BIRD ISLAND LODGE A TROPICAL ISLAND HOME

Bringing up a family on a remote Indian Ocean island is one thing.  And then add in running a 24 room lodge hotel is certainly a challenge for the Savy family.

Nick, Joanna, Isla and Dylan who have made Bird Island in The Seychelles their castaway style home.

And not only do they share it with up to 50 guests at any one time. Also 38 staff and at different seasons, 1,000,000 birds.  Plus all year round probably the heaviest and oldest Giant Tortoise’s in the world!

The island that Nick’s father Guy purchased back in 1967 as a coconut plantation. Well that is now under its second generation of ownership.

Aerial view of part of Bird Island Seychelles

As well being the equivalent of the hotel management team.  Nick and Joanna almost have the responsibility of running a small country.

Keeping its buildings maintained.  Its infrastructure, its hotel guests and staff fed and accommodated.  Plus keeping the island’s transport in smooth order too.

Tractors Are Vital On Bird Island

Vital to that are it’s tractors that their resident engineers modify and keep running despite being 60 miles from the nearest garage. The island’s fire engine tender is very much dependent on tractor power.  As it is there to deal with both airport fire fighting duties and the safety of the hotel and staff quarters too.

Engineers also keep the electricity flowing.  Constant supervising of the diesel electrical generators is another key service needing 24 hour support.

Power plant for Bird Island Lodge, staff quarters and the Savy family home Bird Island Seychelles.

Not that Nick and Joanna do everything they have to delegate of course.  However,  having an enthusiastic team around them does support the whole operation. But there are certainly times when all hands are needed on the island and everyone gets stuck in.

Team Work Is The Key On Bird Island

The arrival of vital stores by sea is one time.  Then the well orchestrated island team to set to work. Stores that could not get there by air being too heavy or large to fit into the Twin Otter planes. These maritime maestros literally wade in waist deep to get the stores ashore.

Monthly or more frequent inter island deliveries by boat are import an answer for the island.

Nick Savy the hands-on owner of  Bird Island Lodge, Seychelles.

However, with no harbour or dock on which to land goods.  Its then down to a small boat’s skipper ferrying stores from a larger freight boat and some hard physical work by staff and the family to get it onto the sand.

Fuel oil is currently a vital part of any shipboard load.  Followed by building materials of wood, cement, panels and large domestic goods get landed onto one of their pristine beaches. That selection  is highly dependent on which way the tides and winds are blowing on that day.

Getting the stores safely onto the beach often takes good part of the day.  But  has to be completed before it gets dark. Also with the tropical sun beating down its tough but key work.  Indeed and often rewarded after completion with a beer or two together with the team!

Glamping The Bird Island Lodge Way

This importation of goods is just one aspect of what Nick and Joanna have to plan for in order to keep the whole thing running smoothly.

The guests are probably mostly unaware of the activities of these boats. As the guests concentrate on topping up tans, take their meals or merely enjoy more of the numerous wildlife comings. Rather than admire several tons of timber and oil drums hitting the beach.

Tea with a tortoise at Bird Island Lodge Seychelles

Consumables like fish, meat, eggs fruit and vegetables come in by air. Even the odd small electrical household gadget gets an airborne arrival onto the island.

They try to buy their goods direct from Mahe the main island thus supporting the Seychelles local economy too. Although Amazon probably would deliver they prefer to shop local.  Well as local as 30 minutes flight time away is local?

Fresh foods are flown in most days with new customers in the Air Seychelles Twin Otter.

Some foods are grown on the island but the majority arrives by air.

Like Running A Small Country

In some ways Nick and Joanna are responsible for a mini-Government service. Running or supervising the various Bird Island departments of, finance, import and export, transport, aviation, environment but now as far as their children are concerned also education too!

Seychelles Sun Bird a nice and fairly rare visitor to Bird Island.

Son and daughter Dylan(16) and Isla (9) are now being home educated by Joanna.  Who via the internet and a college in England are seeing that they get an education that will set them for life either on or off the island in the years to come. Nick says that PE is down to him!

Playtime of course for them both too. But here it could be snorkelling or turtle tagging and then back lessons. Perhaps pop out and feed Esmeralda the oldest resident and the world’s heaviest Giant Tortoise who is in fact a male. How special is that to grow up surrounded by such wonderful tropical nature?

Talented Staff at Bird Island Lodge

Their talented multi-skilled hotel and engineering staff at times have to switch to other vital duties for instance.  Like manning the fire engine for when to flights come in and go out.

Tractor transport vital for the safety of the whole island staff and guest Bird Island, Seychelles.

Bird Island is a haven for millions of visiting nesting birds each season.  With wildlife experts coming and join the team to monitor the birds. Also the island is a magnet for a different type of egg layers too.

Several varieties of turtles clamber up the beaches each year to bury and lay their eggs in the sands of the island. Hawksbill and Green Turtles nest sites are constantly checked by visiting biologists.  Who take on the task to record, tag, mark nests and  check the overall health of the breeding community that visit.

Delightful and easy to approach Fairy Terns on Bird Island, Seychelles.

Bird Island Lodge and its human working community strive to provide a great experience, and environment for the hotel guests.  Plus also see that this haven for Sooty Terns, Fairy Terns, Lesser Noddy’s, Tropic Birds and a host of other animals live in harmony with all island residents.

This  self-contained little Indian Ocean Kingdom in some ways demonstrates a rather perfect way to live.  Working and growing up in the modern world of today.

If only we could all do that?