows hold twenty-one bedrooms.
One end left alone. Development sits on the northeast; the rest of the atoll is untouched, and that is the reason the lagoon reads as it does.
Who it is not for
Nukutepipi is the wrong island for anyone counting cost against occupancy: sixteen bedrooms and a two-hour private flight assume a large group. It is wrong for travellers who want to leave and see something else, since there is nothing within reach. And it is wrong for guests who need medical services close by — this is one of the remotest entries in the register. Smaller Polynesian parties should look at Motu Nao Nao.
Sources
- nukutepipi.com — private atoll, exclusive use
- CTV News, August 2019 — 52 guests, 21 bedrooms across 16 villas and bungalows; two-hour flight from Tahiti
- Luxury Card guide — master residence, two junior villas and 13 beach bungalows; 25 types of fruit tree, 37 vegetables; about one square mile; nearest port 450 miles
- The Globe and Mail — a decade of building; the island cleared twice after a swell; development on the northeast coast only
- Guest maximum given as 50 and 52 by different sources; not published as settled.
Verification
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Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
Request a proposal Compare this islandClassified by The Resort Collection House · The Register · Edition 2026 · LHL-I-011
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